“Welcome to the era of the book club podcast,” said Emily Watkins in The i Paper. The formula is straightforward: the host chooses a book to talk about and audiences “tune in at their leisure” to listen. “It’s an undeniable hit,” especially for those who “shudder at the thought of talking to strangers”.
With Gen Z increasingly turning to physical books, in part fuelled by the rise of #booktok and vocal celebrity readers like Dua Lipa, it seems book clubs – both on and offline – are “more popular than ever”. The nature of podcasts means audiences can either read the title before listening or “dip into an episode” about a book they haven’t read. Here are some of the best.
NPR’s Book of the Day
This snappy 15-minute podcast is “great for discovering new books to add to your reading list”, said Town & Country. The daily show is filled with all the latest news about the most exciting releases and has fascinating interviews with a diverse array of writers.
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The Book Club Review
This “no-nonsense” podcast “takes reading seriously – in a good way”, said Watkins. Hosts Laura Potter and Kate Slotover (who both worked in publishing) discuss – and occasionally “rip to shreds” – one of the latest reads from their in-person club. The episodes are also peppered with author interviews and interesting recommendations. “Expect heartfelt criticism, insightful analysis and rousing debate.”
The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy
Broadcaster Ryan Tubridy is a “household name” in Ireland and his podcast is “quite Celtic accented, but given the strength of Irish writing, so are many bookshelves”, said Patricia Nicol in The Sunday Times. Each episode, guests are asked to share one book from their childhood, one that made them cry and one that changed their life. It makes for a great listen, partly because of the “clear format” and partly because Tubridy is such a “capably amiable presenter”.
Overdue
Andrew Cunningham and Craig Getting host this “podcast about the books you’ve been meaning to read”, said Amber Gwynne, a writing lecturer at the University of Queensland, on The Conversation. While certain to add some “dog-eared classics to your to-be-read pile”, like “Madame Bovary”, there’s also some newer reads like Gabrielle Zevin’s 2022 gaming novel, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”.
Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club
Those who “like their literature with a side of laughter” will enjoy this hilarious show, said Watkins. In each episode, comedians Sara Pascoe and Cariad Lloyd invite celebrity guests to discuss the book they’re reading, making it “more giggly chat than hardcore review”. Akin to a “classic panel show but with none of the attendant blokey humour”, it’s laugh-out-loud funny – “I snorted more than once at the ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ episode”.
Backlisted
John Mitchinson and Andy Miller host this “much-loved and long-running” literary podcast, said Nicol in The Times. Every fortnight a new guest shares a “favourite old book” that’s worth reading. Recent episodes include the poet Emily Berry on Anne Sexton’s “All My Pretty Ones” and the thriller writer Alex Michaelides on Ford Madox Ford’s “The Good Soldier”.
