15 Amazing Podcasts (That Aren’t Serial)
Podcasts have been around for more than ten years now, but I, along with the rest of the world, didn’t start paying much attention to them until Serial came along and consumed my life. But now I am obsessed, and I don’t know how I’ve been commuting and working without them for so long. Here are a few of my favorites.
POP CULTURE
- The Right Reasons I have to start with this podcast, because it is hands-down my favorite. Fans of the Bachelor will catch the reference in the podcast’s title. There comes a point in every season when people begin to question – are these other people really here for the right reasons? This podcast explores a pretty wide range of reality TV, including Vanderpump Rules, the Challenge, Naked and Afraid, and, of course, all of the Bachelor shows. The hosts are Juliet Litman and David Jacoby, who work for ESPN’s Grantland podcast network. They have such a great chemistry together as hosts that I would listen to them talk about anything. Literally, anything. This explains why I listen to their podcasts whether I’ve seen the shows they’re discussing or not, and why I also listen to their podcast Food News, a 15-minute micro-pod about goings-on in the culinary world. Recent topics have included the new Japanese fad of bathing in ramen and the “peas in guacamole” kerfuffle. They conclude every podcast with a themed taste test, which I still listen to despite the rage I feel when I hear chewing and crunching sounds (it’s a real thing, it’s called misophonia, and The New York Times confirmed it, so there!).
For those of you who are still traumatized by the end of Breaking bad, Breaking Bad Insider is another great behind-the-scenes podcast. Vince Gilligan and editor Kelley Dixon host a rotating panel of cast and crew for almost every episode. Ever wondered how they filmed the giant magnet scene? The thought process behind the music they use? How many times AMC will let them curse per episode? This podcast is for you! Sound quality can be a bit spotty from time to time, but it’s still worth a listen.
- The Americans: Slate TV Club Insider Have you been watching The Americans? If not, you have some binge-watching to do. This podcast is a great behind-the-scenes look at all of the details that go into making a TV show. After each episode, they interview casts and crew, from show runners to costume designers (and yes, they discuss The Wigs).
BOOKS
- Book Riot makes a range of book-related podcasts. Their first podcast, predictably titled Book Riot – The Podcast, which features news and discussions on the world of books. One of my favorites is All the Books, where Liberty Hardy and Rebecca Schinskey, two disturbingly voracious professional readers (why did nobody tell me this was an occupation?), discuss what books they’re reading at the moment. In Reading Lives, Jeff O’Neal interviews authors, people in the publishing industry, and other book lovers about their reading habits and the formative books in their lives. I love hearing people talk about the books that sparked their love of reading. A recent episode reminded me of the existence of THE WESTING GAME! I need to re-read it asap.
- The New York Times Book Review podcast is pretty self-explanatory. Most episodes have two author interviews, a run-down of book news and chartings, and a segment of reader questions.
- I remember watching Boy Meets Girl as a kid and thinking – one day I bet Rider Strong will grow up to direct a sequel to this show called Girl Meets Boy and start a book podcast. And I was right! He hosts Literary Disco along with Todd Goldberg and Julia Pistell. And I will put it on this list despite the episode where they crap all over Kurt Vonnegut’s Galapagos. Which is one of my favorite books.
- Slate is kinda killin’ it when it comes to podcasts. One of my favorites is Slate’s Audio Book Club, where they discuss (in a spoiler-y fashion) new and noteworthy books.
- Ok one more book podcast! I stumbled onto Between the Covers, where David Naimon of Portland’s community radio interviews authors about their newest books. He’s a great interviewer, and subjects include Roxane Gay, Karen Russell, and William Gibson.
CREATIVITY
- Raise Your Hand. Say Yes. is a podcast about the creative process and habits of (mostly) women from a range of fields – writers, designers, bloggers, scrapbookers, makers. People who have found a way to either make a career out of their creativity or to live a life that’s filled with creativity.
- For a podcast that leans more on the entrepreneurial side of creativity, I recommend Being Boss. The hosts, Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon, talk about common issues for people with a freelance creative career: how to get your clients to pay up, how to find clients, how to market yourself, staying motivated, keeping organized.
TRUE CRIME
- If you miss Serial as much as I do, I recommend Sword and Scale, a podcast that explores recent and past crimes. With fifty hour-long (plus) episodes, it should hold you over for a good, long while. Not only is the content great, but it’s so well-produced. Excellent sound quality and scoring. More importantly, the episodes are highly researched, including original interviews, news clips, 9/11 calls, and court recordings. The most recent episode centers around the Jonestown suicides/murders and features author Julia Scheers, whose book, A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Jonestown, I highly recommend.
- Criminal is another great podcast focused on – you guessed it – criminals. At ten to twenty minutes an episode, sometimes I wish it would get a little more in-depth. But it has an interesting range of stories, covering everything from the black market for Venus Flytraps to a man who is a chronic thief of rare books.
Any other podcasts you think I should be listening to? I am a bottomless pit of need when it comes to podcast consumption, so please share.
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