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15 Excellent Bookish Podcasts Launched in 2017

New and excellent literary and bookish podcasts launched this year, from Book Riot and other fantastic content producers.

Claire Handscombe Dec 1, 2017

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Claire Handscombe

Staff Writer

Claire Handscombe moved from Europe to DC in 2012, ostensibly to study for an MFA in Creative Writing, but actually – let’s be honest – because of an obsession with The West Wing. She is the author of Unscripted, a novel about a young woman with a celebrity crush and a determined plan, and the editor of Walk With Us: How The West Wing Changed Our Lives. She also hosts the Brit Lit Podcast, a fortnightly show of news and views from British books and publishing. Blog: the Brit Lit Blog. Twitter: @BookishClaire

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If you’re like me, you’re always looking for new bookish podcasts to plug into your ears on the way to work or while you load the dishwasher. 2017 has been a great year for podcasts: Book Riot has quite a few new ones, other brands are branching out, and more and more indie podcasters are trying their hand at the medium. Here are some that I’ve found this year.

Annotated

Book Riot’s Annotated is an “audio documentary about books, reading, and language”—kind of like This American Life for books.

The Blume Saloon

A “sort-of book club” where Alison and Jody “chat all things Judy Blume, the patron saint of YA,” and discuss a few chapters from one of her novels.

Bonnets at Dawn

This one is for fans of the classics: Lauren and Hannah “compare and contrast the lives, works, and fandoms of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters.”

The Bookstore

Two former booksellers share their thoughts on specific books, from Turtles All the Way Down to Stay With Me, and discuss all things bookish.

The Brit Lit Podcast

Full disclaimer: this one’s mine. It covers news and views from British books and publishing. Guests so far have included Lindsey Kelk, who fangirled about John Green with me, and Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, who spoke of her enduring love of London and the Great British Bake Off.

By the Book

Ever wondered what happens when you take self-help books seriously and live by the advice they dispense? Jolenta and Kirsten are doing it so you don’t have to. They read books like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Men are From Mars, Women Are From Venus and report back on how it went when they tried to follow their rules.

Double Love

Join Karyn and Anna as they “explore the strange and terrifying world of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, one Sweet Valley High book at a time.”

Hey YA

Book Riot’s own Kelly Jensen and Eric Smith talk us through latest happenings in the world of YA.

The Mental Health Book Club Podcast

This podcast takes a deep dive into various issues related to mental health and looks at how, and how well, they are addressed in books.

Read or Dead

Hosted by Rincey Abraham and Katie McLain, this is Book Riot’s mystery and thriller podcast. If, like Katie, you’re into “dark, demented, and disturbing” books, this is the podcast for you.

The Riff Raff Podcast

The Riff Raff is a “friendly community of writers” in London, who host events with authors to nurture baby writers. The Riff Raff Podcast is the audio version of that, featuring “interviews with debut authors who offer tips, interviews, and inside advice on the challenges of getting published.”