Starting Saturday, Oct. 17, go beyond the bestsellers to find a new book with Rachel Barenbaum, host of NHPR's Check This Out, now in its seventh season.
Check This Out from NHPR Books airs Saturdays at 3:00 p.m., starting October 17, 2026 through January 23, 2027, on NHPR and NHPR.org, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find podcasts.
Barenbaum sits down with the boldest new voices in fiction to discuss the authors’ work and the wild, winding journeys they took to get their stories published.
“This season, we’ve got novels about a luxury time-travel business, a graphic novel for adults, and family sagas from the bayous of Louisiana to Costa Rica,” says Barenbaum. “Not to mention a book about a quilting group that is proving to be a phenomenon.”
Don't miss the "Book Biz," segment where Barenbaum unpacks the trends shaking up the publishing world. This season you’ll hear from the New York Times literary critic, as well as discussions on how AI is disrupting publishing, and why an aspiring writer should never pay for an agent to read their work.
Check This Out listeners requested a shorter format for easier on-the-go listening, so NHPR is experimenting with a 30-minute episode. Check This Out will be followed by The Book Show at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoons.
The Book Show, hosted by Joe Donahue of WAMC Northeast Public Radio, features interviews with bestselling writers of fiction alongside standout voices of memoir and nonfiction.
"We've made our interviews tighter and more compelling," says Barenbaum. "But you'll still get the insight from authors and guests that will make you want to add these titles to your 'To Be Read' list."
Here's what's coming up this season on Check This Out:
Retro – Jessica M. Goldstein – Oct. 17
An unemployed actress lands her dream job guiding wealthy clients on luxury time-travel tours through history—until she realizes the past might be about to wreck her present.
Book Biz: The Red Sox and romantasy; we learn about an unlikely theme night idea that’s selling out Fenway and selling books.
Should the Waters Take Us – Stephanie Soileau – Oct. 24
A sweeping four-century debut that travels from France to Acadia to the bayous of Southern Louisiana, a story of family resilience, environmental reckoning, and moral compromise on an epic scale.
Book Biz: Dwight Garner of the New York Times on how the nation's top literary critic sees the literary landscape today.
Stitched – Eli McCann – Oct. 31
This debut novel brings us into the cozy but cutthroat world of competitive quilting. With a chance to finally beat their long-time rivals, a quilting circle welcomes two young gay men to their group as they bicker their way to an award-worthy entry.
Book Biz: Becca Freeman, co-host of the popular books and lifestyle podcast “Bad on Paper” and author of “The Christmas Orphans Club” talks about social media and what surprised her about becoming an author.
Land of Ghosts -
E.L. James – Nov. 7
E.L. James is the original self-published phenomenon, author of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Her latest novel marks her debut as a YA author, a paranormal romance about a teen who moves to London after losing her family in a car crash, and falls in love with a ghost only she can see and hear.
Book Biz: Andrew Sean Greer – we talk with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author. His latest is “Villa Coco.”
Every Version of You – Natalie Messier – Nov. 14
Part love story, part magical realism: Joey Vasquez dies and gets an irresistible offer—start over at 18, armed with everything she knows. What would you do differently?
Book Biz: Rachel Kanter, founder of Lovestruck Bookstore reports from the frontlines on what book lovers are asking for this season.
Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt – Ben Reeves – Nov. 21
A story about life, narrated by Death, a gentle and patient man named Travis, living in a grey town. When he gets to know a young midwife and her daughter who live across the hall, Travis starts to question the role of death in the world.
Crocodilopolis – John Manuel Arias – Nov. 28
A lush, ambitious take on Cain and Abel intertwined with the rich history of Costa Rica, that reads like “One Hundred Years of Solitude” meets “Succession.” With lots of crocodiles.
Book Biz: Zibby Owens on her new book “Between Chapters,” about her decade of reinvention from stay-at-home mom of four to “book-fluencer.”
Holiday Recommendations Show – Dec. 5
A special hour-long episode where we talk about new books, as well as recommendations and favorites from authors, previous guests of the show, and booksellers.
Guests include:
Abby Jimenez - the beloved romance author will discuss writing novels and winning baking competitions. Her latest is “A Married Little Christmas,” three Christmas-themed novellas.
Meghan Quinn - best known for contemporary romance and romantic comedies, her latest is “Christmas Staycation,” a spicy Christmas romance.
The Great Wherever – Shannon Sanders – December 12
An impulsive and heartbroken woman inherits her father’s share of a Tennessee farm that is rich in family secrets and occupied with busybody ghosts.
Book Biz: Dominique Raccah launched Sourcebooks from a spare bedroom in 1987; it’s now the fifth-largest trade book publisher in the US. Much of their momentum is driven by the Bloom Books imprint which controls roughly 24% of the adult romance market.
December 19 – To be announced
Book Biz: Miwa Messer heads the team in charge of author events and social media content for Barnes & Noble. Over her career, she has become an influential figure in the publishing industry, known for championing emerging literary talent and changing how readers discover new books.
The Nightingales – Emil Wilson – Jan. 2
Based on a true story, this illustrated graphic novel is about a life-changing friendship between a seventeen-year-old girl and the dying stranger who moves into her family’s home.
Book Biz: Vanessa Lillie, author of “The Bone Thief,” with a preview of the hottest new titles by indigenous authors.
Wisdom Corner – David Heska Wanbli Weiden – Jan. 9
Virgil Wounded Horse is desperately trying to leave behind his past as a hired vigilante on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, but when a legendary figure from the reservation is murdered, he’s forced to return to the job.
Book Biz: Jane Friedman, on the changing nature of literary agents, especially with the rise of self publishing.
Fallow – Sarah Anderson – Jan. 16
A dystopian corporate satire following a struggling call center worker who becomes an in-house corporate surrogate for a mysterious enterprise known as The Company.
Book Biz: Sarah Wendell, founder of Smart Podcast, Trashy Books, about romance novels, the way the genre is changing, and the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it.
Jan. 23 – To be announced
Book Biz: Tessa Bailey, one of the OG romance authors, breaks new ground with
dystopian time-travel in her new novel, “Broken Rivals."
