For a long time I wanted to listen to podcasts but didn't know how to find something I'd be interested in. I thought podcasts usually covered current events, and consisted of one person talking about a topic.
Turns out I was pretty wrong.
There is so, so many podcasts out there (including mine!) that there's something for everyone. I've broken this guide up into different sections, so feel free to skip to the kind of podcasts you're interested in or check them all out to find something new...
Bookish Podcasts:
Emily Edwards is a certified genius as far as I'm concerned. Her pocast, Fuckbois of Lit has opened my eyes to the vast amount of fuckbois that exist in classic lit. These are usually characters I already hated in books, but had never realised how apt the word fuckboi was to describe them.
From authors like Byron to characters like the X-Men, fuckbois might be a modern concept, but they appear throughout literature. With a variety of guests, this podcast is always funny and insightful. More times than I care to count have I shouted "OMG Yes!" when I'm listening in my car...I'm sure I've had some strange looks from people in the cars next to me.
For: Lovers of classic books who are frustrated by the lack of good quality male characters - or those confused as to why so many people dislike Heathcliff, Rochester, and Gatsby.
Find out more on Spotify.
2. Book Cheat
Book Cheat rests on the presidency that I'm sure a lot of people relate to: not reading the assigned text before the test.
HOST has guests every week who have never read the book featured, and heexplains it to them. Sounds simple. Results in hilarity.
I only tend to listen to the books I've read as I find them funniest, and they might not be as useful at spark notes when it comes to revision, but super relatable and feel a lot like having conversations with your friends.
For: Those who aren't interested in reading the book
Cheat your way through some books here on Spotify
3. Oh No! Lit Class
Hosted by English grads Megan and RJ, they call this podcast 'semi-educational'. I think that's unfair though. It's very educational...depending on what part of literature you're interested in.
Focusing on the stuff that lit class would never teach you, episodes are divided between the author and the book, with a full - if unfocused - recap of each story making up the majority of the podcast.
Oh No! Lit Class covers all the classics you had to read at school, but makes them a hell of a lot more fun. Swearing, sex, and many, many a nickname. What's not to love?
For: A version of English class that doesn't make you explain why the author used blue curtains to represent the character's sadness.
4. Novel Predictions
We all make predictions about the books we're reading as we're reading them. And we've probably all been wrong about it in some way.
Taking that idea, hosts Kales and Alyson give each other books to read each month, books that they've read, but the other hasn't. They read a couple of chapters and then hit record to predict how the book will end. After finishing the book, they record another episode re-evaluating their predictions and talking about the book as a whole.
With one having read the book and one not, this often leads to a lot of fun (and sometimes strange) predictions. It's a really entertaining listen, especially if you've read the books they're discussing as you desperately want to join in the conversation or react to the predictions.
For: Laughter, analysis and some new books for your TBR
Listen here
Adulting Podcasts
The Mature Podcast is one of the latest editions to my rotation. I found it over on The Struggling Graduate in an interview Tara did with the hosts, McKenna and Tiffani. The girls are so relatable, exploring topics such as self-confidence and comparison, long-distance relationships, and unspoken pressures.
McKenna and Tiffani are fun, honest hosts who don't try to preach or fix your problems, they just admit that they're problems we all face and it's okay to not know what you're doing...no one really does.
For: People who are struggling to find their path or feel okay at their current point. Those seeking reassurance that "post-grad life" isn't as amazing as you thought it would be, and that there's nothing wrong with that.
Find them on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play Music
2. Normal Adult Human
Hosts Morgan and Charlie are in 2 different points in their life: one is married with children and has been an adult for half their life, the other lives with their girlfriend and dog and has been an adult for 8 years. The ten years between them, along with the simple fact that no one's life reflects another persons, means Normal Adult Human offers relatable topics, a chance to see a new perspective, and reassurance that you're doing okay all at once.
This began with a comic on Instagram called Normal Adult Human, and became a podcast about the responsibilities of adulthood that you never saw coming, and that truth that we all learn to accept: adulting is different for everyone.
For: A more serious look at adulthood and how growing up can chance a person, but reassurance that it isn't a bad thing.
Listen on Soundcloud, Spotify and Google Podcasts.
3. Capital
In Capital , Erin Borders explores post-grad life and the grey area that is goals.
In education, there are always goals to reach, deadlines to meet, and essays to write. There's a grading system and you know what people expect of you, when you've accomplished something.
