Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep

By Sharon Handy

What's Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep about?

Boring Books for Bedtime is a weekly sleep podcast in which we calmly, quietly read something rather boring to help silence the brain chatter keeping you awake. Think Galileo, Aristotle, Emerson, and whoever wrote the 1897 Sears Catalog—mostly nonfiction, mostly old, and 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.

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The Problems of Philosophy,...

02.06.2023

This week let’s be lulled to sleep by deep thoughts about the nature of matter, and whether things exist if we’re not thinking about them. Who knows! It's philosophy. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me ...

Boring Books for Bedtime Readings to Help You Sleep episodes:

02.06.2023 The Problems of Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell, Part 2 This week let’s be lulled to sleep by deep thoughts about the nature of matter, and whether things exist if we’re not thinking about them. Who knows! It's philosophy. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me ...
01.30.2023 Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to Antiquities, Part 5 Let’s return to the sleepy sands of Egypt and learn all about tombs and pyramids. Secret passages, sarcophagi, and ghostly snacks will give your dreams something to feast on. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me ...
01.23.2023 Art in Needlework: Embroidery, by Lewis Day and Mary Buckle, Part 1 Let’s stitch our way to sleep with this handbook to the intricacies of embroidery. We’ll work our way through some basic stitches, learn a bit of history, and admire the art of craft. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! ...
01.16.2023 The Principles of Chemistry, by Dmitri Mendeleev, Part 4 Let’s relax and sleep with more from a foundation of science. This time, we explore fundamentals of water, moisture, and the near-magical properties of solubility. Equations alert! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: ...
01.09.2023 The English Renaissance of Art, by Oscar Wilde, Part 1 Let’s relax with some aesthetic art ponderings from one of the greats of the late 19th century. It’s all Pre-Raphaelites and poetry, plus a poke at the English, as Wilde was wont. Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: ...
01.02.2023 Faery Lands of the South Seas, by Hall & Nordhoff, Part 2 Let’s fight off winter’s chill with this relaxing return to the South Pacific. This time, we drift among Polynesian atolls, reflect on solitude, and learn about a friendly giant ghost dog. Dreamy! Help us stay ad-free and 100% listener-supported! Patreon: ...
12.26.2022 Relaxation Rewind! A Winter Walk, by Henry David Thoreau For this week of comfy pants and leftovers, let’s relax with a remastered fave and take a sleepy stroll through wintry woods. It’s a lovely meditation on a world asleep yet alive, and I hope you enjoy it. Help us ...
12.19.2022 The 1945 Sears Christmas Book, Part 1 Let’s relax and sleep with some shopping for the first Christmas after World War II. From fancy watches to educational toys and gaily wrapped vitamins, Sears has everything you need for a happy holiday. Help us stay ad-free and 100% ...
12.12.2022 The Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Part 9 - Soups and Ingredients Let’s curl up with a sleepy bowl of soup as the inimitable Mrs. Beeton walks us through recipes and the history of vegetables. If you aren’t boiling your carrots for three hours, are you even cooking? Help us stay ad-free ...
12.06.2022 In New England Fields & Woods, by Rowland Robinson, Part 1 This week, let’s relax and sleep amidst the snow-covered trees of New England, meditate on the hare, and enjoy the intricate histories written in a wood pile. It’s a particularly lovely one, friends. Enjoy! Help us stay ad-free and 100% ...
11.28.2022 Cassell's Book of Birds, Part 4: Parrots Continued Let’s relax and sleep with more about the clever parrot family, learn of celebrated chatty birds, and remind ourselves why getting a talking bird from a sailor isn’t always the best idea. Salty! Raffle Time! Everyone who supports us in ...
11.21.2022 Farm Engines & How to Run Them, Part 5 Let’s relax and sleep with more from this much-requested guide for engineers. This time, we answer a long list of frequently asked questions and learn all the ways to blow up a boiler. Useful! Raffle Time! Everyone who supports us ...
11.14.2022 Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott, Part 3 This week, by multiple requests, let’s trip back into Flatland, hear about the mighty Circles, and take a confounding journey to Lineland. What is the “world” anyway? It’s just a matter of perspective. Raffle Time! Everyone who supports us in ...
11.07.2022 The ABC of Relativity, by Bertrand Russell, Part 2 Let’s relax and sleep with more mysteries of relativity, like the speed of light, why time isn’t time, and how a fake train robbery reveals that simultaneity doesn’t exist. Except when it does. Raffle Time! Everyone who supports us in ...
10.31.2022 The Book of Werewolves, by Sabine Baring-Gould, Part 1 Let’s relax and sleep with this totally true and accurate history of werewolves in ancient Greece, Rome, and the Norse sagas. Curiously, few actual werewolves get mentioned, but someone does get turned into a yarn spinner. Spooky! Help us stay ...
