Welcome to The-eLPy Dimension

“We are but pieces…”

Interesting People doing Interesting Things

Currently Under Construction, Please Excuse the Mess! 🙂

via GIPHY

This started as a list of reading and/or writing based podcasts I like to listen to on a pretty regular basis. Podcasts, if you don’t already know, are a great way to kill time, learn things, and discover stuff. For example, I’ve found new authors and books while listening to these podcasts and I’ve gotten some really helpful tips on writing. I heard of Mishell Baker through one of these podcasts (sorry I can’t remember which one although I know it was either Writing Excuses or I Should be Writing), at the same time I already had the book Borderline!

The app I use to listen to podcasts I like is Podcast Addict. I used the search function to find quite a few of these. Then I went online and searched for more.

This Page is Becoming So Much More…

As I grow this page, letting it turn into what it will I’m expanding on this page. If you’ve read some of my posts you know I really believe in giving credit where credit is do. Now that doesn’t mean I’m perfect but I try. 😉 I also really like to spread the word about authors, podcasters, YouTubers and other creative folks who are out there doing their thing. Word of mouth is super an important and it doesn’t take much effort to share. I want to take it a step further and have this page here so you can just go right to whoever you want to know more about.

Also if you find yourself commenting on some content thanks to this resource page I’d really appreciate it if you give me a shout out as a referral. 😀 What goes around comes around eh? Let’s get started.

I’ll divide the page up into categories. There are writing/reading podcasts, author/writer pages, BookTubers, and YouTube gardeners and worm farmers. Keep checking back as I’ll be adding to this.

I’m only listing authors here that I’ve actually read. Next to the author’s name I’ve written the books of theirs that I’ve read, not all they’ve written, just those I’ve read. Click on their name to follow a link to their page provided they have one and I’ve linked to it. 😉 If I have a review I care to share I’ll put a link to it. Feel free to comment!

Jodi Picoult – A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, Leaving Time, The Storyteller

Sarah Beth Durst – Lost, The Queens of Renthia (series)

Patricia McKillip – Riddle Master (series)

Hugh Howey – Wool series (complete), Half Way Home

K.J. Colt (this is her Goodreads page b/c her website is down) – The Healers of Meligna (series)

Sue Burke – Semiosis

Kristen Ciccarelli – The Last Namsara (Iskari #1)

Marie Brennan – A Natural History of Dragons #1; The Tropics of Serpents #2

Jesmyn Ward (Goodreads page because I don’t know if she has a website) – Sing, Unburied, Sing

Liane Moriarty – The Husband’s Secret

Camilla Lackberg – The Ice Princess

Megan Powell (Goodreads page, I don’t know that she’s writing anymore as she did not finish this series but I want to give credit nonetheless as I enjoyed these)- No Peace for Damned, No Love for the Wicked

Mishell Baker – The Arcadia Project: Borderline, Phantom Pains, Impostor Syndrome

Deborah Harkness – A Discovery of Witches – Apparently they’ve made this into a show, who knew!!!

