How Bookish Podcasts Warmed My Cold, Dead Heart.
My Favorite Bookish Podcasts.
Welcome to highbrowlowbrow!
Last May, I left BigLaw.* Despite its perks, I desperately wanted more time for life (no more 5 am calls with Singapore and 11 pm calls with San Francisco in a single day). In June, I started as a senior counsel at a new organization—and, with much gratitude, I can say I no longer have stress dreams (or carry a computer mouse in the pocket of my dress to my dear friends’ wedding, just in case, you know, I need to “turn a draft.”)
And yet, almost a year later… I often still find myself exhausted, inefficient, and avoidant. With the help of my therapist and, let’s be honest, the zeitgeist, I’ve come to realize that I’m still Burnt Out (yes, capital B, capital O). This newsletter is one way of processing and further recovering from that Burnout. I’ve learned that sometimes lying on a yoga mat in a dark room can help and at other times, creative pursuits distant from one’s day-to-day are the best antidote. And so here we are—connecting through culture and art, high- and low-brow alike. You can find out more about me and this endeavor here.
There have been a lot of creators and artists who have contributed to my life—in one way or another—and this newsletter is both my way of giving back and paying it forward.
*See also here.
Bookish Podcasts: A Balm for Weary Souls
When I was in the depths of my overworked and overwhelmed despair, it was hard for me to concentrate. And at the very beginning of my legal career I felt guilty that I wasn’t reading more highfalutin stuff (more to come on that). I still read a lot, for leisure, and in the eight years I was in BigLaw much of it was what the ‘90s would have dubbed “chick-lit,”—the words went down easy, and I almost always knew how the book was going to end when I started it.
The day I got an offer from my new employer I felt like someone had lifted an anvil off my chest. I was suddenly and urgently ready for a novel that would surprise me but I didn’t know what that book would be or how to find it. I’m not sure what compelled me to seek out a bookish podcast (instead of, say, a best of list) but I did, and I have never looked back.
I listen to three bookish podcasts each week, religiously. It’s hard to describe precisely why these podcasts and their related communities are simultaneously delightful and soothing but they are—they feel like a hug for your brain. Hosts tend to be articulate, insightful, and patient. They hype independent bookstores, libraries, coffee shops, pen brands, and any number of things that you might find in the fictional town of Stars Hollow. They gush and they gently critique but they almost never judge. Whether you read 2 books a year, or 200, these podcasters want to chat with you and others about your love of reading.
Even if the hosts banter about books that you never intend to read, their set-ups and back-and-forth are engaging—not to mention their book summaries are often portals into worlds you might never otherwise explore: homeschooling, true crime fiction (an oxymoron if I ever heard one), French philosophers from the 19th Century, you get the idea. In other words, bookish podcasts are a very gentle way to get out of your comfort zone (read: rut) and shake things up. All the podcasts included here are also tightly edited—very few “ums” and “likes” shall enter your ears.
I encourage you to throw in some headphones, walk around the block, and let the dulcet tones of one of the podcasters below wash over you.
Without further a do, here are five of my favorite bookish podcasts:
Currently Reading — There is a lot to recommend Currently Reading. There is a rotating cast of characters here but the two main hosts are Kaytee and Meredith. Both have lovely voices and insightful takes on the reading life but I find myself wishing I had a reason to ask Meredith to be the big sister I don’t have—her musings on anxiety, motherhood, marriage, and life as an introvert are all just so relatable.
Their main show is ad-free and funded by their Patreon community. I have no idea why more podcasts don’t follow this model but the ease of being to be able to take a walk, or clean your house, without having to skip over an ad for shampoo or high-end joggers is a little luxury I now cannot live without. They also have two other shows in their main feed—one about book-to-movie adaptations and another about Louise Penny’s Three Pines series. I have yet to make it through all of those but they’re high on my list.