10.24.2022 Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius, Part 4 For our Four-Year Anniversary (wow!), let’s relax and sleep with more from Marcus Aurelius, including some thoughts about smelly armpits. Hey, personal diaries can't all be gems of wisdom. Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for all! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod ...
10.17.2022 Spices, Their Histories, Part 2 Let’s relax with more from one of our most requested books, hear the histories of ginger, mustard, nutmeg, and mace, and learn how to fake them all. Looking at you, naughty Connecticut! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for ...
10.10.2022 Ten Acres Enough, by Edmund Morris, Part 2 We’re back from break! Let’s relax with more from a 19th century guide to running away to the country. This time, we buy a farm, fight peach worms, and praise the wisdom of wives, as one should. Help us stay ...
10.03.2022 Relaxation Rewind! Science Primers, by Thomas Henry Huxley, Part 1 In this remastered episode, let's relax and sleep with this intro to science basics from one of the 19th century's greatest science champions. Also, we learn why water is a liquid! ***Boring Books for Bedtime is on break but we're ...
09.26.2022 Relaxation Rewind! Bad Drains and How to Test Them, Part 1 In this remastered episode, let's relax with practical advice about modern plumbing systems. And by modern, I mean 19th century. Indoor plumbing has come a long way, thank goodness! ***Boring Books for Bedtime will be on break through September, so ...
09.19.2022 Relaxation Rewind! A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, by John Muir, Part 1 In this newly remastered episode, let's rest beneath the trees with one of the first environmentalists. His relaxed rambles from Indiana to Florida contain quiet caves, sleepy groves, and a rucksack full of rhapsodies about nature's beauties. ***Boring Books for ...
09.12.2022 Relaxation Rewind! The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, Part 1 In this newly remastered episode, rule over sleep with the pithy prose of Machiavelli. But first, a very long introduction to our author and the twisted papal politics of 15th century Italy. Yawn! ***Boring Books for Bedtime will be on ...
09.05.2022 Relaxation Rewind! The Color of a Great City, by Theodore Dreiser, Part 1 In this newly remastered episode, let’s journey back to New York City in the early 1900s with one of America’s great writers and his dreamy portrait of the city that never sleeps. Fingers crossed you will! ***Boring Books for Bedtime ...
08.29.2022 Etiquette, by Emily Post, Part 3 Let’s return to this manual of manners, and learn how to pay a check, walk down a theater aisle, and navigate the social complexities of the opera box. Also, just…be nice. Good advice! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free ...
08.22.2022 Wild Flowers Worth Knowing, by Neltje Blanchan, Part 2 Let’s sink into the fields of sleep with more from this lovely and informative book on the varied beauty of wildflowers. A few may smell of corpses, but they’re no less wonders of nature! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ...
08.15.2022 The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, Part 1 Let’s relax with a much-requested book and drift off as Mr. Smith defines the division of labor, details the connections of commerce, and takes a swipe at the lie of meritocracy. Economical! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for ...
08.08.2022 The South American Tour, by Annie S. Peck, Part 1, REMASTERED Let’s rewind to 2020 with a remastered version of this marvelous travelogue from an equally marvelous woman. Experience all the dreamy wonders of South America for a mere $1,000. Or more if you’re fancy and like magazines and air conditioning. ...
08.01.2022 Cottages, or HInts on Economical Building, Part 1 For our 200th episode, let’s get cozy and relax with advice on planning the perfect cottage. Which apparently includes a library, billiard room, and nursery. Sleepy simplicity! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for all! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me ...
07.25.2022 The Book of Household Management, by Isabella Beeton, Part 8 - Cookery Let’s return to a sleepy favorite and relax with Mrs. Beeton's thoughts on a cook’s duties, French vocabulary, and asparagus. Also, we learn to make Bread Soup. Yay? Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for all! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy ...
07.18.2022 Astronomy for Young Folks, by Isabel Martin Lewis, Part 6 Let’s celebrate the JWST with more from one of my favorite sleepy books. We hear about Jupiter’s moons, dissect Saturn’s rings, and consider whether the Moon could harbor life. Dreamy! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for all! Patreon: ...
07.11.2022 Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, Part 2 Let’s continue with our revolutionary relaxation courtesy of Thomas Paine, who has even more thoughts on breaking up with Britain and replacement systems for the republic. Yawn! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for all! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me ...
