I don’t want to say that podcasts have completely replaced the radio — they haven’t, and many podcast listeners also follow radio programs. They are, however, being chosen more and more, especially by younger generations who didn’t grow up with the radio. In addition to that, anyone with the means to access the internet and purchase some basic tools can now start their own podcast, and there are dozens of books teaching them how to do so. In a way, it’s been a great equalizer: who gets a platform to project their voice? A lot more people than before. According to Daniel Ruby from DemandSage, as of June 2022, there are over 2.4 million podcasts with over 66 million episodes between them. I’m not sharing books about podcasting here. Rather, I’ve chosen eight books where podcasts and/or podcasters play a large narrative role. Some of them are fiction whereas others are memoirs, but they all have one thing in common: the art of putting a podcast together is integral to the story or characters/narrators. Shall we? If you want more books about podcasts, or books related to podcasts, we’ve got you covered. This only-on-audiobook thriller follows Paige Barrett, a disgraced journalist, as she decides to start a podcast. Centered on discovering what happened to late high school teacher Jessica Cady, her investigation leads her down roads that are both shocking and dangerous. Primarily performed by Dakota Fanning, this audiobooks also boasts several other narrators, all of whom give the story the feel of a real podcast. Oh, and did I mention that she’s fighting an attraction to the son of the rival restaurant’s owner? Personality radio host West McCray learns about Sadie’s story by accident, but he becomes obsessed with finding her. He starts a podcast to record his attempts. But will he get to Sadie before it’s too late for her? Indeed, Paris Peralta is worried when she’s arrested for her husband’s murder, but not so much about the arrest as she is about what comes after. Because somebody, somewhere, is bound to recognize her.
