The 7 Best NPR's Book of the Day Podcast Episodes
1) 'Soil' weaves together a poet's experience of gardening, race and community
For poet Camille Dungy, environmental justice, community interdependence and political engagement go hand in hand. She explores those relationships in her new book, Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's...Show More
2) Poet Ocean Vuong shares his grief in 'Time Is A Mother'
Ocean Vuong's new collection, Time Is A Mother, is about his grief after losing family members. Vuong told Morning Edition's Rachel Martin that time is different now that he has lost his mother: "when...Show More
3) Two authors write about the importance of mental health and accessing feelings
The two books featured in this episode focus on accessing feelings and mental health. First is a book of essays by spoken word artist, Bassey Ikpi. Ikpi tells Scott Simon that her book I'm Telling the...Show More
4) 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry' believes in the power of a good apology
Saying sorry can be really difficult sometimes – it requires a certain amount of accountability, reflection and empathy. But that's precisely why it can go so far in a familial, romantic or profession...Show More
5) 'The Door of No Return' is a story for children about slavery
Kwame Alexander's new novel aimed at teens, The Door of No Return, focuses on the history of slavery. It follows a boy growing up in Ghana in 1860, and it aims to help readers understand the wholeness...Show More
6) Two books trace enslaved people's journey to freedom in the 19th century
Today's episode features two books examining the sacrifices made by enslaved people in the U.S. First, NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with author Ilyan Woo about Master, Slave, Husband, Wife. It's a true ...Show More
Two books trace enslaved people's journey to freedom in the 19th century
16:55 | Jan 27th, 2023
1 recommendation
7) Putin's use of Nazi rhetoric is not new according to historian Timothy Snyder
Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed his recent invasion of Ukraine as a "de-nazification" of the country. This is not a new move by Putin. In fact, he used this same rhetoric to attack the Ukr...Show More
8) ‘Papilio’ and ‘Chooch Helped’ are children’s books brought to life by friendship
Two children’s books were brought to life by close collaborations, one between longtime friends and another that began with a chance encounter. First, Papilio follows an adventurous caterpillar throug...Show More
9) In ‘The Sunflower Boys,’ a 12-year-old boy comes of age during war in Ukraine
Artem is a 12-year-old Ukranian boy who likes to spend summer days on his grandfather’s sunflower farm swimming with his younger brother, Yuri. But one night in February 2022, they hear sirens and bom...Show More
10) ‘Friends with Words’ is a book about language, from word origins to regional dialects
For Martha Barnette, griping about grammatical pet peeves is one of the least interesting ways to talk about language. Instead, the co-host of the radio show “A Way with Words” says she’d rather think...Show More