
Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep
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.
Latest episodes

Jan 28, 2022 • 54min
Farm Engines and How to Run Them, Part 4
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://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43867 Music: "Exit Exit,” by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Jan 17, 2022 • 43min
Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to Antiquities, Part 4
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 Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14400 Music: "Exit Exit,” by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Jan 10, 2022 • 47min
Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 5
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/45112 Music: "Exit Exit,” by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Jan 3, 2022 • 56min
Practical Mind Reading, by William Walker Atkinson, Part 2
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/ebooks/41358 Music: "Exit Exit" by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Dec 27, 2021 • 47min
The Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Part 7 (Maids, Dairy & Stable)
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/ebooks/10136 Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/ If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Dec 20, 2021 • 55min
Night and Moonlight & Walden Pond in Winter, by Henry David Thoreau
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/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "Night and Moonlight” in “Excursions” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9846 And “Walden” here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/205 Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/ If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Dec 13, 2021 • 45min
The Hive and the Honey Bee, by LL Langstroth, Part 2
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 A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The Hive and the Honey Bee” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24583 Music: "earth 2 earth" by PC III, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Dec 6, 2021 • 43min
The History of Bread, by John Ashton, Part 3
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.com/boringbookspod Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/d5kcMsW Read "The History of Bread” at Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53219 Music: "Peace" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Nov 29, 2021 • 1h 2min
The Characters of Theophrastus, Part 2
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 2 earth" by PCIII, licensed under CC BY If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading for soft-spoken relaxation to help you overcome insomnia, anxiety and other sleep issues, connect on our website, boringbookspod.com.

Nov 22, 2021 • 44min
Our National Parks, by John Muir, Part 1
Conservationist John Muir takes us on a journey through the wonders of nature, discussing the beauty of national parks in the US, the challenges faced by mining activities, the diverse wildlife in the Black Hills Reserve, and the preparations of animals for winter in the Flathead Reserve.