The world's top authors and critics join host John Williams and editors at The New York Times Book Review to talk about the week's top books, what we're reading and what's going on in the literary world.
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The Book Review
73 Subscribers
Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 Based on 333 reviews
RiRiSuSu
5 out of 5 stars
Just discovered!
Wonderful podcast! Discussions are lively and full of good stuff! I’m now a regular listener and can’t wait for new episodes.
PField35
5 out of 5 stars
Why?
Why are they reimagining a podcast that was so perfect in every way? Giving it 5 stars because the interview replays are insightful and entertaining.
sakspot
5 out of 5 stars
Bring back Pamela Paul …please
She created such intelligent warm conversations with authors…so informative and soothing. I know it is a lot of work but many a couple times a month at least.
MTAKWA
5 out of 5 stars
I know you can do this!!
This was always my soothing Friday listen on my bike ride home. Please make it work again. Repeats? No. I really admire John Williams, but he is not a podcast host. America needs this podcast again. I need it.
Supersmartsquirrel
5 out of 5 stars
The Book Review
Thank You, John Williams. you did a great job. I do hope podcast comes back!!
Gigi4999
5 out of 5 stars
Please do not take a hiatus! I love this podcast!
One of the only book podcasts that talks about real literature. You introduce me to the most interesting books and authors. I can’t imagine you taking a break.
ak2boi
5 out of 5 stars
Hiatus?? Nooooooo!!
Say it isn’t so!! This has been my favorite podcast for a long time. Please find a new host and bring it back quickly!
MusicLoverRecommendation
1 out of 5 stars
‘Hiatus’
This - NYT Book Review - podcast is/has been one of the best and most thought provoking and fun podcasts extant. I am dismayed by the turnover and the inability (unwillingness?) to retain top talent. After a long and fantastically successful run with Pamela Paul, is ‘Books’ now adrift?
Tayvallich
5 out of 5 stars
How Can You???
Get rid of my favorite podcast? Please say it’s not true. Surely there must be someone who can pick up after the dreadful John Williams. He may be a great auditor & critic but he is an awful podcast host.
fivewithfourwing
5 out of 5 stars
The best podcast for readers
John Williams has done a super job of filling the probably quite fashionable shoes of former host Pamela Paul. Thoughtful interview questions, a genuine enthusiasm for the act of reading and a gentle sense of humor make him very fun to listen to. Some guests are more interesting than others; such is life. My favorite recent guest was Diana Goetsch, who I had never heard of before the podcast. Gaps in my knowledge of literature past and present are filled regularly by this show. The best part is hands-down when the critics discuss what they’ve been reading- I feel like I’m at a coffeeshop with my best reading friends and it can be enormously frustrating not to be able to interject in their discussion. Keep up the good work!
tom in Connectict
5 out of 5 stars
New listener
It’s my all time favorite podcast. So interesting Great host I’m hooked!
REZNIL JANNERY
5 out of 5 stars
Podcast host extraordinaire
If all podcast hosts were only half as good and spoke proper English found here… and NEVER pepper their podcast with “um LIKE…this or that” …I’d be a very happy camper.
Alessandra di Lampedusa
1 out of 5 stars
You Don't Know What...
Ya Got 'Til It's Gone. Pamela's voice grated on my nerves but boy, do I miss her interviewing skills. John Williams sounds like he's ordering a pizza. Meh. Unfollowed.
No better book podcast
5 out of 5 stars
Change is never easy
I have listened since the beginning. Loved Pamala but when she first started I had to adjust to the change from Sam. I have always enjoyed John Williams on the older podcasts, and I enjoy him now. I search out and try many book podcasts, and this podcast, no matter the host, is always the best book podcast. Different from Pamala, John Williams is still doing a great job.
AnnaB68
5 out of 5 stars
Interviewing techniques
Hi John, Congrats on taking over the pod. May I suggest that when you ask questions, you keep them open ended, rather than giving a few options? Sometimes you give several options, which makes it seem that it's more important for you to speak than for us to hear the answer. Good luck, Anna
Vanessa123456780
4 out of 5 stars
Consistently enjoyable, but where’s Pamela?
It was host John Williams’s choice of “I’m good,” instead of “I’m well,” that prompted this review. I appreciate this mostly-intelligent, weekly dose of timely literary critique, despite time poverty having long since made impossible my devouring of a novel in a form other than audio. Occasionally, a book choice seems inferior, such as the one the author of which (Jami Attenberg) said she’d written books while couchsurfing and the subtitle of which sounded like a version of “Chicken Soup for the Beach Reading Writer’s Soul.” How can a novel properly gestate in this environment? Pamela Paul is one of a short list of female podcast hosts I respect for her unpretentious competence, which is probably at least partially a product of her relative seniority among the podcasting set. I hope her apparent hiatus is just that.
storyteller/educator
4 out of 5 stars
Timely, diverse, and sort of
This is a good podcast for hearing about new book releases. Much of the show involves interviewing authors so that becomes hit or miss. New authors enjoy talking about themselves; older authors about what they learned. Pamela Paul is one of the best interviewers in all of media. It feels like she has read each book and has formed her own questions about them. The folks on the podcast have a drinking game habit of filling their conversations with waves of “sort of”s and “kind of”s to the point of distraction. It must be a quirk of literature reviewers.
Old Shlong
4 out of 5 stars
John Waters Pic
Not a review. The picture you have up for John Waters is not John Waters
twomoonmusic
3 out of 5 stars
A review concern
In the recent Tom Pierota interview he’s asked to detail the workings of the plot and characters so much that I really don’t want to read the book. All of the surprise has been eliminated . Exactly opposite of the intention. I like this podcast but I question how some of the recent interviews help sell the books.
Ku21212121
2 out of 5 stars
Disappointing new host
The show has gotten extremely banal ever since Pamela’s departure. I used to look forward to the next episode…I guess all good things come to an end.
Susanfriberg
4 out of 5 stars
Thanks for the change…
Book podcasts about contemporary books are a tough thing to pull off in an interesting way. I do love the change to John Williams hosting, and the promise that brings. I know it’ll become richer as time goes on. At least I hope so.
A listener in Seattle
1 out of 5 stars
Please bring back Pamela Paul
Or find another intelligent, engaging host for the weekly book pod. John Williams has never been much of a critic, and is frankly monotonous. Please NYT, find someone to host who will maintain Ms. Paul’s standards of excellence.
drogermann
5 out of 5 stars
Out of the Ruins edited by Preston GRASSMANN
I am rating this edition by Preston GRASSMANN in the high range because of his careful selection of stories from a wide range of authors. It doesn’t follow any kind of formula that is often found in books that get branded as a certain kind of fiction. Rather, , it will have a broad range of reactions from “Best of the Year” to some who rate it less. It is obvious that the editor went to great efforts to write careful introductions and offered his potential audience with a wide range of fiction. This makes its appeal to me in the highest.
sslp41
5 out of 5 stars
Speed
I need John to slow down please
patplants
5 out of 5 stars
Best podcast about books
I’ve tried every podcast on books I could find and the New York Times book review is by far the best. The interviewers always seem to be sincerely interested in the books and their meaning. The reviewers are all professional and committed to clearly articulating the ideas in thousands of books they review.
Riverbottom nightmare band
5 out of 5 stars
favorite podcast
I listen to this podcast each week and still read the printed version of the book review front to back when it arrives on sundays. PAMELA - thank you! you’re the best host among any genre and i’ve so enjoyed your interviews through the years! 🤍
di.Tunes
5 out of 5 stars
Great job, John!
Yes, we miss Pamela but life goes on… We’re in good hands with John whose soothing voice and intelligent insights draws out the best from the guests and NYT staffers.
AnnTSTL
5 out of 5 stars
I'll also miss Pamela Paul!
I agree with Bellinater! Pamela is so kind, smart and funny! She is an excellent interviewer. I'll also miss her dearly. The news that she's leaving makes me very sad. Best wishes to Pamela for a very happy healthy future! Thanks for all the great episodes.
Best of luck, Pamela
5 out of 5 stars
I’ll miss Pamela Paul!
I listen every week and have always appreciated her perspective, thoroughly immersed in the content yet so down-to-earth. I look forward to reading her opinion pieces!
Bellinater
5 out of 5 stars
I’m gonna miss Pamela
She was so cool and smart and great. I’ll miss her dearly. It’s a great pod but she was the best part. Good luck moving forward, I’ll be listening, but this is tough to get over. Thanks for all the great interviews.
piitsburghtim
5 out of 5 stars
Best book review podcast ever
Pamela Paul asks the most insightful questions of every author on the show, so much more revealing than other book podcasts I’ve listened to. She is a gem of an interviewer. I usually end up putting at least one of the two books she reviews on my wish list every week. The show always ends with Paula and two other expert reviewers talking about what they are reading now — another great source of ideas.
Tony_Bananas
5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
Pamela Paul is a great host. Leads great conversations with guest authors. Favorite but is when everyone shares what they are reading.
Evi_PhD
5 out of 5 stars
I listen every week!!!!!
I have listened to this podcast every year for the past two years! I wish there were fewer white men interviewed, but Pamela is an incredible interviewer and that is always a joy.
myohmy2cents
1 out of 5 stars
Too much for Pamela?
Too often Pamela Paul has just not really read the books she talks about. Or so it seems. She’s look through them, has quotes from them but often that’s about all. I think the answer perhaps is a rotating host.Divide the work up. As it were. David
Looneylovegoodshipschoni
5 out of 5 stars
A favorite podcast
Pamela Paul hosts the best book club ever, with engaging author interviews and discussions with reviewers that offer a glimpse into the books they’re reading. It feels like a “behind the scenes” look at the book review—or maybe it’s more of an insider’s preview. Either way, it’s interesting and intimate and friendly.
80 and enjoying it
5 out of 5 stars
A weekly treat
The best thing about Fridays used to be the approaching weekend. Since the pandemic, it is listening to The NY Times Book Review!!
Fantaheart
5 out of 5 stars
5 stars
The Friday anticipation to hear book request and reviews is incomparable. Love this podcast
unvillagefrancaiswatchet
5 out of 5 stars
Wonderful discussion of 10 best books of the year
I found the discussion of the New York Times 10 best books of the year incredibly good. It really helped that the voices of the group discussing the books were so diverse and thoughtful. Keep it up, I’m so glad I discovered this podcast!!
Thinkwriter
5 out of 5 stars
Can't Stop Listening!!
Appreciate this podcast so much! Never enough time to read all I want to and also work as much as I do, equally enjoyable! I appreciate the behind the curtain commentary by those interviewing and those being interviewed. Thank you for this quality podcast!
malfoxley
5 out of 5 stars
Great show!
Pamela, host of the Book Review podcast, highlights all aspects of today’s top reads and more in this can’t miss podcast! The host and expert guests offer insightful advice and information that is helpful to anyone that listens!
Neuron Farmer
5 out of 5 stars
When We Cease to Understand the World
Although I prefer nonfiction I have ordered this book because of the way it was discussed. As a want-to- be intellectual your selections for review are excellent.
BeachBum#1
4 out of 5 stars
Expanding My Mind
I thoroughly enjoy this podcast. It adds choices for reading that I wouldn’t have considered without the podcast. The different personalities helps to give the different perspectives I need to decide on what to read in the future. Too many books, not enough time.
Alicejames
3 out of 5 stars
Please no more transphobia!
Love the podcast, been listening to it for over a decade. But occasionally the guests are awful— andrew Sullivan?! Come on! That guy is so transphobic. Do better, please!
Joe the Guide
5 out of 5 stars
Weekly dose of intellect
I am a regular listener to The NY Times Book Review podcast. It is a painless way to keep up with new books. I get some useful perspective not only of a variety individual books and authors but intellectual life beyond what I read and hear elsewhere. The personalities of the host, reviewers and guests come across in this format very well. This podcast is my 2nd most eagerly awaited literary podcast after the outstanding though infrequent New Yorker poetry podcast. Addendum 9/4/21: the latest installment with a blowhard named Andrew Sullivan demonstrates what can go wrong with the format of this podcast: an extended visit with an insufferable bore. So this podcast can occasionally go off the rails. Normally I learn about new books describing topics I am happy to learn about. Let’s hope today is one off & not an indication of future trends…
yonderlovesbooks
4 out of 5 stars
S.A. Cosby on 'Razorblade Tears’
It’s a good podcast that exposes me to different books that I otherwise probably would have never found. The podcast does a good job to add variety to their suggestions as well. My only complaint is about the host- Pamela Paul. She has a tendency to dominate the conversation and be condescending to her co-hosts. Also, her insistence to end on a positive note, no matter the subject, drives me a bit nuts. While she’s certainly qualified, I don’t think she’s a nice person in real life and unfortunately that shows in the podcast.
Swage me ts
5 out of 5 stars
A podcast for the passionate literary reader
I enjoy every aspect of this podcast: the author interviews which are long and in-depth, the exploration of the literary world, and, most especially, the conversation among the reviewers, which sounds like a book club.It also makes clear why so many of us pick up books that received good reviews and then do not understand what the reviewers were thinking because the books are boring and lacking plot. Some of the Times reviewers are focused on sentences and not on story or character. I would love to hear more from genre reviewers. Nevertheless, I discovered this podcast only a few months ago, and I have since gone back and listened to episodes from 2015 and onward. It has reminded me of books I have loved, and books I want to read.
Fireball1684
2 out of 5 stars
Longer Episode Notes
Guys, can you please write out longer outlines in the episode notes? I like the podcast, but sometimes I have no interest in the topics. Sometimes every interview is right up my alley. I find myself skipping an episode more often than jumping around, trying to figure out where each interview starts and ends. I’d love episodes outlines, as well as links to the books, recommendations, lists, etc. Please! Edit: Up to four stars for the longer notes!! Edit: Back down to two. It’s just too boring. Lack of episode notes. Y’all work with Ezra Klein now. Just copy his episode notes, you know? What’re the books you talked about? What other stuff could you link to that you mentioned in the episode. You could even add some time stamps for each section. Yeah, I’m unsubscribing. Spend more time skipping through the podcast than listening to anything interesting.
CrookedCrow
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast
I look forward to the Friday episode of The NY Times Book Review Podcast with restless anticipation. It is the only podcast I listen to immediately upon its release. I also could listen to any of the old episodes on repeat. Honestly, it’s like this podcast was made just for me. I love it.
babar3738
5 out of 5 stars
Episode 348
When I heard the complaint from 1914 that tango was taking time away from reading, I could only nod my head in agreement. Since taking up tango more than ten years ago, I can attest that my reading time has been significantly reduced. A situation that the recent pandemic has revealed to me when all tango events were cancelled for more than a year. So don’t laugh.
RRM@apple
5 out of 5 stars
Pamela is a great host
I really enjoy this podcast, have read many books suggested by the host and her guests that I might never have come across. I look forward to Friday’s!
Bdiddy1!
5 out of 5 stars
Sublime
I am late to the book review podcast and for myself I am sorry. Every Friday night while my husband reads and tucks the kids into bed, i settle into my favorite weekly ritual. It starts with a generous pour of Pinot Noir, up next i load the dishwasher and sweep the floors. Everything is squared away; the toys in the baskets and all the plants watered. I do not like house work but while i am enthralled in this podcast it’s actually enjoyable. Pamela Paul makes the literary world feel accessible and inclusive. I feel welcomed into the conversation. Its not glamour on a Friday night but it is sublime and entirely mine.
Shanie Shakes
5 out of 5 stars
I look forward to this each Friday!
I’ve only been listening for a few months, but this has become my favorite podcast. I listen to each episode in its entirety, and walk away learning something new each time. Keep up the great work!
