Boring Books for Bedtime is a weekly sleep podcast in which we calmly, quietly read something rather boring to silence the brain chatter keeping you awake. Think Aristotle, Thoreau, and whoever wrote the 1897 Sears Catalog—mostly nonfiction, mostly old, a perfect blend of vaguely-but-not-too interesting.
If you're on Team Sleepless, lie back, take a deep breath, and let us read you to rest.
Let’s voyage to sleep with this history of the peoples of Mexico, travel with migrating tribes, consider the ways geography groups languages, and ponder some origin stories of the Aztecs. Also, your reader probably mispronounces everything, so apologies in advance. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Mexican Archaeology” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/...
Let’s attract sleep with these early experiments to master a fundamental element of modern life, electromagnetism. How do magnets create a charge? What is making that needle twitch? How did anyone ever figure this stuff out? Curiosity is a powerful force indeed. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Experimental Researches in Electricity” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.guten...
Let’s beautify our dreams with blooms, as we shop for seeds for the garden. From sweet peas to succulents, Gardiner & Co. has exactly what you need to create a wonderland of floral finesse. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Music: "Changing Colours,” by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY, https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-...
Let’s purchase some peace with more from this foundational work of economics. This time, the fundamentals of supply and demand, the function of profit, and why monopolies are a pretty terrible idea unless you want to pay more for less. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “The Wealth of Nations” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300 Music: "earth 2 earth,”...
Let’s sink into sleep with the final reading from this handy guide to making a very popular food indeed. This time, we hear maxims for the cheesemaker, are then immediately told to ignore maxims, learn how to box cheese neatly, and bewail the scandal that is low-fat, “skimmed” cheese. Testify! Patreon Supporters, since we finished this book, as always, you will be getting all three readings stitched into a single recording for those nights when a long boring book is just the ticket for sleep. Ch...
Let’s sail to sleep with more from this remarkable journey around the world. This time, our author is chased by pirates! Also, we cross the doldrums, accidentally ground the ship on the coast of Brazil, and receive kind offers of assistance, which is very nice indeed. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Sailing Alone Around the World” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenbe...
Let’s relax with the conclusion of this curiously wonderful blend of mathematics, philosophy, and social commentary. This time, our square throws off the chains of dimensional thinking and gets rewarded with chains of a different sort. Free thinking is costly, it seems. Patreon Supporters, next week you will be getting all five readings from this book as a single recording for those nights when a long boring book is just the ticket for sleep! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Pat...
Let’s relax with some historical details about Ireland up to the 12th century, including the structure of kings and chiefs, the kingly retinue, and the brehon system of laws that applied to both ruler and ruled, which…seems like a good idea, really. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “The Story of Ancient Irish Civilization” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebo...
Let’s return to this classic history of the Roman emperors and hear a bit about a ruler both famous and infamous in his need for public adulation. Why pay attention to affairs of state when you can perform for judges you’ve bribed? Stately! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “The Lives of the Twelve Caesars” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6400 Music: "...
Let’s relax with more of this sleepy stroll through some of America’s greatest natural wonders, protected for the enjoyment of all people as national parks. This time, we continue our tour of Yosemite and its mighty glacier-carved mountains. Majestic! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Our National Park” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60929 Music: "Wa...
Let’s relax with more advice about successful farming. This time, we get snookered in the purchase of a cow, wage endless war on weeds, and sell some blackberry bushes. Profitable! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! All supporters in the month of February will be entered into a drawing for a personal, made-just-for-you episode of the book of your choice. Neat! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Ten Acres Enou...
Let’s continue with more of the finer arts of behavior as we conclude our instruction in the etiquette of invitations, consider the well-appointed house, and are reminded that looking down on the serving class is inexcusably ill-bred. Well said, Mrs. Post! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! All supporters in the month of February will be entered into a drawing for a personal, made-just-for-you episode of the book of your choice. Neat! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspo...
In our annual celebration of Darwin Day, let’s continue our sleepy stroll through this fundamental text of biology. This time, why natural selection works better in big spaces, the perils of extinction, and the strength that comes from diversity. It’s science! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! All supporters in the month of February will be entered into a drawing for a personal, made-just-for-you episode of the book of your choice. Neat! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringboo...
Let’s continue our sleepy tour of the zoological collections of the British Museum and discover the wonders first being seen by the general public circa 1850. This time, reptiles, the fauna of Great Britain, and some philosophy about our place in the history of living things. Because of course that’s included in a 19th century book. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! All supporters in the month of February will be entered into a drawing for a personal, made-just-for-you episode of...
