Podcasts are the busy person’s way of being entertained and informed in a format that allows for multi-tasking. My favorite activity to do while listen to a podcast is walking. During good weather I will walk my two huskies and listen in to one or more episodes. Aside from walking, I do also take advantage of the time I spending driving in the car or while doing household chores to listen to some of my favorite podcasts. If I’m not listening to a podcast on food and cooking, then it is about books and reading. Other topics I find myself tuning into are usually related to business and self-help life tips.
Podcasts on the foodie side: Hands down, Salt & Spine does an amazing job of telling the story behind the Cookbook! Brian is a wonderful interviewer, who knows his guest’s background and always asks the perfect questions. He really gives you a sense of the cookbook and the author behind it. I love how he has his guests play a game at the end of every interview! If you love cookbooks Salt & Spine is a must listen to. Another podcast I enjoy that highlights food authors, is Food: New Books in Food. Here I feel like I discover some less popular books that may not cross my path if not for this podcast. It’s always wonderful to hear from the authors themselves and their inspirations for their literary works. On this podcast you get more than just cookbooks! If you are intrigue with what goes on behind the scene of a restaurant, and you want to learn more about the people working in the food industry, then Cooper & Heat should be on your list. Cooper & Heat is a James Beard Award-winning podcast! It’s almost like reading a collection of memoirs. Hungry for History with Eva Longoria and Maite Gomez-Rejon is a newer podcast that dives deep into food history. They share some great foodie facts! A more established and popular foodie podcast is Radio Cherry Bombe. These interviews consist of chefs, bakers, and others in the food world. There are celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, and creative entrepreneurs sharing their life story with some recipes, too! If you enjoy a drink with your reading, you’ll want to check out Literature & Libations. Kayla and Taylor giggle their way through book discussions and drink recommendations. If you need lift your mood, this is a great one to hit play on. They even give you a cocktail recipe! Last but not least on my subscriber list is The Splendid Table. This one is hosted by award winning food journalist, Francis Lam! I absolutely love listening to this podcast, because I come away with so much information on food across cultures.
Podcasts on the bookish side, would include What Should I Read Next?, NPR’s Book of the Day, The Book Case with Kate & Charlie Gibson, Moms Don’t have Time to Read Books, About Books, The Bookstore, Shelf Help and Got Books?
If you are like me, you not only enjoy reading, but you are also thrilled when you find a fellow book nerd that takes pleasure in talking about story plots, their favorite character tropes and or what their new life goals are due to an inspiring read. When you can’t find anyone to talk about books with you, it is always fun to listen to others talk about book recommendations, news of the publishing industry, and what it is like to be a bookseller.
Starting with Books & Boba, which to me the title of their podcast felt misleading. I originally thought it would be relating to food and books. Yet, it is wonderful to have a podcast solely dedicated to Asian and Asian American authors. What Should I Read Next?, has a few too many infomercials, but it is worth listening to because Anne Bogel brings on the show, regular people who are readers and helps them to select their next read. Anne has also written a few books and reading journals. For a quick, “snackable,” book recommendation, I go to NPR’s Book of the Day. These are really short, about 10 minute shows that help readers keep up with what everyone else might be reading and talking about around the office. Similarly, when you are crunched for time, Moms Don’t have Time to Read Books, offers great for snippet bookish information. Zibby Owens, is a tough act to follow. She has earned various awards and recognition for her podcast where she interviews authors and provides insight into featured books all under 30 minutes. She is an author herself and a new bookstore owner, too!!!
For a not so rushed conversation around books and to get author’s recommendations for your next addition to a TBR list, I would suggest The Book Case with Kate & Charlie Gibson. This is a cute podcast, because it is hosted by a father-daughter duo. The Bookstore podcast is also a dual hosted show that feels like you’re at your book club meeting. Becca and Corinne, both English majors and experienced with working in a bookstore, share their book reviews with complete honesty. Occasionally, they also interview authors, which is always a treat, too!
Now, for book obsessed peps that dream of owning a bookstore, I would recommend listening to Got Books and Bookstore Explorer with Matt Browning. Got Books interviews bookstore owners around the world on what it is like to be a bookstore owner along with some book recommendations. The host of this show recently had a baby and may be taking some time before starting up again with her interviews. Bookstore Explorer also interviews bookstore owners in a way that really paints a picture of the shops and the people who run them. Who knows, maybe one day Culinarian Bookshop will have a podcast, where you can get Book and Food pairing recommendations!
I’d love to hear about your favorite podcast! Share it in the comments below.