JPPCambridge
5 out of 5 stars
If you like books...
I’m a huge fan of this podcast which has in depth author interviews, poetry read by poets, and other great analysis and criticism. I no longer read the book review, but now listen to older podcasts during my daily walk. Love the host, her voice and attitude. Thank god the NYT has been podcasting for 15 years - I can walk and listen now for a long time. Keep up the great work!
bevg26
5 out of 5 stars
Best podcast
One of my favorite podcasts. Pamela Paul does her homework and conducts a fantastic interview every time.
Heart-Heart-Heart-1-2-3
5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been listening from the beginning
I found myself sobbing during the latest interview that celebrated the 15 year anniversary of this podcast. I didn’t realize how much this show means to me. I adore Sam! I love Dwight! I am in awe of Pamela. All of the regulars are incredible. Thank you for the memories and the company. It means so much to me. I started listening as a college student and I’ve never stopped. It’s the only podcast I’ve kept in my daily routine since the beginning. As an artist that works to a soundtrack of audio books, this podcast has been crucial to picking what I read next. Thank you for all you do. It matters.
UB Boy
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Host, Usually an Interesting Hour
What I find most unique and worthwhile about the show is the skill set of the host, Pamela Paul. She has a strong, clear voice and can very clearly think on her feet and follow up with probing, interesting questions. In fact, I am certain she is an able interrogator because she asks the questions that I would have asked or want answered. The tone of the show can tilt towards wokedom (it’s the NYT for God’s sake) but they haven’t crossed over.
PurpleOakhurst
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast
I look forward to listening to this podcast every week. Pamela Paul and the other people on the podcast are so insightful and at the same time very accessible.The books the podcast covers are usually very interesting. Pamela is an excellent interviewer of the authors and asks questions that I want to know the answers to. I highly recommend this podcast
David From Connecticut
5 out of 5 stars
Truly enjoy the first half of this Pocast
This is a podcast my wife and I listen to each Saturday and have been since 2016. Pamela Paul is very good. She is has a melodious voice, she conducts very good interviews and she is oftentimes very funny in a droll way. She also strings sentences together in a beautiful way , that leaves you grateful to have heard it, and mildly miffed that you I don’t have this gift. I am not a book person per se who makes a living from books. So the sections on "What is new in the book industry". I generally skip. Many thanks to Pamela and the folks at the NY Times for producing this show every week. I am truly appreciative of their efforts. It is one of seven podcasts I listen to regularly.
Kdhunter
5 out of 5 stars
These Folks are Major Contributors
This is a week ritual for me. I really look forward to each episode. The folks here put an amazing amount of thought, care and concern into bringing us listeners into the conversations. Just as importantly, these are conversations that matter about authors, books and their subjects.
nonickmamesavailableforme
5 out of 5 stars
I Love This Podcast!!
I’ve been listening to your podcast for a couple of years and I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to submit a review. I look forward to its arrival every Friday. The author interviews are always engaging and interesting, even when the books might be ones I am not particularly planning to read, although I do often make note of authors and books from these interviews, putting them on my “to read” list. Pamela is a fantastic interviewer and I so enjoy the way she gets authors to respond thoughtfully. These interviews tend to make me feel my intellect is being stretched and challenged, while at the same time being so comfortable to listen to. I also enjoy the discussions of publishing trends—these open little windows into a world to which I am not a part. Finally, the conversations with reviewers are so warm and engaging, and I love the insights shared. Here, too, I often get ideas of what to read, but even when they are discussing books I will not seek out, I still find the discussions edifying. And I love the way the group shares thoughts about their reading tastes. This part of the show feels ‘homey’ and ‘cozy’, like listening to friends in conversation. Thank you for making this podcast!
527kevin
5 out of 5 stars
Am I the only one?....
Who has begun to LISTEN to more books (as opposed to actually read) during this seemingly never-ending pandemic? I love reading and I love physical books...I’ve probably owned 10,000 books over the years. But for the last year or so I’ve found myself preferring to be read to. I generally read a mix of fiction and non-fiction and favorite genres are history, memoir and biography. Success depends often on the narrator and, like a physical book, I give it about 25 to 50 pages and if the story or narrator doesn’t work, I return it. I’d be interested to hear observations from other readers about listening to books and maybe Pamela Paul and crew would address the growth of listening to books in a future podcast.
meltdown2020
3 out of 5 stars
Tweak format?
I love the review. Don’t always get to read it. I really wish part of this was a survey of the review vs digging in for an hour on one book. Many other podcasts and your tune channels and shows do this. But what only you can do is help us find what books we want to dig deeper on and most of books selected were not that interesting to me. Consider refining format.
ansleystreetpress
5 out of 5 stars
Tina Jordan read it? Sign me up
I just want Tina Jordan know that I love all of her recommendations. My reading tastes align with hers. I can’t wait to dive into the Elizabeth David books. I am always happy when she is part of the podcast.
cassidy525
3 out of 5 stars
Used to love it..
Too many books on politics ruined this podcast for me. There’s so much great fiction out there. I’m not a huge Pamela Paul fan either.
Dave G reviews
1 out of 5 stars
Racist propaganda
It funny to see how many ignorant leftists are dumb enough to swallow this racist propaganda. Eventually, the self loathing will suffocate them till ending their miserable existence will be the only option left.
Lover of Podcasts
5 out of 5 stars
Another Thought About Authors Straying From Usual Genre
I’m enjoying the year-end episode addressing reader questions. One very high recommendation on the subject I titled this review with is Henning Mankell’s Italian Shoes. I have no interest in his formulaic crime novels, but LOVED this beautifully written, interesting, intimate tale that leaves his usual path. (The sequel is good too, but not as stellar.)
Lincoln@40
5 out of 5 stars
Love this podcast
Pamela PaulDoes an excellent job interviewing writers. Her deep dive into the books make for such an interesting podcast. Her interviewing techniques and questions are impressive. And you get to learn some interesting things about the writers. Highly recommend this podcast to anyone who enjoys books and are curious about the people who write them.
Echonoble
2 out of 5 stars
All Liberal Book Picks
I was excited to hear the 10 best book recommendations. However, this list is overloaded with liberal writers. Barack Obama? Really? I won’t be coming back to listen to anything you have to offer, not interested. Funny that you give a convenient disclaimer which is actually a verification of your book selections.
Zhomb
5 out of 5 stars
Mixed Emotions
Why do I get so said when the weekly podcast ends? Suddenly, a week seems so far away.
balsamorhiza
5 out of 5 stars
A Favorite Podcast
I always look forward to the Book Review podcast to learn about some of the most important new books.
Prose Prose
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent
The Times Book Review is always informative often entertaining & always worth a listen
newsjunqui
5 out of 5 stars
A Cohen/M Levine
Fascinating discussion by both authors of their books. Supreme crt trend is deeply disturbing. I thank Cohen for shining a light on it.
Infogrl
5 out of 5 stars
Brilliant conversation
Look forward to hearing what they are reviewing every week!
World traveler....
5 out of 5 stars
The book world explained...
Always an intelligent conversation. I look forward to this podcast every week.
Michele@LivingOurDays
5 out of 5 stars
There are so MANY good books out there...
...and I can only read what I can read. It’s nice to have help with the sorting process.
Cherba
5 out of 5 stars
Great interviewer
Pamela Paul is as good as NPR’s Terry Gross - enough said.
trish105
5 out of 5 stars
Love this podcast
This is the only must listen to every week podcast on my list. I am going to try an audiobook based on today’s recommendations; although I can imagine my mind wandering we will see how it goes
auto-de-fe
2 out of 5 stars
The last 15 minutes
I always move the position tracker to the last 15 minutes of each episode. I only listen to find out what they are reading. Beyond that, I have no regard for what liberals/democrats think. On the whole, I find them to be disingenuous, full of slander, and all too willing to pervert the course of justice.
SRosenman
5 out of 5 stars
Refreshing
I have been listening to this podcast for well more than a decade. Am not interested in every segment of every episode but for thoe who love reading, its indispensable. Nice not to have co-hosts asking each other about their lives at home (which A. I don't care about and B. there is no co-hot) but I love the way Pamela Paul goes directly into each interview. Like the publishing industry gossip, too. Don't love hearing reviewers tell me what they're reading. A bit snarky. But I never miss an episode
RLHX17
2 out of 5 stars
Please no more political books
OK, since I wrote this review a month ago (see below), EVERY SINGLE EPISODE has had a major segment on a book about political current events, sometimes two, sometimes bleeding over into the “what we’re reading” section too. So I am downgrading a star. Please please please stop this, and discuss actual real books, like creative fiction and actual insightful nonfiction (could do without Hitler biographies, not insightful at all), love the nature books you discuss when you discuss. Please stop the National Enquirer stuff. Goodness, you guys are better than this. I am kind of at my limit with this podcast. ________________________ Title is self-explanatory. Please give us more stirring fiction and truly new and insightful non-fiction. No more political tell-alls about current events. Seems that half of each podcast lately is about this trash. That is not why I subscribe.
Mama to a baby
5 out of 5 stars
Highly recommend this podcast to any book lover!
I stumbled across this podcast since, and I absolutely love it. I think I’ve listened to 20 episodes in the past month and keep finding new books to read and authors to explore based on the recommendations. I think Pamela is an excellent host -her questions about the authors’ writing processes are my favorite. I also love the theme music and the insight about the publishing industry. Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast happen on a weekly basis! It’s truly been a treat.
lizzysong
5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
I really enjoy the variety of the segments and the books discussed. I usually end up adding at least one or two to my list each week. Pamela is wonderful!
Freddie bag of donuts
1 out of 5 stars
Can you say indoctrinated
It is funny watching the left identify with movies to explain their emotions.
Anniebananie973
4 out of 5 stars
Who cares about Jim Baker?
Not me. If he can’t disavow Trump then he’s an idiot. Even if he was so influential in the past.
Marksie100
5 out of 5 stars
This podcast gives depth to subjects
No matter the subject, Pamela Paul allows for widespread discussion- so rare in this soundbite world. She tackles tough subjects which is simply missing today, maybe because of people’s attention span of any longer than 2 minutes is frowned upon. Keep going, Pamela! Love the podcast!
GiorgosTheodorakis
5 out of 5 stars
Thank you!
A balme for the spirit. And the music is fine. Keep on. I love you! « We’ll talk about what I and the wider world are reading. »
Jazz Picasso
4 out of 5 stars
Needs better episode descriptions
How am I supposed to know what these books are about?
besthiker1
5 out of 5 stars
Can’t give 6 stars...
So giving 5 stars. Great podcast! I’ve been listening for years. They get good interviews and questions aren’t obvious.
Alex from Boston
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent podcast and host
Pamela Paul is the fantastically smart aunt we would all like to have.
Another Older Mother Runner
5 out of 5 stars
Subscription-worthy!
This podcast just gets better and better, and I love listening to it regularly. I learn so much about times present and past. I enjoy getting to know (as it were) the NYTBR editors. It’s a blast listening in on a conversation with a favorite writer or a new writer whose book I simply must read, this very weekend. Five stars—end of story!
FLDrMom
5 out of 5 stars
Best host
I have been listening to this podcast because I love the host Pamela. She asks great questions. She’s enthusiastic and inquisitive. She brings out the best in her guests. I don’t care that much which book she’s discussing about because I know the podcast will be interesting. I love that she’s so enthusiastic about all kinds of different types books as well. I feel that she’s the kind of podcast host I would want to be.
SallyScottsdale
1 out of 5 stars
Smart and satisfying
Listening is like discussing a book with your smartest friend. Simply excellent.
athirkell
5 out of 5 stars
Always a Stimulating Discussion
I’m addicted to this podcast. Since it’s impossible to read all the interesting new books, this podcast keeps me up on what’s happening in the publishing world. The in-depth interviews with authors cover such a wide variety of literary fiction as well as memoirs and other nonfiction.
WashingtonDuck
5 out of 5 stars
Appreciate this podcast
So nice to listen too especially during pandemic. Always glad to listen makes me feel sophisticated just like I feel when I visit NYC.
HandsomeReggie
5 out of 5 stars
I GOT HOOKED ON THIS...
First: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson-Fabulous interview which hooked me.Just listened to Daniel Mendelsohn discussing David Mitchell. The interviews are interactive. I feel like I am eavesdropping on smart people’s conversations. Love listening to people who love books.
MHaf7 SOH
5 out of 5 stars
Great scope, insightful across the spectrum.
Terrific in opening the door to areas I want to pursue moser deeply and ones I don’t, but am able to be enriched by the thoughtful glimpse. Insights into the publishing world and the eclectic reading of the NYT team are enriching too.
bassquade
5 out of 5 stars
The Book Review
Insightful and entertaining with wonderful interviews on a wide range of books.
Grandmotherlibrarian
5 out of 5 stars
Haven’t missed a podcast for years
This podcast is a wonderful way to end the week. The interviews are informative, and the portion about the book industry is interesting. I especially like the new, more informal discussion about what the editors are currently reading. As soon as I heard about Rennie Airth’s mysteries, I knew that I wanted to read them. It was refreshing to hear that even editors need to escape from politics and pandemic with a comfy historical mystery. Thanks so much!
John S Wren
5 out of 5 stars
Every Week Podcast
This is my first experience with regularly listening to a podcast, started making it a habit a few weeks ago, I try to listen every week, somehow it makes reading the Sunday New York Times Book Review even more interesting. Usually I listen to the podcast a day or so before the Sunday Book Review, sometimes after, and sometimes I listen more than once. It’s much much better for me than it would be if I was listening to this sort of thing on the radio, just today I couldn’t make out a date, I hit the rewind and heard “1963.” And I love the fact that there are so few commercial interruptions. Thanks very much for doing this. It feels a bit like making a new friend.
5 star podcast5
5 out of 5 stars
10 stars
Just found this podcast. It’s 10 stars!! Hosts are excellent interviewers; guests so interesting. Love that they pick books I want to learn about but may be too lazy to read and love the recommendations.
coastalcalgal
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite!
My favorite podcast about books.Moderator Pam does a masterful job of interviewing authors and I also I look forward to the round tables where reviewers talk about what they are personally reading. I never miss an episode and have discovered so many books and authors here. It’s also a great way to keep up with what’s going on in the world of publishing .A highly entertaining and literate way to stay in touch with the literary world.
AnthonyG68
5 out of 5 stars
Great!!
One of my all time favorite podcasts!! Literary, charming, makes me think...I could go on. Pamela is a great host and I appreciate the variety of guests.
Gingiaa
5 out of 5 stars
Best Podcast of All
Every week the discussions are deeper dives into the reviews I will be reading in the Sunday Book Section. This podcast is a rich tasting menu to prepare me for what’s to follow. Pamela Paul has such a warm style of leadership that she has made me fall profoundly in love with all her reviewers. I have so much more background understanding when I read their reviews. I feel like I’m part of the team. Thanks for my weekly joy.
Coffeecups2
5 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
This is a terrific podcast with a charming host. It has a great informality despite the important literay topics.
BookloverJAH
5 out of 5 stars
THE BEST PODCAST EVER!!
Once I found this I believe I have listened to over 12 in 2 days…can’t stop!
IleanaOG
5 out of 5 stars
Best podcast about books.
Look forward to it every Friday.
scarletjay
5 out of 5 stars
Review of Inskeep and Bolton
What grabs an author’s attention and interest doesn’t necessarily translate into being a wonderful book to read. There might be a plethora of information, some new, but that by itself does not give the book merit. I imagine Bolton’s book to be a boor with a few interesting tidbits. When I read Fear, shortly after it hit the shelves, everything Woodward said was old news and written as flatly as the paper it was printed on. I am glad that Inskeep found his story and research interesting, I did not.
