I don’t know what it was, but when 2019 hit, something snapped in me. All of a sudden, I became extremely interested in podcasts. This is something that I’ve obviously taken into 2020 with me! They’re a really easy way to get information quickly without having to work very hard for it. For someone like me that’s always on the go, it’s easy to bring with me. Whether I was going to class, in the car, or studying, I could be getting information! I’ve gathered so much appreciation for podcasts for that reason in particular. I’ve accumulated a pretty big list that I’m sure all of you would benefit from in one way or another. Since we’ve all got more time on our hands since quarantine happened, check out any of these podcasts and you’re sure to be entertained!

Crime Junkie

I don’t know how many people I’ve told about this podcast. I could seriously go on for days, but for your sake, I won’t. I’ve always been into true crime shows and was really into the Ted Bundy series when it was popular. This podcast is just like that stuff except it’s always something different! The host Ashley Flowers always does extensive research on multiple different cases around the country. She explains them in heavy details for those listening and makes sure her listeners get every detail. If Ashley herself knows, listeners will always find out how the case ends! And the best part… you’ll always want to come back for another episode! It’s seriously addictive. 

Gals on the Go

For all you college students out there, this podcast could be extremely helpful. It’s recorded by two YouTubers: Danielle Carolan and Brooke Miccio. Now, I loved Danielle and Brooke separately. But these two together is an absolute DREAM. They’re so funny! Every time I listen to them, I feel like they’re my big sisters that I never had that are giving me advice. Most of what they have talked about has revolved around college, seeing that Danielle is still in college. But a lot of what they talk about is similar to this blog as well! They want to relate their successes and fails to their audience while they’re in the middle of growing up. It shows their “perfect” life on YouTube is far from the truth!

Happy Hour with Gretchen Geraghty

Just like Brooke and Danielle’s podcast, Gretchen has started showing how far from perfect her life actually is. It’s so easy for YouTubers to come off as perfect in a Day In My Life vlog. All they’re showing of 24 hours is around 30 minutes! It’s so easy to edit things out that you don’t want the world to see. After recently losing her dad, she’s quick to show that you don’t always have to be okay. I’ve learned so many things from her over the last year since she’s started her podcast and I feel like I’ve grown so much from it! She’s so headstrong and has such a good head on her shoulders. You’d be crazy not to take any advice from her. 

The Porch

The Porch is something I’ve listened to for many, many years! I wanted something that would easily change with my constantly changing school schedule. Most of my new friends were Catholic, which I am not. I wanted a church that I would be more comfortable with! I heard a lot about The Porch from some YouTubers that I watch. Once I started listening, I felt so much more confident in myself! Ever since, I’ve been recommending it to many more friends and family! I’ve even started watching some of their livestreams!

Ted Talks Daily

This is one of the most thought provoking podcasts I’ve ever listened to. It’s seriously incredible. The topics can be seriously intense and mature. Existing podcast episodes out include topics such as racism. But at the same time, these topics can be used in ways in how they can help us be better members of our society. Some of the more lighthearted podcasts include why sleep matters more than it ever did. Each episode is extremely interesting and is just like sitting down to watch a normal Ted Talk! 

St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

For those that know me really well know that I keep up really closely on my Cardinals. I’ve followed baseball closely for a very long time! When I went off to college, I figured out that this is one of the ways I could do it. With my really crazy and constantly crazy schedule, this seemed to be one of my best options! If you’re a big St. Louis fan like me, this will be a great way for you to keep up with the headlines. If you’re not, I’m sure there are similar podcasts for the team that you follow!

Supernatural with Ashley Flowers

I’ve only just started listening to this one, but it is so intriguing. I’m not one that’s super interested in the supernatural world. The thought of aliens, ghosts… anything of the sort… it’s always just weirded me out. I don’t believe in it. But these stories in these podcasts can really get to you! They’re set up the same way as Crime Junkie since they share the same host. Ashley does a great job of setting the scene and creating the mood. There’s sometimes I can’t even believe people can actually be experiencing what’s happening in these podcasts. It’s seriously crazy and if you’re not listening, you’re heavily missing out!

My Favorite Murder

It’s pretty evident that I love a good crime podcast. This one has also been pretty high on the podcast charts with Crime Junkie! While the genre is true crime, it is considered a “true crime comedy” podcast. It’s hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, who are both comedians. Full podcast episodes that are released on Thursdays generally last anywhere from one to two hours. Shorter podcast episodes called “minisodes” released on Mondays generally last 30-45 minutes long. They both include a lot of problematic themes when it comes to true crime such as mental illness and sexual abuse. If you’re a fan of true crime, you’re sure to love this as well!

