13 Podcasts to Listen to Right Now
When we lived in Hoboken, Brian had a really long commute to work. Like REALLY long. As in two hours one way. To pass the time, he’d download tons of podcasts and listen as he drove. It didn’t take me long to jump on that bandwagon since every ride to visit our parents was at least an hour in the car.
It’s been four years since we moved from Hoboken, but in that time, my podcast consumption has increased exponentially. And since the quarantine began? It’s skyrocketed. I find myself playing them when I do laundry, make meals, wash dishes, go for walks, and in those moments I just need a break from my day.
In case you’re looking to get into the podcast game, or if you just need a few new ones to mix up your routine, here are some of my favorites!
P.S.—What are your favorite podcasts? Let me know in the comments section!
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Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith
Description: Irreverent, explicit, completely f*%@ng hilarious. I find myself literally laughing out load whenever I listen to this podcast. Amy Schumer and friends (who are all comedians you probably know) interview everyone from big name celebrities to rights activists and government officials. It’s so good. But like I said, it is EXPLICIT with a capital E. And definitely not for more conservative tastes. BUT I LOVE IT.
Favorite episodes: Once Upon a Time with Quentin Tarantino, Redemption with John Forté, Religion with Judy Gold, Some Words with Bill Murray, This Political Climate with Michael Moore, Jerry Seinfeld!!! With Jerry Seinfeld
In the Dark, Seasons 1 and 2
Description: Absolutely spellbinding. Journalist Madeleine Baron takes us through two extraordinary (yet vastly different) criminal cases. Season 1 tackles the 1989 abduction and murder of Jacob Wetterling, the case that became pivotal in creating a national sex offender registry. Season 2 explores the infuriating case of Curtis Flowers, who has been tried SIX times for the same murders. You read that right. Six times.
Favorite episodes: All of them. You need to listen to each season in chronological order, but there is new evidence and outcomes in both cases that make them worth listening to.
Armchair Expert
Description: Thoughtful, light hearted, and a feel-good kind of listen. It took me a while to finally listen, but I’m hooked! Bonus: they’re recording through the pandemic, so every person they interview talks about this strange time we’re in.
Favorite episodes: David Chang, Jessica Lahey, Sheryl Crow (honestly surprised by how much I loved this one since I’m not really a fan!), Dan Heath, Glennon Doyle, and those are just the ones from this year!
Cold
Description: Creepy, sinister, and binge-worthy. I remember this case—the disappearance of young mother Susan Powell—from when I worked at MSNBC because it was so shocking, so seemingly obvious who murdered her, and yet her case has never been closed, nor has her body ever been found.
Favorite episodes: This one you have to listen to in chronological order. If you’re a true crime fan, just know that this podcast gave me goosebumps with every listen and introduced many details I knew.
How I Built This with Guy Raz
Description: Inspiring, informative, and light hearted. NPR’s Guy Raz interviews ultra successful entrepreneurs about the businesses they created, and what it took to make it. I found myself thinking I can do anything every time I listen!
Favorite episodes: Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Allbirds, Dave’s Killer Bread, Dyson, Peleton, Christini Tosi of Milk Bar, Crate & Barrel, Tate’s Bakeshop, M.M. LaFleur, Chicken Salad Chick, Headspace, DryBar (I pretty much love them all, but these stick in my memory!)
This American Life
Description: Excellent, engrossing, interesting. On air since 1995, This American Life JUST won the very first Pulitzer for audio journalism! It airs weekly and each episode tells several stories, all of which center around one main theme.
Favorite episodes: Stuck!, Everyone’s a Critic, The Out Crowd (this is the one that won), Fiasco! (I laughed so hard at this episode), Left Behind, Burn It Down, Digging Up the Bones, Black Box, and so many more
The Daily
Description: Sharp, informative, brief yet comprehensive. From The New York Times, every episode of this podcast is a 20-minute news blurb, focusing on one current events story each day.
Favorite Episodes: A Bit of Relief: Rick Steves’ Travel Dreams, A Bit of Relief: I Forgive You, New York (if you’ve ever worked or lived in the city, take a listen!), The Shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, The Iceman in Winter, Who’s Organizing the Lockdown Protests?, 24 Hours Inside a Brooklyn Hospital, Examining an Allegation Against Joe Biden, A Bit of Relief: Soup is Soup
Sibling Revelry
Description: Warm, funny, easy listening. Siblings Kate and Oliver Hudson interview other celebrities and their siblings about the ties that bind, family memories, childhood, and more.
Favorite episodes: Willie and Libbie Geist, Amy Schumer and Kim Caramele, The Sibling Expert
Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
Description: Inspiring, warm, thought-provoking. Oprah really doesn’t need a description, but I think of this podcast as an in-depth extension of her talkshow. The one the we all miss so much!
Favorite episodes: Lin-Maneul Miranda: Creativity and Compassion, Panache Desei: Discovering Your Soul Signature, Brené Brown: Rising Strong, Michael Pollan: Conscious Eating, Dr. Gary Chapman: The Five Love Languages, Malcolm Gladwell: Talking to Strangers, and all of the “Your Life in Focus” interviews,
The Happiness Lab
Description: Positive, hopeful, happy. Dr. Laurie Santos is the Yale professor famous for her wildly popular class, “Psychology and the Good Life”and in this podcast, she shares scientific research and uplifting stories to help readers find a path to happiness in their own lives.
Favorite episodes: You Can Change, Mistakenly Seeking Solitude, Choice Overload
Table Manners with Jessie Ware
Description: Cozy, lovely, funny, and British! Jessie Ware and her mother gather fabulous famous guests around the table to cook and discuss everything from familial relationships to careers and everything in between. This podcast feels like a warm hug.
Favorite episodes: Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Annie Mac (I had been working my way through from the beginning but they’ve had INCREDIBLE guests since the pandemic started, so I’m looking forward to skipping ahead!)
Revisionist History
Description: Intellectual, analytical, entertaining. Best selling author Malcolm Gladwell focuses on powerful moments and figures in history, exploring them from different angles.
Favorite episodes: Food Fight, My Little Hundred Million, McDonald’s Broke My Heart, Free Brian Williams, Puzzle Rush, The Tortoise and the Hare
Staying In with Emily and Kumail
Description: Sweet, supportive, funny. My future sister-in-law, Diana, recommended this podcast to me and it’s such a nice listen. You might know Emily and Kumail from their film “The Big Sick”, or maybe you’re a fan of Kumail’s work on Silicon Valley. Either way, they both seem like truly lovely human beings and listening to this podcast is like sitting in their living room. They talk about how strange this pandemic is without constantly talking about the “C” word (Coronavirus). Bonus points: they coin some adorable phrases like “Post Hanks-Wilson” and “In the Weirds” to describe our current state of affairs.
Favorite episodes: Fumbling for Normalcy, 2Fast2Serious, Fashion in the Weirds with Tan France, End of FOMO