LydiaDehn
5 out of 5 stars
I love this PODCAST
The Book Review is one of my favorite podcasts. Pamela's interview questions are always outstanding, and it is a wonderful chance to hear from the authors featured in the hardcopy. I also glom onto each book mentioned by the reviewers in the roundtable at the end of each podcast--John Williams especially has brought me so many books that I would have missed otherwise. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for this podcast. I don't know how you do it in addition to putting out the hardcopy and newsletter ...not to mention all the reading. WAY TO GO!
Suburban Washington Tenor
5 out of 5 stars
A Great Podcast
This is one of my must-listen-to podcasts week in and week out. The discussion and the opportunity to hear about books which otherwise might escape my notice. The conversations with the authors themselves always sheds new light. If you don’t listen to anything else, listen to this.
Murphpac
5 out of 5 stars
Wonderful podcast
I am newly introduced to this podcast. If you love books, if you love intelligent conversation about all kinds of books, if you like to hear authors interviewed, this is the podcast for you. I look forward to it every Friday and only wish it came out twice a week.
CantinaKen
5 out of 5 stars
Perfect Intro to Amazing Pocast
Been listening for a few years. Great guests and way to learn about books and authors. This episode with regular Host Pamela being interviewed was great as was the author on Parenting informative. Whatever level you are at in your love of books or reading, you’re sure to enjoy time spent listening to this podcast.
Nancy Bishop Casting
5 out of 5 stars
Nancy Bishop Casting
I look forward to this podcast every Friday and it helps me guide my reading list.
annaalli
5 out of 5 stars
The Book Review
This is a fabulous program. Pamela has incredible interview skills, always ending with my having learned so much from the authors. I particularly like the mid-end of the program when the critics talk about the books they’re reading- so informative and helpful to me as I consider the next book to read. And I very much like the diverse subjects they read about.
PinkyL'Amour
5 out of 5 stars
Superb
If you love books you’ll love this in-depth podcast. Pamela Paul is terrific.
DiligentPodcaster
5 out of 5 stars
For book lovers
A great podcast! I wait for it every week and it doesn’t disappoint. A must listen.
sa8an
1 out of 5 stars
Good, but....
The Book Review is an erudite, albeit at times stuffy, podcast. My biggest compliant is that it seems that most of the books that are reviewed are written by the writing staff at the New York Times! The podcast takes on the appearance of a self promotion scheme, where fellow employees are given center stage to promote their works. That does not appear to be any form of book review. Instead, it comes off of more of a QVC home shopping channel for the well bred.
Alexmiddel
5 out of 5 stars
Like a dorm room convo, with really smart people
I just love this podcast. Pamela Paul has a warm, calm, genuine, humorous voice, which she brings to her insightful author interviews and her wonderful conversations with her colleagues. The discussions among the group are delightful. The respect they have for each other, allowing for the occasional laugh (at themselves or each other) and the clarity of their conversation are so great. There's just no pretense. I look forward to listening every week - it's my Friday-night-dinner prep companion. Pamela, I have a vision of you in your cleaned-out closet/broadcast studio, and I am so very grateful. Wow! Somehow some of the clearest, truest voices of our society have found their way out into the world from amongst your hanging clothes. Thank you!
Coreydreidy
5 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Podcast for Book Nerds
This is my favorite podcast of all the podcasts - and I listen to a good chunk of them. I love the interviews and the roundtables about what all the interviewers are reading. For book nerds, across categories, that love to think critically about what they’re reading — this is a must. I look forward to it every week.
LizMackart
5 out of 5 stars
The New York Times Book Review
This podcast is among the most enjoyable moments of my week, together with cycling on a spring day, finding peonies in bloom outside my door, and planning for a picnic with our 30-something children after a period of isolation. I love the broad range of topics and the frequently light-hearted banter of the editors and reviewers. A timely reminder of how reading opens new vistas and enriches life, even when bounded by quarantines.
SBmeier
5 out of 5 stars
Essential Listening for Book Lovers
I really, really look forward to this podcast each week. The only other one that ranks as high on my list of favorites is the BBC’s In Our Time. As a bibliophile and collector of many years, I’m surprised by how often they mention an author or book title that is new to me. This is not to say that Pamela Paul and her colleagues are experts in the obscure. They cover the books and authors you would expect plus some rising stars and add additional context by being able to relate them to other authors, trends and genres past and present. In short, they really know the book world (as you would expect from NYT staffers) yet it’s all kept very conversational and accessible. You’ll come away better informed, entertained and with maybe a few new entries on your book shopping list.
A teacher-writer
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent discussion & recommendations
Great interviews and a wide variety of genres, authors, and topics. My favorite part is the conversation at the end between Pamela and her colleagues.
Pythagoras_
5 out of 5 stars
Great resource
Perfect length and frequency. I probably read only 1% of the books discussed, but just listening to the reviews and interviews is informative and entertaining.
ckburke
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast
Sometimes, when I see the title of book being discussed on the podcast, I think “Oh, I’m not interested in that.” But I listen anyway, and 9 times out of 10 end up wanting to read the book. It’s always a pleasure listening to Pamela Paul and her fellow book reviewers. Their interest and enthusiasm and knowledge keep this podcast at the top of my “favorites” list.
Jobnirvana
5 out of 5 stars
Great Listening
I listen every Sunday morning to this knowledgeable and interesting set of conversations Very well done.Such a great to welcome us back to the podcast. Thank you
rampant reader
4 out of 5 stars
So glad to have you back
Pamela, love to have you all back. Keep reading Dorothy Lee Sayers.
oyswa
5 out of 5 stars
Welcome back!
You have been missed! Glad you’re all back, stay safe and healthy so we can keep hearing from all of you. Missed you!
dwchandl
5 out of 5 stars
Highlight of my podcast week
I love it. Missed the show a lot the two weeks of reruns. But now it’s back! Thanks Pamela and all who make the show.
Makaiah Mae
4 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite podcasts—need it during COVID19
This has become one of my absolute favorite podcasts, for discovering new books, hearing from my favorite authors, and getting background from fav critics like Parul Sehgal. I miss it SOOOO MUCH right now, during the coronavirus crisis. I need books more than ever and wish this podcast was helping promote all the great new books that can no longer go on tour during this time. Please come back!!!
aalidina
5 out of 5 stars
NYT Books
Outstandingly outstanding, don’t change anything, reading preference is nonfiction but your podcast broadens my thought and interests... now I embrace fiction and poetry... it was you
Rlangleyk
5 out of 5 stars
I love this podcast!
This is a wonderful podcast. I always enjoy the interviews - Pamela does such a great job talking across a wide range of topics. It’s fascinating to me especially to hear from the authors themselves and about how their works often evolve and change in the process of the writing. I also love hearing about what the reviewers are reading in their personal reading time, and those conversations have given me good ideas about books to read ... or to re-read. I’m sorry they have had to go on hiatus during this crisis but with the tragedy now affecting NYC I completely understand. I know they’ll be back as soon as they can and in the meantime I’ll enjoy the old episodes.
Pmv10001
1 out of 5 stars
NYT book review in the time of Virus
Long one of favorites, NYT book review podcast has punked out during the virus crisis while other book podcasts like BBC and Guardian have soldiered on from home. Shame!
Klippo
5 out of 5 stars
Essential
The NYT Book Review is the one podcast, if I were forced to make such a decision, which I would unhesitatingly keep. Simply nothing better out there. (Likewise, the magazine.)
Mimi ALSO
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast
I Iove this podcast. Pamela Paul is so smart and so articulate. Her interviews are amazing with questions and comments that are so thoughtful. I also enjoy hearing from the critics about what they’re reading. Five stars for sure!
rcp407
3 out of 5 stars
Finish the book
Please stop talking about books you have not finished reading.
Georgia Anne Hilmer
5 out of 5 stars
The best!
The highlight of my listening week! Paula is delightful and the show, even when covering heavy subject matter, never fails to amuse and inspire. I feel lucky to listen in on so many thoughtful and generous conversations.
55badger
5 out of 5 stars
Love the Book Review
A must listen for me every week.
RogerQu
3 out of 5 stars
Informative
The NYT book review does a wonderful job finding and reviewing the best books out there. Brilliant reviewers share what they are personally reading. Pamela Paul is a knowledgeable host. Beware: everything has a left leaning political bias. Not a single episode misses the opportunity to lean left. This would get 5 stars if they just stayed out of politics and stuck to reviewing books, for which they excel.
Bulpup the original
5 out of 5 stars
My book club
It’s like being part of a book club, sans the wine and cheese, consisting of a smart and fun group of folks who are reading books I actually want to read. The roundtable at the end is my favorite and I often interject to argue and agree. I wish I could meet Pamela, Parul, Dwight, John, and Jennifer for coffee and just hang out for awhile.
KenLobo
5 out of 5 stars
Comments on the podcasts
Your selection of authors and the quality of the Q&A is quite remarkable. This, supplemented by the reference to these books in your discussion on what you’re reading provides a very complete yet personal insight into the book; quite often I am ready to buy or borrow the book immediately because of this. Thanks so much for making it such a “fireside-style” intellectual yet personal discussion.
Cornell9292
3 out of 5 stars
Uptalking inflection is annoying
As another comment pleads, please interviewers and interviewees be aware of the inflection of your voices - avoid the sound of a question at the ends of sentences, phrases, comments. It’s very annoying and makes me want to stop listening to what is otherwise fine and enlightening commentary. The shouldas and kindofs and like wording is likewise annoying, as someone else commented.
Peigi@AgCreek
5 out of 5 stars
The best book review podcast
I learn something amazing with each review. So many good books.
Whyte10
5 out of 5 stars
Enjoying the Podcast
The interviews are informative and interesting. My favorite part is learning what the editors are reading.
Tomatthinking
5 out of 5 stars
Love the critic’s section
And the “what we are reading” section.
Steve Bellamy
5 out of 5 stars
The first and best book podcast
Like other reviewers, I love the interviews that give me good insights beyond the written reviews re books I'm thinking of reading or might have missed. Also, all the talk about books that the participants are reading or have reviewed make me wish OI could simply give up anything alser I might be doing and spend more time reading!
*Guy*
4 out of 5 stars
Love the book talk
While I enjoy the interviews. My favorite part is the what we’re reading discussion at the end. I do wish there was less discussion on the political tell all or partisan political reads. I get it’s what is topical however, I for one look forward when this too shall pass and we can get back to great Non-Fiction again.
CR, reader
5 out of 5 stars
Perfect podcast.
Pamela Paul is a brilliant interviewer. I love every segment, but the author visit is my favorite. The following chat about what the team is reading provides me my book list. Also adore publishing news, but for no particular reason. I listen every week without fail and have done so for many years. When I lived abroad, this podcast brought me home. Now that I’m back, it takes me away. Thank you!
juliaF NYC
5 out of 5 stars
Love this podcast!
I learn so much from the interesting and very entertaining NYTimes book review podcast. It is a delight to listen to! Please keep all the wonderful episodes coming!
morence93
1 out of 5 stars
Biased
The left wing bias here is strong. You’d think reading would bring them out of their big city bubble. Alas, they stick to reading books that align with their worldview. Their righteous minds and elitist attitude really put me off this podcast. I am not conservative or republican by any measure, if you want to take that into consideration.
seasonone1
2 out of 5 stars
The Book Review
I stopped listening to this podcast because of the up-talking by the reviewers. Both the male and females are speaking in this manner. It comes across as affected and, for me, undermines the worth of the podcast. This is radio, folks. Statements are not questions. I’ve revisited the podcast a few times after taking a break, and much to my dismay, the up-talking “lives.” OMG, so like this is so way annoying, right? I can’t even...
rubyandollie
5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
Listen while walking my dogs. Love the interviews and banter. Thank you!!
JimFromKingwood
5 out of 5 stars
Become my favorite podcast
I appreciate the consistency and listen-ability of this cast. In my opinion, no one does it better than Pamela. She is just a natural, you either have it or you don’t. I put her on a par almost with Diane Rehm, another natural who makes a program naturally interesting without seeming to try hard. Occasionally they get chatty and talk over one another during the discussions and you miss a person’s name or a book name being discussed as an aside. Like they’ll excitedly refer to another book by a given author and discuss it but it can be difficult to put catch the name. I’ll rewind back 15 seconds and try to catch the words usually successfully. I keep iPhone notes open to get the book and authors names. Bravo for one of the best podcasts out there. Jim C
ECM april
3 out of 5 stars
Need more details
It would be most helpful if you could provide more information on the books that are going to be reviewed. Most are non-fiction which is not something I like, so it would help to know if I could skip this weeks podcast. Also, more fiction would be even better!
scorpion8989
5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
This podcast has served as my weekly dose of culture for as long as I can remember. The author interviews are in-depth without being long-winded. The topics are interesting and the round table of editors discussing what books they’re reading and how far they’ve gotten along has a certain charm to it. Highly recommended.
AsheeRenea
5 out of 5 stars
Great podcast
Love the podcast. Look forward to it every week.
CookieAbracadabra
4 out of 5 stars
Just what I needed...
Re: the Fifty Memoirs episode...just what I needed *another* pile of books I'm dying to read and don't have time to read! Please try to stop saying "sort of" and "kind of"
JBNJ007
5 out of 5 stars
Best podcast out there
There is no more interesting discussion and guests. Full stop.
cosi2
5 out of 5 stars
So great!!
This is a great podcast with or without reading the NYT Book Review in print . The interviews of the authors are done with skill , and hearing an author reflect on the book and also read is sometimes the highlight of my day , expanding the world .
z123455335(
1 out of 5 stars
This is hardly a review podcast
Recently started listening. There’s never a review on fiction books and all books that are “discussed” always come back to how terrible the current president is. Definitely better sources for books reviews that contain proper discussion.
SantaFeEllen
5 out of 5 stars
TGIF
Always look forward to Friday to hear the Book Review!
Arjun66
5 out of 5 stars
The best podcast there is
Pamela Paul is a treasure!!
Rebs_2020
5 out of 5 stars
#1 for what to read next!
I can’t get enough of this podcast. It’s where I go for book recommendations, publishing industry news, and a wide variety of historical, cultural, and political topics. I feel smarter and more informed about the world each time I listen.
dannyscartoon
5 out of 5 stars
Subscribe and enjoy
Not only will you be kept abreast of what’s happening in the book world, you’ll also get to know the team at the book review, and they are a stellar bunch! Can’t praise highly enough. Thank you!
Tbeadle
5 out of 5 stars
I Always Learn Something New
This podcast is well structured, informative and very well produced. The host, Pamela Paul, is a great interviewer and is always well prepared. Thanks for this incredible resource!
sahalarn
5 out of 5 stars
Always interesting
Great source for finding new books to read!
reader0205
5 out of 5 stars
Great interviews and book recommendations!
I look forward to listening to this podcast every week! Pamela Paul’s interviews with authors are excellent—great questions, engaging and different book choices. And I always love learning what the NYT book critics are reading. Lots of great book inspiration, especially when I’m deciding what to read next.
i-k-w
5 out of 5 stars
Picking the best memoir
Thank you for this topic, especially the recommendation of Wave which I’ve just finished and loved. I look forward to seeing the whole list. Your podcast is one of my favorites—great author interviews.
Father of Four Wild Ones
5 out of 5 stars
50 Best Memoirs in the last 50 years
Fast talking, Interesting, Insightful, Respectful, and a great list by which to choose. Thanks.
