Four Great Literary Podcasts for Avid Readers
If you have spent any time at all with me, you know I love to read. I have learned to find pleasure in both reading in solitude and in the joy of sharing a book with friends. A book club provides perspective and stretches the limits of what one might choose for herself. On my reading journey, I have found that podcasts can sometimes serve as the reading community I need. They can be the perfect balance to going at my own pace and having my understanding of the text broadened. Literary podcasts can also fill in the gaps on my shelf or inspire me to try something different.
Here are four literary podcasts that are the perfect listen for those who love good books in company.
Official Description: Marlon & Jake Read Dead People is a podcast hosted by the Booker Prize-winning and internationally bestselling author Marlon James and his editor, Jake Morrissey, Executive Editor at Riverhead Books. In each episode, Marlon and Jake talk about authors—specifically dead authors. Authors they like. Authors they hate. Great books, terrible books, and books they love that you’d never expect them to. As a writer and an editor, Marlon and Jake have read thousands of books between them, and they’re not shy in expressing their opinions about them. Sometimes they’ll agree, sometimes they won’t, but in every episode, they’ll tell you what they think – uncensored and with no holds barred. (That’s why the authors have to be dead.) So listen along to hear about the spectacularly good, the hilariously bad, and the brutally honest.
Average Episode Duration: 45 minutes
Average Intro Chatter: None
Hosts: Marlon James (author) and Jake Morrissey (editor)
Structure: As the title suggests, they discuss books by dead people. A typical episode covers 15-20 books. They move fast and stay on topic; almost amazingly the content remains substantial.
Review: Though they cover a lot of ground, the conversation moves harmoniously to and through the various titles. It is obvious both men are working from an enormous library, have open minds, and prepare for the episodes. I love it when they disagree about an author or book. I love it even more when they both dislike a book I also revile (looking at you, Wuthering Heights.) They discuss books I know well and books I have never heard of, creating a great balance of familiarity and curiosity.
Rating: 5/5
Official Description: From the Front Porch is weekly literary podcast hosted by Annie B. Jones, the owner of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia. Each week, she discusses books, small business, and life in the South with a variety of cohosts from The Bookshelf’s vibrant in-store and online community. New episodes drop every Thursday morning, and listeners can access bonus content by supporting the podcast through Patreon.
Average Episode Duration: 45 minutes
Average Intro Chatter: 1ish minute on the episodes with guests (roughly 50%)
Hosts: Annie Jones and occasional friends
Structure: Georgia bookstore owner Annie puts out a weekly book-themed podcast of varying structures. Once a month, she’ll offer a recap of what she read the month before or new releases coming to her store. One great perk of listening is that she’ll drop discount codes for the books she discusses at the end of the episode. Other episodes lean towards literary themes or authors. Often including bookstore employees, friends, and fellow reading enthusiasts, Annie’s discussions are very on topic, the title gives listeners a solid idea of what the episode will be about.
Review: I love everything about this podcast. Annie is a trustworthy critic and clearly loves supporting authors and readers alike. She is very intentional about using her platform to support debut novels, minority authors, and readers of all tastes. Though I would not be able to keep up with her reading pace, her recommendations make me wish I could! Her monthly reflections are very helpful if you are looking for something new to read.
Rating: 5/5
Official Description: Close Reads is a book-club podcast for the incurable reader. Featuring David Kern, Tim McIntosh and Heidi White, alongside a couple of other occasional guests, we read Great Books and talk about them. This is a show for amateurs in the best sense. We’re book lovers, book enthusiasts. This is not an experts show and it’s barely literary analysis in the way that literary analysis is commonly understood. Instead it’s a show about experiences with literary urge. Join us!
Average Episode Duration: 1 hour
Average Intro Chatter: 10 minutes
Hosts: David Kern, Tim McIntosh, Heidi White
Structure: The hosts choose 9 books for the calendar year and share an accompanying reading schedule. Each episode discusses a fraction of the current book, broken up into sections based on chapters or parts. I really like this podcast because it helps me notice things I might have missed, provides context, or offers a different perspective. Although many of the listeners read along with the hosts throughout the year, I cherry pick from their entire library based on which book I’m interested in reading, or which book I’ve already read but would love their insight on.
Review: The hosts are insightful, fun, and passionate about reading (obviously) but tend to take a while before beginning the actual book discussion, especially in the more recent episodes. I’ve taken to skipping 10 minutes into episodes, at least, to avoid chatter (so consider yourself warned.)
My favorite episodes are the ones with guest Karen Swallow Prior (who is a respected literary professor/author and also recently launched a literary podcast of her own.) She is amazingly insightful and has great chemistry with the hosts. Overall, the discussion is interesting and compelling. I am not surprised that they have a passionately engaged audience. This podcast was my first literary podcast and really helped reignite the reader in me, so I will always love it. It also turned me on to books I avoided like Frankenstein, which are now favorites.
Rating: 4/5
Official Description: Overdue is a podcast about the books you've been meaning to read. Join Andrew and Craig each week as they tackle a new title from their backlog. Classic literature, obscure plays, goofy children’s books: they'll read it all, one overdue book at a time.
Average Episode Duration: 1 hour
Average Intro Chatter: 5 minutes
Hosts: Andrew Cunningham and Craig Getting
Structure: Each week, the hosts alternate reading a neglected book off the shelf and telling the other person (and us, the listeners) about it. From classics to moderns, they cover a lot of ground. They share a bit of context about the author and, when relevant, the time frame during which it was written/published. Banter is made. Jokes are had. Plots are spoiled.
Review: For the person like me who wants to read more books than I actually do, this is a fun way to tap into those books that perpetually find themselves on the TBR list. The hosts are engaging, and their descriptions are interesting. They put out episodes frequently and have been on the air for a while, meaning their catalog is robust. For me so far, I have used this to wade into titles I am already familiar with, but it seems to also be a great resource to garner some introductions.
Rating: 4/5
Each great in their own way, these selections have different formats and, for me, different outcomes. They may not all be to your taste, dear reader, but perhaps one may inspire you or your bookshelf. Next time you have the reading itch but are stuck at work or are unsure of which book to pick up next, try giving one of these shows a listen.