8 Bookish Podcast for Booklovers
I was talking to a friend the other day about how I loved “double dipping”. No, not the George Costanza “double dipping” – I mean where I watch a show and then I listen to a podcast about it. For the record, my husband does not understand this at all. He especially doesn’t understand how I read an episode review, watch the episode, and then listen to a podcast about the episode. Also - for the record - by not doing this he is able to watch a lot more shows than me!
Interestingly, I don’t listen to book podcasts in the same way. Usually, I’m relying on a book podcast on the front end. In other words, I want a good book podcast to help me find a book to read. I don’t think I’m alone in that – there’s a reason What Should I Read Next? is the OG of book lover podcasts!
Maybe you’re like me – maybe not! Whether you're into deep dives of your favorite novels, author interviews, or just some good bookish banter, there's a podcast out there for you. Here are some I think you’ll want to check out…
Hosted by “Queen of the Beach Reads” Elin Hilderbrand and Tim Ehrenberg, creator of the popular Tim Talks Books Instagram page, Books, Beaches and Beyond’s debut season included interviews with well-known authors like Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Wiener, Taylor Jenkins Reid and more. You can check it out here.
In the world of celebrity book promotions, this next one is one I just learned about recently…
Hosted by actress Angourie Rice (Mare of Eastown, Mean Girls), The Community Library is billed as a podcast for “anyone interested in stories, and how and why we tell them”. I definitely plan to check out the Taylor Swift episode! You can see all the offerings here.
It’s been called “the podcast about airport best sellers we can’t escape”. Hosts Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri, hosts of If Books Could Kill, dive into the murky details of mass-market hits like Lean In, The 48 Laws of Power, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. You can listen here.
In (almost) every episode, authors, writing professors, and Book Fight co-hosts Mike Ingram and Tom McAllister invite a guest author to choose a book, essay, or short story that taught them something about writing—or about life!—and then use that as a jumping-off point for discussions that tend to be wide-ranging and unpredictable. You can check it all out here.
Thoughts from a Page is hosted by Cindy Burnett, who provides casual author conversations and insider information on all of the newest releases that she has read and personally recommends. There are definitely some well-known authors featured, but also some new ones that you might not know about. You can check out all the episodes here.
Book Bumble features two friends, Laura Pleasants and Leslie Hopping, who love spending time reading and sharing great books. In each episode, they introduce a stack of books that are tied together with a common connection (examples include topics like “Thrillers”, “Once Upon a Time”, “Climate Disasters”) to help to take a deeper dive into each story. You can check it out here.
Perks of Being a Booklover is another podcast hosted by two (very opposite) friends where they discuss books and sometimes host authors. Their podcast home page (here) has a very comprehensive list of the books discussed in each episode. I’m partial to their end-of-year wrap up episode!
Finally, I have to give a huge shout-out to We Speak Volumes, the podcast from Bards Alley, the bookstore spiritual (and literal) home of the Badass Women’s Book Club! Store owner Jen and book buyer Lane talk about some of their favorite classics, what the books meant to them, and how they've impacted their personal stories. Episodes include discussions of classics like Little Women, Jane Eyre, The Great Gatsby and more! You can check them all out here.
Do you have a favorite bookish podcast I’ve missed? Shoot me an email at hello@badasswomensbookclub.com. I’m always looking to add to my list!