If you’re a bookworm looking for something to do when you’re nose isn’t in between pages, check out these podcasts that are all about literature. With coverage spanning from William Shakespeare to Zadie Smith and everyone in between, these shows are sure to captivate your literary mind.
Professional Book Nerds
For these podcasts hosts, loving books is part of their job description. Adam and Jill are staff librarians at Overdrive, an app for audiobooks, so they’ve got the inside scoop. They chat about their favorite books of all time, share their recommendations, and discuss the hottest new books coming out that they can’t wait to crack open.
Literary Disco
The creators of this podcast describe it simply as, “writers talk about reading.” Which is true! The three hosts will usually dedicate an episode to a particular book, skipping around from classics like 1984 and Lord of the Flies to modern-day popular reads like George Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo and Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend.
AAWW Radio: New Asian American Writers & Literature
The Asian American Writers Workshop is a national nonprofit “dedicated to the idea that Asian American stories deserve to be told.” Featuring clips from the live events held at the Workshop in AAWW’s downtown New York City art space, this podcast showcases luminaries from the literary world as well as activists, intellectuals, and social justice warriors.
Literary Friction
This monthly podcast dedicates each episode to a specific theme. Recent ones include: high society, rest and relaxation, and youth culture. Hosts Octavia and Carrie interview both emerging and established authors about these themes in literature and provide some fantastic recommendations for your to-read list.
Overdue
If the stack of books you’ve been meaning to read keeps getting higher, these podcasts hosts can relate. Andrew and Craig dedicate each week to crossing off a title from their backlog, and share their thoughts on each one with each other and their listeners.
So Many Damn Books
This podcast serves up book recommendations alongside literary cocktails. Guest authors join to talk about their work and their favorite reads.
Black Chick Lit
Hosts Dani and Mollie kick back with a glass of wine and chat, laugh, and discuss some of their favorite reads by and for black women.
Book Club for Masochists: a Readers’ Advisory Podcast
This podcast takes a unique and intriguing approach to discussing literary titles. Instead of regaling their audience of their favorite books and authors of all time, these book club members randomly select a genre and talk about a book within that genre. . . that they can’t stand.
Ink to Film
How many times have you uttered the phrase, “The book was better,” after watching a movie? If the answer is more than once, this might be the podcast for you. In each episode of Ink to Film, writer Luke and filmmaker James read a book, watch its screen adaptation, and provide their two cents on each.
What Should I Read Next?
If you’re constantly on the hunt for a great book, Anne’s got you covered! This podcast host invites listeners to call in and ask the titular question. After gathering some basic information around the caller’s likes and dislikes, Anne offers up some catered recommendations.
The Worst Bestsellers
They may be bestsellers, but hosts Kait and Renata aren’t sold. They talk through the books like Twilight that top charts but fall short of exhibiting decent writing, and discuss what made these less-than-stellar titles so vastly popular.
Interesting People Reading Poetry
Want to up your poetry knowledge and understanding? Interesting People Reading Poetry invites artists, thinkers, and leaders from all walks of life to read a poem and describe what it means to them.
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