I am slowly starting to regain my reading rhythm (watch now, I may have just cursed myself) but the good news is that even when we’re struggling to read we have alternatives. There are so many great podcasts out there now to help keep us entertained and remind us of how many equally devoted fellow readers are in the world. The only problem is that there are so many podcasts and so many episodes – where do you start?
For fun, I’ve put together a list of my favourite episodes from my five favourite literary podcasts:
Backlisted: Georgette Heyer – Venetia
I have a fraught relationship with Backlisted (too much laughing over their own cleverness and too little focus on the actual books) but some of the earlier episodes are excellent. The episode where they discover the joys of Georgette Heyer is, to me, clearly the best of the bunch. There is nothing like the enthusiasm of someone who has just discovered a new and wonderful author.
Honourable Mention: R.F. Delderfield – To Serve Them All My Days – I grew up loving Delderfield but no one outside my family had any idea who he was. Hearing Jenny Colgan enthuse over him made up for all the lonely years of reading.
You’re Booked: Sarra Manning
A podcast where the host goes around to snoop in other people’s bookshelves? Brilliant. Here Daisy stops by Sarra Manning’s flat and explores her wonderfully eclectic tastes.
Honourable Mention: Sophie Kinsella – I’ve not read much by Kinsella but she sounds delightful and I would happily steal most of her books.
Sentimental Garbage: A Countess Below Stairs
There is not enough love in the world for Eva Ibbotson so whenever someone wants to pay attention to her I am delighted, particularly when it comes in the form of rambling, sighing, besotted enthusiasm.
Honourable Mentions – a tie: Circle of Friends (Irish people getting emotional about the ultimate Irish comfort read) and Less (which I finally read and now understand all the love for).
The Slightly Foxed Podcast: Well-Cultivated Words
The Slightly Foxed podcast has been perfection since the very first episode. The conversation is as intelligent, informed, and varied as their wonderful quarterly and they always find excellent guests. My favourite episode so far was devoted to garden writing and it taught me an important lesson: don’t try to write down every book they mention that you want to read. You won’t be able to keep up! Thankfully they are all mentioned in the show notes.
Honourable Mention: Leaving That Place Called Home – an episode devoted entirely to travel writing? Yes please.
Tea or Books: Titles: Fancy or Simple? and Hercule Poirot vs Miss Marple
I love Simon and Rachel and listening to their rambling conversations is almost as good as being part of one in real life. This early episode where they struggle to pick a favourite between Poirot and Miss Marple is a favourite.
Honourable Mention: Internet vs Bookshop and Mr Pim Passes By vs Four Day’s Wonder – spreading the word about the excellence of A.A. Milne!
Do you have any favourite podcasts, bookish or otherwise?
The Captive Reader 
I enjoy all of these, and can also recommend Literary Friction for more contemporary reads, Open Book (BBC), and The Spouter Inn, which I discovered by chance but really like .
Thanks for the recommendations!
I love Tea or Books best. Also Lit Fiction (two peeps discussing books and culture – what could be better?) And New York Public Library have a great podcast (2 peeps discussing…need I go on?) And finally New York Times Books podcast, especially the end bit where Pamela Paul asks the critics what they have been reading. There are more but these are top of my head.
I really prefer when new are mingled with old – some podcasts seem like extended ads for the newest and latest. The best thing is discovering a podcast, loving it and then finding out it has lots of back issues to catch up on.
I have just remembered Shedunnit – for golden age of crime fiction this one cannot be beat.
There are probs otheres I will think of when I send this. I miss The Readers, and I sometimes listen to Reading Envy – my fave episodes are the very few where Thomas of Hogglestock appears – I’ve listened to those a few times.
My favourite part of most podcasts is when they talk about what they’re reading rather than the topic for the episode so the NYT Books podcast sounds like it would be excellent for me!
Thank you for this list. I have only recently started listening to podcasts, and they’re wonderful company on my daily walks- though also dangerous for my TBR lists.
SO dangerous! But that’s the plus side of listening on walks (as I do too) – if you’re not writing down notes then it takes extra work to remember them (or remember to check the show notes) later on. This has clearly saved me from drowning under the weight of my TBR list. On the other hand, there are books I know I first heard about on podcasts and it drives me mad when I can’t remember which one later on.
I can back up Cindy’s rec of the New York Public Library’s book podcasts. The one I follow is called “The Librarian is in”, and features two people, Frank and Rhonda. Good stuff.
I like Rhonda, I liked Gwen before her, but I LOVE Frank – he sounds adorable.
Excellent! I’ll have to check it out.
Thanks for including us! I didn’t realise Sarra had done an ep of You’re Booked, so must go and listen.
Yes, it’s one of the very early episodes and it’s great! I’m not sure if you read Sarra’s books (in addition to being Twitter friends) but there’s a Sentimental Garbage episode about one of her earlier novels too.