Hi – back again. Sorry, I’ve been a little under the weather so I’m a little behind.

This is a quick post. I enjoy listening to podcasts and wanted to highlight a couple of my favorites.

NPR’s Fresh Air is one that I really like. Wide-ranging topics, interesting questions and discussions, and a good length – long enough to get beyond the usual “set” of interview questions but not a marathon. Terry Gross, Tonya Mosley, and Dave Davies are terrific interviewers and are very responsive to their guests. They are curious and move the conversation in unexpected directions. I’ve listened to many episodes that were surprises – either I learned something new or heard something that piqued my interest.

Before the election, I listened to political podcasts, but now I’m boycotting politics! The general environment has been so toxic over the past several years that I am not up for engaging anymore – I’m stepping back. I’m going back to listening to other things that positively contribute to my mental health. Anyone else changed their podcast-listening behavior before or after the election?

My newest find is Marlon and Jake Read Dead People. Love this podcast! Author Marlon James and editor Jake Morrissey are the hosts and they are fantastic – funny, insightful, and honest about what they think. They focus on authors who are dead and don’t hold back on sharing their views. They often cover 10-15 books during the course of a 45-minute episode, so the focus on any individual book is fairly short. This means that if you have read the book, you can relate to the conversation and consider your opinion. If you haven’t read the book or read it a long time ago and don’t remember the details, you can focus on the high-level comments. Often, if I haven’t read the book, I’ve read another book by the author they are discussing. The podcast gives you “permission” to dislike even the most hallowed literature or authors … because they do! It’s a fun ride and I wish there were more episodes.

Feel free to share your favorite podcasts!