Sometimes your eyes need a break from staring at screens. Here are five podcasts that you can listen to in the car, on the train and even at the beach.
1) The Millenial Awakening?
Jay Shetty’s On Purpose covers everything from tips getting over breakups to stress-management, finding your passion, and advice for the job hunt. This British self-help guru runs a massive Facebook page, Youtube channel, and podcast series. Not too long ago, he was a young university graduate that sold all of his possessions and moved to India to become a monk. He lived at a Buddhist monastery for three years before being told it wasn’t his purpose to stay there; he now lives back in the UK.
Self-help gurus always seem like cheesy salespeople that make people do trust falls with their colleagues at business conferences. Shetty is not one of those gurus. There’s no bullshit, no expensive “exclusive” retreat, and he isn’t trying to sell you on positivity. What you instead get is advice grounded in Buddhism and some really engaging interviews with a few well-known celebrities.
Shetty posts episodes weekly with a guest host on every alternating segment. The guests have included models, comedians, entrepreneurs, and sportsmen. Notable hosts include Gisele Bundchen, Ashley Graham, Arianna Huffington, Chelsea Handler, Russell Brand, and Novak Djokovic.
2) True Crime: From Binge-Worthy Podcast to Summer’s New Marathon Netflix TV Show
Whether you’ve already watched Dirty John on Netflix or have only heard about it, you don’t want to miss the podcast of the same name that started it all.
There are a lot of true crime podcasts out there, but few really draw the story out like Dirty John’s producers. In a classic crime podcast, you know from the start what kind of crime was committed, who was involved and what the official verdict was. Dirty John is different. You won’t find out what took place until the final episode. Even jumping ahead won’t work. The story is told in such a way that you need to get all the details to really put the puzzle together.
The script, background music, and the real-life testimonies of Deborah and her daughters make this series justifiably binge-able. Some have finished the series in as little as two days!
3) Summer Lovin Good
The New York Times’ Modern Love podcast is one of the most well-established podcasts around and should be on every beginner’s guide. The podcast is based on the Modern Love column that features deeply personal essays about love, loss and modern dating. Some stories are funny, some make you want to cry, and some are just plain endearing.
The stories are well-written, well-delivered, and are performed by great actors like Kate Winslet, Jake Gyllenhaal, Uma Thurman, Sterling K. Brown, and Zachary Quinto.
This weekly podcast has over 100 episodes to choose from, but to make the job a little easier, here are a few recommendations. Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Nursing a Wound in an Appropriate Setting” is a beautiful story about a young doctor completing his residency while getting over a breakup. “The Language of Love”, read by Saoirse Ronan is about how a language barrier impacts the relationship between a young woman and an Iraqi doctor. The story to listen to when you’re in the mood for a chuckle is about a woman and her elderly doorman. It’s called “When the Doorman is Your Main Man”, performed by Cecily Strong.
4)Summer reading isn’t as fun as it seems?
Do you have a pile of books lying in your Amazon Prime Cart or sitting on a bookshelf collecting dust?
With Vancouver’s precarious weather, most of us are trying to enjoy the short summer to the fullest. Being outdoors, hiking a trail or tanning at the beach trumps laying in bed with a book—it’s no wonder the bucket list of reading keeps growing. Try Overdue, the podcast to catch you up on books. Each week hosts Andrew and Craig tackle a new book by reading it, writing notes and putting a condensed summary into an episode. It’s Cliffnotes in a podcast! They give you backstories about the author, explain key plot points and discuss some of the critiques of the books. It’s a great way to get a refresh on a book you glossed over in school or find some key talking points about a book you haven’t read.
Recommended episodes include “Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,” “Slaughterhouse-Five,” and “Americah.”
5) Canadians need to talk about something other than Trump
Podcasts are an easy way to get a daily dose of news, but most political podcasts are America-centric—few tackle Canadian issues. CBC Radio is an option, but if you miss the beginning, there’s no way to rewind. Also, it can also get dull listening to monotone voices reading out nothing more than major headlines.
Instead, try CBC’s Front Burner series. The daily podcast focuses on just one hot topic with a 30-minute in-depth analysis. The show’s host Jayme Poisson provides Canadian news with widely relevant content, such as an exploration into the history of the Raptors after their epic NBA win, information about Toronto’s new Sidewalk Labs program, and an analysis of the Jody Wilson-Raybould case. There’s something for everyone.
Rajita is Link Magazine’s Associate Editor. She likes writing about tech, culture and politics.
