Listens We Can’t Stop Talking About

A Collection of our Tribe's Favorite Podcasts

As of January 2022, there are over 2,000,000 podcasts and over 48 million episodes. With statistics like this, it's nearly impossible to narrow it down to the best of the best. Don't fret. We've got you. We have an obsession with not only devouring podcasts and audiobooks, but then subsequently talking about them, and we've curated this collection just for you. A collection we've affectionately named "Listens We Can't Stop Talking About." Enjoy.

Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay

Put all of your plans on hold and download this New York Times best-selling psychological thriller. This is the perfect summer listen and is told with a full cast. Think old timey radio drama. You'll want to grab your sweet tea and venture to the porch. As soon as you press play, you meet Andy. His wife Brie mysteriously disappeared while he was on a fishing trip six years ago. Of course, Andy is the prime suspect but is never charged. He's been putting his life back together and on the road to happiness when someone comes knocking at the door. Putting the puzzle together of this fast-paced mystery from prolific Linwood Barclay kept us listening every chance we could. Round two of sweet tea please.

This is one of those listens that you mourn for a long time afterward. It's a hard act to follow because it is THAT good. Described as a literary mystery, Ordinary Grace, tells the story of small-town life through 13-year-old Frank’s eyes as he goes from the blissful ignorance of childhood to awareness beyond his years during the summer of 1961. This is a gorgeously written stand-alone novel by the author of the Cork O’Connor procedural series, and is one of those books that we just did not want to end. Even as the details of the story fade, this listen continues to keep a hold on us - we still haven't stopped thinking about this one.

When Reese Witherspoon advises us about a book, we always add it to our list. This thriller was perfect for my morning dog walks. It unfolds at a fast pace and kept me moving, sometimes extra miles just to see what would happen next. A story as old as time, about an unwelcoming daughter, Bailey, to her new stepmom, Hannah. However, these two are left to face a cryptic note that simply reads “Protect Her.” When the man that bonds them together disappears without a trace, their relationship deepens as they navigate the intense path to the truth. Don't miss this one!

American Innovations - The Modern Ambulance

Did you know the Modern Ambulance didn't officially hit the roads until the 60's? We had no idea! We just figured, when you dialed 9-1-1 it always sent a squad of trained professionals to your needs within minutes. In fact, 9-1-1 calls used to be routed to funeral homes because they were the only ones with vehicles that could transport a body vertically. CRAZY! It all began when one ER doctor had a very personal experience that forced him to think about how to better care for people on the way to the hospital. He teamed up with an unlikely community in Pittsburg to start the vital service we know today. We loved this podcast, as it fed our passion for learning. Whether it be important historical facts, business advice or in this case, the backstory of the squad that saves lives every day, our ears were happy with this listen.

Against the Rules with Michael Lewis - The Invisible Coach

Can a good coach level the playing field? We say, YES. In this podcast series - journalist and bestselling author Michael Lewis takes a look at what’s happened to our trust in experts and expertise. Think about it, an expert has probably saved your life more than once. Consider your therapist, realtor and of course, your doctor. So why is it so hard to judge who the real experts are? And why, once we’ve found them, do we struggle to listen to what experts have to say? This podcast made us take a deeper look at our lives and see who our coaches are and where we may need a little more coaching. And we ALL need a little coaching.

We keep coming back to this listen, because it's that good. The premise - Jason Mantzoukas, Paul Scheer and June Diane Raphael (three of the most hilarious comedians on the planet btw) take a movie and try to answer the question How did this get made? With close to 300 episodes, you're bound to find a movie where you too, asked yourself, "HOW did this get made?" From Look Who's Talking 3 and Roadhouse to Jack Frost and Speed 2, the questionable decisions the director, film studios and actors made are on full display and the hosts are ready to roast them all. Recently, we listened to the questionable decisions of cult classic and personal favorite of our staff - Grease 2 with Michelle Pheifer. June loved the movie however when you get into the details -- this movie makes zero sense! This podcast makes for fun family time -- watch a movie so bad, it's amazing, then listen to the podcast for pure hilarity. This dynamic trio will have you wanting to listen to all 300 episodes.

