Matters of Shelf Control- The Ultimate Guide to Bookish Podcasts

Well everyone, its Monday, and that means its time for another Matters of Shelf Control. Today, we decided to put together a working list of Bookish podcasts. We know that new podcasts are constantly being created so if you notice that your favorite podcast isn’t included, don’t hesitate to let us know and we will add it!

Book News and General Book Talk

Annotated- An audio documentary series hosted by Book Riot. It covees topics related to books reading and language.

The Avid Reader- Tune in for interviews, recommendations, and insider news from Sam Hankin, host and owner of independent bookstore Wellington Square Bookshop.

Bad On Paper- Join 30-something reading enthusiasts and real-life best friends Grace Atwood and Becca Freeman every month for a book club featuring a read they promise you won’t be able to put down. In between, they’re joined by guests for conversations on careers, dating, fashion, and more.

Behind the Bookshelves- hosted by AbeBooks the goal of this podcast is to tell the stories behind books and the people who love them. It covers a wide range of topics, and is designed to appeal to anyone who loves reading and adding books to their collection.

Book Bistro- A bookish podcast is hosted by a handful of passionate bookworms who love nothing more than sharing their bookish enthusiasm with the world. Together they discuss the books, authors, and genres they love.

Bookish Brown Girls- A podcast by two women of color about women of color and the issues that arise in being a woc who writes books.

Book Riot- a weekly news and talk show about what’s new, cool, and worth talking about in the world of books and reading, brought to you by the editors of BookRiot.com

Books and Booze- a podcast where there host meets with different guests, picks a book meaningful to them, read the book, then get together to discuss the book of choice with a glass of their preferred boozy beverage.

Book Squad Podcast- Join librarians from the Lawrence Public Libraries in Lawrence, Kansas as they discuss all things related to books and reading.

The Booktopia Podcast- Hosted by the Booktopia Bookstore in Australia they provide a unique perspective on books, bookish news, and book recommendations.

The Casual Academic- Based in Madrid, Spain the hosts dive deeper into the books they read and provide a literary discussion that won’t break the bank.

Currently Reading Podcast- a podcast dedicated to the love of books and reading. Two bookish friends discuss what’s on their nightstands, in their earbuds, and on their Kindles right now, in addition to books they’ve loved forever, and a variety of other readerly topics.

The Desk Set- hosted by the librarians of the King Count y library system in Washington state, the podcast features author interviews, book suggestions, literary conversations, and more.

I Don’t Even Own A Television- Every two weeks, hosts J. W. Friedman and Chris Collision get together to talk about a book you almost certainly should not read.

Feeling Bookish- a podcast hosted by Robert Fay and Roman Tsivkin where they discuss their books and authors.

From the Lighthouse- a literary podcast published out of the Department of English at Macquarie University. Your hosts Dr Stephanie Russo and Dr Michelle Hamadache love to talk about anything to do with books, from the latest bestsellers and prize-winners, film and television adaptations of books to bookish news.

Good Reading Podcast- Book talk and author interviews aimed at helping you discover your next favorite read, presented by Good Reading Magazine.

He Read, She Read- a podcast where a couple of married bookworms discuss what they’re reading and learning. In their weekly episodes discuss nerdy things, make book recommendations and once a month they read and discuss the same book together.

Hey, Good Bookin!- A bookish podcast where friends Brittany, Penny and Meg talk about their current reads and bookish news, among other things.

Library Overload- Two women talk about what they’re currently reading, their book club picks, and other bookish topics.

Life is a Page Turner- a bimonthly podcast brought to you by the Los Gatos Library. Join Breanna and Gwyn as they discuss books, and library life! Each episode has a non-spoiler review and a review which includes spoilers.

No Thanks We’re Booked- a podcast all about looking at life through a bookish lens. Katie and Mollie, two internet-turned-IRL friends, swap stories about the books they’re currently loving and the life we’re currently living.

Professional Book Nerds- hosted by Overdrive, every week Jill and Adam offer the latest news on newly released titles, favorite books in a given theme, and anything else bookish they can think of.

The Readerly Report- Hosted by Nicole Bonia and Gayle Weiswasser, The Readerly Report is a podcast about books and the reading life. Each week they discuss the books they’ve been reading, what’s coming out soon, trends in the publishing business and the reading experience. Features articles, interviews, and new release books that will help you find your perfect book among the sea of many.

Reading Envy- Hosted by the wonderful Jenny Colvin she shares her thoughts on what’s new int he world of books and reading as well as all the other books she sees other reading which she can’t wait to pick up!

