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Podcasting? What Is It All About?

3/1/2012

10 Comments

 
Podcast logo
Forgive me if what I am about to talk about is utterly obvious. I am not particularly computer savvy (you can ask Catie or Flannery to confirm this sad fact), therefore it is no surprise that I learned of podcasting very, very recently. So, while writing this post, I am operating under an assumption that you are not aware of this awesome new (um, the term coined in 2004;) source of audio content, just like I was not just a few months ago.

As a reader who listens to A LOT of audio books (that is how I keep my read books numbers high), I am always in a search for new, preferably free, ways of getting my hands on audio entertainment. My first encounter with podcasting happened via accidentally glancing at one of my Goodreads.com friend's conversation in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy group. 

Escape Pod logo
Here it is - my first source of mainly nerdy content. Escape Pod podcast is a great place to land if you are looking for science fiction. The founders of this magazine claim to bring its subscribers short stories from some of today’s best science fiction stories, and they are not lying. A wide variety of critically acclaimed shorts are presented here, and (mostly) well narrated too.

Any book lover will appreciate this cool story - Surviving the eBookalypse by Randy Henderson. Imagine that digital books in fact ruin publishing world as we know - piracy is so rampant that writers are forced to seek out their personal sponsors who they attract by reading them excerpts from their works, in person, in confined and soundproof spaces where audio/video pirating is virtually impossible. Life is tough, brutally competitive for writers, they have to fight for each and every reader. With so many self-published writers these days such future does not sound that far fetched. This story is funny too.

Librivox logo
If you are looking for classics, LibriVox is a perfect place for you. This site's goal is to provide free audiobooks of the works available in the public domain (basically, anything published before 1923). It is a volunteer project, so you should adjust your quality expectations accordingly. From my experience, just like with the professionally recorded audio books, the quality varies. I recommend checking out the recording of The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton - beautifully narrated.

For lovers of the "serious" contemporary fiction, there are two great podcasts - The New Yorker Fiction Podcast and Guardian Books Podcast.

The New Yorker introduced me to Alice Munro, fan of whom I immediately became after listening to her short story Axis read by another writer - Lauren Groff. Another great offering, funny and sad, is Junot Diaz's How to Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie).
New Yorker Fiction Podcast logo
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Stories offered on this podcast are all read by famous writers and are followed by thoughtful discussions.

Guardian Books Podcast has a wider variety of materials - interviews, discussions, reading, a book club. Guardian introduced me to one of the best books I have read this year - Lauren Beukes' Zoo City in its Science Fiction Now and Tomorrow discussion.

And, finally, one last podcast I am going to mention. It actually has nothing to do with books and reading. It is Entertainment Weekly's InsideTV Podcast. Yep, I listen to it because it is funny and here they talk about Downton Abbey. If you are not hooked on this British costumed soap, you are missing out!
Downton Abbey picture
What about you? Do you listen to podcasts? And if you do, can you recommend me something interesting? I am going to pretend my iPod is not full enough already.
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10 Comments
Catie (The Readventurer) link
3/1/2012 01:26:28 am

I too really love getting free audiobooks and I can't wait to try out some of these podcasts. I'd probably never exercise or do any chores around my house if I didn't have things to listen to. Thanks for all the great information Tatiana!

Reply
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
3/1/2012 01:44:18 am

Same here, Catie. Without audio books, I'd never be able to do any of the stuff I hate doing.

Reply
Lisa O. link
3/1/2012 07:43:39 pm

Hi,
My name is Lisa and I have never listened to a podcast. Seriously? Seriously. Tatiana, you're not alone. I probably am. :D
Jokes aside, I just recently approached audiobooks and I find that it takes some getting used to. Some narrators I just can't connect to (I am listening to A Million Suns and can't say I like the way they... read)
Is it just me being nitpicky or do you girls have the same problem?

Reply
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
3/1/2012 08:40:13 pm

There were many readers that I didn't care for, Lisa. Like, I disliked them so much that they spoiled my "reading" experience to the point of me dropping the books altogether.

And, talking to other people, it appears audio books are not for everybody either. Some just don't absorb the information that way well.

Reply
Rita J Webb link
3/2/2012 01:32:42 am

I hadn't heard of podcasts before. Oh, I'd heard the word, but it meant nothing to me. I love my audiobooks (I read them in the car on my drive to/from work)...which I get free from the library. So maybe it is time for me to expand my experiences...except I'm not sure where I'd get the time.

Reply
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
3/2/2012 02:40:34 am

You see, sometimes I can't find some classics I want to listen to at my library, then LibriVox is good. Sometimes I want something short. Or sample new authors. Or listen to people talk books. It's a little different experience from just listening to novels on audio.

Reply
Yvonne
3/3/2012 11:36:33 am

I read the Guardian online all the time but never thought to check out their podcasts. After reading this post I went online and downloaded 4 Guardian Books Podcasts, which made a long drive on Friday go very quickly. Next goal: audiobooks. I'm embarrassed to say I've never tried one...

Reply
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
3/3/2012 11:42:56 am

Yes! I am so happy I was able to convince at least one person to try out podcasts:)

Reply
Lee @shewolfreads link
3/22/2012 02:59:07 am

Thanks for posting this. I love podcasts! Some book related podcasts I enjoy are Books on the NIghtstand, NPR Books, and NY Times Book Review. I've also gotten into the Sword and the Laser and Once and Future with Anton Strout. My all time favorite is Filmspotting. I listen to it every week. Looking forward to seeing more posts on your podcasts recommendations! Thanks for posting!

Reply
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
3/22/2012 04:13:03 am

Thank YOU, for giving me some more recommendations, Lee.

Reply



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