Jessica Burkhart (editor) – Life Inside My Mind

Amanda Kyle Williams – The Stranger You Seek

M.R. Carey (Goodreads page) – The Boy on the Bridge

Nnedi Okorafor – Binti

Reading/Writing Related Podcasts

  • Death of a Thousand Cuts by Tim Clare – This podcast I like because Tim is a published author, dissects the first page of someone’s unpublished novel they submit to him, he chats about writing and being a writer, and he interviews authors. These episodes are usually pretty long, at least an hour, and sometimes he goes on long rants, but he’s funny and honest. He also struggles with anxiety and often talks about how that’s going for him. He wrote The Honours and his new book, The Ice House was published May 2019. I’ve been planning to read it sooner than later.
  • Writing Excuses – I honestly can’t even remember how I found this podcast but I am so glad I did! This podcast I like for a lot of reasons. Every episode is about 15 minutes long. It’s all about writing. It’s hosted by pretty successful authors, admittedly I have NOT read any of their work. The core hosts are Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Howard Tayler. They have regular guest hosts; season 13 guest hosts were Maurice Broaddus, Aliette de Bodard, Amal El-Mohtar, & Valynne E. Maetani. At this time they’re on season 15 or 16 and V.E. Schwab is one of their featured hosts! Every season is themed, last time was worldbuilding. In addition to these authors discussing the theme every episode, they share a book of the week and give some writing homework. It was thanks to this podcast I found Life Inside My Mind, which Dan Wells has an essay in.
  • I Should Be Writing – The Murverse Mothership — Hosted by Mur Lafferty, I found this podcast I like searching Podcast Addict. Mur is a successful author who also hosts the podcast Ditch Diggers with Matt Wallace. Ditch Diggers is apparently not so PG while I Should Be Writing is kid-friendly. She talks to other authors sometimes but mostly talks about her writing and shares tips and what she’s been up to. She also answers questions people have posted for her. It appears she’s moved to a new style of posting more regular short episodes. I can’t say I’m loving it. Often I wonder if she’s really trying to figure out just what she’s doing with her podcast. It’s not the podcast I started listening to but I keep it in the line up. The following is quoted from the Author/Creator Mur Lafferty’s website: “I Should Be Writing is the Podcast Peer- and Parsec Award-winning show that I’ve been hosting and producing since 2005. I’ve used the show to chronicle and discuss the bumps one encounters through working on a writing career by talking about my own situation and interviewing several pro writers. Focusing on the emotional road blocks one finds in a writing career, this show speaks to over 13000 listeners every week.”
  • Literary Friction – Hosted by Carrie Plitt & Octavia Bright. These two ladies discuss book themes, reading, and chat with authors on a regular basis. They seem to read a pretty wide range of genres. These episodes tend to be on the long end, close to an hour or more. These ladies can get a little spicy but not too spicy. They’re fun. Last year they started producing mini-sodes which are what they sound like, shorter episodes. I enjoy their banter and their conversations with authors.
  • Reading Women – This podcast is hosted by Kendra Winchester & Autumn Privett. They’ve added some co-hosts, Sachi Argabright, Jaclyn Masters, & Sumaiyya Naseem. They discuss books about and/or written by women, fiction and non-fiction. So far I wouldn’t say they read a lot of fantasy or science fiction but they don’t discriminate. They’re kind of on the more mellow end in terms of their personalities so it should be interesting to see what their new contributors bring to the picture. I found this podcast while searching the internet. I appreciate their diverse range of books and authors. They really gush about the books and authors they like.
  • Minorities in Publishing – This podcast, created by Jenn Baker, is rather new to me but so far it’s very interesting. They discuss the diversity or lack thereof in the publishing industry. She talks to diverse authors about their books and their experience as a minority in the publishing industry. I think she only posts once a month or maybe twice. Her most recent episode (haven’t listened to it yet) is an interview with Abigail Hing, author of Loveboat, Taipei.
  • Ditch Diggers – Hosted by Murr Lafferty & Matt Wallace. Winner of the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Fancast. I did it, I went and checked this podcast out. Don’t you know I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I Should Be Writing is, as they said, more PG and this is more for adults which means it’s lots of fun to listen to. They talk all things writing and publishing. Sometimes they just rant to each other, sometimes they have authors or publishing industry folks on there and they always fill us in on what they’re up to. So I’m a new fan.
  • The Garret- Writers on Writing – Hosted by Astrid Edwards. I can’t believe this wasn’t already on this list!!! The Garrett is an Australian podcast. Astrid interviews Australian authors of all kinds, fiction and non-fiction. I’ve discovered a lot of books thanks to this podcast (Terra Nulius is one such book I’m really looking forward to and if I felt like going through my notes I’d tell you about a whole bunch more.) Astrid is a lovely host. I really enjoy her interviews. Written and produced for writers by writers. 😀 Carly Findlay was their most recent author interviewed (well at the time of writing this). It’s nice to be in touch with a publishing market/industry outside of what is “normal” to me.
  • Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Hosted by Stephanie McGrath and Joni Di Placido. “We bring you insights and inspiration for your growing self-publishing business. Featuring exciting interviews with bestselling authors, tips on the craft and business of writing, and advice for successful self-publishing.” Boom, seemed best just to quote their website. This is useful for all the obvious reasons though it’s not always my go-to.

Do you listen to any of these podcasts I like? What podcasts do you listen to? Please feel free to share, let’s get chatty!

via GIPHY

While I don’t cover my gardening here (head over to my IG for that #theelpydimension), I would still like to use this platform to promote people I follow on Youtube in the gardening and homesteading community among others. These communities have helped and taught me so much, it’s fair to say they’re an important part of my life. If you’re interested in gardening, homesteading, self-sufficiency, crafting, do check some of these Youtubers out.

Gardening, Worm Farming, Homesteading on YouTube