Let’s climb the slopes of sleep with more from this journey to study the world’s highest mountain. This time, we visit Tingri, climb glaciers, and reach the highest monastery in the world. We’re less than 10 miles from Everest, friends. Dreams of adventure await! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Mount Everest, The Reconnaissance, 1921” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gut...
Let’s relax with one of the most boring reads I’ve ever encountered, a minutely detailed guide to the internal workings of legislative assemblies. Why, one might wonder how anything ever gets done at all. Motion to sleep, seconded! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Robert’s Rules of Order” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9097 Music: "Calling to O...
Let’s relax with another sleepy stroll across the sands of time to ancient Egypt. This time, we finish our overview of tombs and learn about Egyptian painting conventions, including cat-based satire. It never gets old! Maspero has a marvelous way of bringing these images to life, and I think you'll love his descriptions. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Manual of Egyptian ...
Let’s kick off a new year of sleep with more from this appreciative guide to the magical cat. This time, shorthaired tortoiseshells and tabbies, plus a touch of my favorite—word etymologies! Your brain will purr with contented boredom. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Music: "Heaven Be Here” by PC III, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for so...
While your reader recovers from a Christmas cough, let’s rewind back to this relaxing guide to the art and craft of embroidery from two years ago. It’s the perfect way to stitch up the year with sweet dreams. Enjoy! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Everyone who supports in December will be entered into our holiday giveaways at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Travels with a D...
Let’s take a sleepy browse through this gift guide from the war years. Tasty candies, children’s toys, decorative gourds and gifts for the discriminating housewife, and several grades of fruitcake depending on how much you like the recipient. Sears has what you need! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Everyone who supports in December will be entered into our holiday giveaways at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https:/...
Let’s continue our journey to sleep with this delightful trek through the mountains of France. This time, we visit a Trappist monastery, where our author appreciates scenery, silence, and the paradoxical stillness of being busy. Peaceful! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Everyone who supports in December will be entered into our holiday giveaways at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW...
Let’s conclude our sweetly sleepy reading from this guidebook for the nineteenth-century maker of fancy candies. This time, creams, chocolates, and syrups for the soda fountain. Deliciously dreamy! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Everyone who supports in December will be entered into our holiday giveaways at the end of the month. Hurrah! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Frye’s Practical Candy Maker” at P...
Let’s saw our way to sleep with more from this helpful guide for the novice woodworker. This time, we build our own work bench, improvise a vise, and discover that “measure twice, cut once” is always good advice. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Woodworking for Beginners” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43604 Music: "Peace” by Lee Rosevere, licensed ...
Let’s relax with more from this wonderful guide to studying art in Europe. This time, where to shop in London, the best boarding houses, and then we’re off to Paris with some genteel commentary about being a woman in a man’s artsy world. Take up your brushes, ladies! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Studying Art Abroad and How to Do It Cheaply” at the Internet Archive: htt...
Sharon reads from "The Complete Herbal and English Physician Enlarged" by Nicholas Culpepper, a 17th-century apothecary's compendium of herbal advice. The episode covers Culpepper's original epistle, his views on herbal medicine, and detailed descriptions of various herbs and their medicinal uses, promising a sleep-inducing journey through questionable remedies.
This episode of Boring Books for Bedtime continues with H.G. Wells' "A Short History of the World," focusing on the rise of Rome, the Punic Wars, and the emergence of powerful military leaders. It details Rome's expansion through various stages, including the impact of economic shifts and the transition from a republic to an empire under figures like Julius Caesar and Augustus. The reading explores the political and social changes within Rome as it grew to dominate the Western world.
Let’s journey to sleep with Henry David Thoreau as he explores the back of beyond in Maine, ponders the fate of forests, visits some barely-there towns, and…gets accosted by politicians? Talk about timing! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “The Maine Woods” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42500 Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime” by Lee Rosevere, li...
Let’s celebrate the spooky season with more from this history of lycanthropy and a long chapter of wolfish folktales. Bears, hares, and dogs drinking cider are also mentioned. Honestly, the human imagination is so delightfully weird. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “The Book of Werewolves” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/5324 Music: "Dream Colou...
Let’s sail the seas of sleep with more from this marvelous travelogue from the South Seas. This time, we encounter a waterspout and get happily marooned on an idyllic island. Cast away your cares, friends. It’s a lovely tale. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Faery Lands of the South Seas” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54479 Music: "Ocean Tappi...
Let’s fall asleep with a new reading from this wonderful look into our universe. This time, we contemplate the phases of the moon, the life and death of the stars, and our position in this vast and whirling universe. The stuff of starry visions indeed! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read “Astronomy for Young Folks” at Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45...
