Recently, TIME released their Most Influential Creators of 2025 list, identifying individuals who are making a significant impact on the ways people consume information. Several Penguin Random House authors were selected by TIME, recognized for their noteworthy followings and ability to shape culture. Click here to read TIME’s full list.
On the list, TIME named nine Penguin Random House authors among the most influential creators of the year:
- Nick DiGiovanni, author of KNIFE DROP: Creative Recipes Anyone Can Cook (DK)
- Meredith Hayden, author of THE WISHBONE KITCHEN COOKBOOK (Ten Speed Press)
- Mary Claire Haver, MD, author of THE NEW MENOPAUSE: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change With Purpose, Power, and Facts (Rodale Books)
- Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, authors of THE LOST CAUSES OF BLEAK CREEK (Crown) and RHETT & LINK’S BOOK OF MYTHICALITY (Crown Archetype)
- Heather Cox Richardson, author of DEMOCRACY AWAKENING: Notes on the State of America (Penguin Books)
- Mel Robbins, author of THE LET THEM THEORY (Hay House LLC)
- Mychal Threets, author of I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE: A Celebration of Library Joy (Random House Books for Young Readers)
- Vivian Tu, author of Rich AF: The Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life (Portfolio)
About Nick DiGiovanni
Nick DiGiovanni is a celebrity chef, social media megastar, and cookbook author with a loyal social following of over 50 million people. Nick is a force to be reckoned with and truly unique in his field as he blends culinary excellence with a personable TV presence. At Harvard University, he earned the first-ever undergraduate food degree, and then went on to compete as the youngest-ever finalist on the 10th season of MasterChef. His passion for seasoning inspired him to found Osmo, a purveyor of premium salts.
In the article, TIME said: “The 29-year-old shows no sign of slowing down. He has published a New York Times best-selling cookbook and set multiple food-related Guinness World Records, including for the largest-ever cake pop and the fastest time to filet a 10-pound fish—a record previously held by the chef Gordon Ramsey.”
About Mary Claire Haver, MD
Mary Claire Haver, MD, is a board-certified OB/GYN, a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, a Certified Menopause Provider, and the founder of Mary Claire Wellness, a private medical practice that focuses on women in midlife. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause and The Galveston Diet. She lives in Galveston, Texas.
In Mary Claire’s TIME100 bio, TIME said: “In 2021, she opened her own clinic in Galveston; in 2023, she published a book on menopause diets; and in 2024, she followed up with THE NEW MENOPAUSE, a comprehensive guide for women. Both sold briskly, but it’s on social media where the 56-year-old’s advice really lands—particularly on Instagram, where she speaks to her nearly 3 million followers, offering advice and talking through the latest research.”
About Meredith Hayden
Meredith Hayden is a chef, recipe developer, and the creator behind Wishbone Kitchen, which started as a recipe blog and has evolved into a multidimensional culinary lifestyle brand. Hayden publishes new recipes every week; writes a bi-weekly newsletter, The Group Chat, where she discusses food, fashion, and lifestyle; and hosts a monthly cooking show on YouTube, Dinner with Friends. She has been featured in Vogue, The Washington Post, The New York Times, In Style, People, Delish, and Business Insider.
In the TIME100 write-up, TIME said: “Staying true to her vision has paid off: this year, the 29-year-old released THE WISHBONE KITCHEN COOKBOOK, which features recipes inspired by summers in the Hamptons and her childhood on Nantucket. The title became a New York Times best seller.”
About Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal
Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal are an American comedy duo, known for their Youtube series, Good Mythical Morning.
In the article, TIME said: “But calling Rhett & Link mere YouTubers doesn’t capture the scope of their reach: in addition to their other shows on the platform—including Mythical Kitchen, Good Mythical MORE, and Rhett & Link’s Wonderhole—they’ve expanded their brand to include multiple podcasts and books, and completed a nine-city live tour last year.”
About Heather Cox Richardson
Heather Cox Richardson is Professor of History at Boston College. She has written about the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the American West in award-winning books whose subjects stretch from the European settlement of the North American continent to the history of the Republican Party through the Trump administration. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and The Guardian, among other outlets. She is the cohost of the Vox podcast, Now & Then.
In Heather’s TIME100 bio, TIME said: In the realm of traditional media, Richardson is the author of seven books, including TO MAKE MEN FREE: A History of the Republican Party, HOW THE SOUTH WON THE CIVIL WAR: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America, and DEMOCRACY AWAKENING: Notes on the State of America—she’s well-positioned to cover a divided United States.”
About Mel Robbins
Mel Robbins is a best-selling author, award-winning CNN commentator, and motivational speaker. Her TEDx Talk, “How To Stop Screwing Yourself Over,” has been viewed more than 10 million times. A Dartmouth-educated lawyer-turned-life coach, she’s also a blogger, relationship expert and working mom.
In the article, TIME said: “Through her chart-topping podcast, The Mel Robbins Podcast, and her best-selling books—including last year’s THE LET THEM THEORY, which became Amazon’s top-selling title and led the New York Times’ bestseller list—she’s empowered millions to stop overthinking, start exercising, and ignore their inner critic.:
About Mychal Threets
Mychal Threets is a librarian and literacy advocate. Online, he shares videos of affirmations to assure people that their mental health always matters, and he encourages everyone to know they belong at the library. A former PBS kid himself, Mychal is proud to serve as PBS resident librarian. This is his first book. His cats, Machine Gun Kitty and Kissin’ Kat Barlow, did not help at all, but he still appreciates them.
In Mychal’s TIME100 bio, TIME said, “This year, he launched a mental health-focused podcast, Thoughts About Feelings, co-hosted with fellow creator Blair Imani Ali, and his debut picture book, I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE HERE: A Celebration of Library Joy, is slated for release in February 2026. Many see Threets as a cultural descendant of LeVar Burton, nurturing audiences’ passion for books like Burton did with Reading Rainbow.”
About Vivian Tu
Vivian Tu began her career as a J.P. Morgan Equities Trader, where she traded Industrials, Materials, and Energy stocks, as well as Event Driven Special Situations via the Risk Arbitrage team. She then pivoted to become a BuzzFeed Strategy Sales Partner, helping brands execute multi-channel marketing campaigns. She made her first $1M by 27 and is the CEO & Founder of Your Rich BFF Media LLC. She lives in the heart of New York City and is likely chowing down on Scarr’s pizza in the Lower East Side or running (read: briskly walking) down the West Side Highway.
In the article, TIME said: “Now, as the best-selling author of RICH AF: The Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life and the host of the podcast Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF, the self-made millionaire is helping lead a new wave of candid financial conversations—with figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Bachelorette alum turned real estate entrepreneur Tyler Cameron—to teach younger generations how to save, invest, and budget for the future.”
Congratulations to our authors on this incredible accomplishment!
Posted: July 14, 2025