Yesterday I vented on Facebook a little bit.
It’s that strange time about a week or two after a book is finished that I get completely discombobulated. I am restless and anxious, and I feel weird, and I don’t know what to do with myself. One of the writers I knew when we started out called it the post-novel ennui.
The cure for this is work, but I haven’t recovered enough for work yet. At some point right before the edits were finished, the brain was gone so far that I couldn’t carry on a conversation. Friends would call, and I would just sink into these long pauses on the phone where whatever neural connection that makes words go failed.
But I really hate the restlessness. It makes this sticky semi-anxiety that looks for weird places to attach itself to. Like the mind bounced back enough to produce anxiety but not quite enough to be creative.
Turns out I’m not the only one who gets this annoying restlessness after a major project. Thank you to everyone who commented and assured me that I wasn’t alone.
One common advice seems to be distraction – TV, books, knitting, gaming, etc. Last week we’ve been playing Windrose and listening to podcast as we build pirate bases, so today I bring you some of my favorite podcasts.
I will preface this by saying that I’m less of a true crime fan and more of a scandal or scam fan. Most of us have strong emotional walls built up, but writers work with emotion. We have zero armor, because we are constantly in flux portraying the emotional state of our characters. I suspect that’s why sometimes writers overreact in seemingly normal interactions. So true crime hits me very hard.
Please use your discretion when listening because your mileage will vary.
British Scandal
Hosts: Alice Levine and Matt Forde
Where to Listen: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Audible.
This podcast profiles British scandals, both contemporary and historical. It’s hosted by Alice Levine, who is a writer and a TV presenter, and Matt Forde, a comedian. The hosts do not take themselves too seriously, and the scandals are fascinating.
The series does tackle some heavy topics and they are usually handled well and with reasonable sensitivity. The writing is superb, although, ahem, the accents are … memorable and often commented on by the hosts themselves. Heh.
It’s a perfect blend between somber and funny. It’s never too grim and never too flippant. Also, as a non-UK person, I never felt lost. If they make a reference, they will explain it.
I have learned so much about British history. There is this whole section about the rise of Nazi Germany and the effect it had on British upper class. Also, I finally know who Guy Fawkes is. This video makes a little bit more sense now.
Favorite episodes: Operation Mincemeat (Aug 19, 2026) and Liz Truss/ Liz vs Lettuce, (Sep 19, 2023.) Start with those, hehe.
Scamfluencers
Hosts: Scaachi Koul and Sarah Hagi.
Where to Listen: Available on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and Amazon Music.
Saachi Koul is a Canadian writer who had written for Slate and BuzzFeed Canada. Sarah Hagi is a Canadian journalist who had written for Guardian, Hairpin, and Gawker.
This podcast covers scams, mostly US-based. The tone is younger and sharper, more biting at times, but still tinged with humor. If you want to know what young, educated, politically and culturally savvy people think about various scams, this one is for you. The writing is excellent. Also, while they cover the famous scandals, like Martha Stewart and Dr. Oz, they have a lot of stories that I’ve never heard of.
Favorite episodes: John McAffee (219, Jun 22, 2026) was very interesting.
Redhanded
Hosts: Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala.
Where to Listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeart
The story of how this podcast came to be is very interesting, and here is a great interview of them at the Medium.
This is another British podcast and it concentrates heavily on true crime, although they do have shorter episodes on fun supernatural lore. I’ve never been to a British pub – please help me remedy this when we are in London next summer – but I imagine if I went to a British pub, ordered fish and chips and some good ale and met two fun friends obsessed with true crime, this is what it would sound like.
I will say that I cherry pick the episodes, though. Some of it is just so grim. There are flashes of humor, but it is a little on the darker side. If you are less bothered by terrible things human beings do to each other and are fascinated by crime, this one is great. The cases are often international.
Episode to start with: Richard Chase: Vampire of Sacramento (Mar 1, 2018) or Thabo Bester: Twisted Firestarter (Sep 16, 2025)
Rotten Mango
Hosts: Stephanie Soo and “mysterious partner in crime.”
Where to Listen: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts
Where to Watch: Rotten Mango Youtube and Netflix.
This is a true crime podcast that leans into high profile, viral cases and international crimes lesser known to US audience. It is young and very on the edge of what people are talking about online. Stephanie will often do a very deep dive on more prominent cases, so if you wanted to know everything there is to know about a case, this is a good podcast to try. If an influencer committed a crime, sooner or later, they will end up on this podcast.
I cherry-pick this one too, because some of it is just too dark.
Good episode to start with: Pathological Liar Kills Beloved Dentist (Aug 20, 2026)
Stephanie also has a scandal podcast, which is much lighter in tone. It is called Moral of the Story, and it focuses a lot on Chinese and Korean media scandals. I just had to share this one with you.
We stumbled on it, and we were like, wait, what? It’s about an influencer who stole from her friends for years. I laughed so hard.
