I have a confession: I am absolutely addicted to podcasts. I listen to a podcast before I have my morning cup of coffee and on some nights, I listen to a podcast as I fall asleep. And I’m not alone in these habits. Podcasts have become increasingly popular and it’s no wonder why; podcasts cover a diverse range of topics, both fiction and nonfiction, and many are free and convenient to access. If you’re looking for something to listen to on long car rides, daily jogs, or while you wash your dishes, podcasts are a great choice. But what do you do when you’re finally caught up on your favorite podcast and you need more? Or what if you desperately want to introduce a podcast to your book-loving friend? Believe it or not, several podcasters have come out with books. That’s right–you can read your podcast. Or, if you’re looking for something different in the same voice, a few podcasters have written books on something altogether new! These books make for great reads whether you listen to podcasts or not. Here are a few to get you started:

Library Materials:

Vacationland by John Hodgman

The best-selling author of That Is All presents a memoir of his cursed travels through the woods of Massachusetts and coastal Maine, describing his midlife transformation from an idealistic youth to an eccentric family man and his observations on such subjects as the horror of freshwater clams and the evolutionary purpose of the mustache.

Podcast: Judge John Hodgman

Have your pressing issues decided by Famous Minor Television Personality John Hodgman, Certified Judge.

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Sawbones: The Horrifying, Hilarious Road to Modern Medicine by Dr. Sydnee McElroy and Justin McElroy

Wondering whether eating powdered mummies might be just the thing to cure your ills? Tempted by those vintage ads suggesting you wear radioactive underpants for virility? Ever considered drilling a hole in your head to deal with those pesky headaches? Probably not. But for thousands of years, people have done things like this—and things that make radioactive underpants seem downright sensible! In their hit podcast, Sawbones, Sydnee and Justin McElroy breakdown the weird and wonderful way we got to modern healthcare. And some of the terrifying detours along the way.

Podcast: Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine

Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin welcome you to Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine. Every Friday, they dig through the annals of medical history to uncover all the odd, weird, wrong, dumb, and just gross ways we’ve tried to fix people over the years. Educational? You bet! Fun? We hope!

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The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe: How to Know What’s Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake by Dr. Steven Novella with Bob Novella

Based on the podcast known for battling sloppy reasoning, bad arguments, and superstitions with logical thinking, the “Skeptical Rogues” help readers try to make sense of an increasingly crazy world using critical thinking skills, science, and philosophy.

Podcast: The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe

The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, LLC – dedicated to promoting critical thinking, reason, and the public understanding of science through online and other media. The first episode of the SGU podcast went online on May 4th, 2005. It soon became a popular science/skeptical podcast, and remains one of the most popular science podcasts on iTunes.

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The Adventure Zone: Here There be Gerblins by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Travis McElroy

Join Taako the elf wizard, Merle the dwarf cleric, and Magnus the human warrior for an adventure they are poorly equipped to handle at best, guided by their snarky dungeon master, in a graphic novel that, like the smash-hit podcast it’s based on, will tickle your funny bone, tug your heartstrings, and probably pants you if you give it half a chance.

Podcast: The Adventure Zone

Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy from My Brother, My Brother and Me have recruited their dad Clint for a campaign of high adventure. Join the McElroys as they find their fortune and slay an unconscionable number of … you know, kobolds or whatever in … The Adventure Zone.

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Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink

Spotting her late wife in news-report backgrounds, truck driver Keisha Taylor stumbles into an otherworldly conflict on the nation’s highway systems.

Podcast: Alice Isn’t Dead

A truck driver searches across America for the wife she had long assumed was dead. In the course of her search, she will encounter not-quite-human serial murderers, towns literally lost in time, and a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman.

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Limetown by Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie with Cote Smith

When three hundred people simply vanish from a research facility in Limetown, seventeen-year-old Lia Haddock discovers that her uncle, Emile Haddock, is among the missing, and her parents refuse to discuss what might have happened. As a student journalist, Lia begins an investigation that will take her far from her home, discovering clues about Emile’s past that lead to a shocking secret — one with unimaginable implications not only for the people of Limetown, but for Lia and her family. The only problem is…she’s not the only one looking for answers.

Podcast: Limetown

Ten years ago, over three hundred men, women and children disappeared from a small town in Tennessee, never to be heard from again. In this podcast, American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock asks the question once more, “What happened to the people of Limetown?”

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It Devours! by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

From the authors of the New York Times bestselling novel Welcome to Night Vale and the creators of the #1 international podcast of the same name, comes a mystery exploring the intersections of faith and science, the growing relationship between two young people who want desperately to trust each other, and the terrifying, toothy power of the Smiling God.

Podcast: Welcome to Night Vale

Welcome to Night Vale is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events. Turn on your radio and hide.

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The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke

The first book in a three-volume collection, The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures shares the incredible true stories that inspired the legends of famous monsters, from werewolves to wendigo to the Jersey Devil.

Podcast: Lore

Lore is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed podcast about true life scary stories. Lore exposes the darker side of history, exploring the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares. Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.

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Featured Image Credit: Photo by Findaway Voices on Unsplash.