Reading Glasses- hosted through Maximum Fun, friends Brea and Mallory get together to discuss their current reads, share hot book tips designed to help you read better and chat with a literary guest about what’s new and exciting in the world of books and reading. Brea and Mallory have eclectic tastes ranging from sci-fi and horror to feminist literary fiction and non fiction titles. It is definitely one of our favorite podcasts here on Stuck in the Stacks.

Reading the End- a twice-monthly podcast about books and literary happenings, featuring the demographically similar Jennys

Shelf Addiction Podcast- a bookish podcast where host Tamara Ford interviews fiction authors, audiobook narrators, shares book recommendations, and talks books with various special guest co-hosts; from the Read-Along to #BuddyReads features, there’s something for every type of reader. 

The Shelf Care Podcast- This podcast is like a staycation where you spend your mornings in yoga, your afternoons in a book, your evenings in a sheet mask, and you’re in bed before 11PM (ok, 10:30). It’s a place where one can find their next great read, latest skincare obsession, and new favorite wellness hack in less than 30 minutes.

The Stacks- The Stacks is your literary best friend; your virtual book club; your one-stop shop for everything books. Host Traci Thomas chats with a wide array of guests from film and television stars to community leaders, publishing professionals, and best-selling authors.

Two and a Half Librarians- a spoiler-filled podcast about books and other bookish stuff. Hosted by the Prescott Valley Public Library.

Unabridged: Teachers Take on Books- Hosted byteachers in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, they get together to share a mutual lov eof reading, cultivate a community, and invite students to become lifelong readers.

Well Read- hosted by the librarians of the Beaufort Country Public library who discuss what they’re reading, book recommendations, and other reading-related fun.

Book Recommendations (Mostly)

All the Books- another podcast hosted by Book Riot, a weekly show of recommendations and enthusiasm regarding the week’s new book releases. Hosted by Book Riot’s own velocireader: Liberty Hardy.

The Bookmark- Hosted by librarians from the Topeka and Shawnee Public Library in Topeka, Kansas. Join them as they talk about new books, bestsellers and books in many different genres. Discover what other people are reading and recommending.

Fully Booked- Just a couple of guys who are up to no good, making trouble and reading books in your neighborhood! Join us every Wednesday as we break down the plot lines, characters, and writing of today’s hottest books!

Get Booked- a weekly show of personalized book recommendations. Listeners write in with questions and the hosts respond with recommendations. Hosted by Book Riot.

That Book- is your guide to terrible good books and good terrible books. You know that book: the one you see everyone reading on the subway, the one gathering dust on your stepmom’s nightstand, and the one that the library has twenty untouched copies of. Hosted by Hannah Weaver and Michael Goldsmith, readers with high expectations and low standards.

What To Read Next- features authors and bookish friends for a conversation about books, writing and a round of book recommendations.

What Should I Read Next- hosted by Anne Bogel @ Modern Mrs. Darcy, this podcast is a book recommendation show where every week Anne talks all things books and reading, and does a little literary matchmaking with one guest.

Virtual Book Clubs

The Babysitters Club Club- Jack Shepherd and Tanner Greenring discuss the classic Baby-Sitters Club novels of Ann M. Martin in chronological order. Get ready to look with new eyes at the timeless adventures of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey, and I guess Dawn. And probably Mallory too. Fine, and Jessi.

Bookclub for Massocists- A Readers’ Advisory Podcast about becoming better library staff by reading books the hoss hate! Every month a handful of library workers read books from a new, randomly picked genre; then on the podcast they discuss their reading choices, experiences, opinions, appeal factors, and other related topics as friends and library workers.

By the Book- Half reality show, half self-help podcast, and one wild social experiment. Join comedian Jolenta Greenberg and culture critic Kristen Meinzer as they live by the rules of a different self-help book each episode to figure out which ones might actually be life changing.

Eclectic Readers- a bookish podcast that reads a wide variety of books and discusses them. In theie regular monthly episodes, the hosts talk about what they’re currently reading, a general bookish topic, and then discuss that month’s book pick. Its a great set up, because if you haven’t read the book and don’t want to be spoiled, or it’s a book that you just aren’t interested in (it happens, no shame!), you can still listen to the first half of every episode.

Judging Book Covers- A bi-weekly book club podcast hosted by Stephanie Cortez and Meghan Griffin! Together, they cover everything from new releases to back list to bookish news as well as host a monthly book club.

Magical Space Pussycats- is podcast that hosts speculative fiction read-alongs of books from the Lady Vaults along with general chit-chat and bookish goodness.

Novel Ideas- two hosts discuss and review different books every month. This podcast focuses more on themes and broader concepts than whether the hosts liked the book or not.

