
Jeff and Rebecca are joined by romance expert Jessica Pryde to talk about romantasy, current trends in romance, category romance, navigating commercial romance covers, and much more.
Jessica co-hosts Book Riot's When in Romance. You can also find her exclamations about books and internet ridiculousness on BlueSky (JessIsReading) and instagram/threads (jess_is_reading).
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder.
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Discussed in this Episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Jennifer Roberson
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
Lights Out by Navessa Allen
The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
I Think I Like "Cozy" Dark Romance
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Feb 12
45 min
![Deals Deals Deals for February 2025 [Teaser]](https://cdn-images.podbay.fm/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21lZ2FwaG9uZS5pbWdpeC5uZXQvcG9kY2FzdHMvNmU4NzIzY2EtODQ1ZS0xMWVjLTliYzItNmJlMjAxZGM4ODA5L2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlLmpwZz9peGxpYj1yYWlscy00LjMuMSZtYXgtdz0zMDAwJm1heC1oPTMwMDAmZml0PWNyb3AmYXV0bz1mb3JtYXQsY29tcHJlc3MiLCJmYWxsYmFjayI6Imh0dHBzOi8vaXMxLXNzbC5tenN0YXRpYy5jb20vaW1hZ2UvdGh1bWIvUG9kY2FzdHMxMTIvdjQvM2EvZDUvM2MvM2FkNTNjNzAtZjNiZi1jNDcwLTRkNmQtZTQ0ZDEzM2FlNTJiL216YV84NTc2NzgzMDM4NDE0OTMxMzQ5LmpwZy82MDB4NjAwYmIuanBnIn0.OcNejI-fTbWzVBtQhGMwxwNHjFtZQod7cDX65NByzGE.jpg?width=200&height=200)
Jeff is back with his quarterly pile of recent book deal announcements to bounce off Rebecca. One of our favorite recurring episodes.
To listen to the whole thing, check out the Book Riot Podcast Patreon.
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Feb 11
10 min

Jeff and Rebecca spend more time than they would like in legal-land before talking about how everybody hates blurbs, recent reading, and other book news. Then, Brenna Connor of Circana joins Jeff to talk about 2024 book sales highlights and lowlights before looking ahead to 2025.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
First Edition
Shout-out to Feedspot for featuring us as #5 in the top 100 book podcasts on the planet
Scarlett Pavlovich sues Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer for rape & human trafficking and Netflix adaptation of Sandman to end after second season
Man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie to go to trial
Big 5 and Authors Guild sue Idaho over book banning law
Simon & Schuster’s flagship imprint won’t require blurbs and Rebecca Makkai essay in the NYT
Dystopian novels are on the rise again after the inauguration
On the Hippie Trail
The Loves of My Life
Life in Three Dimensions
Tilt
Bibliophobia by Sarah Chihaya
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Feb 10
1 hr 21 min

Jeff and Rebecca consider ten contenders to be the It Book of the Month.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder.
Discussed in this Episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
First Edition
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Feb 5
50 min
![We Talk About WE DO NOT PART by Han Kang [Teaser]](https://cdn-images.podbay.fm/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21lZ2FwaG9uZS5pbWdpeC5uZXQvcG9kY2FzdHMvNmU4NzIzY2EtODQ1ZS0xMWVjLTliYzItNmJlMjAxZGM4ODA5L2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlLmpwZz9peGxpYj1yYWlscy00LjMuMSZtYXgtdz0zMDAwJm1heC1oPTMwMDAmZml0PWNyb3AmYXV0bz1mb3JtYXQsY29tcHJlc3MiLCJmYWxsYmFjayI6Imh0dHBzOi8vaXMxLXNzbC5tenN0YXRpYy5jb20vaW1hZ2UvdGh1bWIvUG9kY2FzdHMxMTIvdjQvM2EvZDUvM2MvM2FkNTNjNzAtZjNiZi1jNDcwLTRkNmQtZTQ0ZDEzM2FlNTJiL216YV84NTc2NzgzMDM4NDE0OTMxMzQ5LmpwZy82MDB4NjAwYmIuanBnIn0.OcNejI-fTbWzVBtQhGMwxwNHjFtZQod7cDX65NByzGE.jpg?width=200&height=200)
Jeff and Rebecca discuss the new novel by the 2024 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Han Kang.
To listen to the full episode, become a member of the Book Riot Podcast Patreon, if you aren't already.
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Feb 4
11 min

