Friday Fave Fifteen: Podcasts

I've decided to start a series where I post fifteen of my favorite somethings every Friday. I am a major podcast junkie and this is actually a list I first published on my study abroad blog, The Penny Lily, last fall. Check them out on iTunes, subscribe, or check out their websites.

1. The Classic Tales Podcast: This podcast offers great classic short stories by many wonderful authors. The guy who reads them is really a wonderful voice actor and the overall quality of this is impeccable.

2. This American Life: A great show from NPR that shares stories on a theme each week. Their archives will keep you aurally busy for hours.

3. Best of YouTube: This great podcast helps you skip all the pointless YouTube searching and skip straight to the good stuff (most of the time).

4. Our Miss Brooks Podcast: I'm a sucker for old radio shows and Our Miss Brooks is one of the best I've found. Miss Brooks is a high school English teacher who is constantly at odds with her principal, Mr. Conklin, and trying to get the bashful biology teacher, Mr. Boyton, to notice her. The innocent humor is refreshing and family friendly.

5. The Great Gildersleeve Replay: In the same vein as Our Miss Brooks, this family comedy from the 1940s features Uncle Gildersleeve and his niece and nephew. Some of the earliest situation comedy, and it's still funny.

6. The Moth Podcast: Not all of the Moth stories are family friendly, but, for a mature audience, I have found them all very entertaining and inspiring. The storytellers are good at what they do, that's for sure.

See the rest of the list after the jump.


7. Meditation Station: I swear by these guided meditations. Whether it's getting psyched up for a test or race or falling asleep, I'd never let my iPod be without them.

8. YOGAmazing: These videoed yoga flows keep me centered. They usually target a certain audience or situation, so you might want to browse the iTunes store for some of the back episodes.

9. Decoder Ring Theater: This is probably my very favorite podcast right now. I just can't wait for a new episode to come out every other week. Follow the Red Panda and Black Jack Justice in these brand new adventures modeled after old time radio.

10. Essential American Poets: I'm kind of a poetry geek as a English major and this podcast scratches the itch.

11. Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing: Another English major guilty pleasure. Some of the tips are easy, but others have helped me out a lot.

12. New Yorker: Fiction: Writers of today read from the gems of yesterday and then discuss them. Golden.

13. Old Time Radio Detective: A mix of old detective radio shows. Predictable, maybe. Enjoyable, undoubtedly.

14. Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me: Another NPR gem. This news quiz show focuses on the hilarious side of the news and I laugh out loud every time, even if I'm just sitting in my room by myself.

15. Stuff You Missed in History Class: Produced by How Stuff Works, this podcast features everything you learned but forgot from history class. Informative and fun.