9 Book Podcasts You Should Be Listening to in 2023!
Looking for your next read or just want to hear your favorite authors talk about their books, this list is for you.
We have all had that feeling when you put down a book and wonder about the person behind the masterpiece. Paired with that, I have always been curious about the story behind the story, and listening to book podcasts featuring authors, is both informative and intimate. It also allows me to linger just a bit longer on a book I loved. If you are interested in the publishing process, the writer’s choice in character and setting or just want to find an obscure book, read on.
BOOKS & BOBA
Hosts: Marvin Yueh and Reera Yoo
Format: A podcast featuring discussions with Asian and Asian American authors. Yueh and Yoo often include personal anecdotes when chatting with the authors. There is a monthly book pick with The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh being the May pick during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In addition, each month the hosts share any relevant book and publishing news including book deals.
Run time: 45-60 minutes.
CONFESSIONS OF A DEBUT NOVELIST
Host: Author Chloe Timms
Format: Beginning with the featured author reading from their book, “Confessions” brings intimate details about the journey to publication. From the fits and starts, looking for and choosing an agent to revising and publishing. Jessica George, author of recently published Maame, joined the host to talk about the novel’s characters, switching agents and writing five novels before her breakout work. For writers who are curious about the process and readers who want to hear the backstory of how their favorite book came to be in the bookstores, this podcast is for you.
Run time: 30–60 minutes.
STORYKEEPERS: LET’S TALK INDIGENOUS BOOKS
Host: Waubgeshig Rice and Jennifer David, also features guest hosts.
Format: Discussions on Indigenous authors including interviews with Indigenous publishers, booksellers and the authors themselves. Highlighting First Nations, Inuit and Métis authors, this podcast brings to the fore, little known books. Last year a special episode for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation featured a discussion on books about residential schools. Compelling and always inspiring.
Run time: 30-50 minutes.
WHAT SHOULD I READ NEXT
Host: Ann Bogel from Modern Mrs Darcy blog
Format: Bogel chats with a guest about books they have read to gain a clearer picture of their interests and at the end she recommends what they should read next. It’s like two friends in conversation about their book loves and hates. A recent episode has author Vanessa A. Bee talking about her favorite reads which are a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Ann recommended The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley by David Waldstreicher, Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, and The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel. If you want to be a guest on the show, you can apply on the podcast’s website.
Run time: 40-60 minutes.
YOU’RE BOOKED
Host: Daisy Buchanan
Format: Authors recall their first reading memories, what books excite them and reveal their bookshelf favorites including an in-depth discussion on themes and the reason a certain book is on the shelf. The latest episode has Costa First Novel Award Winner Caleb Azumah Nelson who recalls loving Malorie Blackman books, Penguin Classics, and his Saturday visits to the library.
Run time: 50-60 minutes.
WELL-READ BLACK GIRL
Hosts: Glory Edim
Format: Featuring women and non-binary authors, with a focus on people of color and traditionally underrepresented voices, the Well-Read Black Girl Book Club founder started this podcast not only to discuss books and characters but to also have conversations about author’s lives. “I wanted to reflect that on the podcast, where we could talk to writers and get more in-depth about their process and look at how they became the people they are,” said Edim in an interview with Oprah Daily.
Run time: 20-40 minutes.
BORROWED
Hosts: Krissa Corbett Cavouras and Adwoa Adusei
Format: Brought to you by the Brooklyn Public Library, “Borrowed” is committed to telling stories of Brooklyn, using libraries as the entry point. From discussions on the worth of public libraries to a look inside Dyker Library in Dyker Heights, where community members gather to play Mahjong and practice yoga, among other activities. One episode on asylum seekers in Bay Ridge, is narrated in both English and Spanish.
Run time: 10-30 minutes.
WORLD BOOK PODCAST
Host: Harriet Gilbert
Format: The BBC hosts an author to discuss their book which does not necessarily have to be newly published. Readers from around the world call in to ask the author about themes, characters etc. It’s wonderful to hear listeners who pored through the pages, reading closely, and asking considered questions. Featuring a diverse number of books, written, and set in different countries, come to hear the author’s in-depth answers, and stay to learn something new about the writing process.
Run time: 49 minutes.
BACKLISTED
Host: John Mitchinson and Andy Miller
Format: This popular podcast has a simple premise; an author talks with the hosts about a book they think deserves wider attention. So overlooked books take center stage, often even surprising the hosts. The Anita Brookner episode is one of the podcast’s most popular and she is now one of Miller’s favorite authors. Enjoyable to listen and learn about authors you may not have known.
Run time: 60-75 minutes.