Last year everyone was raving about an awesome podcast that was proving the accused innocent of murder. This didn’t really grab me as grisly crime details are not my cup of tea but I think it planted a seed about podcasts in my mind. Then I heard pop culture references to My Dad Wrote a Porno which sounded hilarious and my favourite home bloggers both started their own podcasts so it was time to get on the bandwagon. Here are my top eight podcasts that I am currently listening to, it is a bit of a mixed bag!
Let’s start straight out with My Dad Wrote a Porno. British actor Jamie Morton’s dad wrote a porno on a summer afternoon in the garden shed and much to Jamie’s horror this was uploaded to Amazon for digital purchase! Making a podcast with his friends, Alice Levine, a BBC radio presenter and James Cooper, sorry James not really sure what you do(!), each week sees a new chapter read, discussed and analysed. The second book, because James dad couldn’t help himself(!), picks up the pace, with improved writing and a stongerish storyline a number of famous guests including Elijah Wood, Daisy Ridley and Rachel Bloom have also been coerced to comment. Guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Do be careful as from experience you will snort on the train which is not acceptable on the silent carriage or suddenly gasp mid Uber ride which can lead to driver distraction and a near miss accident!
Two of my favourite blogs, Young House Love and Chris Loves Julia started podcasts last year as extensions of their written words. YHL had a blog hiatus so their podcast was welcomed back by readers as an antidote to the space left in our vicarious DIY hearts. John and Sherry talk about their latest beach house project, point their readers to great DIY and home products and do a funny quiz each week that challenges Sherry’s house trend knowledge. C&J is along a similar vain however they also have their star host Preston, a musician friend who helps direct the conversation, often playing devils advocate or taking the readers side to challenge the conversation. Julia blogs at least three times a week as there is always a project in some state in their home and listeners get to hear the behind the scenes detail. Often this can be more interesting as you can hear the interaction between Julia and Chris and get a better understanding of their decisions and choices. Both of these podcasts have a lot of laughs and banter, great for livening up mundane tasks like laundry and bulk cooking lunches.
Keen to always be learning new information, the next batch of podcasts are a mix from around the world, some long, some short that hit you with a bunch of new facts. Dr Karl on triplej and Shirtloads of Science are both hosted by Dr Karl, the much loved ‘Brian Cox’ of the Australian science community. The first has people calling in from around Australia asking Dr Karl questions about science and the second are interviews with lead scientists on what they do in their jobs and the cool things they have discovered recently. No Such Thing as A Fish is a podcast from the researchers of television show QI talking about the interesting facts they have discovered that week that haven’t made it to the main show. Stuff You Should Know, presented by Chuck and Josh, who have picked a topic, researched it separately and then come together and discuss with each other their findings.
Finally a colleague put me onto Freakonomics Radio which is a podcast that you must listen to when you can focus, on the train to work or laying on your couch as the information will blow you away! This podcast takes various topics and pulls them apart by the economics. I’d recommend starting with the three part series on Bad Medicine that details how the current system works, why medicine is often more harmful for females and how current improvements in medicinal trials are promoted to the public.
Happy listening! PF xo
