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LOOKING FOR A GOOD READ?  LISTEN TO A PODCAST.

Let me tell you what I say to someone at least once a week, “You should really check out this podcast {insert name here}…”  Full disclosure: I listen to a LOT of podcasts. I listen to them in the shower, when I work out, when I’m cleaning my house, and while I’m waiting in the car rider line at my kid’s school.  On long drives, on short drives, in doctors’ offices, and sometimes even before bed.

In fact, I was recently listening to one of my nighttime favorites, “Nothing Much Happens:  Bedtime Stories for Grownups” by Kathryn Nicolai, in which Kathryn reads her own original short stories designed to gently lull you to sleep.  The episode, titled “In the Library”, is actually what sparked my inspiration for this post. In it, Kathryn describes an autumn morning’s journey to the library, vivid with sensory descriptions that left me both curious and relaxed.

But just before I started to drift away, I was struck by these lines:  “I’ve always thought that each season had its own best kind of leisurely pursuit.  Winter was for movies. Spring was for poetry. Summer was for music. And autumn… autumn was for books.”

“Ah, how right you are,” I thought. Now is definitely a good time to freshen up my reading list, and my go-to for inspiration (any time of year, really) is often podcasts.

I enjoy reading, but I must admit that I don’t read nearly as many actual books as I used to, mostly because I never feel like I have (ahem, make) enough time.  And to be completely honest, I’ve found my ability to sit still and really give a good book all of my attention stunted by my incessant and often misplaced need to get other stuff done.

So in recent years, podcasts, for me, have come to occupy that tension between time and desire… a desire for a good story.

Be it true crime, comedy, politics & culture, self-development, entrepreneurship, or writing (all of which you’ll find in my digital library), storytelling is my jam.  And the format of the podcast- guest interview, debate, game, or actual storytelling- rarely seems to matter.

Some podcasts lead me to a topic for further investigation, like that of procedural justice, which was prompted by an podcast interview I listened to with Judge Victoria Pratt who assigns introspective essays to criminal defendants of minor offenses, as an alternative to serving jail time.

Others introduce me to new short fiction writers (my fave reading right now), like the podcast by Mr. Reading Rainbow himself, LeVar Burton, aptly called, “LeVar Burton Reads”.

And of course, there are a TON of podcasts singularly devoted to books.  From “The Book Review” by The New York Times which covers the top books of the week to “iFanboy” for all my avid comic book lovers to another one of my personal favorites, “Moms Don’t Have Time to Read with Zibby Owen”.  (I’ll let you guess why that caught my eye.)

There is indeed something about the crisp autumn air that makes me want to curl up with a good book, but even when I don’t have time, there is always a place I can go for a good story.

Taralyn Caudle is my friend and one of the reasons I’m writing and sharing my work to you guys.  If you don’t like what I’m doing, blame her.  She lives in Huntsville, AL with her smart and equally creative daughter, Gabby. In addition to podcasts, which I can personally testify to the the truth of her statement because she has introduced me to a couple, she loves good food, good music, and a good deal on a pair of shoes. Practically possessed by politics, purple, and Prince, she loves alliteration (obviously) and has a philosophy that a little bit of sarcasm and a whole lot of laughter never hurt anybody. We laugh all of the time! She’s a technical writer and so if you need a few good words, check her out on her at taralyncaudle.com. And, if I may throw another great story podcast in the mix, check out Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It”. Thanks, Taralyn!

til tomorrow, enjoy life

Catch up on the rest of this series.