The Worst Bestsellers- a podcast where Kait, Renata, and a guest talk about popular books of questionable quality. It’s kind of like How Did This Get Made? or Mystery Science Theater 3000, but for books.

Author/Reader Interview Podcasts

Barnes&Noble Podcast- every episode the B&N podcast interviews one writer on what inspires them, what confounds them, and what they were thinking when they wrote the books people can’t stop talking about.

Barnes&Noble YA Podcast- host and bestselling author Melissa Alber explores the stories behind the YA books you love. Every episode Melissa sits down with fellow YA authors to get to know them and understand the stories behind their works.

Books With Jen- a podcast run by author Jen Campbell where she interviews writers and talks about books.

Bookish with Sonya Walger- Every episode, actress Sonya Walger interviews a different guest about the 5 books that shaped them.

Breakfast in Beauclair- Every episode, host Alyssa of GoodMorhen sits with a new guest to discuss Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher Universe. Join our international hanza as we accompany the witcher, Geralt of Rivia, and his destiny, Cirilla of Cintra, on their journeys across The Continent.

Mean Book Club- Four ladies (UCB-NY, BuzzFeed, College Humor, Impractical Jokers) read, discuss & make fun of NYT bestselling books with little literary merit.

Novel Conversations- a podcast summarizing the world’s greatest works of classic literature: in 35 minutes you get the whole story from cover to cover. In each episode, Frank Lavallo hosts two readers, and the three of them give their reactions to the story and read their favorite passages along the way. Each episode features Endnotes by Ted Schwartz, a segment with interesting facts about the author.

Overdue- a podcast about the books you’ve been meaning to read. Join Andrew and Craig each week as they tackle a new title from their backlog. Classic literature, obscure plays, goofy murder mysteries: they’ll read it all, one overdue book at a time.

Re: Read- a podcast where the hosts sit down and reread the Classics from their Middle School and High School days.

Read it Forward- hosted by Senior Editor Abbe Wright. Every week, she sits down with authors to hear about their latest book, their writing process, and the books on their TBR pile. Abbe also shares what she’s reading and serves up book recommendations that are sure to please.

Sarah’s Bookshelves Live- a weekly book podcast featuring real talk about books and recommendations from a featured bookish guest.

Genre Specific Podcasts

Bodice Tipplers- hosts Courtney and Sara e read the romance novels they used to steal off our grandmothers’ nightstands. Each episode they examine the good, the bad, and the throbbing of vintage romances.

Book Geeks Uncompromised- Listen to Dani and Greg as they talk about bookish things going on and a spoiler-free review of a book each week. Sometimes they are even joined by some amazing authors such as RJ Barker, Anna Stephens, and Tal Klein to discuss their works!

Book Thingo- Lively discussions about romance books, culture, and Tim Tams, between readers, academics, and bestselling authors.

Books in the Freezer- A bi-weekly book podcast dedicated to the deliciously disturbing world of horror fiction.

Defiantly Bookish- A podcast that talks about random topics in the world of Youn gAdult books.

Deep Readers Podcast- A podcast hosted by some of the minds at Deep Readers Club, a monthly subscription book box providing literary fiction and bookish goods surrounding an emotional theme.

For Real- a biweekly nonfiction podcast, hosted by Book Riot, that puts the spotlight on new books and old favorites that tell it like it is, or at least try to.

Hey YA- From great new books to favorite classic reads, from news to the latest in on-screen adaptations, the Hey YA podcast is here to elevate the exciting world of young adult lit.

Infatuated with Romance- Join veteran romance reviewer Sue Brown-Moore and standout voices in romantic fiction as they chat about their favorite book boyfriends, the hottest reads you didn’t know you needed, the authors they fangirl over, and other crazy shenanigan.

JK, Its Magic- A bi-weekly podcast in which two bookish besties, Jessie and Kelly, read YA fantasy through a critical lens. Why? Because critique is our fangirl love language. And because talking about books is pretty magical.

KidLit These Days- is your kidlit connoisseurs pairing the best of children’s literature with what’s going on in the world today.

Ladies of the Fright- a fun podcast where two best friend talks about all things dark, disturbing and horror related.

Novel Gazng- the newest podcast from Book riot, Novel Gazing is a biweekly podcast dedicated to news, recommendations, and general goings-on from the world of literary fiction. EPISODE 0

Read or Dead- a bi-weekly mystery fiction podcast dedicated to the worlds of mystery and thriller literature.

SFF Yeah- biweekly fantasy and science fiction podcast dedicated to the latest happenings and our favorite recommendations from the worlds of science fiction and fantasy.

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books- Each week Sarah Wendell interviews authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians about romance novels, which are among the most popular genres in fiction worldwide.

