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Three Podcast Episodes I Love About Books

By Marissa Gillett | Aug 02, 2019

Three Podcast Episodes I Love About Books

One of the best parts of being the Digital Book Specialist at OverDrive is that I get to work with so many different groups of people. Out on the road, coworkers from every department, ranging from Technical Support to Legal, accompany me and our driver Ira at each event. While making my way from library to library, I also work with the public, either by introducing them to Libby for the first time or showing them tips and tricks so they can get the most out of their digital lending experience. Last but certainly not least, I have the pleasure of building relationships with our library partners. Rain or shine, you can usually find our team chit-chatting with library staff under our tent during our downtime at Digital Bookmobile events.

Over the last three months, I’ve met over 200 library staff members up and down the east coast and I’ve found that most of them share a love of one of my favorite pastimes (second to reading, of course). Podcasts! When I’m not nose (or ears) deep in a book, I’m usually listening to the latest episode any of the forty podcasts I’m subscribed to. So, when one of our library partners mentions they are a fellow podcast lover, I can’t help but start throwing recommendations their way. Here are three of my go-to suggestions for any book-loving podcast fanatic:

1. Criminal Ep 22 “Ex Libris”

Criminal has a way of satisfying true crime addicts without frightening them to the point that they must sleep with the lights on. Co-creators Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer cover topics like truck stop tigers, mile marker thieves, and the consequences of stealing petrified wood. Their episode, “Ex Libris”, tells the story of John Charles Gilkey, a man that steals hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of books over his lifetime. The storytelling in Criminal never disappoints and this episode in particular is full of twists and turns that had me fascinated until the very end.

2. 99% Invisible Ep 203 “The Giftschrank”

99% Invisible is a great podcast for anyone that has to consciously limit their time on Wikipedia so they don’t waste an entire day clicking through articles. Host Roman Mars dives deep into the hidden side of design and architecture that is often overlooked in everyday society. Have you ever wondered what happened to Adolf Hitler’s book “Mien Kampf” in the immediate aftermath of WWII? Would you believe me if I told you it was banished to a poison room? 99% Invisible’s episode “The Giftschrank” gives a whole new meaning to banned books.

3. The Morning Struggle Podcast Ep 9 “Reading”

If The Morning Struggle Podcast can’t convince you to form positive habits, then I’m really not sure who could. Each episode, hosts Jessie the Therapist and Husband Handsome Face discuss the history and science behind habits like meditation, waking up early, procrastination, and living within your means. Then they cover how to motivate yourself to form those habits to become the best version of you. Did you know reading not only reduces stress but also strengthens leadership skills? Some of the brightest minds in history are known to read every single day. Listen to The Morning Struggle Podcast’s episode “Reading” to see how opening a good book can change your life for the better.

Bonus: Okay, so technically this isn’t just one episode and I may be just a teeny, tiny bit biased, but I can’t have a list of my favorite podcasts about books without mentioning the Professional Book Nerds (PBN). I know, I know, it could technically be cheating considering I work 10 feet away from the hosts, Adam and Jill, when I’m not out on the road. But to be fair, I was a fan long before I started working at OverDrive ?. PBN is filled with witty banter, author interviews, and reading recommendations for book lovers of all kinds. The best part? They publish between 8-10 episodes a month, so you never have to wait very long to get your next fix!


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