Category Archives: Reading Promotion

Top 10 Literary Podcasts For Book Lovers

If you love books, then chances are you’ll love literary podcasts. Whether you’re looking for a podcast to listen to on your commute or your workout, or for a better way to stay updated on the latest books and authors, there’s a podcast for you. Here are the top ten literary podcasts not to miss.

  1. Backlisted: www.backlisted.fm

One of the most popular literary podcasts around, Backlisted is hosted by Unbound. Presented by John Mitchinson and Andy Miller, Backlisted aims to give old books new life. In each episode the two presenters, alongside an invited guest, attempt to convince listeners to read an old book, whilst discussing the main reasons why it remains relevant and popular.

2. The Guardian Books Podcast: https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/books

Hosted by Richard Lea, Claire Armitstead and Sian Cain and produced by The Guardian, this weekly podcast features some of the most renown authors. As well as author interviews, they also discuss trends in contemporary writing, as well as examining classic works.

3. Banging Book Club: https://play.acast.com/s/bangingbookclub

If you’re interested in books about sex and gender, then Banging Book Club is the literary podcast for you. Over the course of 47 episodes, three friends read a book about sex or gender and discuss it on the podcast. As well as discussing their favorite parts of the book or its flaws, they also share their personal experiences which creates a more intimate and personalized podcast.

4. Freedom, Books, Flowers & The Moon: https://play.acast.com/s/tlsvoices

The Times Literary Supplement produces this weekly podcast, whose title was inspired by Oscar Wilde’s question: ‘With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy?’ Through the lens of literature, aspects and trends in culture and ideas are examined and deeply interrogated each week.

5. Literary Friction: https://www.nts.live/shows/literaryfriction

Literary Friction is a monthly podcast which is hosted by two friends, Octavia and Carrie. If you’re looking for a more conversational podcast, then Literary Friction will be the one for you. As well as interviewing both new and established authors, Literary Friction also offers personal recommendations. The main aim of the podcast is to share and discuss books and ideas and each episode is designed around a theme.

6. Literary Disco: https://www.literarydisco.com/

Established in 2012, Literary Disco is hosted by three writer friends (Julia Pistell, Rider String and Tod Goldberg). The three hosts discuss all book types and genres. As well as fiction, they also read children’s books and YA, as well as poetry, plays and non-fiction books. Similarly, the guests vary from authors who suggest books to read and debate, to teachers, actors and librarians, offering a great array of opinions.

7. Reading Women: https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/

Reading Women is a podcast aimed at discussing and sharing books written by women or featuring remarkable women. Hosted by Kendra Winchester and Autumn Privett, the podcast has a book club feel and seeks to reclaim the phrase ‘women’s literature’. Each episode is usually based around a theme, but authors are also sometimes interviewed.

8. So Many Damn Books: http://www.somanydamnbooks.com/

If you’re looking for a fun literary podcast to listen to, then make sure not to miss So Many Damn Books. Hosted by Drew Broussard and Christopher Hermelin, each episode is accompanied by a themed cocktail designed by the hosts and linked to the guest author. Join them for a cocktail as they talk about publishing, literature, reading and all the books on your ‘to-be-read’ list with an established author.

9. Moms Don’t Have Time To Read Books: https://zibbyowens.podbean.com/

Launched in 2018 by mother-of-four, Zibby Owens, Moms Don’t have Time To Read Books is the perfect podcast for busy book-lovers. In each short episode, Zibby interviews an author and in so doing, provides a way for book-lovers to stay up-to-date with the latest books. This is a highly popular and thoroughly entertaining podcast you won’t want to miss.

10. Read Or Dead: Read Or Dead: https://bookriot.com/listen/shows/readordead/

Fans of mystery and crime novels will enjoy Read or Dead. This podcast, hosted by Katie MacBride and Rincey Abraham, releases new episodes each fortnight and covers all aspects of crime fiction, including cozy mysteries, thrillers and suspense books.

Conclusion

Whatever your preferred genre, there is a literary podcast for you. From serious, in-depth literary discussions to fun, themed podcasts, it has never been easier to keep up-to-date with the world of books.

