Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep

Let's grab a basket and take a relaxing stroll through the Grocery Department of the Amazon of its day. Coffee beans, cherry phosphate, canned gooseberries—Sears had it all.   If you support us in March 2022, you'll help us stay 100% listener supported AND be entered into a raffle for your very own printed copy of the 1897 Sears Catalog. Huzzah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy...

Let's motor to sleep with more from this wonderful manual for the lady driver, written by race car and speedboat champion Dorothy Levitt. Mechanics and manners are all you need!   Help us stay 100% listener supported: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read "The Woman and The Car" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/e...

Let's return to the earliest known work on Western dramatic theory and learn about character, verbs, and why Homer is always right. Also "women can also be good," which is…something? No worries, it gets a lot better after that.   Help us stay 100% listener supported: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read "The Poetics of Aristot...

Let's return to the relaxing wonders of science with more from a foundational work of modern chemistry. This time, we finally finish…the introduction! It's the perfect compound for sleep.   We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy...

This week, let's appreciate the culinary wonders of weeds with this relaxing guide to nature's bounty by George Washington Carver. Salads have never seemed so special.   We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https:/...

Let's return to sleepy science with more from Charles Darwin on domestic breeding, pigeon mating, and messy definitions. What is a species anyway? It's a mystery!   We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www....

Sink into tasteful slumber this week with the history of home decor from the Queen of The Gilded Age. Basically, "like Italy and be rich" seems to sum it up.   We are 100% listener supported, and you can help. Everyone who supports us in February 2022 will be entered into a raffle to win a made-just-for-you episode! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buyme...

Let's relax and sleep with more from this bucolic delight, and learn about managing our traction engine, getting out of life's inevitable ditches, and the qualities of a good grease.   Help keep us 100% listener supported here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read "Farm Engines and How to Run them" at Project Gutenberg: https:...

Let's return to the sleepy sands of Egypt and finish our exploration of religious architecture, with symbolic temples, towering obelisks, and shrines that held...puppets, apparently? Who knew!   Support us and keep us 100% listener supported here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read "Manual of Egyptian Archaeology" at Project...

Let's return to the heavens and relax with some sleepy stardust about our solar system, learn a bit about our neighbor planets, and consider how they got here in the first place. Far out! Support us here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW   Read "Astronomy for Young Folks" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/451...

Let's sense our way to sleep with a book I forgot reading from! This time we learn exercises to hone our skills as psychic parlour performers, which was a for-real thing in 1907.   Support us and keep us 100% listener supported here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Practical Mind Reading" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/eb...

Let's dive back into one of your sleepy favorites, and learn about the life of the maid-of-all-work, the perfect dairy layout, and some fine advice about stable ventilation. Support us and keep us 100% listener supported here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Book of Household Management" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org...

Let's relax into the natural world with two essays by Henry David Thoreau, in which we take a poetic walk by moonlight, and then contemplate the wintry depths of Walden Pond. Transcendental! December Raffle! Support us on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee by December 24th to be entered to win a three-month subscription (that's three free audiobooks!) from Libro.fm . Yay! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbo...

Let's once again be lulled to sleep by the hum of beautiful, busy bees, learn all about the workings of the queen bee, and hear every permutation of the word "fecund" possible. December Raffle! Support us on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee by December 24th to be entered to win a three-month subscription (that's three free audiobooks!) from Libro.fm . Yay! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me...

Let's return to the relaxing world of bread and fall asleep to European peasant loaves, the origin of the croissant, and the heraldry of London's bread guilds. Delish! Also, I announce our December raffle for supporters! Support us on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee by December 24th to be entered to win a three-month subscription (that's three free audiobooks!) from Libro.fm . Yay! Patreon: www.patreon...

Let's relax with the second half of this classic of Greek literature, in which the great Theophrastus defines 30 character types found in literature and life. Trust me, you know a few. Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Characters of Theophrastus" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58242 Music: "earth...

Let's wander through the wonders of nature, as conservationist John Muir guides us through the wild spaces of the American West and the flower-filled tundra of Alaska. Honestly, friends, this one is just lovely. Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Our National Parks" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6092...

Let's take a relaxing wander through the mind-boggling British Museum, learn a bit about its origins, consider the mullingong, and ponder why our author holds such a low opinion of owls. Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "How to See the British Museum in Four Visits" at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/137...

In this remastered episode from 2018, we revisit a relaxing work that poses interesting philosophical questions, like "When is a table not a table?" Don't worry, there's no actual answer, so you won't miss anything when you fall asleep. NOTE: This is the second of our remastered episodes of readings from the wayback that I think are great (and newer listeners have probably missed), but which defin...

Tonight, we conclude the mysterious happenings in Sleepy Hollow, which involve a surprising amount of charming detail about autumnal harvests, twittering birds, and pastries, come to find out. And all our lovely supporters in October will be getting a full, uninterrupted recording of the entire story as a Halloween treat! Support us here: Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: ww...

Let's wrap ourselves in the secrets of Sleepy Hollow, which seem a lot less scary than cartoons would have us believe. Irving's descriptions of country life are surprisingly relaxing. This is Part 1 of a two-parter that concludes next week. And all of our lovely supporters in October will be getting a full, uninterrupted recording of the entire story right after that as a Halloween treat! Support...

Let's sleep among the wildflowers with this relaxing tour through some lovely native American blooms, plus skunk cabbage and the murderous Jack-in-the-pulpit. Flowers…so much more than pretty! Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? Support us here! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Wild Flowers Worth Knowing" at Project G...

Let's return to this classic of social and political commentary from the 16th century. If you stay awake long enough, you'll discover how little has changed in 500 years. So, no need to pay attention.  PS You're not seeing things. We have a new logo! Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? Support us here! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee....

Let's sail the high seas of sleep with more from this classic of pirate history. Enjoy a booty chest of boredom, including the story of Henry Avery, King of the Pirates, who was…a bit of a coward, come to find out. Want to help us stay 100% listener supported and ad-free? Support us here! Patreon: www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "A General History...

In this remastered episode, we revisit a perfectly sleepy book that celebrates a symbol of autumn. This 19th century ode to apples includes history, health advice, and a nod to Johnny Appleseed, because of course it does. NOTE: This is the first in what will be occasional remastered episodes of readings from the past that I think are great (and newer listeners have probably missed), but which coul...