Bookishness for Incurable Readers
Close Reads is a literary endeavor produced by Goldberry Studios, a family-run company in North Carolina that is connected to Goldberry Books, an indie bookshop in Concord, NC.
Our goal is have emphathetic and intelligent conversations about good books. We think of ourselves as enthusiastic curators and advocates—friendly bookish neighbors, if you will.
Originally launching in 2015, Close Reads is dedicated to deep reading and stimulating conversation about the best novels and short stories ever written. We have read and discussed works by Jane Austen, Leo Tolstoy, Charlotte Bronte, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Wendell Berry, Dorothy Sayers, Flannery O'Connor, Evelyn Waugh, E.M. Forster, Ernest Gaines, J.R.R. Tolkien, Daphne DuMaurier, Charles Portis, and many, many others — with more to come!
Close Reads HQ
Here at Close Reads HQ you will find every episodes of the podcast, including subscriber-exclusives, plus written content, from essays and interviews to reviews and contemplations. In addition to giving you access to that content, your subscription funds the production of our shows.
When you subscribe you gain access to:
Bi-weekly bonus episodes on longer novels (Anna Karenina, LOTR, Crime and Punishment, etc. )
A monthly column from Heidi White that contemplates the ways the themes of Duty and Desire show up in the books we discuss for the show
Periodical discussions on new release books
Occasional book reviews from our team as well as guest reviewers
Interviews with authors and experts
David’s occasional “From the Stacks” column
Access to live episodes discussing short stories and other topics
Access to ongoing subscriber-only conversations through Substack’s “thread” tool
THE DAILY POEM — An audio anthology of the greatest poetry ever written
Goldberry Studios also produces The Daily Poem, a podcast that offers one essential poem each weekday morning. From Shakespeare and John Donne to Robert Frost and E..E Cummings, The Daily Poem curates a broad and generous audio anthology of the best poetry ever written, read-aloud by David Kern (on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursday) and Heidi White (on Mondays and Fridays). Some brief commentary is included and poems are often read twice, as time permits.
The Facebook Group
Close Reads is driven by a book-loving, conversation-loving, and all-around loving community of listeners. If you love good books and want to talk about them with other people, be sure to join the Close Reads Facebook discussion group.
You can also follow Goldberry Studios on Instagram here.
Subscribe to stay up-to-date
To keep up with all the happenings, be sure to subscribe here. It’s free.
Show Archives
We have received many questions about the Close Reads archives, since most podcast apps don’t go back further than around 100 episodes. Click here to see the full archive list of the earliest episodes.
