Episodios

  • 'The Persian' is a spy thriller written by former CIA analyst David McCloskey

    'The Persian' is a spy thriller written by former CIA analyst David McCloskey
    Oct 15 2025
    David McCloskey keeps writing spy thrillers – and the plots keep coming true. In the opening of his latest novel The Persian, Israel has just launched a surprise attack on Iran. But the author says he had already finished writing by the time conflict broke out between the two nations earlier this year. In today’s episode, McCloskey speaks with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly about working at the intersection of reality and fiction, and having his work reviewed by the CIA.


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    9 m
  • In her new memoir, Jeannie Vanasco gets 'A Silent Treatment' from her mom

    In her new memoir, Jeannie Vanasco gets 'A Silent Treatment' from her mom
    Oct 14 2025
    Jeannie Vanasco’s memoir A Silent Treatment is about the period her mother spent living in the basement apartment of Vanasco’s home. Sometimes, Vanasco’s mother would stop communicating altogether. The silent treatment could last a few days – but once, it lasted six months. In today’s episode, the author speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about how she came to understand her mother’s retreat.


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    10 m
  • 'Pick a Color' is a novel that takes place over a single day at a nail salon

    'Pick a Color' is a novel that takes place over a single day at a nail salon
    Oct 13 2025
    Ning is the manager of a nail salon where all of the workers wear a nametag with the same name – Susan. Pick A Color takes place over a single day at the salon and it’s the first novel by Souvankham Thammavongsa. In today’s episode, the poet and short story writer speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about Ning’s background as a prizefighter, what Thammavongsa has observed as a salon customer, and the author’s distinction between knowledge and intelligence.


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    9 m
  • Introducing: Books We've Loved

    Introducing: Books We've Loved
    Oct 11 2025
    Welcome to Books We've Loved, a new limited series from Book of The Day. Every episode, we will dig into some of our favorite books, to make the case for picking up a book from the past. Hosted by Book of the Day’s Andrew Limbong and Code Switch’s B.A. Parker, they will be your guides through these timeless stories. Bringing on NPR voices and book nerds far and wide, they will discuss titles by authors like Anthony Bourdain, James Baldwin, and Jane Austen, and asking their guests questions like — why can’t they get this book out of their head? How did this book shift a paradigm, shake the culture, or change their life? And, most importantly, why should you read it now?


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    2 m
  • These new mystery novels are 'whodunits' that might as well be called 'whydunits'

    These new mystery novels are 'whodunits' that might as well be called 'whydunits'
    Oct 10 2025
    Today’s episode features two mystery novels with special twists. First, The Killer Question is a story told via emails, WhatsApp messages and texts. When a new trivia team becomes suspiciously successful, egos are hurt and a body is found in the river. In today’s episode, author Janice Hallett joins NPR’s Scott Simon for a conversation about the mystery that unfolds. Then, Kill Your Darlings is a novel written in reverse: The murderer is revealed in the first chapter. In today’s episode, author Peter Swanson talks with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly about the marriage at the center of the story.


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    18 m
  • In 'Dream School,' Jeff Selingo wants parents to rethink what makes a ‘good’ college

    In 'Dream School,' Jeff Selingo wants parents to rethink what makes a ‘good’ college
    Oct 9 2025
    Over the past 20 years, the number of college applications filed to top schools has exploded. And while most American colleges accept most applicants, many parents and students hold tightly to the idea that prestige matters. In his new book Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right For You, journalist and higher education expert Jeff Selingo argues elite schools aren’t always the best. In today’s episode, Selingo speaks with NPR’s Michel Martin about why he wants to give parents permission to think more broadly about higher education.

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    8 m
  • For her latest novel, Patricia Lockwood says she wanted to write about confusion

    For her latest novel, Patricia Lockwood says she wanted to write about confusion
    Oct 8 2025
    In Patricia Lockwood’s latest novel, the protagonist is an author named Patricia. Will There Ever Be Another You documents a four-year period of disorientation, disassociation and confusion after Patricia becomes severely ill. The story is based on Lockwood’s own experience with brain fog and other symptoms after becoming sick with Covid-19 in March 2020. In today’s episode, the real-life author talks with NPR’s Ari Shapiro about embodying confusion as she wrote about it.


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    9 m
  • Mariana Enriquez’s new book connects her interest in cemeteries with Argentina’s past

    Mariana Enriquez’s new book connects her interest in cemeteries with Argentina’s past
    Oct 7 2025
    Cemeteries are not everyone’s idea of fun, but they’re a source of fascination for author Mariana Enriquez. Her new nonfiction book Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave is a collection of personal short stories she gathered while traveling to final resting places across four continents. In today’s episode, the author joins NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe for a conversation about her past as a goth, the connection between graves and Argentina’s dictatorship, and where Enriquez would like to be buried.

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    9 m