The Summer List - Part I

 

A couple weeks ago I got together with some long-time friends and over the course of the weekend we discussed all things making us happy - podcasts, books, TV and movies and various other things making life enjoyable. Of course we wrote it all down because a: we like lists and being organized and b: so we would remember - ha! The list is nearly two single-spaced pages long, so I decided to break it down by category into a couple blog posts (see 'a' above).

So let's talk podcasts!

First - two I've listened to lately that were amazing:

1. Arm Chair Expert - the Jonas Brothers episode. Wow. Why am I always surprised when pop stars are thoughtful and have incredible emotional intelligence? The more recent Kelly Clarkson episode is also very awesome.

2. Bible Binge - the LGBTQIA+ episode. This is not an episode full of judgement, but rather 4 friends talking about growing up with certain beliefs and how those beliefs evolved over time. Also, the episode asks and answers some questions maybe you are not sure how to articulate: "This episode intends to define terms, explore the clobber verses, and casually look at the past 2000 years of sexuality in the church."

Here are the other recommendations of the gals:

Dateline NBC - Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.

Stuff You Should Know - If you’ve ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime, and Rosa Parks, then look no further.

Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - Jessie Ware hosts a podcast about food, family, and the beautiful art of having a chat, direct from her very own dinner table. With a little bit of help from her chef extraordinaire mum Lennie, each week guests from the worlds of music, culture and politics drop by for a bite and a bit of a natter.

The Daily (from NYT - Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro and Sabrina Tavernise and powered by New York Times journalism.

The Witch Trials of JK Rowling - An audio documentary that examines some of the most contentious conflicts of our time through the life and career of the world’s most successful author.