Brilliant Podcasts For Book Lovers

November 16, 2017

Podcasts are quite a recent obsession for me now I have a little more time to myself to listen to them. There is a podcast out there for everyone, whatever you are interested in but some of my favourites at the moment are all about books. I heard someone liken listening to podcasts as gathering round and listening to the wireless which I absolutely love! I thought I’d share a few of the best bookish podcasts I’ve come across recently – there are SO many to choose from but the thing I like the most about a lot of these is that I can just have a look through the episodes and pick one that jumps out at me. When it comes to books there is always fantastic crossover into films, tv, politics, current affairs which draws me in; all of these podcasts satisfy my literature needs and then some.

The Penguin Podcast

This was one of the first book podcasts I listened to and it is still one of my favourites, I came across it while looking for something about Neil Gaiman and found his interview with Richard E Grant about Good Omens which I’ve recommended to pretty much everyone I know. It feels like they’re quite relaxed while being informative. At the moment the hosts are usually Konnie Huq and David Baddiel and this is a great one to just scroll through and pick out anything you fancy.

Lit Up

I’ve only just started listening to this and the host Angela Ledgerwood has a slightly dreamy voice which took me a while to zone into but there are some amazing interviews on there. It has a whole host of people on it who aren’t always your typical author which I love – it can be very topical and veers off into all sorts of issues in the best possible way. My favourite episodes are with Anna Kendrick, her book Scrappy Little Nobody is a great read, and David Litt who was Obama’s speechwriter – both are very funny and incredibly interesting. 

The Readers 

This is another one that I’ve only just discovered and it’s described as book based banter which I don’t think I can improve on. It’s relaxed chatter about all things books and when I looked more into the hosts Simon and Thomas I realised Simon is in Liverpool which makes it even better! This is one to listen to when you’re curled up with a cup of tea and it’s hard to choose a favourite as I’ve enjoyed everyone I’ve listened to so far. Their most recent one, A Catch Up & Reading Horizons, is just as good as any to start with.

Backlisted

This podcast is from Unbound who are a crowdfunded publishing house and they describe it as ‘a podcast giving life to new books’. It’s full of lovely bookish chat and promotes some great books that you may or may not have heard of – I love the whole premise of it and get caught up in the hosts affection for literature. My favourite is the episode about Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived In The Castle, it’s a wonderful book which I’ve only read recently but they describe it much more eloquently that I ever could!

Witch, Please

There are a lot of Harry Potter podcasts out there and I couldn’t do a book podcast list without including one of them. It can be hard to weed out the best ones and I didn’t want a straight up reading of the books. This one is by ‘a pair of lady scholars’, it has the best name and it reminds me just how much I love the books. Their enthusiasm for all things Harry Potter is lovely to listen to and they wander off into some great discussions. With this one it’s probably best to start at the beginning with Episode 1, Sorting Ceremony.

Get Booked

The idea behind this podcast is that people write in with a few ideas about what kind of book they are looking for and a few things about themselves and the hosts each recommend a book based on what they’ve been told. I love how this opens up my reading list and I find myself jotting down books to look out for that I would never have heard of before. Sometimes you just take straight away to the hosts on a podcast and I feel this way about Jenn and Amanda, it feels like a good friend telling which books they love.

Banging Book Club

I love this podcast but really I need to try and play along and read the books they’re discussing, I enjoy it regardless! Hannah, Leena and Lucy are three friends who each month read a book about sex or gender and then chat about it. I’ve just listened to The Virgin Suicides episode which is interesting as I watched the film when I was a teenager and wasn’t all that fussed but now I’m wondering if I’d see the whole thing differently as an adult. Anyway, it’s a brilliant podcast so go and have a listen.

Books and Authors

I like the good reads episodes of these when they have a couple of guests on who discuss their recommendation for a good read. The guests are so honest on this about how they read, what they read, why they read and it doesn’t feel like they’re name dropping books. I’ve just finished listening to the Rick Edwards and George Lamb episode in which George Lamb is so open about how he struggles to read and prefers to listen to audio books. It makes me look at books and reading differently and forces me to keep an open mind when choosing a book.

I’d love to hear of any book related podcasts you’re listening to, what are your favourites?

