Admittedly, I am one of those people who needs to drown out the world with something constantly playing in my ears. One of my favorite ways to fill that space is with podcasts.
Podcasts are an increasingly favored art, and I have noticed that Gen Z has been drawn to podcasts, as well as older generations. They are a great way to learn about a broad or niche topic and have many areas of interest. There are podcasts from well-known productions (such as the New York Times or NPR), and indie podcasts run by their own makers. Really, you can find podcasts about everything.
I have ridden the wave of their popularity for a few years now. My favorite shows are a pretty mixed bag: news, history, pop culture, politics, technology, cults, murder documentaries, and books (what can I say, I am pretty thorough with my obsessions). I have come to consider some of the hosts of my favorite shows to be my friends (parasocial hello?), and have written to a few of them myself.
For book podcasts specifically, they’re a great way to stretch beyond your normal range of genres and learn about new releases and old gems. I use them to find great recs, and to just hear bookish ramblings and insights. So, I have gathered a few of my favorite book podcasts that I think others would enjoy.
MuggleCast: The Harry Potter Podcast
MuggleCast feels like an old friend. It’s all about Harry Potter — analysis, fan theories, nerdy jokes, you name it. Presently, they are going through a chapter by chapter analysis of the series, currently on “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” The hosts, Andrew, Micah, Eric, and Laura, are always quick to laugh and joke around. I find myself grinning frequently when I’m listening to their banter.
I sound biased, but believe me when I say this is a very well produced show. Everything sounds smooth, but not surprisingly because they’ve been around for 19 years. The hosts all used to manage MuggleNet, the one-stop-shop for all things HP when the books were originally being released. That is to say, they know their stuff.
Potterheads, Wizards, Muggles, whatever you call yourself, you will find a HP home with this wonderful podcast.
Reading Glasses
Reading Glasses is a great one to go to for book recs of all kinds. Each week they recommend books of different tropes and topics like queer fiction and angry robots.
The hosts, Brea and Mallory, address common bookish questions and problems, coming up with solutions, such as an alternative book tracking app to Goodreads. They also test gadgets to enhance the reading experience, like book bags and kindle accessories.
This podcast is very listener friendly, they take questions from listeners and follow through with thoughtful recommendations for the very specific requests.
Fantasy Fangirls
To be honest, I haven’t listened to much of this podcast yet. I heard of Nicole and Lexi when they guest-hosted on MuggleCast and it drew me to their Fantasy Fangirls podcast.
They take series chapter by chapter, analyzing, theorizing and generally fangirling. Currently they are reading “A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah J. Maas, which is a part of the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series. They have also previously done chapter by chapter for the blowout book, “Fourth Wing.”
Now that I know about them, when I read those books I will definitely be checking out their episodes.
There you have it, a few good recs to get into the bookish podcast world. It really is a delightful space to connect with other readers from across the world, even if you aren’t directly talking to them.
Happy Listening!
