

Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep
Sharon Handy
Boring Books for Bedtime is a weekly, ad-free, AI-free 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 balance 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.
If you're on Team Sleepless, lie back, take a deep breath, and let us read you to rest.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 29, 2019 • 1h
Media Purchase Terms and Conditions
Let's click "I agree" to the mind-numbing powers of legalese with this reading of the Terms and Conditions that accompany every purchase from a rather famous media company. After all, it's not like you were going to read it yourself. Music: "Watching Whales on the Moon" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY-NC. Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com for this song and more All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can also kindly support this podcast.

Apr 22, 2019 • 55min
Plato's Republic: Introduction & Analysis, Reading 2
In this episode, we return to the musings of the great Victorian classicist Benjamin Jowett, his analysis of Plato's "Republic", and a whole lot of socractical thinking about justice. Music: "Peace" by Lee Rosevere (freemusicarchive.org), licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0 All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can also kindly support this podcast.

Apr 15, 2019 • 50min
A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Reading 1
Listen to H.G. Wells, a great writer of the sciences, as he takes us through a journey of the history of the world. Explore topics like the age of the earth, the evolution of early organisms, the emergence of fishes, and prehistoric sea creatures. Dive deep into the wonders of our marvelous world!

Apr 8, 2019 • 54min
Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin, Selected Readings 1
Float away on a cloud of Benjamin Franklin's scientific musings about our atmosphere, lightning, waterspouts, magnetic poles, and the wonderful utility of mathematics. A great mind working to calm your own busy thoughts--what could be better? Music: "Boring Books for Bedtime" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod, and get bonus perks for supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod. Thanks!

Apr 1, 2019 • 42min
How We Think, by John Dewey, Reading 1
Sink into sleep on a philosophical cloud with "How We Think," by renowned education reformer John Dewey. Nothing will get your brain to stop thinking faster than a bunch of talk about thinking. But try not to think about that. Music: "Ambiment the Ambient" by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under CC BY All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod, and get bonus perks for supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod. Thanks!

Mar 25, 2019 • 49min
The Sidereal Messenger, by Galileo, Reading 1
Space out with a classic of astronomy, Galileo's "The Sidereal Messenger," in which he shares mankind's first observations of the Moon's surface, and heaps a mind-numbing amount of praise on his patron. Music: "Illuminations," by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC-BY Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod, and get bonus perks for supporting us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod. Thanks!

Mar 18, 2019 • 52min
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Let's immerse ourselves in the beauty of Persian poetry with The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, rendered into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald. It's all about living in the moment. And wine. So much wine. The poetry bit starts at 27:49, if you'd like to skip Fitzgerald's very 19th century intro, but why would you? Music: "Heaven Be Here," PCIII, is licensed under CC All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can also support us (and earn yourself a very calming shoutout on the show).

Mar 11, 2019 • 48min
The Woman and The Car, Reading 1
Tonight we relax with The Woman and The Car, written in 1909 by racing pioneer Dorothy Levitt. If you stay awake, you, too, will know how to drive a single cylinder, 8 horsepower vehicle . . . with style! Music: "Gentle Whispering" by Lee Rosevere, licensed under CC BY-NC Visit http://leerosevere.bandcamp.com All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can also support us (and earn yourself a very calming shoutout on the show). Enjoy!

Mar 4, 2019 • 1h 1min
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, Reading 1
Tonight we drift off to a self-improvement classic--Meditations, by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Good Stoic advice never gets old, or less sleep inducing. We're also featuring a music track composed especially for Boring Books by Lee Rosevere. Check out more of his work here:https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/ Or subscribe to his very chill music podcast, 5 Minute Meditations:https://apple.co/2VuGQUh Thanks, Lee! All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can also support us (and earn yourself a very calming shoutout on the show). Enjoy!

Feb 25, 2019 • 51min
Somnium, or The Dream
Let's drift off to Somnium, or The Dream, written in 1608 by Johannes Kepler. Considered the great-granddaddy of all science fiction, it's every bit as riveting as you think a story by a famed astronomer-mathematician would be. Science fiction has come a long, long way. All Boring Books readings are taken from works in the public domain. If you'd like to suggest a copyright-free reading, catch us on Twitter @boringbookspod or on our Patreon at www.patreon.com/boringbookspod, where you can also support us (and earn yourself a very calming shoutout on the show). Enjoy! Music: "Dream Loop" (DL Music) is licensed under CC