Sword and Laser- Read along with the Sword and Laser book club! From classic science fiction to the latest gritty fantasy, they cover it. Subscribe for book discussions, author interviews, hot releases, and news from the genre fiction world!

Teen Creeps- Grownup comedians Kelly Nugent and Lindsay Katai discuss the trashy teen horror of their awkward neon youth - from the rise of MTV to the fall of … well, MTV. So tighten those side ponytails, push your pogs to one side, then fire up your 56k dial-up modem and subscribe. New episodes every Wednesday on the Forever Dog Podcast Network. All creepy opinions expressed are those of the hosts.

We Are YA- You’ve heard from young adult authors on social, now hear what they really have to say! Writer and journalist Anna Borges talks with the diverse authors that make up the modern YA community on We Are YA, presented by Penguin Teen

When In Romance- a biweekly romance podcast dedicated to romance novel news, enthusiasm, and romance book recommendations from Book Riot!

Harry Potter Themed Podcasts

Would any list of bookish podcasts be complete without at least a nod to some of our favorite Harry Potter themed podcasts? We think not!

Binge Mode Harry Potter- Jump on your broom and join The Ringer’s Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion as they take their signature deep dive into ‘Harry Potter,’ covering all the books and movies as well as the extended ‘Potter’ universe.

Harry Potter and the Sacred Text- It’s the English class you didn’t know you missed and the meaningful conversations you didn’t know you craved. Join Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile as they bring thought, reflection and laughter to Harry Potter; not just as novels, but as instructive and inspirational texts that will teach us about our own lives. Relive the magic chapter by chapter as they explore themes such as commitment, revenge and forgiveness. This podcast creates time in your week to think about life’s big questions. Because reading fiction doesn’t just help us escape the world, it helps us live in it.

MuggleCast- your weekly ride into the Wizarding World. Pioneering the Harry Potter podcast phenomenon in August 2005, MuggleCast has continued to bring its listeners entertaining and thought-provoking discussions about J.K. Rowling’s expanding universe. With each new episode we discuss everything Harry Potter: the latest news, the Potter books, Fantastic Beasts, The Cursed Child, the theme parks, the video games, and more!

Swish and a Flick- Welcome to Swish & Flick: An All Potter Podcast! We will be dissecting all aspects of the Potter series, chapter by chapter, and be warned, there WILL be spoilers. We are rereading the series and putting together all our knowledge from the complete canon as well as adding in what we have learned from JK Rowling’s Pottermore writings, exploring unknown areas with fan theories, and even coming up with some theories and ideas of our own!

Women of Harry Potter- a feminist podcast lifting up the successes and struggles of the women in our favorite book series. Join Vanessa Zoltan, Ariana Nedelman, and special guests as we bless a new character from the magical world in each episode. As we move the experiences of these women from the margins of the story to the center, we hope to learn more about the text, ourselves, and the people around us.

Podcasts No Longer Airing

Finally, because we are as much about back lists as we are about new releases our final section focuses on fantastic bookish podcasts that have not released an episode within the last six months. While they be over, they are still amazing and there is a treasure trove of fantastic recommendations, interviews, bookish news, and reading life hacks ready for the listen.

Book Ends- is not your run-of-the-mill interview show; it is by writers for writers and those who love the written word. And it’s not just novels either – poetry, travel writing, biographies, cook books and all manner of printed works will be discussed!

Bookish Blether- A regular podcast about books and reading with Holly (@hollyjunesmith) and Nicola (@robotnic).

Bookish Tarts- A fabulously racy podcast hosted by chick lit writer Georgina Penney and erotica and contemporary romance writer, Rhyll Biest.

Bookish Things Podcast- A podcast where Scott and Eric talk about books, themselves and other bookish things

Bookragous- a handful of book lovers talk and laugh about all things books and reading. They are serious about books but not exactly serious.

Books on the Nightstand- a bookish podcast that ran from 2008 to 2016. Hosts Michael Kindness and Ann Kingman talked about all things bookish and set out with the goal to grow your TBR.

Cookish and Bookish- Meredith and Sara talk what it means to be a modern lady, new recipes, crafts, what they’re reading, and all the laughs, wins, rants, and fails in between.

No Shelf Control- a bookish podcast where a few bookish friends talk about all things books and reading.

Podice Rippers- Get ready to dog-ear those paperbacks and turn those Kindles down low. The radiant Lainey Seaton and ravishing Natalie Warner are blazing into the podcast scene hot and bothered and bookish as all hell. Join us each episode as we talk at length and girth about all things romance novel. The only requirement is that you keep it lusty. And consensual.

What About You???

Let us know in the comment what your favorite bookish podcast is and if we missed it, we’ll add it!