Jeff and Rebecca go back thirty years to power rank the top 10 books of 1996 (with a quick look at 1976).

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca reflect on what Tuesday's election results means for book banning, ACOTAR first day sales, The NYT fires its romance columnist, recent reading, and more.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

ACOTAR book 6 sells 1.7 million copies on release day

Netflix has ordered a series adaptation of Prep

A Great Gatsby-inspired police procedural with a gender-flipped Nick Carraway

RIP Simon Winchester

NYT fires romance columnist for social media post

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Bellesa Boutique.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca find themselves in the last proper month of new book releases, and so they endeavor to pick the It Book of the Month.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca and Jeff dive into one of the most interesting Best Books of the Year lists, the utter embarrassment that is Elon Musk's AI-generated adaptation of The Odyssey, Dictionary.com's word of the year, and more.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

PW’s best books of 2026

Macmillan threw a welcome party for an AI assistant

Dictionary.com’s word of the year

Reading may help you live longer

A24 producing TV series based on Art of Fielding and The Brightness

Redemption by Lawrence Wright

The Best American Food and Travel Writing 2026, edited by José Andrés

Vibe by Adam Grant

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca talk about recent watches, listens, and yes a few reads from the last few months.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca catch up on a whole bunch of news, from Fourth Wing casting to Supreme Court recusals, plus recent reading and a very cool study from a podcast listener.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

Okay, the Fourth Wing show has casting

We were right to be worried about Klara & the Sun

Barnes & Noble’s Best Books of 2026 came out on October 1, and no one said anything

Finalists for Barnes & Noble Book of the Year

Pod listener crunched the data on series drop-off

Authors Guild issues AI guidelines for publishers

SCOTUS can’t hear copyright cases related to PRH

That James Daunt profile

RhymeHamster

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca and Vanessa discuss a so-called exposé of the publishing industry's use of AI and yet another prize-winning story that seems to have been written by AI. They also react to the first trailer for Greta Gerwig's Narnia, news of a James Baldwin biopic, and break down their recent reading.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Discussed in this episode:

The first Narnia trailer

AI is already everywhere in publishing

Higher Ground is producing a James Baldwin movie

Another prize-winning story appears to be written by AI

YouTube is looking to expand into audiobooks

Black Bag by Luke Kennard

The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

"The People Holding Up the Internet"

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca and Vanessa talk about the books that are climbing the charts, picking up trophies, and powering the literary zeitgeist this month.
Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

For a limited time our listeners are getting a FREE full sized Mascara on their first purchase. Just head to ⁠Jonesroadbeauty.com⁠ and use code BOOKRIOT at checkout.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Vanessa talk about Anne Carson's Nobel win, the NBA shortlists, Kirkus winners, recent reading, and much more.

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

Ask us questions for the 15th mailbag!

Also vote for Zero to Well-Read in The Signal Awards, in both Best New Podcast and best Arts & Culture Podcast!

Discussed in this episode:

Anne Carson awarded 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature

National Book Award shortlists are out

Oprah’s Book Club Announces Its 125th Reading Selection

Half (and quarter) star ratings have arrived at Goodreads

Is there anything to say about Alix Earle?

I do not care for this.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca take the occasions of Book Riot's 15th anniversary to look back at some stories from podcasts back, reflect on some favorite things we've made, and thank you all for listening.

Ask us questions for the 15th mailbag!

Also vote for Zero to Well-Read in The Signal Awards, in both Best New Podcast and best Arts & Culture Podcast!

Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Join The Book Riot Podcast Patreon for bonus content and ad-free listening.

Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life.

The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Thanks to our sponsor Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Vanessa talk 15 years of Book Riot for a minute (and bring back the old episode naming for one episode), before going over some new awardees, AI book recs, and more pizza talk then they honestly thought would happen.

Discussed in this episode:

Ask us questions for the 15th mailbag!

Also vote for Zero to Well-Read in The Signal Awards, in both Best New Podcast and best Arts & Culture Podcast!

Macarthur genius grants

Center for fiction nominees

Chatbots giving recs

Pizza Hut LFLs

I just learned about National Book Tokens. We Should Have National Book Tokens.

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Thanks to our sponsor Warby Parker. Right now, buy one pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional pairs at WarbyParker.com/BOOKRIOT.

Thanks to our sponsor Quince. Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices