I’m the type of person that loves to have background noise. For as long as I can remember, I have preferred to have the TV on or music playing regardless of what I’m doing (though reading is the exception to this). This can cause a bit of a problem as I’m not always in the mood to listen to music (though to be honest, most of the time I am) and I’m also trying to limit my TV time (it’s hard though). Enter the ever popular podcasts. My brother was always telling me about his favourite podcasts and I would bookmark it into my brain to listen to it later, but never get around to it. However, within the last month or so, my tune has changed quite a bit. I love to have podcasts on in the background while I get ready in the morning, taking transit, going to sleep, or having lunch with my nephew. There is a huge variety out there right now, and I honestly believe that there is something for everyone. I thought I’d share five of my current favourites with you today.
At Home With… If you love beauty and lifestyle bloggers, then you probably have heard of Anna (Gardner) Newton and Lily Pebbles. Anna and Lily interviewed 10 women within the beauty and blogging industry about their careers, while visiting them in their homes (if you listen on the acast app, you can see some pictures of the rooms they talk about). This is their first foray into podcasting, and personally I think they’ve done a great job. Their questions make for easy conversation and I love that they have focused on women making a difference in their field. No news yet on whether there will be more episodes in the future, but I imagine it will happen eventually. My favourite episodes were the interviews with Kate Johnson (of Kate la Vie) and Jo Elvin (editor of Glamour UK).
Off Camera with Sam Jones. I first came across Off Camera through the YouTube channel which shares clips of his interviews with actors, directors, musicians and other artists. The full interviews were then available on Netflix and while searching for another interview, I discovered that they are also available as a podcast. Sam Jones is a talented photographer and director, and an incredible interviewer. I’ve learned a lot about artists that I admire and have new respect for ones I didn’t know much about. If you love good conversations and want to know more about the artists you like and their work, you will love this (I highly recommend you listen to the interviews with John Krasinki, Kristen Bell and Kumail Nanjiani).
Reading Glasses. I don’t even remember how I found this one, but I’m so glad I did. Mallory O’Meara (producer and screenwriter) and Brea Grant (actress — she was in a few episodes of “Friday Night Lights” and “Heroes”) are both book lovers who like to explore different topics that affect most readers. They discuss how to read around others who don’t, tips when attending book events and fairs, and more. We don’t have the same taste in literature, but I love how their discussions are general and can apply to most readers. They also have a guest on each episode to give their professional opinions on the topics being discussed. Their episode about book awards was really interesting, so I would definitely recommend that one.
q: The Podcast. My brother has been telling me about this podcast (it originates on CBC radio) for months, and I have listened to it a few time while driving in his car, but it’s only been recently that I’ve listened to it on my own. Tom Power (he took over the hosting gig last year) interviews musicians, actors, writers, and more in this daily show. The interviews are incredibly insightful and make me care about people and projects I never thought I would. Much like Sam Jones, Tom Power has the ability to make these interviews come across as just a really great conversation. His recent interviews with Anna Chlusmky, Mandy Moore and Andy Samberg are among my favourites.
Stuff You Should Know. If you’re an avid podcast listener, then you have probably heard of this one. Hosted by Josh and Chuck, Stuff You Should Know covers basically every topic imaginable (there are currently over 900 episodes out), so even though I don’t listen to every episode, there will be something that catches my interest quite often. Their recent episode, Sunburn, Suntans and Sunscreen was very informative and for a topic I thought I knew a lot about, I learned something new.
Do you listen to podcasts? Share your favourites in the comments below!
