This idea comes from Dewey’s own Weekly Geek idea list which she shared on her blog, and which I, thankfully, swiped before her blog was removed and can now glean from as I ponder new and hopefully fun Weekly Geek tasks.
Dewey worded it this way, “find and review a link to a book podcast.” I’m modifying this just a bit and am asking you to share with us a podcast you love, preferably book related, but not necessarily so. Give us the link, of course, and share with us details about that podcast and why you enjoy it so much. If you have a couple or three favorites, share them all!
Then, as the week goes on, check out every one’s suggestions, find time to listen to a few, then come back and let us know what you discovered, and if you’ve found a new favorite podcast.
If you don’t listen to podcasts at all, tell us why, or what it would take to peak your interest in them. Perhaps you could do as Dewey suggests, and do a little research (Google book podcasts) and find one, then post on your blog what you discover and if you liked it or not.
I have never gotten into the whole podcast thing. I want to do so, but as in tune as I am with the latest and greatest in the online world, I confess that I just do not understand podcasts. What exactly are they? How do they differ from audio books? Why are they popular?
So, rather than me taking the time to do a little research, which I do not have this week, I open this up to my fellow bloggers to help me understand just what they are, why they are appealing and recommendations for dipping my toes into the world of podcasts. If I were to download one podcast, what would you recommend? When do you listen to podcasts? What got you started in them?
Dreamybee – I've listened to Car Talk before. Yes, they are funny. Thanks for the suggestion!
Sprite – Thanks for the info! I will definitely have to check them out!
I too like listening to podcasts while driving or filing. I also find that listening to a podcast gives me a good excuse to just sit and stretch at the end of the day. After being hunched up at a desk all day, this can be a good break. One of my favorite non-book podcast is Car Talk. Although the main thrust of the show is people calling in with car-repair issues, you don't have to be a mechanic or a car enthusiast to enjoy it. This is a case where the subject matter takes a back seat to the hosts, Tom and Ray, who are hilarious.
You might try listening to CraftLit, which serializes classic novels. The first part is usually related to knitting or other crafty topics, but if you aren't interested, you can just fast-forward to the book analysis and text.
Tammy – I would DEFINITELY be interested in a podcast that is a book. I spend so much time on the computer these days, that I would totally love multi-tasking like that. I would imagine that it would have to be fluffier stuff though. Do you have any recommendations?
There are several that are just audio versions of books, short stories, or poetry (podcasts are free, so the books are usually in the public domain), but there's also a lot that are about books but are not the books themselves. For instance, the podcast might give reviews, interview authors, or discuss news from the book world.
Also, several of the bigger publishers put out their own podcasts to promote their authors, so they're a good way to discover new stuff.
I'm a podcast addict, so I could go on about this all day, lol!
Thanks, Suey! I'll have to check them out!
Podcasts are like a radio show that you can listen to either online, or on your iPod (or whatever you have.) And so what I like is, you can listening whenever you want. You can subscribe, let them stack up a bit, download them all, then get caught up all at once.
I like to listen while on a long drive, or while working at home on scrapbooks, or sewing, or some other crafty thing. Or even while cleaning, though I tend to want music more then.
I'll be blogging about my favorites soon, I hope. The two I really like are called Books on the Nightstand, and Writing Excuses.