Podcasts for the Literary Soul

One of the great pleasures of reading is getting to talk about the books you’ve read. At this point, we all probably know the feeling of finishing a book and immediately going to Google to find the opinions of people who agree with us. Along with that experience, don’t you appreciate it when someone raises a point that you haven’t even considered about a book you’ve read? In this blog post, I’ve included some of the best podcasts about literature for you to enjoy. They all have their strengths and areas of focus, so look around and see what’s right for you. If you want to recommend a literary podcast that didn’t make the list, mention it in the comments or let Andrew at the Lawrence Branch Reference Desk know. Happy listening!

Behind the Books

https://open.spotify.com/show/3mCzpmXXGwdkUovkICL6mS

Mercer County Library System has our own bi-weekly podcast. You can listen to it to meet our staff members, hear interviews with successful authors, and to learn about the literary ecosystem. Hosted by our own Bob and Anna!

The New Yorker Fiction Podcast

https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction

This is a monthly podcast from the iconic magazine. If you’re looking for big books, big names, and stimulating conversation, check this one out.

Learning the Tropes: A Podcast for Romance Novel Veterans and Virgins

https://open.spotify.com/show/1tU6cxV4oZUVhkV9Q30tsI

There’s no shame in enjoying the genre! This podcast is all about those dramas of our dreams and how they work. If you want fun personalities who know what they’re talking about when it comes to romance novels, and conversations about pop culture topics, this one is for you.

BBC Radio 4’s The Good Read

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006v8jn

This is a relaxing and comfortable podcast that feels like a book club between friends. It’s based in England, so you might be happy to get a point of view that you usually wouldn’t hear from American media.

Something Scary

https://open.spotify.com/show/3IhUqegzY0g0PJJPaoQdYS

If you love scary movies, you should consider getting into the world of scary literature. This podcast is dedicated to sharing and promoting stories that are spooky and fascinating. Join the fun!

Oprah’s Book Club

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/oprahs-book-club/id1529009628

The queen has spoken, and she wants you to read the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson. Enjoy this 9-episode podcast between Oprah and Wilkerson that dives into the pillars of the book.

Poured Over: The B&N Podcast

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/category/reads/podcast/

Contrary to what some people think, librarians are not in a never-ending war with Barnes & Noble. They’re doing some cool things, and they’ve got a good podcast going. Check this one out if you love getting into the details of a story and want to hear about big, and soon to be big, authors.

The Ursa Short Fiction Podcast

https://ursastory.com/podcast/

In my mind short stories are the Rocky Balboas of the literary world. They are constantly underappreciated and full of strength and beautiful narratives. This podcast is a celebration of the medium of short stories. If you a fan, too, then this is the podcast for you.

Poetry Unbound

https://onbeing.org/series/poetry-unbound/

A podcast for poetry lovers that delves into a single poem per episode. Deep, but not intimidating. Everyone can enjoy this.

- by Andrew, Lawrence Branch