7 Podcasts You Should be Listening to in 2017

Podcasts are my favorite form of entertainment on the road.  People that know me well have heard me reference podcasts on a regular basis.  Because you can subscribe to a podcast and listen when it is convenient to you, it is a show that you listen to much like an audio book.  I have seven ones that I truly love and highly recommend.

This American Life is a weekly radio show that features a different theme/story each week.  Ira Glass is an amazing story teller with a knack for featuring interesting stories that are informative, funny, sad and amazing.  I have listened to this show and laughed out loud and sobbed in my car.  Some episodes bring out sheer anger and outrage.  Every week, I'm suspended in a story telling capsule while listening to the episode.  Because of the broad nature of the content, it appeals to a wide audience.  It is the first podcast I started listening to, and love it when repeats are played because it is such as great show!

Serial is a podcast from Sarah Koenig who is also a producer on This American Life.  The first season was a viral sensation.  I still cannot get that season out of my head.  The freshman season of Serial featured the Adnan Syed case in the murder of his girlfriend Hae Min Lee.  It is a tragic story that is still ongoing as he fights for his conviction to be overturned.  I was a little disappointed in the second season that followed the Bowe Bergdahl case.  However, the reporting is insightful and interesting.  Sara Koenig has a hypnotic voice that draws the listener in as she narrates the story.

After Serial, three attorneys picked up where Serial left off and began a podcast called Undisclosed. Their first season featured the Adnan Syed Case - taking a much more granular look at the case.  Rabia Chaudry had worked with Sarah Koenig from Serial to investigate this case originally.  Rabia is joined by Collin Miller and Susan Simpon, also attorneys, that investigate and report.  The first season was a developing season for this group.

By the second season on Undisclosed, this polished group of attorneys had also polished their podcasting skills as they featured the Joey Watkins Case.  It is a story about a young man serving a life sentence in Georgia.  Undisclosed worked with the Georgia Innocence Project for this second season as they investigated the conviction of Joey Watkins.  A third season has just started featuring a case in South Carolina.  It is a show that I cannot say enough good things about.  It is driven by passion for the law and exploring wrongful convictions.  I highly advise going back and listening to the first two seasons, but at a minimum get in there and listen to the current season that started this week!  Collin Miller, an evidence law professor at the University of South Carolina, is doing this season solo.  He is a great story teller and connects modern law to literature and media in a story telling web that I truly enjoy!

I'm a Law and Order junkie.  Its a well known fact about me.  And when someone suggested In the Dark to me, I first resisted.  First, let me disclose, this is a hard listen.  Very hard.  It may not be for everyone.  But, it is well done reporting that takes a close look at law enforcement and what went wrong in the Jacob Wetterling Case in Minnesota.  There were times that I wish I had not listened,  but am glad I did. I feel better informed and equipped to talk to my own son about safety.  And staying in the dark about crime (no pun intended) doesn't mean it doesn't happen.  It just means that sometimes we don't know enough to equip ourselves to be better protected in our communities.  Recently, reporter Madeleine Baran released an updated to say that they are going to continue this series in following other stories.  You can still go back and listen to the first season of In the Dark.  It is great investigative reporting that is very important!

Not everything I listen to is dark and related to crime.  I do have a balance to my listening line up.  One of my new podcast in rotation is the Wellness Mama.  Katie is the host and mother of 6.  She covers topics like essential oils, sleep habits, fermentation, breaking bad habits and more.  Each episode covers a different topic, and each week is something new that I am actually interested in.  I feel like I've gained a lot of information from experts in many different fields.  Some episodes do go on a bit long for me, but it is still a great show.  If you stick in there and listen to the whole show, you will be glad you did!  It is a wealth of information.  She also has a great website full of resources.  Finally, she has written a new cookbook with healthy recipes for families. The Wellness Mama Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Healthier Families  Check it out!  She really inspires me as a mother.

The Splendid Table is the second pod cast that I ever listened to.  Lynne Rossetto Kasper, long time host, has decided to hang her hat up this year.  I am having a bit of a break up moment over this.  However, Francis Lam is stepping in to fill the role as host.  And he will be great.  He was a featured contributor in previous years.  Each week, I learn about new ingredients, cooking methods and recipes.  Follow along on social media for more ideas in the kitchen.  I have used quite a few recipes from this site and loved everyone.  If you love to cook, this podcast is for you!  This show has really increased my confidence in the kitchen to play with ingredients and try new cooking techniques in the kitchen.

Wrapping up my podcast line up is the Dinner Party Download.  It is a witty look at arts and leisure.  It is funny and interesting.  Each week, different guests share their tongue in cheek tips on etiquette, a dinner party play list and more.  Hosts Brendan Francis Newnam and Ricco Gagliano won't disappoint!  I've learned about movies, actors, television shows, music, food and more while listening along.  It is light and a definite palate cleanser after some of my listening list!

You can download and subscribe to Podcasts through your podcast app on your phone or you can listen online at many of the websites referenced above.  Listen while you are running errands, on long trips or in carpool lines.  It is a great way to make use of that time in the car.  Or just at home instead of tv.  You can thank me later!

What podcasts do you listen to now?  I'd love to hear about your recommendations for something interesting to listen to.  Don't forget to subscribe to my blog to keep up with my adventures with my family.  And be sure to hang out using my social media links at the top of the page.  Have a great week!