LauraSSF
5 out of 5 stars
My #1 favorite podcast
The NYTBR podcast is my favorite, hands down. It's probably because I love reading, but it's ironic I like this one best since I actually have a podcast myself on a very different topic, and most of my mental energy is spent on thinking about that other, somewhat technical subject. Despite the fact that I have to listen to podcasts on that other topic, I always, always listen to the NYTBR one first if a new episode is out. Through interviews with authors, you learn a ton about a subject you yourself may not have time to dive into, and I love the conversations amongst the staff about what they're reading -- it's like any conversation I might have with my other book-loving friends. Thanks, Pamela and staff, for doing such great work every week!
kerlji19
4 out of 5 stars
What is the name of soundtrack at the opening
That piece is charming
beldevik
5 out of 5 stars
I Listen Every Week
Consistently entertaining and enjoyable
jjmcnally
5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite podcasts
I listen every week.
flowerandcat
2 out of 5 stars
This used to be my favorite podcast
Too much emphasis on nonfiction. I also used to enjoy discussion about what everyone on the panel was reading.
Rosie M. Banks
3 out of 5 stars
:/
This used to be one of my favorite podcasts - I never missed an episode. I find myself listening to it much less since the election because Pamela Paul seems to have a compulsion to allude to current politics every 7 minutes, even when it’s almost completely irrelevant to the book being discussed. Even more grating than the frequency is her smug “of course anyone listening to this podcast must hold the same opinions as me” tone as she makes these comments. Blech. Even when I do happen to hold the same opinions, the smug insularity of her tone sets my teeth on edge. Too bad, because I enjoy the interviews otherwise, love the perspective on writing and publishing that the show gives me, and particularly look forward to the panel of reviewers talking about their own reading. Your mileage may vary.
cardiokillerqueen
5 out of 5 stars
Best book podcast
I’ve tried out a few podcasts about books and this one is my favorite. I’ve discovered some great books over the past year from this podcast. My favorite section is the last one, in which the contributors talk about what they’re currently reading. It’s fascinating to learn about how people choose books and how their backgrounds and recent selections influence their current reading. As other reviewers have mentioned, Pamela Paul has a beautiful voice and is a great interviewer.
Joemoonsidip
5 out of 5 stars
The greatest stuff
Because major books are so different, every week the podcast delves into new content with deep insight. Very interesting to listen to week after week. Pamela Paul--what a great voice. And her French! And the others are all great.
Remcom_PK
5 out of 5 stars
Gold standard
The New York Times Book Review podcast is, to my mind, the gold standard of all book podcast out there right now. Pamela Paul manages a program that combines erudition, information, insights, and humor in a wonderful way. A joy to listen to!
pmethr
5 out of 5 stars
A favorite
I enjoy listening to readers talk about books, so this podcast is a must-listen for me. I am not always interested in the interview(s) that lead the podcast (and I sometimes skip those) but I always enjoy the end segments - news from the literary world + the critics’ roundtable. A great resource for readers. Thanks!
WS1249
5 out of 5 stars
Best Podcast Out There
I listen to several podcasts but this is my penultimate favorite. I love the detailed interviews with writers and works recently reviewed but mostly I like the discussions among the critics of what they are reading, how well they like what they are reading and hearing occasional quotes from the works they find compelling. Just like the Book Review, which I’ve read since I was a teen, this is excellent journalism.
Anne Fulgham
4 out of 5 stars
Very Good Book Podcadt
I thoroughly this weekly book podcast and I would not miss one episode. (My other favorite is The Guardian’s.) As i live between Bangkok and Cape Town, it keeps me informed on the literary world and teaches me a lot. If I cannot read all the books I want to, I usually have a good idea about them thanks to the excellent intervenants. I warmed up to Pamela over the years: she asks intelligent questions and is always well prepared. She is sharp, witty, and unusually self-deprecating for an American. I don’t feel so bad when she says that she is a slow reader! The book critics are excellent too, especially Parul Sehgal whose very broad views are refreshing. Thanks to all of you for making my Saturday mornings literary and enjoyable!
Lowcountry Gal
5 out of 5 stars
Oasis for readers
Do you ever wish that you had a group of ferocious readers to talk about books with? People who read new books in every genre with care and intelligence and then came together to talk about it? And had the authors come over to talk about how their books came to be? This is your podcast. Never stuffy or self-important, these are people just about as in love with books as you can be and still hold a job. Luckily for us, it is their job, and they’re great at it. They’re also readers like you and me that occasionally struggle to engage with a book or a style and talk about that, as well as how they found their way in. The discussions have shaped my reading list more than the reviews themselves. Love this podcast.
rabidmoderate
4 out of 5 stars
Suggestion
Ms Goldberg is the reason for downgrading. Actually, I’ve started to forward ahead when she starts to talk. Her voice is grating and her emotiveness borders on unprofessional. She is utterly predictable whereas “sort of” Douthat and Leonhardt are reliably interesting and thoughtful.
lbmattson
5 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Podcast
This podcast has taught me SO much and really forced me to read outside of my normal genres. The interviews are excellent, but my favorite part is at the end when everybody talks about what they’ve been reading this week. I look forward to all the book recommendations—I wish I had enough time to read them all.
Nicknamesareuseless.
5 out of 5 stars
Quite enjoyable.
What a good podcast. It’s refreshing, varied and very well produced. I learn something relevant in every episode.
dyfnr fhr
5 out of 5 stars
Highlight of My Listening Week
Pamela Paul hosts the Book Review Podcast with intelligence, grace and humor. This is not a reading of the book reviews. Instead, there are open ended conversations with authors about their books and with reviewers who have immersed themselves in the books they review. The podcast is friendly and sometimes lighthearted while never being dumbed down and never being pretentious. One of the best parts is hearing a handful of the NYT critics and writers discuss their personal reading for the week with respect and and real interest in what their colleagues are thinking.
Virginia goes west
5 out of 5 stars
One of the best podcasts out there
Pamela Paul is a superb host. I look forward each week to the podcast. Excellent interviews, great segments- I could listen another hour 😊. Thank you Pamela and the other regular contributors for an entertaining & intelligent podcast. Love it!!
LoriFLA
5 out of 5 stars
Favorite Podcast
Extremely well done and entertaining podcast.
jdexe
5 out of 5 stars
When you can’t wait for your fave part of the Sunday Times
I enjoy the author interviews, what the editors are reading (though I wish one contributor was a regular nonfiction reader), and the news of publishing, all distinct from Sunday’s Book Review itself. If only it came out earlier on Friday—I’d love to listen to it during my breaks/driving time before 5 pm. Thanks Book Review!
Alan SF
5 out of 5 stars
Let’s here Jenna More
I looooove Jenna and Wesley’s super thought provoking , relatable and often humorous podcast!!! One of my faves.... but can we please give Jenna more time to host and be a leader on the show. I love you both, but Wesley you need to share the spotlight and Jenna , it would be great to hear you take the lead rather than just support and react. Thanks! Alan San Francisco
kukularoo
5 out of 5 stars
Love
Love the book discussions and diversity in books and authors. I wish there a way to easily access the titles you discussed in each episode. It’s hard to go back in the podcast and find the titles.
Part canine
5 out of 5 stars
Don’t miss an episode
I really look forward to this podcast every week. Even if I don’t read the book I am almost always learning something new. And Pamela Paul is an extremely good interviewer. She keeps the dialogue flowing without interrupting the person being interviewed. Seems simple but many do not do if nearly as well. You have broadened my world.
RainCityReader
5 out of 5 stars
Like a great Lit class or book club
I listen to this podcast during my commute. It makes me feel like I’m reading at a time when I cannot because I am driving. The observations and background knowledge they discuss adds richness to my reading experience when I read one of the recommended books. Thank you!!
The other blind boy grunt
5 out of 5 stars
Best way to keep up with what is out there to read
This podcast is one of the best ways to find a wide range of interesting and exciting books. Even if I never read the book, I always learn something new and interesting about the author, the book, and the story the author has to tell. I discover great authors I would not run into otherwise.
surfresder
5 out of 5 stars
Repeat title
After discussing a book please repeat its title. I like your podcast a lot. Thanks. Joan
Mendham Anne
5 out of 5 stars
Anne
Wonderful podcast! I especially enjoy the end where the listener hears about the books the staff are reading or recently read. I love how they are not all “of the moment books.”
Ilsalaverry
5 out of 5 stars
Best book podcast
This is one of my favorite podcasts. I like the format, 2 twenty minute interviews with two recently published authors. Pamela Paul, the well read host (who has a lovely voice) generally conducts these interviews. Her manner is conversational and her questions generally thoughtful and probing. These interviews are followed by a discussion of some of week's top books by Ny Times critics and editors.
shelby3lou
5 out of 5 stars
Favorite podcast every week
I love Fridays even more now that I look forward to a comprehensive review of the literary world’s greatest works. This podcast helps me add books to my to-read list, hear from authors I love or haven’t heard of, and keeps me up to date on publishing and literary news. The theme music is the best, too.
Bowed Bookshelf
5 out of 5 stars
One of my go-to FAVs
Pamela Paul & her team almost unfailingly capture the excitement of the brilliant new work being done across the country. "Almost" because while I adore what the big publishers are able to do with their bright & hard-working staffs and unmatched writers, they don't always have time to celebrate the work coming out of smaller publishers. But if everything were perfect, we'd never strive. I love the work being done by this team.
Key West Nan
5 out of 5 stars
Great show that has gotten better
I’ve been listening to this podcast, off and on, since the Olden Days when you had to download podcasts on a computer then put them on an actual iPod. Love the format of interviews with writers and reviewers plus discussion among Times book reporters and critics. It’s gotten even better, smarter, more relevant with Pamela Paul. And a wonderful alternative to true crime/political podcasts.
Gwen Strauss
5 out of 5 stars
Rituals
Listening to the nytimes book review podcast is my Saturday morning ritual. It’s my favorite moment of the weekend, with my cup of coffee I listen to what feels like old friends talk about books.
marzkim
5 out of 5 stars
Makes me love reading even more!
When editor Pamela Paul conducts interviews, she never fails to ask the kinds of questions I’m wondering about as I hear the authors speak about their research, experience, and/or about the writing craft. I love that this podcast gives me a chance to hear about all sorts of books, from the two featured ones, to the industry update, to what the critics reviewed, to what the Book Review staff are reading on their own time. I love to hear about the different reading habits they have, because well, it turns out- NYTBR editors- they’re just like us! Haha. Anyway, I love that the subjects covered are so varied, it’s a little surprise journey that I get to take every Friday. This is one of my very favorite podcasts.
Zendude2664
5 out of 5 stars
Great Content & Great Production
Many, too many, podcasts need to take lessons on production quality. For example, how to coach the caller. The Book Review nails it. And of course it is The Times so the authors are the influencers of record.
Tinaindenver
5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorites
Excellent podcast and excellent and articulate host. I especially like the end where the host and guests discuss what they are currently reading. Would like to see more episodes on fiction books.
DiShApt
5 out of 5 stars
Love this podcast
I always learn from this podcast and get great recommendations. I love the part at the end when Pamela Paul and others talk about what they are reading.
Unit826
5 out of 5 stars
One of my favorites
I have had podcast come and go from my library, but the NYT Book Review is one for the few that I have remained faithful to. Even if the books that are discussed aren’t ones that I will ever pick up, I still learn something about the topics that the books cover. I love the updates from the publishing industry and listening to what the reviewers are reading. Lovers of books and reading MUST add this to their library.
JR McFly
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Show
This is a fantastic listen if you hope to explore exciting ideas, narrative philosophies, and the accounts of talented artists. Pamela is a national treasure! Open, intuitive, and a brilliant interviewer. If I had one criticism, it might be that the show can feel ever-so-slightly inaccessible at times, and I wonder about efforts to draw in folks who are less enamored by the literary world. That being said, I adore this show. Hit that subscribe button!
JudithLD
5 out of 5 stars
A favorite podcast
I am a huge Pamela Paul fan. I only realized a couple of years ago or so that the NYT had a Book Review podcast. I like the format--speaking to an author whose book is reviewed in the paper or to an author who has written a review. The podcast often goes deeper into a subject than is permitted in print. I really like the segment in the end where the staff talks about what they have been reading. Not all the books cited are new. Some are classics, others books I did not know and have put on my list to read.
MGH SF
5 out of 5 stars
Fabulous!
This weeks wonderful interview with Isabel Wilkerson finally tipped me into action to write what I feel most weeks when I listen to this podcast. Paul’s tone and questions elicit important material from authors that give context to their books. I generally listen to several podcasts weekly. I’ve felt that Pamela Paul’s interviews delved more deeply into some authors interviewing than when the same author is interviewed by others, such as Paul’s outstanding interview of Todd Purdum (“Something Wonderful “) compared to Terri Gross’s.
Spotidaddy
5 out of 5 stars
A wonderful find and easy to jump in!
I have been a life-long reader and to find this podcast as an adult is a pleasure! I don’t always have time to read new and/or notable works (of fiction, nonfiction, journalism); isn’t it wonderful “The Book Review” covers them for me? I often find myself adding books that are discussed on this podcast to my wishlist and the hosts are always delightful, insightful, and judicious with their time. I particularly loved the recent interview with Kate Atkinson about her most recent novel “Transcription.” That interview spurred me to find Atkinson’s novel “Life after Life,” in my local library, and what a great find that was! Many thanks for a great weekly hour (away from these hectic times) just to settle into listening to folks talk about what they love: books.
Drew Korschun
5 out of 5 stars
Encore! 📚
I’m a graduate student who researches Japanese literature, so listening to the Book Review podcast is a breath of fresh air that lets me catch up with major trends in contemporary literature without so much of the academic jargon and theoretical viewpoint that come up in grad school seminars. I often feel inspired listening to Pamela and the other Book Review folks tell us about their favorite books and it’s not seldom that I end up checking out many of the reviewed pieces.
The Mary reader
5 out of 5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyable
I always learn something new, even when I think I’m not particularly interested.
Piggy knuckles
5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
One of my favorite 2 podcasts. My other is The Westwing Weekly. I am entertained and informed. I often buy books based on what I hear. My favorite segment is “What I’m reading this week”. Paula is the best!
Sonianic
5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
I absolutely love this podcast. It’s enlightening and accessible - enriching and most of all enjoyable. I learn so much about books I want to read and even those I don’t. It’s like having coffee with your most well-read friends, that probably don’t exist in real life. Highly recommend!!!
Kate Pittsburgh, PA
5 out of 5 stars
Perfect podcast
I am so grateful for this podcast- I get book recommendations and learn something new in every show! I usually have to hit pause so I can request the discussed books from my library!
utgujjar
5 out of 5 stars
Regular Listener
For a book lover like me, this is best that’s out there. Keep up the great work!
JJR*
5 out of 5 stars
Don't have enough time to read? Listening to this podcast will help.
There will always be more good books to read than time to read them, but this podcast will help prioritize. The interviews will help you determine whether you will be interested enough to make that particular book a worthwhile use of your limited time, and even if you decide not to read a particular book, you'll know more about that book, and about related trends in publishing, making those hard choices a little easier. As other reviewers have noted, it's well worth the time it takes to listen (particularly if you have a lengthy commute like mine).
ODebbie
5 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Podcast
The New York Times Book Review is my favorite podcast. Pamela Paul is an excellent interviewer, and I often wonder how she comes up with such insightful questions. I learn so much about many different topics when I listen. Then there is my endlessly growing list of books to read based on those referred to here - no matter how obscure! I already had an addiction to books now it's just a constant battle to keep up. I wish I could join them sometimes to talk about the books we are reading I love all of the reviewers - the regulars and the visitors.