Honorable mention: American Scandal. It is hosted by Lindsay Graham, and I should love it, but it puts me to sleep. There is something about the cadence and tone of Lindsay Graham’s voice that just makes me go into my happy drowsy place. If you are a fan, let us know if you have any favorite episodes that I should try.
And now it’s your turn. Recommend your favorite podcasts to us in the comments.
My favorite are Ologies with Ward and History Chicks.
First. 🙂
First?
Almost First!
🥳
Maybe drop into a totally different story? I’ve been listening to the series The Wizard, The Witch, and The Wild One produced by Worlds Beyond Number. Fantastic story and (edited) tabletop roleplaying.
If you want stories of real fascinating people, “What’s Her Name?” is excellent. Many seasons and you can cherry pick whoever intrigues you.
I’ll take 2nd or third or…😂😂😂
I honestly feel like me and Mango’s partner would be mates. Most of the time we have the same reaction, which basically both of us going, “Wait. What?”
My usual podcasts go somewhere between entertaining and educating, and the perfect ones are a meld of both. I’m a scientist so Neil Degrasse-Tyson’s Startalk is always appreciated, as it delivers on both fronts. Also, my mild obsession with behavioral economics and the likes leads me to listen to Hidden Brain, which weaves together personal stories with everyday-useful science.
I’m so far behind on stuff, that even though I’ll happily read other’s submissions, there aren’t any more hours in the day to listen more… *sigh*
Take care Ilona, the brain will come back online eventually once it and the rest of you has rested enough!
I like the Jocko Willink podcast. He co-hosts it with a guy named Echo and every episode they start with “good evening, Echo”, “good evening”. I like that they set the tone with good manners, no matter what subject they’re talking about. It’s in one of the oldest episodes where Jocko does his famous “Good” bit, which has been made into numerous clips all over the interwebs.
Can I ask for recommendations here?
Looking for a good podcasts on Jewish magic and on the history of languages and/or linguistics. Wouldn’t say no to a youtube lectures instead of podcasts.
Not a podcast, but a very good basic resource: The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic and Mysticism by Rabbi Geoffrey W. Dennis.
Thank you!
The History of English by Kevin Stroud is pretty good.
I’ve loved the History of English for years! He starts with the proto- Indo-European language and is currently on the English civil war and early colonization.
Not a podcast but Bill Bryson’s The Mother Tongue (1990) is a great book about the English language. It is a “humorous exploration of the history, quirks, and global rise of the English language, covering its origins, spelling, pronunciation, dialects, and eccentricities.”
Something Rhymes With Purple is a podcast by Susie Dent and Gyles Brandreth that looks at English language and etymology in a fun way although it finished a few years ago. There are lot’s of episodes to listen to though.
Thanks for the recommendation! Love Susie Dent and her quiet humour in 8 out of 10 cats does countdown.
Esoterica on Youtube with Dr Justin Sledge is a great source of Jewish magic
Im a big fan of Gastropod which is a podcast about intersection of food and history. Its made by 2 women and its absolutely delightful.
came here to recommend gastropod!!
oh, I have to check these out, thanks!!
The Ancients by Tristan Hughes. Most of the History Hit podcasts are interesting.
Was absolutely going to say this!
my favorite of the history hit podcasts is ‘Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society’ I simply love the host. But you should take her fair dues warnings in the beginning of the episodes seriously, they often talk about sensitive things.
Seconded – it’s completely irreverent and hilarious
Yes! this is so fun and naughty!
I like this one too!
My recent serious recommend is Kill List which was a Wondery podcast and then Audible bought Wondery. It’s really an investigation into the dark web corner where you buy a hit man which sounds crazy, but is apparently A REAL THING PEOPLE TRY TO DO. It’s so well done, and might restore the faith in humanity the whole notion OF TRYING TO OFF YOUR LOVED ONES ANONYMOUSLY destroys.
I don’t have any podcast recommendations. However, “I understand the you’ve done something for so long and now it’s done, so now what?” syndrome. When my brain can’t take it anymore, I veg out on TV, reading, crochet, or anything I don’t have to think about. It’s nice when I don’t have to think.
My attention span is short these days, so I have been listening to The Moth Radio Hour. Great storytelling!
I’m sorry that I don’t know anything about Podcasts, but next year when you get to London, besides trying the fish and chips also try bangers and mash. You won’t be disappointed.
Not a podcast, but if you haven’t finished watching Pursuit of Jade, you should. I’m considering rewatching it. It was so good! And since here is where I found out about it, it seemed right to remind you about it. Also, you mentioned you’d stopped watching in the midst of working on Maggie2. (This Cat Will Not Cuddle Me, in our house, or sometimes our latest idea for the title. Thanks for the fun ongoing conversation!)
Thanks for all you do!
May I recommend In The Dark? Excellent investigative reporting. I’m also a big fan of Dolly Parton’s America and The Dream (especially the first season which goes hard at the world of MLMs).
I don’t normally listen to podcasts, but sometimes listen to Strictly Anonymous. It’s rather out there, but I learn about things I never even knew were things, if that makes sense.