Jeff and Rebecca talk about Dark Horse parting ways with Neil Gaiman, get off some hot takes about bookish social media, go through the ins-and-outs of ebooks coming to Bookshop.org, and more.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this Episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Bookshop.org’s Ebook Launch & Reading 25 Minutes a Day in 2025 with Gretchen Rubin episode of First Edition
Dark Horse Comics drops Neil Gaiman
Bookshop.org launches ebook sales
NYT’s coverage accidentally indicts how bad the old indie ebook options are
Authors Guild introduces “Human Authored” certification
New! Dan! Brown!
Hero of the week: Octavia’s Bookshelf
Defy by Sunita Sah
Y2K by Colette Shade
We Do Not Part by Han Kang
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Feb 3
1 hr 5 min

Jeff and Rebecca talk about a bunch of early-ish career writers to keep your eye on.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder.
Discussed in this Episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 29
41 min

Jeff and Rebecca note some side-effects of Onyx Storm's huge release before talking about Oscars nominations, NBCC finalists, recent reading and more. Then, Jami Attenberg talks to Rebecca about how she put together a book fair where every kid can walk away with a book.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Discussed in this Episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
The Onyx Storm roll-out didn’t quite go as planned - and demand crashed the Target website and Fans are not impressed with the “exclusive” art
NBCC finalists
Oscar nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay
Blob
I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante
The Language of Mathematics by Raul Rojas
Alligator Tears by Edgar Gomez
Life in Three Dimensions by Shigehiro Oishi
Jami's Craft Talk Substack
How We Hacked the Scholastic Book Fair So Every Kid Could Buy a Book
1,000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round
A Reason to See You Again
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Jan 27
57 min

Jeff and Rebecca look back and power-rank the books of 2015. Ten picks each, minimal cheating.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Sign up for the Book Riot Podcast Newsletter and follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky.
Get more industry news with our Today in Books daily newsletter.
A new year means a new Read Harder Challenge! Join us as we make our way through 24 tasks meant to expand our reading horizons. Sign up at bookriot.com/readharder.
Discussed in this Episode:
The Book Riot Podcast Patreon
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 22
1 hr 23 min
![Hot List Check in for January 2025 [Teaser]](https://cdn-images.podbay.fm/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21lZ2FwaG9uZS5pbWdpeC5uZXQvcG9kY2FzdHMvNmU4NzIzY2EtODQ1ZS0xMWVjLTliYzItNmJlMjAxZGM4ODA5L2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlLmpwZz9peGxpYj1yYWlscy00LjMuMSZtYXgtdz0zMDAwJm1heC1oPTMwMDAmZml0PWNyb3AmYXV0bz1mb3JtYXQsY29tcHJlc3MiLCJmYWxsYmFjayI6Imh0dHBzOi8vaXMxLXNzbC5tenN0YXRpYy5jb20vaW1hZ2UvdGh1bWIvUG9kY2FzdHMxMTIvdjQvM2EvZDUvM2MvM2FkNTNjNzAtZjNiZi1jNDcwLTRkNmQtZTQ0ZDEzM2FlNTJiL216YV84NTc2NzgzMDM4NDE0OTMxMzQ5LmpwZy82MDB4NjAwYmIuanBnIn0.OcNejI-fTbWzVBtQhGMwxwNHjFtZQod7cDX65NByzGE.jpg?width=200&height=200)
This is a preview of our most recent bonus episode for Patreon members: The January 2025 Hot List Check-in. This is where Jeff offers Rebecca a list of the books he thinks are the current hot books and she tells him he is wrong. Or right. Since Patreon episodes aren't in the main feed, there is some occasional cursing, and in this preview, Jeff had to get out the horn-bleep effect. If you enjoyed this, please consider becoming a paid member of the Book Riot podcast Patreon. We have fun trying to make things you enjoy.
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Jan 21
6 min
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