WillNedved
5 out of 5 stars
Required listening
Absurdly informative
ame0608
5 out of 5 stars
Long Time Listener
As a poet, I tend to gravitate my to craft talk, but I started listening to NYT Book Review Podcast in 2012, and it has been my favorite podcast ever since. It’s made me start to read for enjoyment, not just for my craft. And in many ways that’s deepened my love for books and has allowed me to feel a greater sense of play with my own writing. This podcast is just fun!
jules a.c.
5 out of 5 stars
Martin Amis didnt “get” Barbara Pym.
Dear Pamela Paul, I’ve been listening to your NYT book review podcast lately and want to compliment you as an impeccable host. Your research is admirable, your questions are excellent, and you allow your guests to answer them (unlike Charlie Rose, who didn’t on his tv show. He’d ask a question to a celebrity guest and then proceed to answer it before his guest could. Drove me up the wall. I literally yelled at Rose because I wanted to hear his guest talk, not him! -an epitome of egotist.) Anyway, you’re just a fabulous interviewer I wanted also to mention Martin Amis’s comment in regards to Barbara Pym. Martin told me he couldn’t understand her appeal as a writer; he just didn’t get it! Your guest pointed out Pym’s novels never really went anywhere; but rather, they were about “excellent women” of that post war era. Martin (IMHO, an alpha man) could not connect with the female characters in Pym’s novels. I, having read most of Pym’s novels, quote or refer to her pithy words in my memoir “Visiting Martin Amis.” Kindly read a free sample of “Visiting Martin Amis” on Amazon.com or Kindle.com below. Thank you for your attention. Sincerely yours, Julia Clinch Sent from my iPhone
Ed Van Buren
5 out of 5 stars
I love this podcast!
It's people who know about the latest books, talking about the latest books. They know some things about old books too, and one of the fun parts about listening is confronting those moments when they forget. Like in this latest episode (10/12/18): Pamela manages, by alluding to some recent successful novels, to persuade the otherwise brilliant Tana French that unreliable narrators tend to be female. If you're like me and enjoy arguing with podcasters as if they can hear you (or would ever bother listening if they did), moments like this give you the opportunity to yell back at your phone: "Really? So Huckleberry Finn should be trusted when he accuses himself of immorality? Sheriff Nick Corey really is the second coming of Christ?" It's a blast. And the rest of the time you get to learn about new books.
DK F-L
5 out of 5 stars
A calm, thoughtful way to end the day
This podcast is a perfect world where people talk thoughtfully about ideas in books.
The Stymied Chef
5 out of 5 stars
Love It!
My favorite podcast of all time. I love the cast. They manage to be intellectually stimulating, clever, and funny—and not overly pretentious. (I'm not a big fan of the people at Slate Audio Book Club. They're a bit annoying; had to unsubscribe.) Pamela Paul is the best. She's a independent thinker and a winsome host who puts great questions to her guests. I love her perspective. It's fresh and not always what one might expect. Such a great range of authors, books, and topics. I wish the podcast were on more than once per week! I would tune in every day if I could. Keep it up, guys! Love, An American listening from London
Jimbo Seattle
3 out of 5 stars
No more marketing (ads) please !
I like the podcast, but since the podcast itself may be seen, by some, as marketing for the NYT I find it aggravating to have ads within it as well. Am sure that as the ads fail to disappear I will cancel my subscription as I have with every other podcast that markets to me. Thankfully CSPANs podcast do not look likely to go that route. Some music podcasts as well.
hoysalgoadelante
5 out of 5 stars
A window through which to share the world of books
Pamela Paul interviews and commentary and the NYTBR critics and staff guide incisive conversations with authors to give details about what inspires the making of books: they contribute key insights that are often not apparent reading the works. I look forward to the podcast every week.
Jean Lillquist
5 out of 5 stars
The Best Podcast Ever
This is my dessert podcast. I save it so that I can savor it. And of all the interviewers on all the shows I've listened to, past and present, I really think Pamela Paul is the best. She listens. She does her homework. It is totally about the guest and not her. This is rare among many interviewers who use their captive audience as a platform to talk about themselves. I have discovered so many authors as a result of this podcast and learned so much about books and the publishing world. I also enjoy the camaraderie in the last segment when other people from the book beat join her and they discuss what they're reading or other contemorary literature. Thank you, Pamela and pals, and may you continue for a long, long time.
Vrcann
5 out of 5 stars
Great Podcast
I absolutely love everything about the NYT Book review podcast: interviews with authors, news from the publishing world, and reviewers comments about the books they are/have been reading. I think Pamela Paul is a wonderful interviewer and her questions penetrating.
Ewayland
5 out of 5 stars
Easily my favorite podcast
If the host, Pamela Paul, ever tires of editing the Book Review she could do this full time. And that is true of a lot of the people who work with her, apparently. My favorite part of this podcast is when she and other reviewers just chat. There are times, unfortunately, when you (and, I suspect Ms. Paul herself) must suffer through interviews with authors who...are not as interesting as their books let's say. But that is not the norm. So if you like reading and intelligent talk you need this podcast in your playlist.
dixie832
5 out of 5 stars
Best Source For The General Reader
This is my main source from which I choose books. A well organized podcast, informative and a very wide array of subjects.
Argh!#%!
5 out of 5 stars
What they are reading
I love the reviews and interviews with authors, but I especially like the end of the podcast in which the participants talk about what they are reading. It always gives me new ideas about books to look for… next on my list a new, for me, author, Shirley Hazard
kurtbat
5 out of 5 stars
fantastic
is what it is
ttweety
5 out of 5 stars
Pamela Paul asks great questions
Lots of interviews are sort of soft, but Paul advances the conversation with each question. Really impressive.
_______________-____—___—__
5 out of 5 stars
Consistently excellent podcast on ideas
Perhaps my favorite podcast. Author interviews, critical discussion, and--something that I didn't imagine would interest me, but that does--publishing news. Its greatest value is as a quick gauge of what everyone--from NY Times reviewers to fans of young-adult-novel franchises in genres I've never heard of--reads, and of the ideas that come through. Well produced and edited. Interesting and topical every week. Thoughtful, consistently engaging host. Strong recommend.
SK*1978
5 out of 5 stars
Keeps me sane
This podcast is one that has kept me sane the past couple of years.
Page Larkin
5 out of 5 stars
Dessert for Breakfast
My happy time is early morning - pre-coffee - listening to the New York Times Book Review. Elucidating, entertaining and inspiring. Joy!
PEDPL
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast
Well put together. Love Pamela Paul, love her colleagues, and her writer guests. I've bought many books talked about on this podcast.
Kad_Mad
5 out of 5 stars
Best book podcast out there!
My absolute favorite podcast. Pamela and her team present a wonderful hour of discussion and interviews about the most popular and interesting fiction out there today, complete with authors, historians, and critics. It's especially lovely to hear what the staff at the NYTBR are reading every week. What a lovely group of people, and what an engaging project!
fanman0211
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast
If you like to read you will love this podcast. Great ideas for what to read next.
Katiescarlettpdx
5 out of 5 stars
Accessible and Challenging
Don’t be put off by the idea of a book review podcast. It’s so interesting to hear authors speaking about their own work, and they are surprisingly humble and accessible. On the other hand, the podcast staff are so bright, articulate, and, of course, well-read, that being a regular listener has challenged me to step up my reading game. As a result of regular listening, I have now read more non-fiction, poetry, and modern literature. Finally, the podcasters have now begun to conclude each episode with a chat about what they’re reading, which is very fun!
Riddim Man
5 out of 5 stars
NYTimes Book Review Podcast for Book Lovers
This podcast is a weekly “must hear” podcast for me. I love books and find the interviews to provide more background on the books detailed than is provided in the book review. The interviewers ask great questions that augment the print review rather than highlight the published review. My favorite segment is the “What we’re reading” segment. I eagerly look forward to seeing where and what everyone is reading. It is also wise to place it at the end.
tomsutherland909
5 out of 5 stars
Stimulating conversations
I split my time between London and Buenos Aires, both very literary cities, and this podcast is almost as good as having a stopover in New York along the way. Although I mainly read non fiction, I enjoy the conversations on fiction and poetry, as well as the discussion of books being read by the reviewers. The sound quality is excellent, even on telephone interviews. A great way to keep up on the latest in the book world, as well as a useful source for books that deserve a second look. Thanks and congratulations to the team that makes it happen!
Bafflef
5 out of 5 stars
Weekly treat
My favorite segment is at the end of each episode, when assorted Times staffers talk about what they’re reading. Will Greg ever finish Ulysses?
KSV!
4 out of 5 stars
Such fun to listen to this!
I love this podcast because I love to listen to people talking about books. A great balance to the political podcasts I listen to on a regular basis.
38394$1@
5 out of 5 stars
My Weekly Treat
I look forward to my Saturday mornings listening to this amazing podcast. It keeps me abreast of publishing trends, older books I missed, and, of course, new titles.
Ggggbggb
5 out of 5 stars
New York Times Book Review
Every week, I look forward to hearing Pamela Paul and the entire book review team. From interviews with authors to hearing what they are reading, this intelligent group brings us along as they share what has held their interest. Books, old and new, are shared and my interest is always piqued.
Christiephile
5 out of 5 stars
Companion Piece
I find this to be such a great companion to the book review itself; often one or both of the guests are authors whose works in that week’s review I wanted to know more about. Paul’s easy conversational approach to all her interviews and discussions works nicely here, too. As a writer I find it keeps me up-to-date on the latest in the literary world without overwhelming me, either with information or attitude! It’s a keeper.
ashayward
5 out of 5 stars
A Good One
I've been listening to the NYT Book Review Podcast since Sam Tanenhaus hosted it - I loved it then and I love it now. Pamela Paul is insightful, engaging, and gets to the heart of the matter.
harringtonhound
5 out of 5 stars
Addictive!
Be careful. You will buy more books. Deadly.
Mark54s
5 out of 5 stars
So Refreshing
Simply the highlight of my week; great interviews by Pamela Paul (far-ranging, open-minded, in-depth and such a great variety of topics) and excellent discussions by the critics. Always enjoy the brief updates on the book business itself, too. All around, refreshing and very thoughtful. If there is a better interviewer around than Pamela Paul, I'd like to know his or her name.
Joel in NC
5 out of 5 stars
Great podcast
This is one of my favorite podcasts. I especially enjoy the discussion near the end of the show with different reviewers about what they have been reading on their own time. Civilized, informative discussion led by a personable host. I get a lot of good book tips from it.
nycjrp
5 out of 5 stars
Great Podcast!
I look forward and listen to this podcast every week. Keep up the good work Pamela.
TuckyJG11
5 out of 5 stars
A Must-Listen Each Week
Interviewing isn’t necessarily a skill set one would associate with the editor of a book review— yet Pamela Paul is one of the best interviewers I’ve come across. Can’t wait to listen every Friday on my commute home to start the weekend.
Jborths
5 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommended
I find this podcast to be a breath of fresh air. Interesting, often funny, I finish each episode feeling more connected to the world. It does not have a left wing bias: it has a “human interest” bias.
jlf224wwa
1 out of 5 stars
Politically Infected, Sadly
I recently stopped my subscription to NYT after 40 years because of left-wing extremism and blatantly false reporting. Unfortunately liberal bias has infected the podcast and made segments hard to listen to. Jill Abramson was intolerable—what an annoying individual. I will still listen because the podcast is amazing good....but will stop if infection gets worse
JJP1963
2 out of 5 stars
Hate the commercials
Recently I have been forced to listen to Bayer commercials. In print I can avert my eyes or adjust the page to obscure the ads but in audio format I can only fast fwd if I have my device in hand. Otherwise, I am captive and the entire experience is ruined. Is there no refuge left in our culture? Must everyone sell out? Do you never make enough money?
harleypol24
3 out of 5 stars
Love the segment on what you are reading!
I look forward to this podcast every week. Great interviews and I’ve found a lot of my favorite books this way. I love the segment at the end when they talk about what they are currently reading. Lately they have only been doing that every other week though and on the off weeks they have the critics talk about what they have been working on. I don’t like those weeks. I usually turn that segment off.
Fqwrtyklpirrhfb
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Podcast for sleep
This podcast really hits the sweet spot of vaguely interesting mixed with mediocre production values that lulls me into a deep sleep every night. I very much enjoy the quiet background chatter about books as I snooze away.
cincysport
5 out of 5 stars
Best book review podcast ever. Love Pamela.
Can’t wait for every new review!!
Nun 9
4 out of 5 stars
Don’t stop “What we are reading”
While I enjoy the literary news and interviews with authors about new releases, my favorite part of the podcast for the past few years has been the “What we are reading” segment, which introduced countless books I’ve loved that I would have missed or passed over without a second thought. The Towers of Trezibond (Rose Macauley), Wave (Sonali Deraniyagala), and Ghachar Ghochar (Vivek Shanbhag) were some memorable works just in the past year that this segment shared with me. It’s also placed multiple works on my “to read” list that I’ll be scouting out at used bookstores. In the latest podcast, the “What we are reading” segment was not present. I’m hoping this was a short term lapse and that it’ll return next week, or biweekly, with the new reviewer roundup.
Mary Lou - P.Paso owner
2 out of 5 stars
Only liberals need to listen
Totally biased in the world view. They hate Trump and anybody that voted for him. Blah blah drivel Too bad they could not just give book reviews rather than political bias because that’s what I would’ve like to hear.
thomaslitchford
5 out of 5 stars
Combines Interviews, News, and Recommendations
The New York Times Book Review podcast is my current favorite bookish podcast because it delivers almost three podcasts in one. Every week there are author interviews handled by the editor, Pamela Paul. Then there is a bit of “news from the literary world.” And finally, several members of the book review staff talk about what they’ve been reading. This is my favorite part.
The1JD
4 out of 5 stars
I learn so much
I did not think that I would enjoy listening to people talk about books I may never read. But I learn about so many books that I want to read. And even the discussions about books I don't want to read are very interesting.
gamer plus
5 out of 5 stars
Love this podcast
I look forward to this each week. I usually knit while listening. What could be better than knitting, listening to intelligent conversations, and learning about books I add to my reading list?
epg- bookish
1 out of 5 stars
Way too focused on politics...
Quitting this podcast after year listening. This podcast has become 80% a one sided political narrative/20% obvious book industry info. Not worth the time for the minimal new book discovery .
heliotrope2
3 out of 5 stars
More Women Please
I do like this podcast but recently, there was one woman and two men on the podcast, which really goes against the grain. Women read more books than men, and they buy more books than men. Let's get it straight, especially in light of the recent "Me Too" revelations, which all women were aware of generations ago. If this continues, I just won't care to listen anymore.
@danarogers
1 out of 5 stars
new regime - snore fest
with the passing of the host torch, the interviews now lack any sense of wonder or fun. there’s an added “discussion” of “what we are reading.” i could care less - egotistic ny book nerds who like their own vocab. i loved it much more when it included industry news and an overview of the bestsellers. and a sense of humor. it had life. now its the deadly dry lecture you might have thought from the label on the tin. dana former new yorker now in boulder
lellingw
5 out of 5 stars
The Best Book Review Podcast.
Really great podcast that provides me information on new books coming out and what books the reviewers are reading. Great interviews. Only caveat is when they are discussing books they are reading there seems to be embarrassment if one is reading nonfiction or a long book as if that is inferior. Get over it people!
Avid podcast Dan
1 out of 5 stars
Ridiculous guest on their show
I gave a 1 star because of their latest interview of Jill A. on their show. What a ridiculous, self-serving former NYT executive editor they had on their show! The NYT enabled racism and sexism and was instrumental to the destruction of democracy, aka election of Trump, in 2016. That's a fact.
Bad rewards program 1234
1 out of 5 stars
Stick to Books.