Capital offers a way to bring these systems we're so used to into the working world. She explains that instead of the free fall that it's easy to find yourself lost in, by managing your own deadlines, goals, and grading, you can find some comfort knowing that school may be over, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to accomplish.
For: Those who like the security of having something to aim for, and find themselves a little lost now that education is behind them.
Listen here on Apple Podcasts
Podcasts to Learn Something New:
1. There's No Such Thing As A Fish
There's No Such Thing As A Fish is the first podcast I started listening to, and for a long time it was the only. With over 300 episodes, there's plenty of material to go back and listen to if you get hooked!
Made my the QI Elves (i.e. the researchers behind the TV show QI), Fish sees the hosts talk about their 4 favourite facts from the last seven days. It's a really simple concept, meaning you can pick up episodes at random, and it never really matters what you've . It's informative, incredibly funny, and full of the strangest facts you'll ever come across.
For: Belly-hurting laughter, and unbelievable facts that will help you break the ice next time you're meeting someone new.
2. Myths and Legends
Before I say anything else about Myths and Legends, let it be known that the host, Jason Weiser, has the calmest voice ever.
Born out of a love for reading, Myths and Legends (perhaps unsurprisingly) covers myths, legends, and folklore from around the world. From Ancient Greek Gods, to tales of King Arthur, to the origins of Disney tales, this podcast covers it all. Seriously. It's been going weekly since 2015 - there are so many episodes.
Jason retells these stories with some slight modern inflections, keeping them interesting but making sure to stick to the core tale. At first this was a little jarring for me. The style was not what I had expected, but I soon came to expect the comments about how some of the characters' behaviour would fly these days.
For: A history lesson in the bizarre, the hidden, and the sometimes scary. Listren to what you're interested in, or learn about folktales you've never heard of before, there's an episode for everything.
Find them on Spotify, Google Play, or their here on their website
Harry Potter Podcasts:
1. Witch Please
The list wouldn't be complete if I didn't bring Harry Potter into it. Witch, Please is a fortnightly exploration of the Wizarding World from a scholarly/literary point of view. Marcelle and Hannah are are a refreshing pair of eyes when it comes to the series, as they tackle it in a particularly critical way.
Now I don't mean that they tear the work apart with criticism, but their podcast is a feminist critique of literature. I'm a bit of a nerd about this one (you know, cuz of the whole English Student thing) but the fun thing is that they do it for the films as well.
You might not be into literary criticism, but their approach is all about representation and the choices Rowling made. They address a lot of the things which continue to frustrate the fandom today.
They also back Hermione as the best character of the series which is very true so you should maybe go listen to them...
For: Lovers of the Harry Potter series who want to explore the world from a more critical perspective, and enjoy comparing book to film.
2. Potterless
People (of a certain generation) who haven't read Harry Potter are a rare breed. Mike Schubert is one such elusive creature, and this podcast is him taking the plunge into the Wizarding World for the first time.
Taking a couple of chapters at time, Mike sits down each week with a Harry Potter fanatic to point out the plot holes, questions the quests, and rant about how Quidditch is the worst sport invented.
As fans of the series, you might disagree with him, but there's no denying that Mike makes some witty observations as he observes the world from an adult point of view. Without the magic of childhood love, he definitely gets pretty snarky about it, but the fun of it is that this podcast is a journey and - without ruining the listening experience - he gets a bit less sarcastic throughout the series.
For: People new to Harry Potter, or people who wish they could read the series again, without knowing what's going to happen.
Have a listen to Potterless here
3. Priori Incanpodcast
I can hardly let the opportunity to plug my own podcast pass now can I? As you may have gathered from the title, the podcast is all about Harry Potter and the Wizarding World. Hosted by myself and Calum (who is also responsible for the Twitter), we basically took the conversations we were already having about Harry Potter and started recording them.
We've just finished the first series (+ a Christmas special) and are in the midst of planning series 2! We'd love it if you could join us on this podcasting journey as we gather guests, disagree on who the best character is, and answer your questions.
For: Lover's of Harry Potter who want to listen to two people debate why Hogwarts is a school (I stand firmly on the "it shouldn't be" side).
Find us here or on Spotify!
Podcasts are great. That's the message here. They're great and everyone should listen to them. Whilst you're cooking or when you're cleaning, during your gym sesh or your commute to work. They're brilliant ways to pass the time and learn something new - or find out more about that thing you didn't think anyone was interested in.
Seriously.
I don't care how niche you think your interest is, someone out there is making a podcast about it and you should give it a listen!
What podcasts do you listen to? And when do you listen to them?