18.Nov.2009 Weekly Geeks: Book Podcasts
This week’s Weekly Geeks is about book podcasts and it’s something I’d really like to share!
I’m a very late follower of podcasts since I was never a fan of listening to anything. Sure I like some music, but I never really have to listen to them. But once I found these book podcasts I was absolutely hooked! I listen to them walking outside, before sleep, waking up, getting ready for work — it’s crazy!
One that I absolutely love and have been listening like nuts is Books on the Nightstand by Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness. I’d been to their websites a couple of times before but somehow never tried the podcasts. I tried them about 2 weeks ago, and now can NOT stop. I’m now happily going through the 50+ podcasts that are available from the very first episode. There’s a new one every fortnight and they started it some time last year. The last podcast talks about women writers which ties nicely with the Women Unbound challenge. It’s like listening to your friends talking about their favorite books. Except that they know so much since they breathe books for work.
Second is Alexander McCall Smith’s online novel: Corduroy Mansions which I am absolutely crazy about as well. The link I gave you features the second instalment of the series which is still going (The Dog Who Came in from the Cold), but I’m still halfway through the first book. One chapter is only about 6-8 minutes and it’s just perfect length for me to listen walking from bus stop to and fro my office. The first book is officially no longer published, but I have the rss link which contains links to all 100 chapters (download them quick because they can take it down anytime :). The book has very little to no plot, but it’s just so cozy with quirky characters having adorable thoughts of random things. Because of that, I suggest you listen to no more than a couple of chapters a day rather than rush through it.
Third is ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club which is very Australian, featuring Australian guests and often Australian authors. The podcasts are video podcasts and they have a new one only every month so I don’t have many to go all over. But I thoroughly enjoy the new one every month. They often discuss books that I never heard before, and yet sound very interesting! Do you also feel that sometimes book bloggers read the same pool of books? Well with these podcasts, I get to know about even wider range of books! (which what the Books on the Nightstand does as well)
Last one is the New Yorker Fiction podcasts. Now I haven’t tried them yet, but they definitely look interesting. It was recommended to me by Mark David. It features contemporary authors reading shorts by older authors. I see lots of big names there!
Would you share your favorite book podcasts too? I’m dying to find more! :D
mee 
