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The Book Review

The New York Times
Demon Copperhead
Opioid Crisis
James Mcbride
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store
Addiction
Appalachia
Literary Community
Barbara Kingsolver
Wandering Stars
Community
Inclusivity
David Copperfield
Dickensian Structure
Social Injustice
Dune
Percival Everett
John Donne
There There
Climate Change
Wildfires

The world's top authors and critics join host Gilbert Cruz 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. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. ... more

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Latest Episodes

Xenobe Purvis’s slim but powerful debut novel, “The Hounding,” opens with a jolt: “The girls, the infernal heat, a fresh-dead body. Marching up the river path, the villagers.”

How did we get here, with five young sisters living in 1700s England bein... more

The journalist, novelist and cultural critic Chuck Klosterman is best known for writing about rock music and pop culture in astute essay collections like “The Nineties,” “X” and “Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs.” But Klosterman got his start in college as... more

YouTube

A new year means new books are on the way! So many new books. On this week’s episode, host Gilbert Cruz talks with fellow Book Review editors Joumana Khatib and MJ Franklin about the upcoming fiction and nonfiction titles they’re most anticipating be... more

YouTube

Virginia Evans’s debut novel, “The Correspondent,” was published last April and became one of the publishing industry’s heartwarming champions of 2025: a slow-burn success story that gathered momentum over the summer and fall and finally topped the N... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Chuck Klosterman
Author, critic, and cultural commentator known for essays on sports and culture.
Episode: Chuck Klosterman Has So Much to Say About Football
Nicholas Boggs
Author of "Baldwin, A Love Story"," a biography exploring the life of James Baldwin through his relationships
Episode: Nicholas Boggs on Writing a James Baldwin Biography
John U. Bacon
Author of The Gales of November, The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Episode: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years Later
Joe Hill
Author, novelist, and short story writer
Various
Episode: Joe Hill's Scary Book Recs and Victor LaValle on "The Haunting of Hill House" (Rerun)
Victor LaValle
Author of historical horror fiction
Author of Lone Women
Episode: Joe Hill's Scary Book Recs and Victor LaValle on "The Haunting of Hill House" (Rerun)
Sean Fennessey
Co-host of The Big Picture podcast and longtime Stephen King enthusiast
The Big Picture
Episode: Stephen King Isn't Always Scary (with Sean Fennessey)
Brandon Taylor
Author of Minor Black Figures and other literary works
Episode: Brandon Taylor On His New Novel, 'Minor Black Figures'
Louis Sachar
author of the famed children's series, Sideways Stories from Wayside School
author
Episode: The Sunday Special: The Books We Read in School
Min Jin Lee
Author of 'Pachinko', discussing her experiences and the themes of her novel
Episode: The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century: 'Pachinko' (Rerun)

Hosts

Gilbert Cruz
Editor of The New York Times Book Review and host, engaging with guests about top books and relevant literary discussions.
MJ Franklin
Editor at The New York Times Book Review, co-host participating in various literary discussions and book clubs.

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 5.4k ratings
  • Correspondent

    I really love this weekly podcast. And I enjoy their author interviews. Today the interview was with the author Virginia Evans who wrote The Correspondent

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mildred Honey
    United Statesa month ago
  • Does even reading have to be dumbed down?

    It’s so obvious since Pamela Paul left that they are catering to more of a mass audience. This used to be my favorite podcast and now I can barely listen. I have it 3 stars because it used to be great.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    balletomane1
    United Statesa month ago
  • Banner year for books and reading

    This was a great year in books, so many good ones and I read 120 books and if I read faster I would have read more. My favorite, The Elements by Boyne

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Beans13!$rr
    United Statesa month ago
  • Excellent

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Pedro K
    2 months ago
  • Keep listening but please stop the insufferable snobbery

    I enjoy some of the podcasts. The recent one where Joumana brought up Middlemarch, again, was tiresome. I find her to be so condescendingly snobbish. Why the nonstop giggling at Gilbert’s recommendation of the Edmund Fitzgerald book? Just because it’s not a genre you like? Please tone it down!

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    cppmi
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

There is a noted desire for more author interviews and critiques rather than conversational styles that may feel superficial to some listeners.
Listeners appreciate the engaging discussions around new and classic literature, finding them informative and insightful.
However, some have expressed dissatisfaction with changes in the hosting style and the depth of book discussions, preferring previous iterations of the format.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#5
United States/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#17
United States/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#5
Canada/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#15
Canada/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#21
United Kingdom/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#53
United Kingdom/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Chuck Klosterman Has So Much to Say About Football
Q: Do you see a connection between the top-down corporate nature of modern football and the way in which the stereotypically conservative idea we've had about the sport intersects?
Klosterman discusses the reflection of societal structures within football, indicating that while these aspects may seem negative, they also provide a form of entertainment and understanding about life.
Chuck Klosterman Has So Much to Say About Football
Q: Was there a moment in the long arc of your relationship to football when you just realized this is it?
Klosterman reflects on the gradual realization of football's dominance over American culture, noting it became palpable over time rather than through a single moment.
'The Correspondent' Author Virginia Evans On Her Breakout Year
Q: Why did you keep writing after six books, after seven books, why did you start the next one?
Virginia explained it never occurred to her to stop; she felt a continual urge to write, as if stories were chasing her, and she enjoyed the creative process despite setbacks.
'The Correspondent' Author Virginia Evans On Her Breakout Year
Q: When did you first know or first realize or first feel that it was working, that there was an audience for this?
Virginia felt it was working from the day the book came out, but really recognized its success when sales began to exponentially increase, particularly after receiving a blurb from Ann Patchett and positive feedback during her book tour.
The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years Later
Q: What happened on that night?
John U. Bacon details that the Edmund Fitzgerald found itself in a storm with 100 mile per hour winds and waves over 60 feet high, leading to its sinking.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
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Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Book Review

What is The Book Review about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A rich exploration of literature and book culture is presented, featuring conversations with top authors, critics, and editors who highlight the latest impactful titles each week. The discussions encapsulate an array of genres and themes, focusing not only on current books but also delving into broader literary topics, trends, and historical context, making it a hub for readers and those interested in the literary landscape. Notable elements include engaging book club segments, author interviews, and a dynamic exchange of opinions and recommendations, inviting listeners to deepen their understanding and appreciation of literature.

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Book Review. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Book Review and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Book Review get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Book Review?

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How many subscribers and views does The Book Review have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Book Review has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Book Review?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Book Review:

1. NPR's Book of the Day
2. The New Yorker Radio Hour
3. Critics at Large | The New Yorker
4. Fresh Air
5. The Interview

How many episodes of The Book Review are there?

The Book Review launched 20 years ago and published 573 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Book Review?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Book Review?

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What guests have appeared on The Book Review?

Recent guests on The Book Review include:

1. Chuck Klosterman
2. Nicholas Boggs
3. John U. Bacon
4. Joe Hill
5. Victor LaValle
6. Sean Fennessey
7. Brandon Taylor
8. Louis Sachar

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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