People call in with anonymous confessions of things they do behind closed doors (or well, open, as the case may be), like bedroom doors. It’s very eye opening. 😄
You already have Red Handed which is a favorite, but I love Short History Of… Behind the Bastards, and Betwixt the Sheets
Anyone know any good books on the same topics? I’m interested, but I prefer to read over listen. The two I have so far are Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History, and West Plains Dance Hall Explosion.
Idea for a podcast. You interview an author you love and they interview you. Could focus on the latest book, book theme, author life, or whatever.
I occasionally listen to Palace Confidential for royal news and gossip. Others:
Conspiracy Theories, mostly modern events with conspiracy theories attached. They are factual and most often debunk the theories. The MK Ultra ones were interesting.
The Ancients. Gone Medieval. Not Just the Tudors. Short History Of. .(various topics). American History Hit. History of Egypt and History of Greece. Self explanatory.
A Little Bit Culty and Blown for Good. Podcasts by survivors of NXIVM and Scientology respectively. Lots to learn about mind control and how people get into negative cults.
Mary, I am so flattered, but with my accent, who would listen to me?
The Horde. 😊
Think of it as Dina’s conversations at the Inn type of podcast.
Ilona, there is a lady called Karolina Zebrowska aka the Meme Mom who talks on yt about fashion history and history in general (her podcast: textory) with a very havy polish accent and nobody minds hearing it.
Not saying that you “should” do a podcast, just that you could if you wanted to 🙂
I love your accent! It would be a bonus if anything.
I listened to the Knitmore Girls for years. At first, I noticed Gigi’s German accent, but later I was all “what accent”?
So maybe we’d have to pay a little more attention to begin with… so what? You have an interesting take on things and we’d love to hear it!
Podcastwise, you might enjoy Why I Knit with Dr Mia Hobbs—a Clinical Psychologist asks knitters (and crocheters) the basic question. So many different life stories and situations. It’s not like any of the podcasts you’ve listed but it might be interesting for … character development? 😉 Anyway, that’s my rec. (Oh, and she’s interviewed at least three of the Game of Wool season 1 contestants!)(My unsolicited GoW opinion: Wonderful contestants; crap editing and production.)
Gastropod! Looks at food through the lens of science and history! Hands down favorite. So good. Microbes- drink! I’ve been listening since they started in 2012 so it’s hard to pick a favorite.
Also a newly started podcast Always A Bridesmaid which discuss the filmographies and careers of actors who’ve been nominated multiple times for acting Oscars, but who have yet to snatch that trophy.
No Such Thing As A Fish – 4 friends, British, that are also the writing team behind QI, get together to mention their 4 favourite facts of the week and then make silly puns and comments around it. Science, but funny.
I really am not a Podcast person, but I have been loving My Victorian Nightmare. It’s far enough removed in time that it doesn’t disturb me as much. I am a bit OCD so I started with episode one and am still working my way through. Also, it doesn’t have 500 episodes so getting caught up seems like it’s actually possible (probably not, but let me dream).
I like True Weied Stuff from The Bob and Sheri Show folks. It’s odd stories and bits of history that caught Sheri’s attention.
My two favorite podcasts are Imaginary Worlds and The Allusionist.
Imaginary Worlds is all about anything related to sci-fi & fantasy and covers a whole range of stuff. One episode might be about the work of a particular fantasy author, and the next will be about how they do makeup effects for monster movies. He picks some really interesting topics and is a really good interviewer.
The Allusionist is all about language! She covers the stuff you would expect her to like word origins and popular expressions, but she goes in so many unique directions that I would never have thought of — what happens when you have aphasia, how do they go about naming new varieties of apples, how do new words get added to Icelandic, and all kinds of random stuff. Plus her voice is really easy to listen to.
Normal Gossip is my absolute favorite podcast. It’s just what the title says, normal gossip people send in. It’s hilarious and light hearted.
Try ‘The Dollop’ podcast by two comedians (Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynold) who love history. Some weird and wild history that you never knew. Check out the Holy Rollers story.
Also just learned that Mellisa McCarthy and her husband have a podcast (Hilda the Barback and the Lake of Fire). Sounds like it might be fun
My most listened to podcasts are Fated Mates (Sarah Maclean and Jen Prokopf discuss and recommend romance books, discuss craft and occasionally interview authors) and Cults to Consciousness where Shelise interviews survivors of cults or high control groups. It’s so fascinating to hear peoples first-hand accounts! She is so kind and careful with those with trauma who agree to be on her podcast.
Normal Gossip is my favorite podcast – it’s so fun and the episodes are never dark or depressing, just funny. It really highlights how so many mundane, ordinary people are unhinged in their own way lol
In light of the above lineup, I simply must recommend the Corporate Gossip Podcast!
Similar to several of the shows in the main post, Corporate Gossip features CPA Scored Becca Platsky, her brother Data Analytics Playboy Adam Platsky, and Out-of-Office Reply Guy comedian Robby Slowik. They discuss juicy corporate scandals, ridiculous CEOs, and once a season, a company doing well by doing good.
