For the past year or so I’ve been really engrossed in a handful of awesome podcasts. I listen on my commute, while I’m cooking, doing laundry, or taking a walk. I had always done audiobooks, but lately this format has been a lot more fun for me. I like how the material is coming at me in short segments, and I can choose the podcast that fits my current mood.

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NPR - Up First
This is a podcast I listen to every day. It’s only 15 minutes long, which is great because I can usually catch it on my airpods while I’m getting ready in the bathroom. It’s pretty basic - the top three headlines. Very little commentary and no opinion. It’s a straight up “this happened” kind of news format and I really appreciate that.

NPR - This American Life
This is such an interesting podcast. Ira Glass has a theme and weaves together multiple “acts” (stories, interviews, etc.) that all tie into the theme. It’s always incredibly interesting. About an hour long.

Best of Both Worlds
A podcast about working moms and how they balance their careers, children, partners, and fun. They love their careers and families. This is a newer podcast for me - episodes seem to be about a variety of topics where the hosts take the lead and just have a discussion, or sometimes conduct an interview. Episodes are about 35-45 minutes.

Bookriot - The Podcast
One of my favorite sites for everything related to books. This podcast breaks down news and interesting information pertaining to reading and publishing. There are two hosts, Jeff and Rebecca, and the format is discussion-based. Episodes are about an hour long.

Call Your Girlfriend
Two hosts who are “long distance besties”. The format is sometimes discussion and sometimes interview. The episodes cover a wide range of feminist topics and feminist perspectives. They cover everything from bosses, current events, getting control of your finances, sex work, disabilities, and body hair. Episodes are about an hour long.

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
I think this may be my favorite podcast. I don’t watch late night television (no cable, wake up before or at 5am), so this is my only real experience with Conan. I love it. He’s so funny and delightful to listen to. It’s not really an interview podcast - it feels more like he’s bringing someone in to have a hangout and conversation with. Every episode is delightful, even when I don’t really know who the guest is. Some of my favorites have been Michelle Obama, Hillary/Chelsea Clinton, Sarah Silverman, Nikki Glaser, Neil Young, and Zach Galifanakis. Honestly, every episode is great. Episodes are about an hour long.

Forever35
This is a podcast about self care and skin care. It’s another one of my favorites. They really do talk about everything revolving around how to take care of yourself. There are two episodes a week. One is an interview, and the other is a “mini-episode” where they answer emails/voicemails. Topics include family, friends, loss, self-love, skincare, body positivity, and everything pertaining to your body. The hosts, Kate and Doree are so kind, genuine, and wonderful. They also have a very active FB group (with lots of subgroups) and it’s one of my favorite things on FB right now. Episodes are about an hour long - the mini-episodes are a little shorter, maybe 40 minutes.

Get Booked
This is another Book Riot podcast. It’s personalized reading recommendations. There are two hosts - Jenn and Amanda. People write in asking for a reading recommendation for themselves or a friend and the hosts recommend books to them! I don’t always listen to every episode - I tend to scan and see if they’re talking about topics that may give me a good recommendation. They also have a weekly “bonus” called The Handsell where either Jenn or Amanda choose a book that they just want to talk about and recommend, not pertaining to a specific listener question. Episodes are about 40-50 minutes and The Handsell episodes are less than 10.

Lore
As the title implies, each week the host talks about tales of lore. Body snatchers, haunted hotel rooms, haunted battlefields, etc. For someone like me, who loves Halloween and spooky stuff, this is a lot of fun. Episodes are about 35 minutes.

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Mom and Dad Are Fighting
This is a parenting podcast. There’s a panel of men and women who take questions written in by listeners. They offer their opinions and insights. It’s always interesting to listen to. Subjects are pretty wide-spread and diverse. Episodes are 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Office Ladies
This is another favorite. Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fisher are hosting an Office rewatch podcast. They’re going through each episode in order, and they deliver tons of behind-the-scenes information about each episode. For someone who loves The Office, this is a true delight. I look forward to it each week. I make sure to watch rewatch the episode in advance so it’s fresh in my mind when I listen to the podcast. So much fun! Episodes are a little less than an hour.

Overdue
I haven’t listened to this one in awhile but when I do, I really enjoy it. It’s two friends - one reads a book and explains it to the other. They’re absolutely hilarious and fun to listen to. I only listen to episodes where they’re discussing a book I’ve read. Because spoilers abound! This is a fun podcast for readers. Episodes are usually over an hour.

The Mom Hour
This podcast is two friends who “have 8 kids between them, from little to grown”. They talk about a wide variety of parenting topics and are such a delight. I think they seem to be the “style” parent that I am, so it’s always interesting to hear what they have to say. Episodes are 35 minutes - 1 hour.

That’s it for me! What are you listening to? Drop your recommendations below - and let me know if you try any of these.