I used to love this podcast, but ever since the election, which apparently didn't go the way the editors wanted, they find any avenue they can to add their digs or political opinions. Please just get back to opinions on the books and great writing. I hope to rejoin the podcast - but telling everyone for now to go to another podcast for the book reviews.
Ado2pod
2 out of 5 stars
Too stuffy
I always start listening to an episode hoping I'll like it but inevitably fail to listen all the way through. The pace feels slow, interviews a bit stale, and I really hate the classical lead in music--feels intentionally pretentious
@scruggsreader
5 out of 5 stars
YES
Love this
Beckster4747
5 out of 5 stars
Nice snapshot of a variety of books
Although I use the amazon editor's choice monthly reviews to drive my book choices, I like listening to this podcast for deeper info, snapshots of new books, and hearing discussions of books I've never heard/seen.
Paul BKK
5 out of 5 stars
Pefect Dimensions
The right length at the right depth and the right breadth. Entertaining but also informative. Deft interviews of authors - not the easiest genus of humans to accommodate. Were the rotating cast able to be a bit less NYC-centric, it might help the rest of the country, if not planet, hit the "subscribe" icon. But then again, is not NYC the epicenter of intellectual and entertainment imperialism in the modern world? :-) Paul, Bangkok, Thailand
iolantherosa
5 out of 5 stars
Longtime Favorite Ascends to New Heights
I have been a listener to this podcast from the very beginning when it was hosted by Sam Tanenhaus. Even then, it was very good. However, there have been two changes that have vaulted it to the front of my list. First, the new(ish) host Pamela Paul is a delight. I think of her as Terry Gross 2.0: she asks insightful questions, but gets them out much more quickly and is able to cover a lot of ground with her guests in a short amount of time. She is well-prepared (Tanenhaus prided himself on not having read the books his guests wrote, because he felt it gave his reactions freshness and spontaneity; this is complete hogwash). Paul is well-prepared and familiar with the material at hand. The second development that has improved the show is that they have replaced the somewhat-tedious best-seller list review segment at the end with a roundtable discussion among 3 or 4 staffers about what they are currently reading. This segment has turned out to be a delightful surprise: rather than a stuffy, pseudointellectual humblebrag fest of all the great classics they are reading in impossible quantities week after week, it is instead a down-to-earth window into what intelligent and well-read-but-busy people think and feel about the books they are reading: the slog of getting through a long biography; the guilty pleasure of a pot boiler or self-help book, and then, BAM, a deep insight into the nature of life and literature. I cannot recommend this podcast highly enough.
Kidwgm
4 out of 5 stars
Where have you been??
I stumbled across the podcast and figured I would check it out. Love it!
Hattiehein
5 out of 5 stars
Still the best
The Times book review podcast was among the first great podcasts, and it remains the best literary podcast around.
Jgw;o)
5 out of 5 stars
Marketing, sure
but also personal reviews of some books by the hosts. Especially like the "what I'm reading" segment.
Chase McFace
5 out of 5 stars
Great interviews!
Very insightful and entertaining.
Defensman
5 out of 5 stars
If you love books, add this to your weekly habit.
I love books. Last year I listened to 106 books. As an avid book consumer, I have always enjoyed the weekly "New York Times Book Review. ". Outstanding! I only just recently started to listen to this podcast. It is exceptional! I love the author interviews and the Staff discussions. Fantastic!
mollynandy
5 out of 5 stars
My #1 Favorite Podcast
This is the first podcast that I ever subscribed to and my favorite podcast of the 2-3 that I listen to regularly. I find this podcast about books to be very accessible, which is my favorite thing about it. Too many other literature podcasts are too snooty and way above my head, or they are too narrowly focused on a particular genre or author. Some of the interviews with authors are one of a kind, and really allow you to learn more about authors that interest you. I enjoy the newest segment where the hosts discuss the best sellers as well as what they themselves are reading. This is a fun, upbeat, intelligent and captivating podcast for anyone who likes books! I highly recommend it.
ZelTN
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent
With the exception of their snooty attitude regarding Wuthering Heights, I have enjoyed the comments and perspective of the NYT staff.
RindaB
5 out of 5 stars
Great podcast
It's a great substitute when I can't find the time to read the hard copy. And even when I do read the hard copy, the interviews are a great supplement. I especially enjoy the "What we are reading" segment.
2Bistheanswer
5 out of 5 stars
Consistently great and fun.
Been a listener since 2012, love how it has evolved and expanded with the new host. Great way to discover and choose your next book.
ogroy
5 out of 5 stars
Reliable pleasure
I always enjoy this podcast. A genuine treat every week.
Jack Crory
4 out of 5 stars
The Joy of Reading
The interviews with authors are hit-or-miss, but the real reason I listen to his podcast evevery week is the discussion between the employees of the Review of what everyone is reading--it's fun to listen to smart people talk about the books they are are reading in a casual, enthusiastic way. There is also a great weekly interview with someone who highlights the week's news in publishing.
heike6
5 out of 5 stars
Great book info
I especially love the interviews with the reviewers, but the author interviews are good, too. It is great to hear an audio update of the bestsellers. Not too keen on the new "what the hosts are reading" segment.
hitchhiiker
1 out of 5 stars
Are you serious?
Faithful listener for the last four years, but your recent interview with Jojo Moyes was -- I don't even have words for it. First, the occasion of bringing her on was the premiere of a movie based on her (astonishingly bad) book, which was reviewed three years ago in your paper. So we have a romance novelist who hasn't published anything new in three years. Second, there is a serious backlash going on among the disabled community which is never mentioned in the interview. Instead, we get lots of Jojo talking about how her life was changed by the original review in the NYT. It's framed on her wall! it's everything she hoped a reader would say! Third, I looked up that review after listening to this self-serving nonsense. The reviewer, at one point, quoted from the book ... unfortunately the llines she loved so much were evidence that Jojo didn't know much about the lives of people living with the disability she hooked her story on. (Clue: a person who hasn't used his hands in two years does not have calluses on them.) This whole mess is beneath you guys. I'm embarrassed for you.
svenlore
5 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Book Review Podcast
This is my first choice when I want to hear about books and authors who write them. I loved listening to Sam for years, and Pamela transitioned easily into the role of host/interviewer a few years ago. Thank you for the anniversary podcast--what a nice inside look at the podcast at inception and the process of interviewing authors. I especially like to hear the "what's happening in the literary world" section. Even though I don't read as much as I'd like, I love hearing about books. Keep up the great work!
JoProcter
1 out of 5 stars
Something is wrong with the podcast
For two weeks the pod cast has been off - technical reason. It sounds like its running on double time. Not worth listening to until this is fixed.
funaid
4 out of 5 stars
I miss Sam.
I used to love this 5 stars when Sam did it. Now I like it 4.
wingnut7000
3 out of 5 stars
Slight
This podcast has its moments, but it’s essentially a book marketing tool for authors. Rarely have I heard actual criticism on here. It really should be renamed, it’s not a review at all. Still, has its moments.
SuccesfulBusinessmanDanceParty
3 out of 5 stars
SAM TANENHAUS
I totally miss Sam Tanenhaus. I still listen to this regularly, but it’s not nearly as good as when Sam hosted.
UUCP
5 out of 5 stars
#1 Book Podcast
Nobody else can match the mix of author interviews (fiction and nonfiction, reference and poetry), commentary by reviewers, and industry news that one hears every week on the New York Times Book Review Podcast. Pamela Paul clearly loves her job and loves speaking with people about books and writing, and this passion shows in every episode.
philfred1111
5 out of 5 stars
Great podcast for book lovers
If you love books or are interested in the business of the book industry, you need to listen to this podcast. It is a must listen for me each week. Keep up the fantastic work.
Audry Cooper
3 out of 5 stars
I Need This
I have so little time that I rely on the Book Review to keep me informed of new works of interest and even what’s trending on the best sellers list. I really enjoy the industry scoops. But I miss Sam. I find Pamela Paul a little dull. Wish there was a way I could skip the interviews when they are boring or, worse, and get to the thick of things. And the other problem is WHEN DOES THE PODCAST get produced and distributed? Friday? Saturday? Whatever. Need more enthusiasm.
Kris Rong
4 out of 5 stars
Host loves herself
I like this podcast very much and will probably continue to listen to it because the guests are always interesting. However, the host can be aggravating. Her questions are more like essays, designed to illustrate how much she knows. Also, she interrupts her guests sometimes, which is not only rude, but also shows a disregard for the fact that the audience is tuning in to hear the guests, not her. I wish she would edit herself a bit more.
Mscookbook
4 out of 5 stars
New host growing into the job
Updating comments posted in May 2013, I find Pamela Paul much easier to listen to than I did initially, and have come to enjoy the podcast nearly as much as I did with the previous host.
CaroleACline
5 out of 5 stars
Great podcast
Like many others, I am a Sam fan girl, but Sam has moved on and Pamela is working hard to give this podcast her own stamp. I loved his theme music, and I love Pamela's choice, as well. More importantly, we still hear interesting guests who talk about the latest books, and we still have a solid format. I look forward to it every week.
Icymed21
3 out of 5 stars
Longtime Listener Feeling Disappointed
I've been a podcast listener since inception and, while there have been many changes over the years, the most recent changes are rather irksome. The new host is a little dry and tentative, but I am sure Pamela Paul will feel her way into her role. Sam and Dwight were also awkward early on; they are editors first and podcasters second. My first complaint is pedantic: The new intro music starts the whole show off on the wrong foot. I love instrumental music, but pretentiousness wafts in with every up-bow undertaken. My second grievance is more weighted, being of a content based nature: From zero hour this show has mutated into a non-fiction review. Perhaps it is simply coincidence. At first I thought there was simply a slow month in fiction publishing, but it now seems to be a trend. Please return to a balanced approach! It may seem demanding, but, as a voracious reader, I want it all.
sparkygirl78
3 out of 5 stars
Hopeful...
Great podcast..I have been listening for a long time. I am hopeful the new host will work out, but one thing that does bug me is the new music. Music plays an important part in setting the tone. I wish they consider changing it.
DanaJ
2 out of 5 stars
i miss sam!
i used to love this potcast and it was a 5-star show, but since the new host took over i'm less and less engaged w the show. i don't like the selections of the books - my gut is pamela chose to discuss the books SHE likes, and it seems she has a pretty narrow interest span. i used to get real updates in the publishing world from sam but it's no more. i even don't like the new music. i miss sam!
Azdren
2 out of 5 stars
Production side needs work!
The content of the podcast is GREAT! Otherwise, the production NEEDS a lot of work! The podcast does not update on the subscription on my iPhone; the podcasts themselves have no description; and the new host definitely needs to inject some enthusiasm and at least pretend she is greatful to be where she is.
Jimgny123
1 out of 5 stars
Bring back Sam
The book review podcast has really turned south since Pamela Paul took over. She has no radio voice, seems distracted and uninterested in the podcast. Sam was engaging, vibrant and made the podcast what it is. Hopefully she will take some broadcast lessons or bring Sam back to host the podcast.
D Berne
5 out of 5 stars
Sam?
I'm happy to hear Sam will be moving on to what I am sure is a great freedom for him professionally (although he will be missed in the printed Review), but who can possibly fill his shoes at the Book Review podcast??
Cowgirl Prof
5 out of 5 stars
What's wrong with the downloading?
Since the last two "Podcasts" apps were set up, NYT Book Review hasn't worked. If I try to download what claims to be the latest episode I get a random episode from months ago. I don't want to stream to listen to this podcast. I LOVE the podcast but am not always where I can listen to a stream. Please, please fix this. It may be the horrible new iTunes podcast app's problem, but bring me back Sam Tanenhaus and great interviews.
Ernest87
4 out of 5 stars
Not updating on iPhone
New contents have not been updating on my iPhone 5/ iOS 6. I have to go on the iTunes Store and manually download/stream an episode every week, defeating the purpose of an subscription. Great podcast though.
Booksbunny
2 out of 5 stars
Why?
Why oh why does this no longer update on my iPod? Why will none of the episodes download? I really don't like having to stream it to listen to it. But it's a great podcast. 5 stars for content.
davesablast
1 out of 5 stars
Does not update on iPhone Podcasts App
One of my favorite podcasts, but - It's not updating on the iPhone Podcasts App. It's easy to fix - go fix it!
Alysha C
1 out of 5 stars
Gone
No longer updates. I thought had been cancelled; last podcast downloaded on January 18th. All rest of January 2013 and February will not download.
Margaret R
5 out of 5 stars
My favorite podcast
Always interesting. If you care about books and publishing, you'll want to hear this every week. Excellent interviews.
Ginsburl
2 out of 5 stars
Review
Would it be possible to indicate the subject matter of the review? Pledge!
Lisa Eckstein
4 out of 5 stars
informative book coverage
Great way to stay up-to-date on book news. Each episode includes an interview with one of the reviewed authors, a discussion with a reviewer about a different book, news from the publishing industry, and a rundown of the best-seller lists. Keeps me informed about what's popular and what's critically acclaimed.
patfrankart
3 out of 5 stars
Need contents
I want to know what cast is about before I download.
Amettajo
3 out of 5 stars
Lack of description is troubling
Sorry, I like to know what I'm selecting.
byron_72
5 out of 5 stars
Find Out About New Books
Great podcast. Sometimes I don't have time to read the New York Times Book Review, but now I can listen on the way to work. Have found many new authors through this podcast that I otherwise wouldn't have.
dhrfam
5 out of 5 stars
Never miss it
Excellent, entertaining and informative. I never miss this podcast.
sgt. pepper g
4 out of 5 stars
The best!
I listen to this podcast every week and totally enjoy it. It has given me many ideas on what to read next and helped with the book club I'm involved in. Keep up the great work!
Glb15943
5 out of 5 stars
Love love love!!
I've been listening to all of the archive podcasts and my book list has been growing & growing! Love this podcast! Great interviews and reporters. I enjoy hearing about the different types of books they review. It has really opened my eyes to different genres.
JERMadness
5 out of 5 stars
Bravo NYT Book Review
Great interviews, concise and informative, a touch of wry humor, current book biz news, it all serves to keeps me up to date, intellectually stimulated, entertained, and full of new book reading ideas. I used to read the NYT Book Review in the paper as a kid. It was my favorite part; like the way some kids pulled out the funnies. Now I can get a sample of that in audio form as I am traveling in my car. I love it.
GoGo Soda
5 out of 5 stars
This podcast has way too much...
Awesome in it!! Love it!!!
Ingrid S
4 out of 5 stars
Recent Download Problems
I love this podcast and am a long time subscriber but the last 4 or 5 episodes have not downloaded at all. Is there a problem? I miss hearing this!
Cap'nPissGums
1 out of 5 stars
"The Server is not correctly configured" error message
Cannot launch this podcast since iPhone software update
Ztcomputes
5 out of 5 stars
Astounding Podcast
It's a great overview of the weekly book review and the publishing industry in a neat fifteen minutes. Would most definitely sit through a longer podcast though, I find myself reaching the end and wanting more.
buttsco
2 out of 5 stars
close but no cigar
How about a few full-fledged book reviews. People want in-depth coverage of books.
CAmerj
2 out of 5 stars
Choppy, poorly organized
I like Sam Tanenhaus (sp?) but this media seems a little foreign to him. It is not planned out well and some stories are too short. the Lincoln book review, for exmple, was getting interesting then broke off abruptly seemingly mid-topic apparently because they ran out of time. And it can get a little, well, boring. I expected and want more. If they did a better job maybe they could charge.
