The Best Book Podcasts of 2020 So Far
Hello!
Well, I’m back after a bit of a hiatus, and today, I want to share some of my favorite book podcasts with you. This is by no means a definitive list, but there are so many different variations of book podcasts out there, and this is a rundown of some of my favorites.
I wanted to give you a variety, so the podcasts below include general book news podcasts, public domain book reads, book recommendations and more!
This is an eclectic mix of a few BBC book related radio shows, and while their interviews with authors and book content is great, what makes this podcast stream exceptional is their “A Good Read” shows (currently on hiatus). To find these look for the shows that feature two names, and listen to those.
A Good Read features two people, usually authors or other semi-public figures and host Harriet Gilbert as they discuss one book they each picked out as a “good read”. These books vary more widely in terms of genre and age than any other book show out there. Listening to the guests talk gives you an immediate sense of what you would and would not gravitate to, and the discussion isn’t too academic (think active, intelligent book club chat).
Check Out: Nick Hornby and Carlo Rovelli
Book Riot: All the Books/The Podcast/Annotated/etc.
Book Riot is a book website that creates great content, with a huge focus on diversity and inclusion. They have internal guidelines for all their lists that ensure authors of color are well represented, and it is THE place to go if you want diverse book lists about pretty much any subject.
They are on here because they have a whole suite of podcasts for all your moods, and for any kind of reader. Their current podcast line up is below:
Book Riot: The Podcast – General book related news and book talk
Annotated – Think This American Life, but about books
Get Booked – Recommendations to reader requests
All The Books – The best of recent releases
For Real – Nonfiction recommendations
Hey YA – Young Adult news/recommendations
Kidlit These Days – Children’s fiction related to current world events
Read or Dead – Mystery/thriller related content
SFF Yeah! – Science fiction and fantasy news/recommendations
When in Romance – Romance book news/recommendations
Check Out: Since these tend to be topical, and change hosts sometimes, check out one of the more recent episodes of any that sound interesting.
This is an amazing monthly podcast I discovered recently. Dani and Mollie do a great job of highlighting new and old black literature with light and humor, and I love everything about it from their choice of books to their attitude towards those books.
In a world where many of us are trying hard to listen to and engage with people of color, this is a really fun, engaging and entertaining podcast and you will also get introduced to some great books.
Check Out: My Sister the Serial Killer and Their Eyes Were Watching God
This podcast is one that people either love or hate. I don’t listen to it religiously, but I do enjoy it, and have been trying to get on it for YEARS. Anne Bogel, the host also has a blog called Modern Mrs Darcy, and I sometimes struggle with her approach, but What Should I Read Next? is wonderful.
Each guest tells her three books the love, one book they hate, what they are currently reading and what they are looking for, and she recommends three books to them. On occasion, she follows up with people to find out what they did end up loving, which is always fun.
Check Out: Like speed dating, but with authors and When stolen audible credits spur a beautiful bookish relationship
So this is one of the most entertaining new podcasts to come out recently! Phoebe Judge, host of Criminal and possessor of one of the most calming voices I have ever heard reads various mysteries in the public domain chapter by chapter.
I’ll admit this is more of a “put me to sleep” podcast than something I am riveted by, but listening to Agatha Christie read by Phoebe Judge is kinda the perfect way to drift off.
Check Out: Murder on the Links
This is a podcast dedicated to exploring Harry Potter as a “sacred text” and has a big following
I haven’t talked about it much on the blog, but J.K. Rowling’s recent vocal and insistent transphobia hit my generation of millennial hard. She has made problematic statements in the past, but this is the first time I have felt like she is actively attacking people. Reckoning with the fact that such a seminal book of my childhood is now so problematic is tough. The books will always be the books, but trying to figure out how to keep those separate from the author is something I have been struggling with.
It was well covered by my “book media” so I didn’t feel compelled to say too much more, but you can read a few great articles HERE, HERE and HERE.
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text was around before, and they are actually wrapping up their chapter by chapter look at the original Harry Potter books sometime this year, but their response to this issue is what gets a recommendation from me. They took the time to really address this in a way that was thoughtful and respectful.
Check Out: Owl Post Edition: J.K. Rowling and Transphobia with Jackson Bird and Fear: The Letters From No One (Book 1, Chapter 3)
