As you may or may not know, I've already done a post on my favorite (internet) TV to binge watch when you're in the early stages of nursing around the clock and can't leave the couch (or frankly, anytime you want to binge watch TV). And I've also done a post on my favorite audiobooks to listen to while walking around endlessly with a newborn.

In the same vein, I figured I'd tackle podcasts. Podcasts really have no nexus to parenting, except for the fact that podcasts are awesome, and they're nice to listen to on long walks with your baby, or I suppose on long car rides. But frankly, your toddler is probably not going to get into Serial as much as you want them to. So let's just say that this is a post for the grownups.

But, even though they're not related to parenting, I love lists about anything, so here goes. A list of my favorite podcasts:

1. Serial- Duh. This amazing podcast turned out to be a gateway drug for a lot of listeners who had never listened to podcasts before. If you've been living under a rock and haven't listened to this captivating deep-dive into a 1999 real life murder case, you need to start listening immediately. No seriously, stop reading this post and go download it. There's plenty of drama and unanswered questions that will keep you wanting to listen to more and more. Plus, it's produced by the same people who do This American Life (#3 on my list), so the quality of the show is excellent. Need somewhere to start? Start at the beginning. The entire story is told in order (in serial), so work your way through each episode.

2. 99% Invisible- Their tagline is that it's a podcast about "design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world" but I've found that this show spans much more than that. It's well-edited, always interesting, and will get you thinking about the world around you. Need somewhere to start? Check out the episode on how this guy decided to make his own spacesuit. Like actually to send himself into orbit, a place where you can't breathe without a functioning suit, in something he made himself. His reason why he's doing it isn't as crazy as you would think (I mean, it's plenty crazy, but less crazy than you'd think).

3. This American Life: Ah, NPR and Ira Glass. This is public radio as good as it gets (possibly the yuppiest phrase ever said, fyi). This show tells several stories related to one theme each episode. They're always interesting and engaging, and told very well because it's NPR. This was on the actual radio well before podcasts, so they've really prefected their program. Need somewhere to start? Listen to the one part episode about calmari and whether it comes from pig anus or not (see, now you NEED to find out the answer). I would just suggest not listening to the next part of that show's theme (part II) because it's definitely a downer after the calmari part.

4. Invisibilia: Full disclosure, I haven't listened to this podcast but have been getting great feedback from friends about how awesome it is. It's also produced by NPR and is about " the intangible forces that shape human behavior – things like ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. Need somewhere to start? I plan to start with the episode about how to disapear fear because that sounds so interesting.

5. Planet Money: Alright, another NPR podcast (but they're just so good!). This one is about all things money, but it's done in such an interesting way, I promise you won't be bored. Need somewhere to start? Check out the facinating multi-part series where they traced the creation of a t-shirt all the way from the cotton fields where the cotton was harvested, to completion. It'll really make you think about the global economy.

Consultant's Suggestions (aka, podcasts Chewbacca's dad won't stop talking about). I haven't listened to any of these, but he generally has pretty good taste, so I might listen to some of these next.

6. Here's the thing with Alec Baldwin- Alec talks with artists, policy makers and performers – to hear their stories, what inspires their creations, what decisions changed their careers, and what relationships influenced their work.

7. Freakonomics Radio - One of the most popular podcasts in the world. It features all sorts of interesting topics like why people don't get flu shots; what's more dangerous marajuana or alcohol; and whether the ashes you get from cremeating your cat are actually your cat. So yeah, it's all over the map, but very interesting stuff.

8. Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me- weekly hour-long quiz program. Each week on the radio you can test your knowledge against some of the best and brightest in the news and entertainment world while figuring out what's real news and what's made up.

9. Ask Me Another- an hour-long live trivia game that blends that blends brainteasers, pub trivia, comedy and music into an hour long program.

Which podcasts am I missing and should I add into my rotation?



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