Binge-listening is my new binge-watching. I started listening to podcasts over a year ago after a friend recommended I check out the Being Boss podcast. Anndd I was hooked. My subscriptions started piling up, I swear there’s a podcast for every topic, interest or hobby out there!
When I find a podcast I love, I go all in and listen to episode after episode starting from the beginning. If Hulu hadn’t started streaming all seasons of Will & Grace, I wouldn’t have turned on my TV for a month. Listening to a podcast has become a part of my nightly routine when I’m cooking dinner. And thanks to the “Strategy of Pairing,” a handy tip I learned from – you guessed it – a podcast, if I’m listening to a podcast on the weekend I’m also checking a chore off the list. When I discovered “And That’s Why We Drink,” I swear my apartment had never been so spotless or my weekly meals so prepped. Here are the podcasts to binge this weekend:
1 // My Favorite Murder
We’re just going to dive right into it. I have always been fascinated by true crime, truth is stranger than fiction after all. I love my communications job but if I had to pick another career, it would have to be FBI profiler (Yes, I’m watching Mindhunter on Netflix). Granted I’m too much of a wimp to ever do that so I’ll stick with my safe office job. So I get my true crime fix with My Favorite Murder by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. These ladies take on true crime with grit and believe it or not, laughs. Tackling their fears by talking through serial killers and murderers, Karen and Georgia have built a cult following. Their one liners like “You’re in a cult, call your dad” and trademark sign-off, “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered” may sound weird or even jarring to you now but trust me, after a few episodes you’ll be all in. That being said, it took an episode or two for me to get really into it.
2 // Anna Faris Is Unqualified
Okay now that you now I love true crime, here’s something completely different. Anna Faris Is Unqualified is hilarious and will actually make me laugh out loud. Sometimes even in public where I’m sure people think I’m insane. The podcast’s premise is Anna Faris invites a celebrity to guest star, the guest goes through crazy “What if” scenarios, talks dating dealbreakers or improvs a scene. Then they call regular folks like us who emailed the podcast for advice. And Anna and her guest give their two cents on how to resolve the issue. Some of the advice is insanely insightful (like on the Johnny Galecki episode) and there are follow-up episodes where Anna checks in on people who called. Celebs, they’re just like us.
3 // The Lively Show
The Lively Show is the second podcast I subscribed to after Being Boss. Jess began her podcast by interviewing creative entrepreneurs but over the years it’s evolved into discussing health, wellness, and personal happiness. And as the tagline says, it’s about “adding a little extra intention to your everyday.” This podcast isn’t one that I can throw on in the background as I do a deep-clean of my kitchen floor or one I can listen to on the Metro heading to meet friends. The Lively Show tackles some deep thoughts and ideas so I like to give it my complete attention. I’ll be up-front: in the last year or so, Jess has admittedly gotten more woo-woo in terms of spirituality on her podcast. That’s also right up my alley but it’s not for everyone and that’s okay.
4 // Lore
Now that you know about my true crime obsession, have I also mentioned my love of ghost stories? Lore gives me my ghost story fix though it covers a wide range of topics from ghosts to urban legends to folklore and myths. Each episode’s story is meticulously researched and the narrator, Aaron Mahnke, is a gifted storyteller. The story is also accompanied by an original musical composition that perfectly complements the story’s cadence, heightening suspense in all the right places. Lore delves into the history of our society’s fears and how those fears spanned cultures and continents. I always feel like I’m in an anthropology class whenever I’m listening to it except you know, I’m washing the dishes.
5 // And That’s Why We Drink
Ghosts. True crime. Wine. And That’s Why We Drink is really all I could ever want in a podcast. Em and Christine split the podcast, with Em sharing a paranormal story and true crime for Christine. Their reactions to the other’s stories though are what really makes this podcast one I will listen to immediately once it uploads. You just feel like you’re sitting around the kitchen table with these two best friends sharing stories, making corny jokes and taking a heavy gulp of wine (or milkshake) because of the crazy turns in the accounts. I forget how I came across this podcast, I think it popped up as a “You might be interested because you subscribe to XYZ” but it quickly became a top favorite and I think I did nothing for an entire Sunday except listen nonstop to this podcast. Like I said above, my apartment had never been so spotless. Warning: You will want to have a glass of wine when you listen to this podcast. Or two.
6 // Happier with Gretchen Rubin
I was first introduced to Gretchen Rubin in 2012. I had just graduated from college and was in the throes of finding my first Real World job. Her book, The Happiness Project, had some handy tips to keep me from feeling down in the dumps after interviews led nowhere and I felt stuck. When I heard she had a podcast expanding more on her book, I immediately started listening. Gretchen and her sister Elizabeth trade happiness hacks, good habits and how to actually make them stick. It definitely makes you think about how you view your day and its many little moments, I always keep my notebook nearby when I’m listening to Happier to scribble down a mantra or just an off-hand comment they said that stuck with me. Like The Lively Show, Happier is a podcast I like to listen to when I can give it my full attention.
7 // Ghosts in the Burbs
I tried to mix up the ghosts/true crime podcasts up but I’m guessing you saw the pattern awhile ago, yes? Liz Sower’s podcast is the most recent addition my subscriptions and I’ve been steadily working my way through it. I’m sad to say I’m 95% sure her stories are fiction but Liz is a gifted storyteller and you’ll quickly lose yourself in her haunted tales of Wellesley, MA. I made the rookie mistake of listening to her very first episode right before I went to bed. Her stories all end with a cliffhanger and the first episode’s cliffhanger…well, it was a doozy. I had to promptly watch YouTube videos of unlikely animal friendships for 15 minutes so I wouldn’t have nightmares. But since we’re in the Halloween season, Ghosts in the Burbs is the perfect podcast to binge this weekend. Just buy a nightlight first.
What podcasts do you like that should be added to the list?
* * *
Let’s Chat!
Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Bloglovin’