Becca and Adam both enjoy Bravo-type reality shows, and pair rigorous business research with a casual and fun presentation style. Adam recently took a step back from the mic to a producer role, and Robby has provided a good foil to Alex. Becca and Adam’s father is an old-school professional business journalist they can occasionally entice to join the pod, and Becca recently started taking journalism classes to beef up her work on the podcast.
It’s hilarious, irreverent, and educational. I love it so much I’m a member of the Patreon so I can get all the extra episodes.
OMG I saw Stephanie in my favoritw author’s recommended post *squeeeeee*
Chinese and Korean media scandals are really out of the world! *cackles*
I have two niche podcast recommendations:
– Gardener’s Question Time is a must for me – so soothing listening to experts being…expert: basically it’s UK horticultural competence porn at its finest from BBC Radio 4. Available via the BBC, but also – I understand – via Apple and Spotify.
– The actor Bill Nighy has a deadpan advice podcast that is popular in the UK. Availability is detailed at https://www.ill-advisedbybillnighy.com/.
I know that your London visit is some time away, but there are indeed some amazing pubs there. Fish and chips as a takeaway from a specialist shop is definitely worth having too, but as you may be aware, there are regional differences: I’m originally from the North West of the UK and there a ‘chippy’ would sell mushy peas and also have curry sauce. The preferred fish differs in different parts of the UK, too. Not that it matters – a good place will be good.
If you are looking for somewhere very traditional (but it is expensive) – this is the oldest restaurant in London https://rules.co.uk/.
Sadly Simpson’s Tavern – formerly the oldest chophouse in London (1757) has been closed for some time now – here’s an old review of it: https://thelondonmagazine.org/review-simpsons-tavern/, but I understand that it is expected to open under a new name serving modern British food, but they will have to have kept the interior mostly intact, so it may be worth visiting just for that. I miss the original Simpsons Tavern and their stewed cheese dessert, though.
Ahh, good old Gardener’s Question Time – there could be an apocalyptic alien invasion and Neville from Godmanchester would still want to know what that rust coloured leaf on his prized camellia meant.
My nan used to make me hush the heck up on Sundays and had sooo many Percy Thrower books.
Very true! There’s something very steadying about GQT to me, and I don’t even have a garden anymore,
I believe Simpson’s reopened earlier this year.
I think, Jazzlet, that you may mean Simpsons-in-the-Strand?
If so, yes: it did re-open to great fanfare earlier this year after years of decline. It’s a much grander (and more expensive) prospect than the former Simpson’s Tavern (which was a more everyday and quirky place in the City), but I think that they have gone back to serving roast meats on the old silver carving trolleys they used to use – https://www.simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk/, so it’s definitely worth a look (I haven’t been, but would love to try it).
IMHO: Very best way to restore your Zen: scuba diving. Get certified and plan a trip somewhere gorgeous after big deadlines. Underwater, no phones or texts or email, just beautiful fish, turtles, coral and sea life. Breathe in and out. Great food when you get back to shore.
Opposite of podcasts or gaming, but maybe that would help your ennui. Most dive places have WiFi if you still want to listen and play.
I’m not really a podcast person and I’m not a foodie either, but when I’m dogsitting for my brother (and thus walking his dog) I sometimes listen to Off Menu with James Acaster and Ed Gamble on his perambulations. No idea why, but I find it amusing.
My favorite podcast is Well There’s Your Problem (“it’s a podcast about engineering disasters, with slides”)- it’s more conversational and the hosts go off on tangents with some frequency, so it’s not for everyone. Not crime or scandal related at all, one of the WTYP hosts also hosts Kill James Bond, which is a very entertaining movie criticism podcast. (That host, November Kelly, does a bunch of different podcasts. Another host of KJB is Abigail Thorn, who does Philosophy Tube on youtube.)
I highly recommend Hidden Rabbits. You can watch episodes on YouTube or listen on Spotify.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpfWxp_UdIY_BryPc5rHd0CJdB6DNPbCB&si=hJpaUMJ6hRmrpOU5
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Fbbe1x4UGOmhgj9OYoZvM?si=8cfIRwDgTjGdyh23XW7L2w&utm_source=copy-link
The hosts are a couple who work in the entertainment industry and they are articulate, wonderfully right-brained, and excellent storytellers. They maintain a “no bummers” policy with the topics they cover so the episodes don’t delve into stories that are too grim or exploitative. They have a nice catalog of episodes banked so if they are for you, you will have many hours of their content to enjoy.
If you like a good “how is this real” story I recommend the Salt Path episode.
https://youtu.be/snD-OrAPejI?is=Vd2Zp4e5ZWEePpr8
If you like science and deep space I recommend The Great Nothing episode.
https://youtu.be/Np5SxDdl_7k?is=rnh9xR7kEPtYDAAj
Words Unravelled is one of my favorites.
I like Diary of a CEO because he’s had a lot of ‘we’re all gonna die’ doomsday predictors on lately and he asks good questions with a British accent. There’s something about listening to someone who seems very smart talk about how AI/the robots will kill us all that pulls me out of the annoyances of my own life. I walk away feeling so much better about Bob being late for work again, or Nancy calling out sick.