It's Halloween Night, 2008 and the Valley Village apartment complex in sleepy Redwood, outside of Seattle, is having a party. By morning, one of the party's hosts is murdered. All partygoers are the main suspects - was it the guy in the devil mask, the guy dressed like Jesus, the bank robber, the construction worker? True-crime podcast veterans Mathew Shaer and Eric Benson return to the scene of the crime to uncover what happened a decade ago. Multiple suspects with botched police work, the glaring question is "did they get it right or wrong?" True crime podcasts can be hard to stomach, but what we like about listening to this genre is the look into the justice system. This case is heavily weighted on DNA evidence. Doesn't DNA always mean guilty? Listen to find out.

This listen is about John Wilkes Booth, and not at all like your textbook in middle school. Author Karen Joy Fowler writes about the flawed, but interesting cast of characters within the Booth family (theatrics run in the family) who shared a home with the infamous assassin. Told from the perspective of Booth's siblings, this listen dives into a family of dysfunction and scandals, as well as artistic talent - all painting a picture of the turbulent times in America leading up to and during the Civil War. It took a little while for the story to draw us in, but each character was just so darn interesting, we kept our buds in. The narration is in the expert hands of January LaVoy - who is a favorite of ours and we're happy we took this journey back in time.

Sometimes an audiobook finds you. The Lake House just kept landing in our feed, calling to us. We finally caved and we're so glad that we did. This book is a wonderfully long family saga, set in Cornwall by the sea in England. The story comes to us in two timelines, decades apart, both revolving around, you may guess, a beautiful lake house. Told from differing points of view, with both reliable and unreliable narrators, keeping us puzzle-solvers on our toes and constantly guessing. Caroline Lee narrates, and does an outstanding job, easily switching from male to female voices. The listen is a bit of a doorstop at 21 hours and 24 minutes, but it never felt too long. In fact, when it does end, you'll be sad to see the characters go.

The Invisable Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

We have a confession to make; we're not huge fans of fantasy novels. However, this listen came highly recommended from one of our tribe members, Kathleen, so we ditched our pre-conceived notions and gave it a try. Whoa! We're so glad we dove head first into this creative and entertaining story. Meet Addie LaRue, a young woman whose prayers of a better life were answered by a mysterious god. A bargain that comes at a price - the price of invisibility and we're not talking about the type gained with a cloak ala Harry Potter style. As our time with Addie came to an end, a few tears were shed, so have those tissues handy. The narration is perfection by Julia Whelan who is able to change her persona to reflect each unique character without a hitch. This one stays with you long after the final word. Enjoy!

Reply All - #158 The Case of the Missing Hit

Ever get a song stuck in your head from years past - you know the tune, some of the lyrics, but can't put your finger on the name? Luckily you can Google the bits and pieces you do have and voila - pages of information about the lyrics, song, writer, etc. appear on the screen. Your earworm is cured! This wasn't the case for one gentleman in California. He's determined to find a song from his 90s high school days, but it's nowhere to be found. How does this even happen today? Host, PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman, investigate leaving no stone unturned. We smiled the whole way on our walk this morning during this listen with a few laugh out loud moments. (Other walkers gave us the thumbs up!) The pace and the conversations of uncovering this mystery offered pure joy. This is a classic example of why Reply All is in our rotation. Episode #158: The Case of the Missing Hit.

We're currently obsessed with HBO Max's Julia, all about "The French Chef" herself. Lucky for us the companion podcast allows us to extend our obsession a bit further. Host Kerry Diamond, talks with the creator and executive producer of the show in the premier episode and you can just feel their connection with Julia. Even the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Gartner herself, came on the show and shared her favorite Julia moments. It made the whole Julia experience richer and we can't wait to watch and listen to the next episode. Many shows are doing this now so check out what your favs are dishing.