First Edition

Nov 07 2024 34 ep. 49 mins 140
First Edition Podcast artwork

BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O'Neal explores the wide bookish world. Interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books.

  Arts  Society & Culture
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What It Is Like To Break Into Agenting & The Black List

Nov 07 2024 76 mins  
A couple of segments here ported over from The Book Riot Podcast. First, Brooke Nagler tells us what it's like to break into the world of literary agenting. Then, Franklin Leonard and Randy Winston talk about their project, The Black List. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Discussed in thi

Tracking Bestsellers, What You See (or Don't) When You Read, and Growing Up on the Internet Can Be Great

Oct 24 2024 59 mins  
Book Riot editor Danika Ellis joins Jeff to talk about how she tracks bestsellers for Book Riot, how growing up online was sort of great, and what we see (or don't) when we read. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Discussed in this episode: The Best-Selling Books of the Week The Most Read B

10 Burning Questions for the World of Books and Reading

Oct 03 2024 14 mins  
An audio version of a post I wrote for Book Riot recently, The 10 Most Interesting Questions in the World of Books and Reading. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Democracy...the Book

Aug 23 2024 23 mins  
This episode is from our old podcast series Annotated, and it seemed fitting to bring it out of the archive this election season. In this episode: A woman with no prior political experience decides to run for city commission in her small college town. So she goes to the library and checks out a book called How to Win a Local Election. And she wins. This is her story and the story o

My Reading Life

Aug 01 2024 59 mins  
While I am out on vacation, I am bringing something out from the vault. I have done a couple of "Reading Life" episodes here on First Edition with Adam Limon and James McBride, and that format got started as its own, sadly ended, podcast series: Reading Lives. While I was doing that show, I got a bunch of requests for my own episode, which I tried recording as a solo act. So here i

What is Going On With Book Sales?

Jul 25 2024 52 mins  
Jeff is joined by Brenna Connor, Director & Industry Analyst for U.S. books sales for Circana. She has the goods: what is selling, what is trending, how retailers are doing, and much more. I learned a TON, and I bet you will too. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad ch

The Reading Life of Ada Limón

Jun 27 2024 53 mins  
In this episode of First Edition, the reading life of U.S. National Poet Laureate Ada Limón. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discussed in this episode: You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada Limón In Praise of Mystery by Ada Limón, illustrated by Peter Sis. Subscribe to First Edit

Ayana Mathis and THE UNSETTLED

Jun 06 2024 46 mins  
Jeff O'Neal talks with Ayana Mathis about her latest book, The Unsettled. The Unsettled was a 2023 New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and a Best Book of the Year selection by The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, and others. The Unsettled is now available in paperback. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliat

Claire Messud and THIS STRANGE, EVENTFUL HISTORY

May 23 2024 34 mins  
In this episode, Jeff talks with Claire Messud about her new novel, This Strange, Eventful History. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Connection, The Alchemy of Happiness, and Office Parties with Rachel Khong, author of REAL AMERICANS

May 02 2024 48 mins  
In this episode, Jeff talks with Rachel Khong about her new novel, Real Americans. Subscribe to First Edition via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. For episode extras, subscribe to the First Edition Substack. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices