Best Book Podcasts for Literary Fans and #BookTok Followers
This list of podcasts was curated and written by: Bethanne Patrick, host of Missing Pages.
Books and podcasts share a special bond: providing an intimate space for heartfelt stories, conversations and comfort. And when you combine the two to create book podcasts? Magic happens!
Whether you’re looking for a new author to follow or are wanting to discover a new literary world, here are some of the best book podcasts for literature fans and #BookTok followers alike, spanning from in-depth interviews to beautifully-reimagined stories.
Here are the best book podcasts…
Podcast: Missing Pages
Episode: The Good Liar: The Dan Mallory Story
Description: An all-new investigative podcast produced by The Podglomerate and hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider Bethanne Patrick. Across its eight-episode debut season, Missing Pages reopens “literary cold cases” to uncover the power struggles, mistaken identities, and unfathomably bad behavior within the secretive world of book publishing. Each episode brings in authors, experts, publishing insiders, and a circus of NYC media elites to tell the real story; unfit for print.
Podcast: LeVar Burton Reads
Episode: "Troll Bridge" by Terry Pratchett
Description: The best short fiction, handpicked by arguably one of the best voices in podcasting. In every episode, host LeVar Burton (Roots, Reading Rainbow, Star Trek) invites you to take a break from your daily life, and dive into a great story. LeVar’s narration blends with gorgeous soundscapes to bring stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury and more to life.
Podcast: The History of Literature
Episode: 422 Wallace Stegner (with Melodie Edwards)
Description: With a podcast name like this, how could you not listen to this book podcast? The History of Literature (from The Podglomerate network) is a long-standing show that’s repeatedly hit the top of the Book / Arts charts on Apple Podcasts, and for good measure: each week, literature enthusiast Jacke Wilson journeys through the history of lit, from ancient epics to contemporary classics. Episodes are not in chronological order and you don't need to start at the beginning - feel free to jump in wherever you like!
Podcast: NPR’s Book of the Day
Episode: Two nonfiction books reminiscent of a bygone era in Hollywood
Description: In need of a good read? Or just want to keep up with the books everyone's talking about? NPR's Book of the Day gives you today's very best writing in a snackable, skimmable, pocket-sized podcast. Whether you're looking to engage with the big questions of our times – or temporarily escape from them – we've got an author who will speak to you, all genres, mood and writing styles included. Catch today's great books in 15 minutes or less.
Podcast: Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books
Episode: Ruta Sepetys, I Must Betray You
Description: Zibby Owens, author, podcaster, publisher, and mother of four, conducts warm, inquisitive interviews with authors on this award-winning, widely heralded literary podcast. Zibby, dubbed "NYC's Most Important Book-fluencer" by Vulture, is a regular books columnist for Good Morning America and Katie Couric Media. Launched in 2018, Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books has been downloaded millions of times and has spawned two anthologies, an online magazine, a virtual book club, and a publishing house.
Podcast: Well-Read Black Girl with Glory Edim
Episode: Gabrielle Union On Writing Her Truth
Description: Writer and founder of the Well-Read Black Girl book club Glory Edim is a book lover who brings readers and writers together to celebrate the written word. Expanding on the community she built in 2015, Well-Read Black Girl is the literary kickback you never knew you needed. Each week, Glory sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Min Jin Lee, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Elizabeth Acevedo and more. You’ll also meet WRBG Book Club members, literacy advocates, and Black booksellers to hear what they’re reading and what it means to be well-read. Join Glory through this current cultural moment – where art, justice and literature collide – and pay homage to the literary legacies of the women who paved the way. You’ll laugh, cry, connect and build space for kinship in a shared love of literature. Tune in, turn the page, and join the celebration.
Podcast: Ursa Short Fiction
Episode: Chelsea T. Hicks on the Stories and Wazhazhe Language in 'A Calm & Normal Heart'
Description: Join authors Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies) and Dawnie Walton (The Final Revival of Opal & Nev) for author interviews, book club discussions, and immersive short stories — all celebrating fiction from some of today's most thrilling writers, with an emphasis on spotlighting underrepresented voices.
Podcast: Libro.fm Podcast
Episode: Interview with Clint Smith
Description: Produced by Libro.fm (the only audiobook company that splits its profits with local, independent bookstores), the Libro.FM Podcast is a monthly series of interviews and conversations with some of your favorite authors and book lovers. You’ll also get a glimpse into the world of audiobooks and its amazing narrators.
Podcast: Book Dreams
Episode: Ep. 98 - Goliath and Captain America, with Tochi Onyebuchi
Description: From The Podglomerate network, Book Dreams is a podcast for everyone who loves books and misses English class. In each episode co-hosts Julie Sternberg and Eve Yohalem explore a book-related topic they can’t stop thinking about, everything from the genius of your favorite picture books to books bound in human skin. Julie and Eve are both award-winning authors, which allows them to approach interviews with an insider’s knowledge, not to mention good ol’ fashioned wonder associated with storytelling.
Podcast: The New Yorker: Fiction
Episode: Rebecca Curtis Reads Haruki Murakami
Description: You know The New Yorker, and you might have worn its tote bag around town, but have you listened to it in action? Produced in collaboration between WNYC and the legacy publication itself, The New Yorker: Fiction is a monthly reading and conversation podcast led by New Yorker fiction editor Deborah Treisman.
Thank you to Bethanne Patrick for curating this mid-week list for us at EarBuds Podcast Collective.
Bethanne is a world-renowned book critic and literary insider whose monthly columns/reviews for NPR, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe have moved hundreds of thousands of copies. Check your shelves: chances are you own a book (or three) with a Bethanne blurb on the cover. In addition to being the host of Missing Pages, she’s also an influencer in the social media book realm as @TheBookMaven, where she originated the popular #FridayReads hashtag.
Bethanne Patrick, host of the new podcast Missing Pages