RISE Podcast

Surely by now y’all have heard of the famous book, “Girl, Wash Your Face.” If you haven’t, I’ll be really surprised. It’s a self-help book written by Rachel Hollis, a motivational speaker and blogger. After the release of “Girl, Wash Your Face” and the sequel, “Girl, Stop Apologizing,” Rachel and her husband Dave started this podcast! To them, it’s more than just a conversation. Each podcast episode is filled with valuable advice on how to be the best version of yourself and where that advice fits into your daily life. For those of us growing into new phases of life, this is a must-listen!

The Daily

This honestly is one of the best ideas I’ve seen any news outlet come up with. For those like me that is on the go constantly, it seems like I never know what’s going on. I never know what’s in the news. Being a journalism major, this is NOT a good habit to be starting. The Daily has helped me a kick this habit out! The Daily is a daily podcast ran by The New York Times. It is published five days a week and runs for only twenty minutes. It is always ready by 6 a.m. too! All of you out there that don’t pick up newspapers and don’t watch the news… you’re going to be running out of reasons not to be keeping up with the news!

And That’s Why We Drink

You already know that I love true crime… you thought I was done didn’t you? Almost. I promise. The thing about this podcast is that, like “My Favorite Murder,” it is a comedy true crime podcast. But it doesn’t just stop there. It’s also a paranormal podcast! It’s hosted by Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz. With the podcast covering so many bases, Christine and Em each take turns covering topics: first is the paranormal section (which Em covers) and next is the true crime section (which Christine covers). It definitely has diversity in comparison to others in its category. It’s worth a listen!

TED Radio Hour

If you’re really into TED Talks like I am and have an hour to burn, these could be for you. I genuinely feel like I’ve learned a lot from TED Radio Hour! I honestly feel like I like these so much because they are so well researched. Just like normal TED Talks, you’re listening to someone give a properly researched speech. The podcast itself can appeal to so many people! The topics are so, so broad! One episode in particular that I really liked was titled “How We Love.” It explored connections and relationships and how they play into our daily lives. It was extremely interesting. If you’re not already listening to this podcast, there’s so much you can learn by setting aside only an hour of your time!

Red Ball

This has easily been one of my most favorite podcasts I’ve ever listened to! If you’ve ever listened to Crime Junkie (or are just getting started), you’ll really like this one. Red Ball is a spin off of Crime Junkie that is also hosted by Ashley Flowers. In this podcast, Ashley discuses a 41-year-old cold case out of Indiana called the Burger Chef Murders. The podcast itself goes into how the Indiana State police went into attempting to solve the murders, any bits of evidence and what is keeping this case cold. It is extremely interesting! In this 4-part series, Ashley is sure to keep you intrigued. You’ll be wanting to solve the case yourself!

Love Letters

Need a quick way to get love advice? Thanks to the Boston Globe advice columnist Meredith Goldstein, you can get an answer in around 30 to 45 minutes. I’m one that’s a sucker for some good love advice. I’m a single female in my 20s. While I love my time with my friends, sometimes I want someone else to spend my time with. I like listening to the advice that Meredith gives out! Each season of the podcast has a theme: season 1 was all about getting over breakups; season 2 was all about meeting people. For those of you struggling with love just like I am, this could be a great podcast for you as well! 

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

If any of you have watched Queer Eye, you already know that anything involving Jonathan Van Ness is going to be good. In every episode, Jonathan will sit down with a guest to further understand how something has happened. The latest episode came out on April 21 and Jonathan sat down with an associate professor from the University of Texas-Austin. In this episode, they discussed the Holocaust (which is actually one of my favorite parts of history to study). Jonathan’s podcast episodes can get really interesting and you can often find out things you didn’t know with him! I highly suggest listening to his podcast. He’s extremely funny (especially if you watched him in Queer Eye and already know his personality) and you’re in for a good listen!

Overdue

If you’re anything like me at all, you’ve got a million books on your bookshelf. You’ve been meaning to read all of them but they’ve been sitting collecting dust. But each time you walk into a bookstore, you start picking up more and more keeping getting added to the pile. It’s a sickness I swear! It’s almost embarrassing and I need to find a way to stop. Overdue is a podcast that is almost like this problem. It’s a podcast all about the books you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t gotten around to actually reading them yet! The genres range, but the hosts Andrew and Craig always tackle a book from their “backlog” for their episodes. Episodes have even featured books from popular series such as Twilight and The Hunger Games!

Are there other podcasts that you listen to that I don’t that I missed? Let me know in a comment below!