Book Podcasts

Are you in a reading rut? When you are a fan of a certain genre, it can be easy to read so many similar books that you end up asking yourself, have I read this one already? When the book covers all start to blur together and you can solve the mystery by page twenty, that means it’s definitely time to read something new.

Stepping outside of your reading lane can be intimidating, but podcasts and book vlogs are a simple way to learn about new and exciting books. There are lots of book-related podcasts out there and so much variety: some focus on one genre, others on authors from one cultural background, and some that are just looking for something good to read, regardless of genre or format. When you find the podcast that suits your style, you’ll find your to-read list growing exponentially!

I have to begin by suggesting you check out Read This Next, TBPL’s own reading recommendation podcast and book vlog. Every week, Nicole and I talk about a new topic and share up to eight highlights and personal recommendations. We cover many different genres and include authors with a diverse variety of backgrounds and experiences, so check out our extensive backlist of almost 50 episodes and you are sure to find something appealing! Recently, we talked about closed circle or locked room mysteries like many of Ruth Ware’s novels or Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party and The Guest List. Earlier this year, we covered speculative fiction by Latinx authors. For more details and information on how to watch or listen to the show, visit tbpl.ca/readthisnext

You can find several different book podcasts on the website BookRiot.com.  BookRiot has an explicit commitment to innovate fresh content and services to readers, amplify marginalized voices, and challenge ourselves and our community to be inclusive. This means you can trust their recommendations to showcase diverse authors and ideas. All the Books, a weekly book podcast of recommendations and discussion about the most interesting and exciting new book releases, is their flagship podcast, but you can check out their genre-specific ones as well: Read or Dead about mystery and thrillers, When in Romance, dedicated to romance news and book recommendations, SFF Yeah! about the latest happenings and favourite recommendations from the science fiction and fantasy world, and For Real, a podcast about nonfiction.

For a podcast with a very specific focus, try Reading Women, a weekly podcast that calls for reclaiming half the bookshelf by reading books by women authors. They focus on diverse books written by women authors around the world and also champion translated fiction by women. The hosts discuss two titles every month in-depth, and two women author interviews are featured.

June is Pride Month, so now is a good time for some LGBTQIA book recommendations from the Big Gay Fiction Podcast. You’ll find author interviews, book recommendations, and discussion of the latest in gay pop culture. The hosts are husbands and authors who created the podcast for avid readers and passionate fans of gay romance fiction.

TBPL loves when you make recommendations, so if you hear about a great title through one of those podcasts or another avenue and find that it isn’t in our collection already, let us know! You can submit recommendations by visiting tbpl.ca/suggestions or emailing suggestions@tbpl.ca directly.  And finally, if you need a library card to place titles on hold, you can get one by calling us at 345-8275 from Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm or by emailing us at comments@tbpl.ca.

Laura Prinselaar – www.tbpl.ca. If you have a comment about today’s column, we would love to hear from you.