CraftLit - Serialized Classic Literature for Busy Book Lovers

Heather Ordover has been serializing classic literature one chapter at a time since 2006, making CraftLit one of the longest-running book podcasts in existence. The concept is brilliantly practical: each week, Ordover provides some historical and literary context, then reads the next chapter of whatever book the show is currently working through. Right now that's Elizabeth Gaskell's Mr. Harrison's Confessions, but the archive stretches back through Jane Eyre, The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities, and Mark Twain's Joan of Arc recollections, among many others. The "Craft" in CraftLit refers to the show's dual audience of book lovers and fiber arts enthusiasts. Knitters, embroiderers, and crocheters make up a significant chunk of the listenership, and there's a crafting community dimension that gives the show a cozy, participatory feel. Listener voicemails and monthly book parties add to the book club atmosphere. With 844 episodes across 26 seasons, the back catalog is enormous. Ordover was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday and hit Apple's What's Hot list, so this isn't some obscure corner of the internet. The show has real reach. Her reading style is clear and engaging, and the contextual notes before each chapter help you appreciate details you'd otherwise miss. Rated 4.7 stars from 426 ratings, CraftLit is perfect for anyone who wants to actually read the classics but keeps getting stuck on page twelve. Letting Ordover guide you through, chapter by chapter, week by week, turns intimidating books into manageable pleasures.