Elitsts Know Better
5 out of 5 stars
Lost its edge
I have been listening to the Time's book review podcast for a while now. It remains a must listen every week, and is a quick, easy dose of lit-crit. My only complaint is that it has lost some of its free wheeling tone, and taken a softer, more NPR-lite production. Its still great, but you missed the best of it, dude.
procrastinater
5 out of 5 stars
NY Times Book Review--The Gold Standard
If you are a reader, this is the gold standard podcast for you. Not only do you get an update on the NYTimes Bestsellers list, there is usually an interesting story about some bestseller an author. The only complaint I would have is that I'd like the author or reviewer interviews to be a little longer!
Ruth Bray
5 out of 5 stars
MY FAVORITE of the podcasts I listen to weekly
Although I love books, I don't have much time to read these days. The NYT Book Review podcast allows me to keep up-to-date with newly published books through interviews of a book's author or reviewer. Worth far more than the 20 minutes it takes to listen to it. I've been able to identify several great books to send as gifts by listening to the Review Podcast over the last couple of months. This is my favorite of the 10-12 podcasts I listen to weekly.
ATG67
5 out of 5 stars
An excellent Podcast
This is an awesome Podcast I would be happy to recommend to everyone. Podcasting is a new medium and yet this Podcast sounds so natural that it feels like it has always been around, like a great friend. I feel informed, entertained, inspired and maybe even educated after each episode. Thanks very much to those who take the time to produce this for me, ATG
Johnny Staudt
5 out of 5 stars
its ok
to be mad at the delay, im mad too, but the reason we're mad is cuz its such a good podcast.
dpw59
1 out of 5 stars
Not updated on time!
This podcast is very delayed! It is on the Times website 4 days ago, & still not here. Very disappointing.
minervamuzak
5 out of 5 stars
Great Books+Great Book Reviews=Incredible Podcast
I love this podcast! I cannot get enough of it! The reviews provide context and background to really help the listener understand what the book is about and its larger literary and societal significance.
Summitt
5 out of 5 stars
Where's the next one?
I LOVE the NYT Book Review! Please keep them coming!!!!
Kaligal
5 out of 5 stars
Best Book Review Podcast On the Web!
I eagerly await Sam Tanenhaus's NYT Book Review. He always has interesting authors reviewing other authors and the commentary on new books, or even old books is refreshing and intellectually stimulating. I've heard some other book review podcasings but NYTBR is my favorite. Even their intro song really ROCKS!
Podcast information
- Amount of episodes
- 429
- Subscribers
- 73
- Verified
- No
- Website
- Explicit content
- No
- Episode type
- episodic
- Podcast link
- https://podvine.com/link/..
- Last upload date
- December 9, 2022
- Last fetch date
- February 3, 2023 2:12 PM
- Upload range
- WEEKLY
- Author
- The New York Times
- Copyright
- © 2022 The New York Times Company
susbcribers
- The Critics’ Picks: A Year in ReadingLast week’s podcast featured members of The New York Times’s Books staff discussing the Book Review’s picks for the best books of 2022. The paper’s staff book critics participated in that selection process — but as readers inevitably do, they also cherished a more personal and idiosyncratic set of books, the ones that spoke to them on account of great characters or great writing, surprising information or heartfelt vulnerability or sheer entertainment value. On this week’s podcast, our critics Dwight Garner, Jennifer Szalai and Alexandra Jacobs discuss the books that stayed with them throughout 2022. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- The 10 Best Books of 2022Heads up! The Book Review podcast returns with a new episode this week, recorded Tuesday during a live event in which several of our editors and critics discussed the Book Review’s list of the year’s 10 Best Books. (If you haven’t seen the list yet and don’t want spoilers before listening, the choices are revealed one by one on the podcast.) In addition to the 10 Best Books, the editors discuss on this episode some of their favorite works from the year that didn’t make the list. Here are those additional books the editors discuss: The Passenger and Stella Maris, by Cormac McCarthy Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin Avalon, by Nell Zink If I Survive You, by Jonathan Escoffery We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Bringing Down Harvey WeinsteinFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2019 and 2020, respectively. In their best-selling book “She Said” — the basis for the Maria Schrader-directed film of the same title, currently in theaters — the Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey recount how they broke the Harvey Weinstein story, work that earned them the Pulitzer Prize, led to Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crimes and helped solidify #MeToo as an ongoing national movement. When the book was published in 2019, Twohey and Kantor were guests on the podcast and discussed the difficulties they had faced in getting women to speak on the record about Weinstein’s predation. They also said that their coverage of workplace sexual harassment would not end with Weinstein: “Our attitude is that you can’t solve a problem you can’t see,” Kantor told the host Pamela Paul. “Megan and I can’t adjudicate all of the controversies around #MeToo, but what we can continue to do is bring information to light in a responsible way and uncover this secret history that so many of us are still trying to understand.” Also this week, we revisit Neal Gabler’s 2020 podcast appearance, in which he talked about “Catching the Wind,” the first volume of his Ted Kennedy biography. (The second and concluding volume, “Against the Wind,” has just been published.) “I approached this book as a biography of Edward Kennedy, but also, equally, a biography of American liberalism,” he said at the time. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Taffy Brodesser-Akner Discusses “Fleishman Is in Trouble”For the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2019 and 2017, respectively. Taffy Brodesser-Akner's debut novel, “Fleishman Is in Trouble” — a best seller when it was published in 2019 — is back in the public eye, as the source material for Hulu’s new mini-series of the same name. The show, like the novel, follows a man’s life as his marriage of 14 years crumbles. Brodesser-Akner visited the podcast when her book came out, and told the host Pamela Paul that her time writing celebrity profiles for The New York Times Magazine and other outlets had helped her investigate the psychologies of her fictional characters: “What all the profiles taught me about is not people who want to be known, but what people say when they want you to know a version of themselves that isn’t the truth,” she said. “It taught me a lot about how people talk about themselves, and about how deluded we all are.” Also this week, we resurface Neil Gaiman’s 2017 podcast appearance, in which he talked about his book “Norse Mythology,” a reimagining of the traditional northern stories about Thor, Odin, Loki and company. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Mark Harris on His Biography of Mike NicholsFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2021 and 2019, respectively. In his first two books, “Pictures at a Revolution” and “Five Came Back,” the entertainment journalist Mark Harris offered an ensemble look at Hollywood history, focusing first on five seminal movies and then on five wartime directors. But for his third book, in 2021, Harris trained his spotlight on a single individual: “Mike Nichols: A Life” is a biography of the renowned writer, director and performer whose many credits included “The Graduate” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” “He was remarkably open,” Harris said of Nichols on the podcast last year. “There are few bigger success stories for a director to look back on than ‘The Graduate,’ and I was asking Mike about it 40 years and probably 40,000 questions after it happened. But I was so impressed by his willingness to come at it from new angles, to re-examine things that he hadn’t thought about for a while, to tell stories that were frankly not flattering to him. I’ve never heard harsher stories about Mike’s behavior over the years than I heard from Mike himself. He was an extraordinary interview subject.” Also this week, we revisit Adam Higginbotham’s 2019 appearance, in which he discussed his book “Midnight in Chernobyl,” about the nuclear disaster in that city. Higginbotham visited the site enough times “to lose count,” he told the host Pamela Paul. “And I never really stopped being afraid of it.” We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- N.K. Jemisin on Multiverses, Revolution and the ‘Soul’ of CitiesFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the archives. This week we turn the mic over to our sibling podcast “The Ezra Klein Show,” for a discussion that aired last month between Klein and the novelist N.K. Jemisin. The novelist and former Book Review columnist N.K. Jemisin is one of the most celebrated science-fiction and fantasy writers at work today: The winner of multiple Hugo Awards — including an unprecedented three in a row for her remarkable “Broken Earth” trilogy — she is renowned for her ability to build fictional worlds that reflect the complex social and political dynamics of our own. Her latest novel, “The World We Make,” is a sequel to “The City We Became,” and like that book it examines the ways cities come to take on their own personalities and characters, and how they respond to the forces threatening those identities. Jemisin visited “The Ezra Klein” show in October to discuss the books and the real world that informed them. “I felt like writing about our world,” she told the host Ezra Klein. “And if I’m going to do that, then I would do the world a disservice by treating it as some fantasy land. I don’t want to depict New York, as much as I love it, as all joy and all light and all happiness.” We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Jason Zinoman Talks About David LettermanFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The longtime New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman is the first person ever to hold that position at the paper, and he’s a natural fit for it: In 2017, when his biography of the late-night host David Letterman was published, he explained on the podcast that his early love of Letterman had shaped not only his love of comedy but to some extent his outlook on the world: “I worshiped David Letterman as a kid,” Zinoman told the host Pamela Paul. “He is one of these people who I loved before I thought like a critic. And I do believe that you love things as a kid in a deep way that you don’t love things as an adult. And to a large degree I think my sense of humor was defined by David Letterman. When I was a kid I talked like him. I smiled like him. My sense of sarcasm came from him. Even as an adult I can sort of see traces of it.” Also this week, we revisit our 2018 conversation with the New York Times Magazine writer Sam Anderson, who talked about basketball, Oklahoma City and his book “Boom Town.” We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Siddhartha Mukherjee Talks About ‘The Gene’For the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Since winning the Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction for his first book, “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer,” in 2011, the physician and professor Siddhartha Mukherjee has gone on to write two more sweeping studies of medical and scientific subjects: “The Song of the Cell,” which will be released next week, and “The Gene: An Intimate History,” which came out in 2016. Mukherjee was a guest on the podcast when “The Gene” was published, and he told the host Pamela Paul that his earlier book about cancer had led him naturally to the topic of genetics and heredity. “The more I thought about disease, illness, the more I came back to the question of inheritance: What do we inherit, what do our families give to us? How much of it is genetic, how much of it is environmental?” he said. Also this week, we revisit Kate Atkinson’s podcast appearance from 2018, when she discussed her World War II spy novel “Transcription” and its heroine, who starts out as “a very clever girl who’s slightly out of order.” Atkinson’s latest novel, “Shrines of Gaiety,” was published last month. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- George Saunders on ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’For the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The writer George Saunders has long been acclaimed for his short stories, which he has collected into five books since 1996 (including this year’s “Liberation Day”). But in 2017 he showed he was comfortable with longer narratives as well when he released his first novel, “Lincoln in the Bardo,” invoking multiple voices and ghostly spirits to portray President Lincoln’s grief at the death of his young son even as the Civil War raged. Saunders visited the podcast that year to talk about the novel, and how the process of writing it was different for him from story writing. “It seemed like something that was going to have to be approached pretty earnestly, and I wasn’t sure I had the chops to do that,” he told the host Pamela Paul. “I kind of had this little talk with myself: Dude, you’re 50-whatever-I-was ... This is something you’ve been wanting to write your whole life. You’ve now been through many of the major milestones of life. You know, I’m old, I have beautiful kids, everything. Why is this material too earnest for you, or too whatever? So I made a little contract with myself that I would do three months of trying, just to see if it caught fire.” Also this week, we revisit Paul’s 2019 conversation with the journalist Patrick Radden Keefe about his book “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland,” which looked at the Troubles in Northern Ireland through the lens of one young widow’s disappearance in 1972. “I’m drafting on an incredibly brave effort by her children, starting in the 1990s, to come out and break the code of silence in Ireland, and say: ‘We need to know what happened,’” said Keefe, whose book went on to be named one of our 10 Best Books of 2019. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Revisiting Baldwin vs. BuckleyFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2019 and 2020, respectively. In 1965, James Baldwin, by then internationally famous, faced off against William F. Buckley Jr., one of the leading voices of American conservatism, in a debate hosted by the Cambridge Union in England (and currently being dramatized as a stage show at the Public Theater in New York). The debate proposition before the house was: “The American dream is at the expense of the American Negro.” Nicholas Buccola’s 2019 book “The Fire Is Upon Us” tells the story of that intellectual prizefight as well as the larger story of Buckley’s and Baldwin’s lives. “Although the union had existed for 150 years prior to this night,” Buccola said on the podcast in 2019, “I’m pretty sure that there was never a speech quite like the speech that Baldwin delivered that night, because a lot of formal debate is this combination of intellectual exercise and performance art — you know, a lot of humor injected and that sort of thing. But Baldwin arrives that night and he delivers a sermon; he delivers a jeremiad. He is there to say things that people don’t want to hear.” Also this week, we revisit Lydia Millet’s podcast appearance from 2020, when she discussed her novel “The Children’s Bible,” which went on to be named one of our 10 Best Books of the year. The book was inspired, she told the host Pamela Paul, by younger people who are increasingly alarmed by the future they will inherit: “This generation is starting to notice and get angry, and I think the rage is long overdue, and I think it’s the only rational response to the threats we face.” Millet’s new novel, “Dinosaurs,” will be published next week. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Celeste Ng on Race, Class and SuburbiaFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2017 and 2015, respectively. Before “Little Fires Everywhere” was a hit series streaming on Hulu, it was a best-selling novel by Celeste Ng, who is also the author of the novels “Everything I Never Told You” and, most recently, the dystopian “ Our Missing Hearts.” Ng came on the podcast in 2017 to talk about “Little Fires Everywhere,” which addressed themes of race, class and privilege in a fictionalized version of Shaker Heights, Ohio, where she grew up. “There’s a real difference between the surface of things and what the true state of things is,” Ng told the host Pamela Paul during her appearance. “That’s sort of a theme throughout — everyone in here, there’s a difference between the surface of who they appear to be and who they actually are inside.” Also this week, we revisit Paul’s 2015 conversation with the esteemed children’s book author Judy Blume, who visited the podcast to discuss the recent publication of one of her adult novels, “In the Unlikely Event.” We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling StoneFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Jann Wenner, the co-founder and longtime editor of Rolling Stone magazine, has a new memoir out — but it’s not the first book to tell his life story: In 2017, the journalist Joe Hagan published a biography, “Sticky Fingers,” that Wenner authorized and then repudiated after it included unflattering details. Hagan was a guest on the podcast in 2017, and explained his approach to the book’s most noteworthy revelations: “I made a decision, really at the outset, that I was going to be honest with him and always be frank with him,” he told Pamela Paul and John Williams. “And if I came across difficult material, I was just going to address it with him. So in that way, it kind of let some of the pressure off. And by the end, we reached a point where I really tried to present him with the most radioactive material and make him aware of what I knew, so he wouldn’t be surprised.” Also this week, we revisit a 2019 conversation among Williams and The Times’s staff book critics Dwight Garner, Jennifer Szalai and Parul Sehgal about their list ranking the 50 best memoirs of the past 50 years. No. 1: “Fierce Attachments,” by Vivian Gornick. We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Andrew Sean Greer on Writing ‘Less’For the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2017 and 2015, respectively. Andrew Sean Greer won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for his comic novel “Less,” about a down-on-his-luck novelist named Arthur Less who embarks on a round-the-world trip to forget his sorrows. (Greer’s new novel, “Less Is Lost,” continues Less’s adventures in the same comic vein, this time setting him loose across America.) When “Less” was published, in 2017, Greer visited the podcast and told the host Pamela Paul why he had decided to write comic fiction after five well-received but much more serious novels: “I found funny things happening all the time, and they were always my fault,” he said. “Because I was the thing out of place, with terrible misperceptions about what was supposed to happen.” Also this week, we revisit the New Yorker staff writer William Finnegan’s 2015 podcast appearance, in which he discussed his memoir “Barbarian Days,” about his lifelong love of surfing. “It’s all about this experience of beauty,” he told Paul. “You know, this certain kind of drenched experience and beauty — and the physical risks are very much footnotes.” We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Jennifer