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11 More Podcasts You Should Be Listening To

In preparation for my 15 hour flight to Macao, I have all of my favorite podcasts downloaded and ready to go. I’ve actually tried to let a few of them build up so that I have lots to listen to. While I love listening to music, podcasts are my favorite way to pass the time on a flight, train, car, or while I’m getting ready in the morning. Since I listen to so many, it’s time for part 2 of my favorite podcasts. Are there any others I should download? Please let me know in the comments!

My Favorite Murder – Are you a true crime fan? Do your friends think you’re weird for how much you like to watch shows / read / talk about murder? This the podcast for you! Hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark as your best girlfriends who are equally obsessed and will sit and chat with you about their favorite murder stories. Several readers recommended this podcast to me when I posted my first list of my favorite podcasts last year, and it immediately became one of my absolute favorites! I’ve listened to every episode and even have their merch, so you can say I’m a true murderino.  There are two episodes each week: a full length where Karen and Georgia share their favorite murders, and a minisode where they read hometown murder stories from listeners. Stay sexy and don’t get murdered.

Hidden Brain – Using science and storytelling, Hidden Brain’s host Shankar Vedantam reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, the biases that shape our choices, and the triggers that direct the course of our relationships. I never know quite how to properly describe this show, except to say that you’ll walk away feeling like you have a better understanding of any topic they dive into. Every episode is so interesting, and it’s a very easy listen (and Shankar is a great host).

You Must Remember This – A storytelling podcast about the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. Think: the lives, loves, and deaths of Hollywood’s blonde bombshells, Joan Crawford’s legacy, The Manson Family murders, the red scare. I’ve always been captivated by the golden age of Hollywood and default to classic movies as often as I do murder mysteries, so I’m obsessed with these stories. It’s so. good.

Pod Save America – Four former aides to President Obama — Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor — are joined by journalists, politicians, comedians, and activists for a freewheeling conversation about politics, the press and the challenges posed by the Trump presidency. I’m not even going to pretend this is unbiased — this is an unapologetically left leaning podcast. It’s a really entertaining and informative podcast with a unique perspective, given their former positions and experience.

Pod Save the World – Pod Save America cohost Tommy Vietor thought foreign policy was boring and complicated until he got the education of a lifetime working for President Obama’s National Security Council. His new show Pod Save the World will bring you behind the scenes into White House Situation Room meetings and secret negotiations through a series of conversations with people who were there. Think of this as a more global approach to Pod Save America.

2 Dope Queens – Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams host a live comedy show in Brooklyn. Join the 2 Dope Queens, along with their favorite comedians, for stories about sex, romance, race, hair journeys, and living in New York. When I need something light and funny, I turn to 2 Dope Queens. These ladies always make me laugh!

Heavyweight – Maybe you’ve laid awake imagining how it could have been, how it might yet be, but the moment to act was never right. Well, the moment is here and the podcast making it happen is Heavyweight. Join Jonathan Goldstein for road trips, thorny reunions, and difficult conversations as he backpedals his way into the past like a therapist with a time machine. A good listen: Gregor, where Jonathan brings him to Moby’s house to retrieve some cds and bury an old grudge.

In The Dark – Child abductions are rare crimes. And they’re typically solved. For 27 years, the investigation into the abduction of Jacob Wetterling in rural Minnesota yielded no answers. In the most comprehensive reporting on this case, APM Reports and reporter Madeleine Baran reveal how law enforcement mishandled one of the most notorious child abductions in the country and how those failures fueled national anxiety about stranger danger, led to the nation’s sex-offender registries and raise questions about crime-solving effectiveness and accountability. Another true crime podcast, but this one is much more serious, investigative, and heavy.

Stranglers –  I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, I know. This one is an in-depth look at The Boston Strangler and his victims, the man who confessed to the murders, and the doubt surrounding the case.

StarTalk: Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, StarTalk is an exploration of captivating subjects such as space travel, extra-terrestrial life, the Big Bang, the role science plays in people’s lives, the future of our Earth and the environment, the science behind the most iconic sports plays in history, and breaking news from the universe. Tyson and the other show hosts are joined each week by comedian co-hosts, celebrities, and other special guests…like Bill Nye! Neil and Bill are one of my favorite BFF duos. But my absolute favorite is Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, and I’m not sure anyone can top them for me.

S-Town – If you’re a fan of This American Life or Serial, you will probably be as excited as I am about their new podcast, S-Town. An Alabama man complaining about his small town wanted a reporter to investigate an alleged murder. Someone else turns up dead, and the story that unfolds involves a hunt for hidden treasure, a nasty feud and the mysteries of one man’s life. Doesn’t that sound intriguing? All episodes of this podcast launch on March 28, so let the binge listening begin!

If you missed it, check out Part 1 of my favorite podcasts.