WHAT'S ALL THIS THEN?
Boring Books for Bedtime is a weekly podcast that grew out of two simple ideas: people need help sleeping, and they love a bedtime story, especially one that isn’t too interesting.
In each episode, our host, Sharon Handy, calmly and quietly reads from an old, public-domain book—everything from history to science, philosophy, and oddities like those “terms and conditions” that everyone agrees to, but nobody actually reads. Why? They're boring! Binaural soundscapes create a quiet background to the flow of words.
The result? A zone of relaxation that gives a busy mind a focal point, allowing the body to rest. Based on listener reactions, and millions of downloads, this podcast is perfectly boring in all the best ways!
WHO'S THAT TALKING?
Boring Books for Bedtime is a one-woman show, hosted and produced by Sharon Handy. She previously created and co-hosted the popular Great British Bake Off review podcast, Gin & Cake.
In Sharon’s non-podcasting life, she has spent 30 years as a creative content developer and writer in the weird world of science centers and children’s museums. She also spearheads new interactive media for informal education, creating games and multilayered explorations of everything from galleons to garbage gas energy.
Boring Books for Bedtime is just one more way for her to indulge a bottomless passion for learning cool stuff, and sharing it with people who never knew they needed it.
WANT TO SUGGEST A BOOK?
If you have a not-at-all riveting book you'd like to hear read on the podcast, let me know! Just make sure your suggested reading is "in the public domain" to avoid sticky copyright issues. That means any book written before 1928, or any work that belongs to the public (like a government publication). I usually stick to nonfiction, but I'm open!
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I’ve suffered from insomnia most of my life, and when I found your podcast, it was like you made my dream for help come true—a person who clearly reads things interesting enough to keep my brain occupied, but boring enough to put me to sleep. Keep making episodes!