I love many of the History Hit podcasts. But After Dark and Betwixt the Sheets are my favourite.
After Dark is about “myths, misdeeds and the paranormal.” The most recent episodes were The Medieval Origins of Dracula and The Real Werewolf Trials of Europe.
Betwixt the Sheets is about “The History of Sex, Scandal and Society.” I really enjoy the host. I’m not going to list the titles here because.. well go look and you’ll see. But it’s a great podcast.
History that Doesn’t Suck! Focuses on American history and is very well told by history professor Greg Jackson. Makes history interesting and easy to listen to. Start at the very beginning!
I love podcasts. I also prefer hearing more about scams than violent crimes, and I like the podcast Swindled for that (though you have to get used to the host’s purposely-deadpan delivery cadence). But content warning: though it’s not “true crime” reporting in violent crime, it does deal with some very disturbing content at times. The recent episode on hyperbaric oxygen chambers was extremely difficult to
get through. On the lighter side, I love The Ancients for ancient history, Common Descent for paleontology/geology/earth history (it’s excellent!), and I recently binged Absolutely No Adventures, a rpg-adjacent story which follows a destined hero/chosen one/savior… who runs a bakery and does everything he can to avoid any and all adventures. It’s half parody and half cozy fantasy, and a lot of fun.
+1000 for Swindled.
Thoroughly researched. He sites his sources on his website.
I would cherry pick these though, some are too much.
I mostly listen to political podcasts so not much help there with disassociating :). But a political adjacent podcast is Revisionist History – Malcolm Gladwell – a very well written narrative around stories we ‘thought’ we knew.
Second Revisionist History. Highly recommend the early season episodes where he takes the LSAT, and the one where he uncovers why there are so many golf courses in LA but no parks. And his series on the 1936 Olympics and Jesse Owens was amazing.
Terry O’Reilly – Under the influence. It started as a CBC (Canada’s national broadcaster – think BBC) radio series and is now both radio and podcast. It runs about 30 minutes, and each podcast can stand alone. It explores marketing, advertising, and human nature, and how the ad industry shapes and is shaped by pop culture. The human nature part is what makes it work.
The show is created and hosted by Terry O’Reilly, a veteran “adman,” with a distinct, warm voice and very witty storytelling skill. He knows his stuff and the stories are always entertaining and frequently brilliant. Definitely worth checking out.
The rest is science!! Just a couple of very smart friends who chat about interesting things and occasionally nerd out about silly awesome things like fountain pens and weird clocks
I love “The Rest Is History” with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. I believe it’s rated as one of the highest rated podcasts.
They thought they’d try an episode or two and now have over 1,000. A huge range of history topics.
when I was in Graduate School at the end of each semester I had that feeling of antsy, discombobulated, and restless but couldn’t concentrate. I decided it was a little like coming off an obsession/ bad habit. It took me one to 2 weeks to relax. Exercise, books, TV, family seemed to help, but it was still 1-2 weeks.
For pod casts I enjoy This Podcast Will Kill You by two epidemiologist. They cover common diseases, but in layman’s terms. so you don’t understand Yellow fever? They can help! They bring education, compassion and fun to disease!
I like fun podcasts so I would recommend:
“No such thing as a fish” where 4 journalist discuss weird and fun stuff that they learned recently with a lot of humour.
The other one is “My dad wrote a p*rno” where a son with his two friends reads his dad’s attempt to write an erotic novel after his retirement. It’s just pure fun, horror from his son and while they all do mock him there’s no malicious intent.
One of my favorites is Dish!
https://youtube.com/@dishpodcast?si=xy64kVr6nnDhwJM3
Our Own Backyard is the only podcast I’ve ever really listened to (they’re not my thing). I guess it would be true crime but it’s only about one specific crime. A college girl went missing (from my parents’ college) under suspicious circumstances back when my parents were in school. Her body has never been found. The case got popular again while I attended the same school 20 plus years later and has picked up steam from there. This podcaster spent years digging through old legends and tugging on loose threads and some people actually credit him with helping revive the case and convict the murderer.
The Rewatchables on the Ringer is a favorite of mine. just really fun listening to them deep dive into movies with a bit of a sports tinge. The categories they use to analyze each movie are wild, some of which they still have trouble defining like Apex mountain. I haven’t listened to all of them, mostly just the ones of movies I’ve at least seen. But the few times I’ve listened when I hadn’t seen the movie, I still enjoyed it. I want to say they have something like 400 plus episodes or so?
Also in the sports genre is Ryen Russilo. he does a good job with the sports, but my favorite part is the life advice section at the end of each podcast. him and his two producers Kyle and Steve answer emails mostly from guys about life. they are not experts, but they are pretty amusing.
My favorites are Lore and Cabinet of Curiosity from Grim and Mild. Lore focuses on Folk Lore and History intersecting with folklore (everything from ghost stories to secret tunnels under a town used by smugglers to preminions of disasters to obscure cryptids)
CoC is more short stories, mostly involving historical events or people.
both can get a little dark, but the host is good about warning at the beginning of the more upsetting episodes.