Previous Post Next Post

22 Comments

  • Sarah Christie

    I have only just arrived at the podcast party and love the cruise ones too, its such a great way to relax and also keep your mind active when you are busy x

    November 16, 2017 at 9:32 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      See I had no idea their were cruise ones, there really is something for everybody! They’re so addictive aren’t they? Xx

      November 16, 2017 at 9:38 pm Reply
  • Jess Soothill

    I am REALLY getting into them too 🙂 I like how you can multi-task when listening. SO good. I’m just getting into ones like Sara Tasker and blogging type ones but these look great. Thanks for sharing 🙂 xx

    November 17, 2017 at 3:08 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I suscriebd to the Sara Tasker one but still haven’t gotten around to listening to it. I’ll add it to my to-do list his week though, I’ve heard a lot of people say its good! xx

      November 18, 2017 at 5:39 pm Reply
  • Chloe: Picture Taker Memory Maker

    I have to admit I’ve never listened to a podcast before. I’m not a very auditory person (I prefer silence to sound!) so I didn’t think they were for me. I might go and check out some of the ones that have been recommended to me now though.

    November 17, 2017 at 7:53 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      I know what you mean, sometime you need a bit of silence to clear your mind. I usually put one on if I’m doing housework just as something to listen to while I’m busy. I’ve only really got into them a few months ago though and there really is something for everyone!

      November 18, 2017 at 5:41 pm Reply
  • Jenny

    This is such a great idea babes. I have to admit I have never ever listen to a podcast ever. I really should. I am worried I will get hooked and I already have things that I lose have the day on like YouTube and Pinterest hahahaha fab recommendations. #wrc

    November 20, 2017 at 12:02 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      So true, there is only so much you can fit into one day isn’t there?! I don’t watch much YouTube so I figure this is a good substitute, especially as I can listen to it on the go! xx

      November 22, 2017 at 11:05 am Reply
  • Heledd - Running in Lavender

    I’m just getting into podcasts and always love knowing what other people are reading so these are right up my street. Thanks for the tips xx

    November 20, 2017 at 12:18 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      They’re a new discovery for me too, this does add way too many books to my reading pile though! xx

      November 22, 2017 at 11:08 am Reply
  • Suzanne

    I’ve taken to listening to podcasts lately, especially whilst in the gym – music doesn’t distract me enough! Thanks for these recommendations, they all sound great. Now I just need to find a way to remember all of the book and find time to read them!

    November 20, 2017 at 4:34 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      That’s such a good idea to listen to them in the gym, haha, you can really switch off from what you’re doing then! Yes, I had added way too many books to my list after listening to these and I will never have the time to read them all!

      November 22, 2017 at 11:10 am Reply
  • Gail

    Loved this post, Hayley, and thanks for all the recommendations. I’ve been struggling to find any podcasts I like recently so I’ll definitely have to look some of these up! I go through phases with podcasts and can identify with the comment above about perhaps not being an auditory person. However, I do enjoy them on my dog walks, especially when the weather outside is really bad! xx

    November 21, 2017 at 12:11 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Yes I know what you mean, sometime I think my mind can do with the distraction of something to listen too and other times it’s like sensory overload. I like these ones as they’re not really trying to ‘teach’ me anything as such, they are just easy listening…although I do love podcasts that give me lightblub moments too 🙂 xx

      November 22, 2017 at 11:12 am Reply
  • Jade @ Captured By Jade

    I’m on and off with podcasts, having not listened to one in the longest time now, however bookish podcasts I can get on board with – thanks for sharing this list; so many to check out!

    November 21, 2017 at 2:29 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Yes, I agree, sometimes I don’t want to listen to them or have any extra noise but I like bookish ones as they’re all fairly easy listening and I just have to worry about all the books I want to read 😉

      November 22, 2017 at 11:13 am Reply
  • Sophie

    I tuned in to Radio 4 when they had their dramas going on. I cant for the life of me remember what it was called but it was awesome! Based on a book.
    Loved it, tuned in every day!

    Love this post, thanks for recommending!

    It’s not a podcast, but my recommendation for a series of books is “The railway detective series” flipping awesome it is!

    November 22, 2017 at 3:04 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Oh great, I haven’t heard so them so I will check it out. I can never turn down more book recommendations 🙂

      November 23, 2017 at 1:47 pm Reply
  • Lindsay | Bookboodle

    I’m quite new to podcasts too but love Simon Mayo’s Books of the Year!

    October 2, 2018 at 6:13 pm Reply
    • hayleyfromhome

      Oh a friend told me about that too and I keep forgetting to give it a listen, I will have to try it out!

      October 4, 2018 at 4:58 pm Reply
  • Susan

    My all time fav bookish podcast is Eleanor Wachtel’s Writers and Company (CBC). Her insightful questions as she interviews authors (and you know she’s read all of the oeuvre), her mellow voice, and the delight she takes in getting to to hr job make this pretty awesome!

    March 6, 2020 at 5:24 am Reply
  • Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.