But podcasts. I hadn't considered them. They do.
I'm not even sure I knew what a podcast was. Maybe that's where you are, too. Let's start there.
I like this definition from The Podcast Host: "Simply put: a podcast is an audio program, just like talk radio, but you subscribe to it on your smartphone and listen to it whenever you like." The podcasts I've listened to are free, but apparently you can also subscribe to podcasts, and some of those subscriptions cost money.
I'm mostly interested in podcasts about books. Here are some book and book-ish podcasts I've sampled or have been recommended to me.
Backlisted, brought to you by Unbound, aims to give new life to old books. Regular presenters John Mitchinson and Andy Miller enter into a lively discussion with a guest to convince their listeners to read a book while arguing why it has stood the test of time.
Just the Right Book is a podcast hosted by Roxanne Coady, owner of famous independent bookstore R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT, that will help you discover new and noteworthy books in all genres, give you unique insights into your favorite authors, and bring you up to date with what’s happening in the literary world.
Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books of a unique and inspiring individual.
A Way with Words is a fun radio show and podcast about language examined through family, history, and culture.
Along with host Pamela Paul, the editors behind The New York Times book review keep you updated on the news of the literary world, their reads of the moment, and the given week's most popular books.
A must for the serious reader, Bookworm showcases writers of fiction and poetry - the established, new or emerging - all interviewed with insight and precision by the show's host and guiding spirit, Michael Silverblatt.
Each episode, comedian Jolenta Greenberg and her friend Kristen Meinzer select a different self-help book and live life exactly as is instructed.
The Guardian Books podcast is a weekly delve into the world of writing. It features some of the world’s best authors through in-depth interviews while discussing wider trends, round-ups, prize winners and retrospectives on classic works.
Lit Up, a sanctuary for people who are crazy about books. On the podcast, you’ll hear from the world's most provocative writers talk about the power of stories and what drives them to create the work they do.
This show is for the person who loves celebrating the triumph of finishing a story, only to be stuck on which page-turner to pick next. In comes host Anne Bogel, who interviews readers about the books they're enjoying, in addition to the ones they didn't care for.
In each episode, hosts Andrew and Craig discuss novels that you've been meaning to read (and probably should have read by now) but haven't quite gotten to yet.
He Read She Read is the podcast where a couple of married bookworms discuss what they're reading and learning.
The mission of this highly-engaging and informative podcast is to help readers 'improve [themselves] through literature'.
Host Jason Balmet reads through classic Christian books as he delves into the minds of the most influential Christian writers throughout the course of history.
Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin shares insights, strategies, stories, and tips that help people understand themselves and create a happier life.
What does it mean to be human? How do we want to live? And who will we be to each other? Each week On Being explores a new discovery about the immensity of our lives.
Have you listened to any of these podcasts?
Are there any others you recommend?
*The chief takeaway from my class last summer, of course, has been the discovery of a new, almost other-worldly genre called flash nonfiction. Raise your hand if you've read flash nonfiction. I thought so.