This is completely unrelated, but I’m not sure where to post it.
I don’t know if you’ve heard that Tapas is closing March 2027?
For anyone who has purchased the Innkeeper Chronicles, and wants to keep it, Manta is offering an option to transfer selected comics to them (short list at present). You need to complete an online request – go to Manta and look for Move Your Bookshelf in bright pink for details. Option closes during February 2027.
Innkeeper isn’t currently on the list of comics that can be transferred, but if you have others that you want to transfer, the final section of the form includes the option to list other comics you’d like them to consider. I’m sure if the BDH mobilise we can get them to include Innkeeper on the transfer list, so that we don’t lose access forever.
I have been enjoying Chris Kohler’s new podcast Kohler Media. A podcast by an Aussie reporter that explores interesting stories of “how we got here”, largely from an economic perspective.
podcasts such as the Disturbing Reason Cornflakes Exist and How Nazi Brothers Changed Sports Marketing Forever.
The comedic economic summary shorts he does on social media are even better.
Completely out of left field, if not a different game entirely, but my family loves Terrestrials. It’s a science podcast aimed at kids, made by the creators of RadioLab. Each episode takes a deep dive into a different topic. They’ve covered things from “what if the moon disappeared” to how Greenland sharks live so long to monarch butterfly migrations. It’s very fun and I’ve learned some cool facts.
2 non-fiction podcasts that i have really enjoyed recently – first is “What to carry, What to Burn” by Blair Braverman. Really interesting survival stories told by author, adventurer and dog sledder (has run the Iditarod). 2nd is Dolly Parton’s America, hosted by Jad Abumrad produced by New York Public Radio. Interesting deep dive on Dolly’s influence but has interviews with Dolly herself and people around her. Lovely to learn more about her in the wake of her passing.
In podcasts, I usually go for the educational with some entertaining thrown in. Some good ones can combine both, such as Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Startalk. I’m a scientist so learning about stuff outside my own field is fun. Also, I love Hidden Brain. I’ve been a fan of behavioral (economics) stuff for years, and Hidden Brain combines science with heartfelt stories of the interviewees, creating a memorable perspective to go with the facts.
Yes!!!!!
BBC The Lazarus Hackers
Oh I LOVE Operation Mincemeat. Have you seen the film? There was one made with Montgomery Clift years ago but I think there’s just been another one more recently. Haven’t seen that yet. I like the old war films that show how they went about solving the dilemma of the day. Like the Dambusters about the bombs that bounced. I was watching one the other day- Cockleshell Heroes where they had to canoe up the river to put bombs on to the German ships. Another good historical podcast is Dan Snow’s . He has a good mix. I listen while doing the ironing. But I’ll DEFINATELY have a look at your recommendations
Entirely different vibes but Everybody Has A Secret by EHAS. It’s a very easy listen where people anonymously send in their secrets and the podcast hosts break it down and sometimes give advice or answer a question the secret sharer has asked. Gets you thinking about different situations and the fact that everyone really does have a secret
I mostly listen now to Clutterbug podcast – I am neck deep in decluttering the archeological layers of the 30-ish years of my solo adhd existence and re-organizing my home, and there is just something about the energy of this lady that gets me going for hours, lol.
“But I really hate the restlessness. It makes this sticky semi-anxiety that looks for weird places to attach itself to. Like the mind bounced back enough to produce anxiety but not quite enough to be creative.”
When I get this way, I go “reset” in nature. Doesn’t have to be huge, just a walk can be good.
Your ennui reminds me of Maggie’s feelings when Ramond and Constantine left the city and she was awaiting word–any word. Her response was to make soap and I suspect you have or will find something that helps you decompress. After all, you solved Maggie’s situation!
I love Criminal, which is hosted by Phoebe Judge. It focuses on true crime, but often with an unusual twist–one of my favorite episodes was about the La Brea tarpits in California, and how what was found in there impactedca criminal case.
Long time Criminal listener, but I’ve somehow missed the La Brea tar pits episode. Being a SoCal resident, I have visited the tar pits, and find them fascinating. Now I’m going to go find that episode so I can listen to it!
Happy to take you to a pub in London when you visit. Or send some recommendations. Some have private rooms so you could organise a group.
I read fiction and listen to non-fiction so I love history and science podcasts. One of my favourites is Noiser’s A short history of series. They have very wide ranging topics, each about an hour long. It’s partly reimagining the time/place so it’s very immersive.
The Liz Truss/lettuce story is an *excellent* example of British sarcastic humour, starting with a bad pun (‘Truss/lett-uss’) and going on with seeing if her prime ministership would outlast the lettuce, with daily check-ins. Spoiler: it didn’t.
(Can’t do podcasts, severely deaf, but I am clearly missing a lot! I do look for transcripts sometimes but it’s a lot of work.)
