Like millions of New Yorkers, I can’t remember the last time I drove a car and I rely on the unreliable MTA to get me around town. Swapping horror stories about your commute (especially with people who live in the outer boroughs and work in Manhattan) will be a bonding moment between New Yorkers. So what do you do if you are stuck on the N underground for 30 minutes or take the bus because the 4 is not working?
Why, listen to podcasts of course! As a rule of thumb I always keep a book in my purse because you never know when you will find yourself with downtime or are lucky enough to grab a seat on the metro. A lot of times however, reading a physical book can be impractical when you are pinned between a mom with a double stroller and the man with 30 shopping bags.
My solution? Listening to bookish podcasts! Although audiobooks are another option I tend to prefer them when I can focus fully on the narrative. Why? Each podcast episode tends to be about as long as my commute 30-45 min so I can feel accomplished by having finished one thing per day. It allows you to interact with the bookish community in a different way and it opens up doors, thoughts and discussions that you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. Here is a short list of my favorite bookish podcasts that I listen to on a rotational basis. All of these are available free on iTunes!
Tom Merritt and Veronica Belmont
First a podcast, then a show on Geek and Sundry, now a podcast again. The Sword and Laser is a goodreads book club, but it is so much more than that. Basically, it is a one-stop-shop for geeky news, discussions and, author interviews. This was the first bookish podcast that I listened to consistently, and so it has a special place in my heart. It has considerably expanded my knowledge and bookshelf of Fantasy and Sci-Fi reads and listening to Tom and Veronica banter makes me want to geek out with them.
Rita Mead (Book Riot)
Book Riot is basically a godsend to booknerds so when I started listening to their podcasts I knew they were going to be great! Dear Book Nerd is run by Rita Mead and a different co-host each episode from a every corner of the book world. From publishers to librarians to authors and bloggers. Dear Book Nerd is basically an advice column in podcast form answering questions about “Life, Love, and Literature” the depth and breadth of the questions answered are always entertaining and thought provoking, the range of perspectives from the guests is always interesting and Rita’s soothing voice is definitely what keeps me mellow and from strangling some people on the MTA.
Rebecca Schinsky and Liberty Hardy. The fellow well-read heads (Book Riot)
This bookish podcast is THE place to go to keep up with the constant stream of incredible new releases. The fellow well-read heads highlight the best new releases coming out each week and mainly identify their podcast as the reason my TBR has exploded. I started a list on my phone of all the great books that I wanted to read after they had gushed about them.
Jenn Northington and Amanda Nelson (Book Riot)
Get Booked is a book recommendation podcast where people write in with strange and specific book suggestion requests and in return get a slew of interesting and great books in return. Get Books has given me book recommendations I never knew I needed in my life and has gotten me into the genre of food memoirs.
Happy bookish listening!