Beatrix is a successful editor and writer at Academized, who writes articles about book marketing. She particularly enjoys offering advice and tips to new writers at Essayroo, helping them to market their books and better connect with their readers. An avid reader herself, Beatrix particularly enjoys crime novels and listening to podcasts during her daily runs.

Webinar on Tackling racism in classic children’s literature

Tennessee State Library and Archives is pleased to host a webinar Thursday, July 9th at 2-3:30 pm CST on Tackling Racism in Classic Children’s Literature. We all know that there are outdated and racist classics on our shelves. These books reflect a homogenous past, yet they still thrive in an ostensibly multicultural present. How do we hold fast to intellectual freedom while solidifying our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness? Nashville Public Library spent a year asking that question and the resulting work can be replicated by other libraries seeking to apply an anti-racist lens to their collections. Join us as Klem-Marí Cajigas and Lindsey Patrick-Wright offer insight and suggestions for us to re-evaluate our own collections. This webinar was previously presented as a session at both TLA’s 2019 Annual Conference and at the 2020 PLA Conference.

Tackling Racism in Classic Children’s Literature with Klem-Marí Cajigas and Lindsey Patrick-Wright

Thursday, Jul 9, 2020 2 – 3:30 pm Central Time

https://tngov.webex.com/tngov/j.php?MTID=m6c892367b8fb445012255259a17fa9dd

Meeting number: 161 566 5321

Password: XSd7k2UpNg4

Join by phone

+1-415-655-0003 US TOLL

Access code: 161 566 5321

Klem-Marí Cajigas is the Family Literacy Coordinator for Bringing Books to Life!, Nashville Public Library’s award-winning early literacy outreach program. She has been with Nashville Public Library since 2012, after more than a decade of academic training in Religious Studies and Ministry, including doctoral work at Vanderbilt University.

Lindsey Patrick-Wright was formerly the Youth Services and Continuing Education Coordinator for TSLA. She has been at Nashville Public Library for 9 years now, first managing the Children’s Department and is currently managing the Southeast Branch.

Using Reading Data to Improve Education

From WorldReader:

At Worldreader, we like to say “data or it didn’t happen”. Realistically, if we’re to achieve quality education for all, we need data to make it happen. 

There’s still a lot of uncertainty around how education is going to look in the coming months due to the pandemic. But one thing is for certain: the use of data will help inform vital policy decisions on how to best support learners. 

So, how exactly can we use data to improve international education?

At Worldreader we monitor reading behaviors from readers in 47 countries to better understand their behaviour – and improve learning outcomes. We thought it would be interesting to share some of the ways we do that.

Here’s a piece I wrote about it, Using Digital Reading Data to Improve International Education.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for helping readers build a better world,

Carol da Silva, Ed.D,
Senior Director, Regional Strategy,
Worldreader

Commemorating World Book Day in Ghana

Daniel Ofosu-Asamoah, Literacy Promotion Manager with the Ghana Book Development Council  has written on World Book  and Copyright Day in Ghana 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this event couldn’t be marked in the usual manner.

In his articles in Modern Ghana  and peacefm Daniel looks at the significance of reading and the role that it plays in combating boredom and stress in these uncertain times.

 

 

Survey Of What Kids Are Reading

Is nonfiction gaining traction? How important is background knowledge? How does reading translate to different careers? Get the answers to these questions and more in Renaissance Learning’s free What Kids Are Reading: 2020 Edition report. The world’s largest annual survey of K–12 student reading habits, What Kids Are Reading contains eye-opening research analyses and lists the top books students are reading at every grade level.

Research on School Librarians’ Impact on Literacy

Margaret Merga has three articles published on the impact of school librarians on students’ literacy:

Merga, M. K. (2019). School libraries fostering children’s literacy and literature learning: mitigating the barriers. Literacy. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331950946_School_libraries_fostering_children%27s_literacy_and_literature_learning_mitigating_the_barriers

Merga, M. K. (2019). How do librarians in schools support struggling readers?. English in Education, 53(2), 145-160. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/04250494.2018.1558030

Merga, M. K. (2019). Collaborating With Teacher Librarians to Support Adolescents’ Literacy and Literature Learning. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.