07.04.2022 Common Sense, by Thomas Paine, Part 1 Let’s relax and sleep with this treatise on human rights and the failure of monarchical systems to reflect or ensure them. Plus, a lot of chatter that ties kings to…original sin? Whew! Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for ...
06.27.2022 An Account of Egypt, by Herodotus, Part 2 Let’s travel the sands of sleep once again with Herodotus, and learn about flying serpents, fish migration, and the third-cheapest way to embalm your loved ones. It’s balmy bookishness for your weary mind. Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free ...
06.20.2022 Moving Pictures - How They Are Made and Worked, Part 1 This week let’s relax with information about a revolution in visual entertainment and education. We learn about the persistence of vision and some history that led us to what we today call “movies.” Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free ...
06.13.2022 REWIND! The Politics, by Aristotle, Part 1 (Remastered) This week, while your reader tussles with a certain virus, let’s revisit a perfectly sleepy combo of ponderous Victorian introduction and ancient Greek philosophy, freshly remastered for your relaxation pleasure. Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ad-free for all! Patreon: ...
06.06.2022 REWIND! Bacteria, by Sir George Newman, Part 1 (Remastered) This week, while your reader is laid up with a certain virus, let’s revisit one of my favorite sleepy science reads. Enjoy this remastered intro to a brand new branch of study (in 1899), bacteriology! Help us stay 100% listener-supported ...
05.30.2022 The Book of the Ocean, by Ernest Ingersoll, Part 3 Let’s sail to sleep with more from this lovely work about the seas. This time, we learn the rigging of a schooner, praise the prowess of Pacific Islanders, and head to Iceland with Vikings. Help us stay 100% listener-supported and ...
05.23.2022 On Molecular and Microscopic Science, by Mary Somerville, Part 2 Let's relax with more sleepy science from a woman so talented that the word “scientist” was coined to describe her. This time, we learn about all the forces holding us together. Help us stay 100% listener supported! All supporters in ...
05.16.2022 A Short History of the World, by H.G. Wells, Part 5 Let’s continue our sleepy stroll through history with the fall of Assyria, the literary bedrock of the Jews, and the birth of philosophy in Greece. Rather a lot to cram into an hour, but Wells makes it sound easy. Help ...
05.09.2022 Spices, Their Histories, Part 1 Let’s take a sleepy tour of the spice cabinet and the origins of allspice, chilies, cinnamon, and cloves, with a pinch of insight into faking spices with brick dust. Useful! Help us stay 100% listener supported! All supporters in May ...
05.02.2022 Bird Biographies, by Alice E. Ball, Part 3 Let’s fly off to relaxation with more from this lovely book about our feathered friends. This time, we learn about the birds of early spring, and marvel at the sleepy songs of the sparrows. Help us stay 100% listener supported! ...
04.25.2022 Our National Parks, by John Muir, Part 2 Let’s conclude a month of relaxing travels with more from this tour of America’s national parks, sleepily agog at the Grand Canyon and the weird grandeur of Yellowstone. Help us stay 100% listener supported: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/boringbookspod Buy Me a Coffee: ...
04.18.2022 Faery Lands of the South Seas, by Hall and Nordhoff, Part 1 Our month of relaxing voyages continues as we head to the distant South Seas. We set off first for sleepy Tahiti and meet a man with little history but a lot of chickens. And profuse apologies if I sound a ...
04.11.2022 Pictures From Italy, by Charles Dickens, Part 2 Let’s continue our month of relaxing voyages and rejoin Charles Dickens on his sleepy sojourn to Italy. On the way, we visit a dungeon, pass a madhouse, and end up bemused in Genoa. Help us stay 100% listener supported: Patreon: ...
04.04.2022 Mount Everest - The Reconnaissance of 1921, Part 2 Let’s kick off a month of relaxing travelogues with more from the first attempt to map the world’s tallest mountain. This time, we take the road from India to Tibet, marvel at flowered forests, and consider the leech. Help us ...
03.28.2022 Ten Acres Enough, by Edmund Morris, Part 1 Let’s throw off the stress of city cares and head out into the country for a simpler life, which apparently was as much a desire back in the 1850s as it is today. If you support us in March 2022, ...
03.21.2022 The ABC of Relativity, by Bertrand Russell, Part 1 Let’s relax with some sleepy physics, as Bertrand Russell unravels the Theory of Relativity. Drugging people and putting them in balloons is somewhat mentioned. Science! If you support us in March 2022, you’ll help us stay 100% listener supported AND ...
03.14.2022 1897 Sears Roebuck and Co. Catalog, Grocery Department 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% ...
03.07.2022 The Woman and The Car, by Dorothy Levitt, Part 2 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 ...
02.28.2022 The Poetics of Aristotle, Part 2 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 ...

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