Egan and the Goon SquadFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2010 and 2020, respectively. Jennifer Egan’s latest novel, “The Candy House,” is a follow-up to her Pulitzer-winning novel “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” which came out in 2010. That year she appeared on the podcast and told the host Sam Tanenhaus how she had gone about organizing the book’s centrifugal structure: “What I was really interested in was trying to move through time and work with the difference between private and public. We see people and they seem to be easily categorizable — sometimes they seem like types. And I loved then taking that person that we had seen peripherally and showing us that person’s inner life in a really immediate way,” she says. “It happened very organically. … I just followed the trail of my own curiosity.” Also this week, we revisit the actor and writer Stephen Fry’s 2020 conversation with the host Pamela Paul, in which he discussed topics including Oscar Wilde, Fry’s own love of language and his book “Heroes: The Greek Myths Reimagined.” “It’s a miraculous thing about Greek mythology that there is a timeline and a chronology,” Fry says. “It’s probably reverse-engineered by Hesiod and Homer and the later poets, obviously. But nonetheless, it has a shape, a beginning and an end, which other mythic structures don’t seem to have. And they’re so deep in the — I hesitate to use such a cliché, but I can’t avoid it — in the DNA of our own culture and art that it’s part of who we are.” We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- David Sedaris’s DiariesFor the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This one was originally published on June 2, 2017. The essayist and humorist David Sedaris started keeping diaries nearly half a century ago, and in 2017 he published a broad selection of entries from them in his book “Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002).” On the podcast, he talked about how the diaries evolved, the kinds of details and eccentricities that tend to catch his eye, and the process of combing through thousands of pages to produce this 500-page book. “I have a hundred and, I believe, 64 volumes of my diary, and each one is thicker than this book,” he says. “And a lot of it is crazy person — tiny letters, front and back page. So this is just a tiny fraction of my diary. … I tried to detach myself, and think, Would this be of interest to anyone? I mean, a lot of it wasn’t even interesting to me. Or, it was just interesting for, you know, nostalgic reasons. So I was just looking for things that might possibly interest someone who I don’t know.” We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- John Lithgow on “Drama” and Maggie O'Farrell on “Hamnet”For the next few months, we’re sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast’s archives. This week’s segments first appeared in 2011 and 2021, respectively. The actor John Lithgow has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards and has won six times, for roles as varied as the British prime minister Winston Churchill (on “The Crown”) and the extraterrestrial high commander Dick Solomon (on “3rd Rock From the Sun”). In 2011 he talked to Sam Tanenhaus, the Book Review’s editor at the time, about his memoir “Drama” and his education as an actor. “The more that an actor can accommodate himself to the truth that he will eventually be forgotten, the better off he is,” he says. Also this week, the writer Maggie O’Farrell discusses her acclaimed novel “Hamnet,” which imagines the life of William Shakespeare, his wife, Anne (or Agnes) Hathaway, and the couple’s son Hamnet, who died at 11 years old in 1596. In her 2021 podcast appearance, O’Farrell told the host Pamela Paul that she hoped to capture a sense of the young boy at its center. “I think he’s been consigned to a literary footnote,” she says. “And I believe, quite strongly, that without him — without his tragically short life — we wouldn’t have the play ‘Hamlet.’ We probably wouldn’t have ‘Twelfth Night.’ As an audience, we are enormously in debt to him.”0 comments0
- Robert Caro on His CareerFor the next few months, we're sharing some of our favorite conversations from the podcast's archives. This one was originally published on April 19, 2019. Eagerly awaiting the fifth volume in Robert A. Caro’s epic biography of Lyndon Johnson? You’re part of a big club. In the meantime, Caro published “Working,” a collection of pieces about how he writes his prizewinning books. On the podcast, Caro talked about his methods and about some of his experiences with imposing people, including the time he spoke to Lady Bird Johnson about a long and significant relationship her husband had with another woman. “That’s the only interview I ever had in my life where I couldn’t bring myself to look at the person I was interviewing,” he says.0 comments0
- Roaring Through Paris With ‘Kiki Man Ray’Mark Braude’s new biography, “Kiki Man Ray,” visits a place of perennial interest — Left Bank Paris in the 1920s — through the life of the singer, model, memoirist and muse. On this week’s podcast, Braude says that his subject thoroughly captured the spirit of her age, “a mix of deep pain and a very deep love of life” that emerged after the First World War. We’re used to reading about this age, Braude says, through the eyes of Americans in Paris, like Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Kiki “represents something that sometimes gets overlooked,” he says, which is “the French contribution to this scene and to this moment. People like Kiki were part of the reason why expats found France and Paris so exciting.” She was “living on a completely different rhythm and in a completely different way. She was just undeniably herself, and wasn’t putting on airs. And just loved life; she just wanted to do everything and meet everyone and go everywhere, and she did.” Also on this week’s episode, Gregory Cowles and Elisabeth Egan talk about what they’ve been reading. John Williams is the host. Here are the books discussed in this week’s “What We’re Reading”: “River of Mountains” by Peter Lourie “Colony” by Anne Rivers Siddons “The Emperor’s Tomb” by Joseph Roth We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Poems in Practice and in TheoryElisa Gabbert, the Book Review's On Poetry columnist, visits the podcast this week to discuss writing about poetry and her own forthcoming collection of poems, her fourth, “Normal Distance.” “When I’m writing what I would call nonfiction or an essay or just pure prose, I’m really trying to be accurate,” Gabbert says. “I’m not lying, I’m really telling you what I think. There’s very minimal distance between my persona on the page and who I really am. And then when I’m writing poetry, that persona really takes on more weight. I’m definitely creating more distance, and it really feels more like fiction or even more like theater, I might say. I’m really more creating a character that’s going to be speaking this monologue I’m writing.” Ian Johnson visits the podcast to talk about his review of “Golden Age,” a novel by Wang Xiaobo recently translated by Yan Yan. The novel, set against Mao’s Cultural Revolution, made waves in China when it was originally published there in the 1990s. “It was controversial primarily because of sex, there’s a lot of sex in the novel,” Johnson says. “The sex is not really described in graphic detail; this isn’t Henry Miller or something like that. It’s more like they’re having sex to make a point: that they’re independent people and they’re not going to be trampled by the state. And it’s very humorous — he talks about sex using all kinds of euphemisms, like ‘commit great friendship,’ stuff like that. It’s meant to be a sort of parody, a somewhat absurd version of a romance.” Also on this week’s episode, Elisabeth Egan and Dave Kim talk about what people are reading. John Williams is the host. Here are the books discussed in this week’s “What We’re Reading”: “Time Shelter” by Georgi Gospodinov, translated by Angela Rodel “The Displacements” by Bruce Holsinger “The Annotated Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, edited by Michael Patrick Hearn We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Chaos Among Spies After the Berlin Wall CrumblesDan Fesperman’s 13th thriller, “Winter Work,” is set just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Stasi, East Germany’s brutal Cold War intelligence service, was busy destroying evidence. The C.I.A. was just as busy trying to learn the enemy organization’s secrets. “The C.I.A., initially, had people calling ex-Stasi agents,” Fesperman says on this week’s podcast. “They got a hold of a directory with home phone numbers of some of these Stasi foreign intelligence people. And they started cold-calling them — like salesmen, like these irritating calls we get at home, except for the Stasi it was the C.I.A. calling. ‘Hey, would you like to share your secrets with us? We can pay you.’ They were getting mostly hang-ups, a lot of angry lectures. And when that quickly didn’t work out, they then began visiting them door to door, which didn’t work a whole lot better.” Isaac Fitzgerald visits the podcast to talk about his new memoir, “Dirtbag, Massachusetts,” which recalls his troubled childhood and his eventual coming to terms with those responsible for it. “I was able to give my parents a little more grace in this book,” Fitzgerald says. “And part of that was recognizing that my story didn’t start with my birth; my story starts with the things that happened to them.” Also on this week’s episode, Elizabeth Harris has news from the publishing world; and Dwight Garner and Molly Young talk about books they’ve recently reviewed. John Williams is the host. Here are the books discussed in this week’s “What We’re Reading”: “Memoirs” by Robert Lowell “Yoga” by Emmanuel Carrère We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Diana Goetsch on ‘This Body I Wore’The acclaimed poet Diana Goetsch has now published “This Body I Wore,” which our reviewer, Manuel Betancourt, called an “achingly beautiful memoir” about “a trans woman’s often vexed relationship with her own body.” On this week’s podcast, Goetsch talks about her approach to writing. “My assumption always, as a poet and as a writer, is — I’m a generalist. And I just think the most idiosyncratic thing about ourselves also happens to be the most universal, if we can get to it and present it in the right way,” she says. “It was never my primary objective to give information about a transition, even if somebody’s initial attraction is prurient. They can now get that on Wikipedia or something. I particularly love artists who have what I call the common touch — Bruce Springsteen has the common touch. my old mentor William Zinsser has the common touch; the ability to say something very well, but also not exclude anyone from it at the same time.” CJ Hauser visits the podcast to talk about her new essay collection, “The Crane Wife,” the title essay of which became an online phenomenon after The Paris Review published it in 2019. She describes her attempt to overcome the idea that love needs to have a grand narrative attached to it. “In my family, we love stories. We’re sort of Don Quixote people. We’ve read so many stories and we self-mythologize and we tell stories,” Hauser says. “By the end of the book, I come out into a place of telling a kind of static love story or slow-growing love story. What does it mean to not conflate drama with love, and does love need to be dramatic? Because I think that’s a thing that I inherited.” Also on this week’s episode, Alexandra Alter discusses new novels about race and racism that find freedom in satire; and Lauren Christensen and Joumana Khatib talk about what they’ve been reading. John Williams is the host. Here are the books discussed in this week’s “What We’re Reading”: “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin “Mating” by Norman Rush “Norwood” by Charles Portis We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- ‘Son of Elsewhere’ Recounts Life as a Young ImmigrantIn “Son of Elsewhere,” Elamin Abdelmahmoud writes about growing up in Canada after moving there from Sudan when he was 12. On this week’s podcast, he talks about that experience, including his first interactions with his new peers. “This is not a story of bigotry, this is not a story of a classic playground bully,” Abdelmahmoud says. “Most of the demons I was wrestling with in this book were actually returning to the feelings of me needing to put certain parts of my identity on the shelf. Because sometimes you don’t really have to wait for other people to reduce you, you can do that to yourself. So I came to Canada and as I was trying to fit in, for me one of the things that became obvious fairly quickly was: I don’t want to stand out. I don’t want the attention of being the new kid, the immigrant kid. I don’t want to be different.” The investigative journalist and author Sally Denton visits the podcast to discuss her new book, “The Colony: Faith and Blood in a Promised Land,” which takes readers across the border to a Mormon sect in Mexico. Denton says the idea for the book came to her in 2019, after she saw news of gunmen opening fire on a caravan of three cars from a Mormon community, killing three women and six children. “When I learned of this incident, it just struck me immediately as: There was more to this story,” Denton says. “This was not a case of mistaken identity, it wasn’t a case of people being at the wrong place at the wrong time. This was a group of women and children intentionally targeted in the most brutal and heinous way. And I was initially really moved by the tragedy, and thought it would be really important to figure out what was going on. And my main impetus was really: Why were these women and children traveling alone on one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Where were the men? Why were they unarmed, why were they unescorted?” Also on this week’s episode, Alexandra Alter talks about the growing number of independent bookstores and their increased diversity; and Alexandra Jacobs and Jennifer Szalai talk about books they’ve recently reviewed. Here are the books discussed in this week’s “What We’re Reading”: “Why We Did It” by Tim Miller “Hollywood Ending” by Ken Auletta We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Alice Elliott Dark on ‘Fellowship Point’In Alice Elliott Dark’s second novel, “Fellowship Point,” Agnes Lee and Polly Wister have been friends for about 80 years. Their intertwined families own homes on a Maine peninsula, and some of the book’s drama stems from their efforts to preserve the land and keep it out of the hands of developers. “The issue of land, land ownership, land conservation has always been of deep interest to me,” Dark says on this week’s podcast. “I came to that pretty quickly as I was developing this story. I decided I wanted to write something like a 19th-century-style novel, and I wanted to have it be modern. Women didn’t own land in the 19th century. They didn’t make decisions about land, even if they did own it, and having women landowners dealing with these issues seemed to me a modern version of a big, older, 19th-century-type novel.” Katherine Chen visits the podcast to discuss her new novel, “Joan,” which imagines Joan of Arc as a born fighter who becomes an avenging warrior. “I think the central image that keeps us fascinated with Joan of Arc all these years later is the mental image of a woman in armor on horseback going to war,” Chen says. “I think that image keeps us enthralled to this day because it’s as startling and surprising as it is empowering.” We also remain captivated, Chen says, by the “sheer improbability” of Joan’s story. Also on this week’s episode, Elizabeth Harris has news about librarians caught in the culture war over banned books; and Elisabeth Egan and MJ Franklin talk about what they’ve been reading. John Williams is the host. Here are the books discussed in this week’s “What We’re Reading”: “Everything I Need I Get From You” by Kaitlyn Tiffany “Thank You For Listening” by Julia Whelan “A Word Child” by Iris Murdoch We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- A Novel About Brilliant Young Game DesignersGabrielle Zevin’s new novel, “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” is set in the world of video game design, and follows two friends named Sadie and Sam as they collaborate on what becomes a very successful game. “A friend of mine described the book as being what it’s like to co-parent something that’s not a child,” Zevin says on this week’s podcast. “Sam and Sadie, they are more intimate with each other than anyone else in their lives. Yet they aren’t spouses, and he’s not her child, and yet this is the most important relationship that both of them have. So I wanted to write about that: What if the most important person in your life was really your colleague and your friend?” Morgan Talty visits the podcast to discuss his debut story collection, “Night of the Living Rez,” which is set on the Penobscot Indian Nation reservation in Maine, where Talty was raised. “I was very much aware that Indigenous fiction tries to perform for a white readership, or a largely white readership, and there are instances in books that I’ve admired by Native writers that I could see this. And I always wanted to shy away from it, because I didn’t want to keep feeding into that type of storytelling,” Talty says. “Throughout the book there’s less association with Indigeneity in the characters, so it’s the characters who are front and center, it’s their human nature that’s front and center, as opposed to maybe something cultural.” Also on this week’s episode, Elizabeth Harris talks about how #BookTok has become a dominant driver of fiction sales; and Dwight Garner and Alexandra Jacobs talk about what people are reading. John Williams is the host. Here are the books discussed by The Times’s critics this week: “I Used to Live Here Once” by Miranda Seymour “The Last Resort” by Sarah Stodola We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
- Sensing the World Anew Through Other SpeciesEd Yong’s new book, “An Immense World,” urges readers to break outside their “sensory bubble” to consider the unique ways that dogs, dolphins, mice and other animals experience their surroundings. “I’ve often said that my beat is everything that is or was once alive, which covers billions of species, across basically the entirety of the planet’s history,” Yong says on this week’s podcast. “One thing I like about this particular topic — the sensory worlds of other animals — is that it, itself, though a singular, cohesive topic, is also the gateway to thousands of small wonders. There’s so much to learn about just in this one corner of biology.” Terry Alford visits the podcast to talk about his new book, “In the Houses of Their Dead,” an investigation of how Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth and their families were influenced by spiritualism. Alford says of Lincoln: “There’s a struggle, as best I see it, in him between the rational side and the side that desires to be comforted and to be in contact with someone you loved who’s not there anymore. He really wanted that, and he said he wanted that to a number of people. But he just felt, at the end of the day, that séance-type contact with the dead was really delusional.” Also on this week’s episode, Lauren Christensen and Joumana Khatib talk about what they’ve been reading. John Williams is the host. Here are the books discussed in this week’s “What We’re Reading”: “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt “Blood Orange Night” by Melissa Bond “The Hack” by Wilfrid Sheed We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review’s podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com .0 comments0
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