Hello 👋 . very sorry to ask this here. not sure where to ask as I am not most social media. I understand that House Andrews will not be attending London RARE 2027 but there was an announcement made previously about Melbourne RARE 2027 in March. May I know if it is still on? asking as I was going to plan my trip around it.
Hi Cessie, we will be in London, just not at rare. We will be going to Australia this upcoming March.
https://australianromancereaders.com.au/events/arr2027/
Thank you so much for the reply! ☺️
Failure to adapt (Maggie Takuda-Hall and Red Scott talk about books and their transformation to other media. Favorite episodes: Princess Bride, The Black Cauldron)
and
Fated mates (Sarah MacLean and Jen Prokop talk about romance novels. Favorite episodes: Romance Science and the trailblazer episode with Nora Roberts)
The Knife:a true crime podcast, has a unique feel to me. They interview someone involved with a crime or scam. During one interview they realized the victim was still being scammed even though he thought he was being helped. Their interviews are kind, compassionate, and thoughtful. Although they are a true crime podcast, the crimes are not the usual gory fare of most crime podcasts.
You will love English pubs. I went to one in Lancaster that was centuries old and allegedly haunted. I was disappointed to not see a ghost.
Redhanded and their sister podcast, Shorthanded is my favorite podcast.
If you’re looking for truly off beat content, True Wierd Stuff is a good one.
On the romance side of things, Fated Mates.
I like Volts for environmental science, Gymcastic for snarky but positive gymnastic commentary, and Life Kit by NPR for ways to improve your life with knowledge. I also love Talking Cars from Consumer reports.
But my podcasts are in pause while ai am listening to a Kate Daniels. Such cracking good fun!!
I love If Books Could Kill. Two really funny hosts review popular “coffee table/airport” type books and tear into the horrible research that goes into them. Think of books like “Who moved my Cheese” and “The 4 Hour workweek”.
For history, I love love love Fall of Civilizations. There aren’t a lot of them, but they are long and so deeply researched. They start from the very beginning, how a civilization began, how it grew, and how it eventually fell. And it’s about the people as well as the rulers. Did you know the Aztecs gathered the gnats that lived over the lake, ground them into a paste, rolled them into balls, and fried them for a high-protein snack? Neither did I.
For true crime, I like Morbid, Clues Pod, Buried Bones, and The Casual Criminalist.
Casual Criminalist, with Simon Whistler, gets pretty gruesome, and I’ve had to quit a couple of episodes. The format is that his writers present the script and he reads it cold. His comments on what he’s reading are what makes the show. He really is an engaging person, and he has lots of other podcasts. Also, stay away if you can’t stand hearing someone mispronounce every. single. non-British name. I forgive him on this because he has no chance to prepare. Other podcasters, no. If you’ve spent days researching and preparing a script, you can spend five minutes looking up how to pronounce a name.
Morbid heads for the weird and has both crime and supernatural oddities. They have some really fascinating one, but others I give a pass. Lots of listener input.
Clues Pod is more tuned into current crimes but also does older ones. They feature a missing person at the end of each episode and provide information on support groups if the case features domestic violence or other types of issues.
Buried Bones has the most educated hosts. Paul Holes is a retired forensic expert and author. The other host, whose name I forgot, is a historical novelist, so some of the cases are quite old. She’s also the researcher. The format is that she presents the case to Holes, and he comments on the information from his forensics perspective.
Huge podcast fan here!
Fiction:
Midnight Burger – time-traveling, dimension-spanning diner and its kooky crew
Sherlock & Co – modern retelling of Sherlock Holmes in podcast form
Non-Fiction:
Articles of Interest – about fashion and what we wear
The Chef’s Cut – inside look on food/restaurants hosted by two cheftestants from Top Chef
The Memory Palace – beautifully written snippets from history
I second Midnight Burger! I was just thinking House Andrews might like it while I am re-listening to The Innkeeper series.
Coming down off of a big project is brutal. My body is still in fight mode, but so tired that its hard to even think of something new or different to do. Usually I read for about 2 days solid, comfort reads. I can’t even take new stuff. My brain is too tired, but like Maggie’s Mom said, I need to be in someone else’s head for a while. Then I’m ready to look up and around and see what’s next. Usually it’s the house…that oh!Crap! moment when you realize you have no clean underwear and every dish in the house is on the counter. But the best part to me is that I can finally savor that I got it DONE! Not done, done, because that’s a joke, but the deadline was met and the big chunk is done. It’s a good feeling, and I’m glad you made it there!
I’ve been hooked on the Acquired podcast lately! They do deep dives into the histories of companies like Home Depot, Ferrari, Trader Joe’s, Costco,Epic Systems etc. The episodes are around 3 to 4 hours long—perfect for long drives!!!
I like Crime Junkies, which is very much true crime murders and such and can get dark, The Moth, which is all sorts of true stories people tell from funny to touching to heartbreaking, and Intentionally Blank, which is a writers podcast with Brandon Sanderson and his writer friend Dan, they talk about fantasy and sci-fi stuff, often opinions on various movies and books, but also discussing other related topics, and they also do a “food heist” opener that’s fun.