The structure of each show is roughly the same though they evolve over time (I’m deep into their backlist episodes at this point) and there is comfort in that consistency. They talk about ~6 books they’ve recently finished, a “deep dive” into some aspect of reading life, (like how to decide which books to take with you on vacation), and end with the “fountain,” which, as far as I can tell, is a little moment to make bookish wishes. They have deep connections with the independent bookselling community and therefore they are not suggesting the same books that you can find in the New York Times and Washington Post book section. There is even more content behind the Patreon wall for just $5 a month. If you are someone who is running out of thriller recommendations, this is THE Patreon community for you.
Now, if you exude cool girl vibes (your favorite book is Emma Cline’s The Guest, and you’re reading this wearing chunky loafers with socks, or mesh ballet flats) this might not be the right bookish podcast for you at the moment. But, if you like me, are trying to embrace the earnest, inner nerd that you’ve kept tucked away for so long, this might precisely be the place to start.
What Should I Read Next? — This feels like (and may very well be) the OG bookish podcast. The host, Anne Bogel, is something of a book media maven (her blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy, is also very good). She invites guests from all walks of life (and from all over the globe) onto her podcast, asks them about three books they love, one book they hate, and then makes suggestions for what they should read next.
If you’re a bookish person, you likely already know about this podcast but I encourage you to dive into older episodes, keep listening, and join the Patreon community—you will literally never run out of book recommendations. If you’re not already a bookish person, this is where you begin. Anne’s recommendations tend to be literary in nature but she does throw in mysteries, sci-fi, and romance recommendations too. She’s sort of a bookish every woman. I will also say her Spring, Summer, and Winter Book Previews are some of the highlights of my year (I told you, we’re embracing our inner nerds here).
In somewhat of a full circle, I-can’t-believe-I’m-so-lucky moment, I will be a guest on the podcast in a few weeks. I plan to write another post gushing about the graciousness of Anne and the magic of chatting books for an hour but, for now, here are four of my favorite episodes: Reading for peace, joy, and escapism; Pitch perfect endings and laugh-out-loud rom coms; TBR solutions for an extreme mood reader; and Sad Girl Lit Fic and other burnout busters.
Bad on Paper — I actually started listening to this podcast when it launched in 2018 (in fact, if you’re a very good internet sleuth you can probably find one of the questions I submitted to the original hosts) and its gone through a few iterations since then. The current hosts (
and ) and structure are my absolute favorite. They choose one book to discuss a month and the rest of the episodes are musings on pop culture, interviews, or about their lives as novelists. They also have spring, summer, and fall book previews. The books they choose to discuss usually have wide appeal but aren’t so ubiquitous as to feel pointless as recommendations. Their banter is fun, and their chemistry is enviable—I often wish I could be a third wheel on their show. I can always expect to laugh a few times (often on the grimy bus to work), learn a thing or two about the publishing (or influencer) industry, and feel a bit lighter for it. Both hosts also have Substacks that are worth checking out. I will say if Currently Reading or What Should I Read Next feel overly intellectual or intimidating, Bad on Paper might be your entry point into a more bookish life. If Liza Miller and Kelsey Peters had a podcast, this would be it.Sarah’s Bookshelves Lives — I do not listen to this podcast as consistently as the three above but a recent, standout episode on Booktok with
landed it on this list. Sarah, the host, is often in conversation with fellow book lovers, Catherine from the Gilmore Guide and Susan from Novel Visits. My own, personal taste doesn’t align closely with theirs, which is why this is not an every-week listen for me. I do, however, appreciate the candor with which they discuss books, you can expect hot takes and spicy opinions. Sarah is also an excellent interviewer and if your favorite author is ever on, I highly recommend checking out her interview of them.The Book Review, New York Times — I really oscillated on whether to include this podcast in my list. You might be sleep walking through life if you didn’t at least guess that the Times has a book podcast. That said, I have found the paper’s coverage of books has really benefitted from the stewardship of Glibert Cruz, and this extends to their podcast — it feels fresher than it has in years (the Book Review also has fun TikTok content). The recent episode with Steven Soderbergh is definitely worth a listen.
Merci Beaucoup.
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These are good recommendations. My favorite has been discontinued, but I still listen to the old ones, is But That's Another Story.
From one bookworm and podcast lover to another, thank you for the recommendations! I immediately started listened to Bad on Paper 😊