Person
Every book James Frey recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- James Frey has recommended or discussed 6 books on podcasts, as of August 18, 2025.
- James Frey has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of August 18, 2025.
- Those books came up in 1 episode, as of August 18, 2025.
- The 3 books James Frey has mentioned in the most episodes, not counting James Frey's own, as of August 18, 2025: Hollywood Wives, Paris Spleen and On the Road.
- The latest episode with a book mention from James Frey aired on August 18, 2025.
Updated
James Frey’s most mentioned books
- Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins
- Paris Spleen by Charles Baudelaire
- On the Road by Jack Kerouac
- Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
James Frey discussed several influential works and his own writing on The Rich Roll Podcast. He recommended Charles Baudelaire's Paris Spleen, describing it as poetry published in the style of short stories, and expressed his admiration for Jackie Collins's Hollywood Wives. Frey also reflected on his own debut book, A Million Little Pieces, addressing the controversies surrounding it and explaining that his goal was to create a work of literature that would pierce the soul rather than a self-help guide, noting that it was contracted with the publisher's right to be issued as a memoir. Furthermore, he discussed Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, recounting how reading it at age twenty-one inspired him to become a writer and instilled a lifelong belief in his career path. Finally, Frey drew parallels between the publication history of his own work and Jack Kerouac's On the Road, noting how Kerouac's original draft also sparked debates over fiction and nonfiction classification.
Books James Frey recommended or discussed
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Hollywood Wives
Recommended“I had read a Jackie Collins book for a Hollywood guy. He's a buddy. He was thinking about adapting it. I loved it. After that, I Hollywood Wives. Hollywood Wives. It's [ __ ] great.”
Where to get it
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Paris Spleen
Recommended“Go read Paris Spleen. It was published as [ __ ] poetry even though it's like a novel of short stories.”
Where to get it
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A million little pieces
Discussed“And for whatever all the controversies around a million little pieces were, the goal was at the beginning to create a work of art with words that would pierce the soul of any human being that read it.”
Where to get it
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Bright Shiny Morning
Discussed“It was Bright Shiny Morning, a book about Los Angeles. The very first sentence of the book says, "Nothing in this book should be considered accurate or reliable."”
Where to get it
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On the Road
Discussed“There's an interesting parallel with Carowak where the original draft of On the Road had all the characters real names in it and they debated whether to publish it as fiction or non-fiction.”
Where to get it
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Tropic of Cancer
Discussed“I mean the larger story is when I was 21 I read a book called Tropic of Cancer, right? And it it was by Henry Miller.”
Where to get it
Books James Frey wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addiction, Celebrity, Public Shaming & Truth: The Performance Art of James Frey, Celebrated Writer of Ill-Repute | The Rich Roll Podcast | 2025-08-18 | 12 |