+1 “Intentionally Blank”
historias innecesarias de damian kuc
Yuyo barragán episode is chef kiss
The Infinite Monkey Cage is a great podcast, it’s been running for over 10 years now.
Professor Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are the hosts. Each week has a difference scientific topic and 2 or 3 guest stars.
A lovely blend of funny and nerdy.
Criminal, hosted by Phoebe Judge. Each episode has some story about crime, some are big, some little, some just weird or interesting. Phoebe has a calm, kind voice and is empathetic in interviews. Great stories, calm presentation, rather than some of the overly dramatic true crime podcasts (Dateline, I’m looking at you). She also has one called This is Love.
if you love film and socialism
The Important Cinema Club with Will Sloan and Luke Savage
plusalso if you loved that mincemeat episode…Operation Mincemeat is touring this season after their Broadway run.
Interesting podcasts! I have to admit, the only two I listen to are ” Once we were spacemen” with Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion ( both of Firefly); and
” Dropping Names, with Brent and Jonny” both of Star Trek fame.
Then there’s Jason Hawes, of
” Ghost Hunters” fame and his pal, JV Johnson who film their visits to many paranormal places. Occasionally, they do a live chat, and Jason is currently trying to buy ” The Conjuring House” property, made popular in ” The Conjuring” so that ordinary folks can come and do an investigation without spending an arm and leg. Lots of drama there, unfortunately, but I hope he’s successful.
Hope these are a happy offering!
I’m a big science fiction nerd. So, the podcast I just discovered is Dropping Names with Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner interviewing actors, directors and producers from across Hollywood genres not just Star Trek people. You can also watch it on YouTube. Leonard Malten, Tim Matheson, Noah Wylie and more. It’s very fun and they last about an hour. I’ll have to check out gastropod. I also like Dimension 20 and should start Critical Roll. I need to find a new D&D group and watching the games on Youtube helps that TTRPG fix.
I’m a huge fan of “cautionary tales” as well as “RedHanded”
They’re both very dark but well worth listening to.
My favorite podcast, the one that I run to check to see if they’ve downloaded, is Law and Chaos, hosted by Liz Dye and Andrew Torres. It’s supposed to be about important legal topics, but since the coming of the Trump administration, most of those have been about making the crazed Trump administration actions understandable. They are funny and they like each other, so it’s absorbing to listen to.
It is entirely worth paying for the Patreon version to get the private feed each podcast (and they come out twice a week!)
If you want to get your legal news from to attorneys who know how to speak to people, this is the one.
There’s a great history podcast called “You’re Dead to Me” hosted by a historian and rotating guests, it’s really engaging and fun, also when my brain needs a reset I find the best cure is a Discworld novel!
For anyone who likes true crime, I recommend The Consult, which is a podcast by a group of retired FBI profilers. Their episodes on The Watcher case is what hooked me. Sometimes they discuss cases they actually worked on.
I like learning about engineering disasters and Well There’s Your Problem is a good one, which I’m listening to as I type this. CW for strong language, to put it mildly.
Second Ologies with Ward!
Top podcast recommendations would be
Behind the Bastards: deep dives into historical (and more recent) figures in their own contexts. Been really useful for re-learning world history through different lenses. I also listen to just about every other Robert Evans podcast as well; he’s got a great and approachable way of breaking things down thoughtfully but also a good balance of irreverence and respect.
Sawbones: medical history from millennia ago (hi Pliny the Elder) to recent, from a doctor and her husband. Fairly lighthearted approach to how humans have ever tried to treat maladies, and insights to common misconceptions about health.
What the Duck, hosted by Dr Ann Jones. An Australian nature podcast, the latest episode is entitled Butts What are they good for. It’s entertaining and I learn something every time.
Not sure if you will see this as I missed the original posting. I didn’t do ANYTHING computer related for about a week and a half, and have another week to go, due to working extra days for people who are out.
Anyway, I love listening to Mr. Ballen, although his podcasts are VERY dark true crime and supernatural stories.
I also listen to The Why Files, with A.J. and Hecklefish, for All Things Weird and Unusual, everything from Aliens to fringe science to supernatural to conspiracy theory: all done is a story like format, with a lot of debunking or simply “unable to prove or disprove” in it. I really like Hecklefish, he’s totally obnoxiously fishy.
Finally, I love watching “Man Explains Everything” on Facebook: it’s an independent podcaster and illustrator, and done in a British professor voice. He calls everyone silly names, (like “you smug little oven glove” and “you glorified houseplant” ), takes various requested questions to research and explore, then researches and explains the history, science, etc about each question and subject. Then tells everyone at the end “Now Get Out”. I just love him.
I love Talking Scared with Neil McRobert & highly recommendit if you read horror. In-depth, knowledgeable & far-ranging conversations with authors about their books, eps that take a deep dive into The Dark Tower series & some crossovers with other podcasts.
thanks for info.
Madigan’s pubcast. Funny comedian giving her take on news and food fans gift her. She’s branching out with guests this year.