I realize that in today’s world of taking in information a lot of people are doing it through podcasts. I wonder why that is. I have tried podcasts, some I go back to and others have fizzled out for me. I love audiobooks so I thought that podcasts might be something that I would like, but for the most part I have listened to few and usually just want to get to the end and move on.
I think podcasts are a hit right now because people want to hear what people have to say rather than read what is on their mind. I get that. I am not a fast reader, and as a result I like audio as a format, but for some reason I find myself returning to blogs before returning to podcasts. Maybe it is the narration that people like. I can find humor or love or fun or pain when listening to people talk that I may not get when reading, but there are other times when I just don’t care to hear the interplay between people on their podcasts. Sometimes it seems like the tangents occur too often and I find that distracting.
There are ones I enjoy like Levar Burton Reads. This is a great adult version of Reading Rainbow. Typically, it runs for around 45 minutes, and you get to hear some great fiction. Levar has a voice that is easy to listen to, and he tells us a little about the author and/or why he has chosen the story. I also listen to The Pickle and Boot Shop by Joe Yerke (The Insyderz) and Reese Roper (Five Iron Frenzy). This is funny most of the time, but not always great. They like to ramble and tell stories (about when they were still in bands). Some are good and some are not. I agree with them sometimes and I don’t at others. I keep listening because I am a FIF and Insyderz fan, so it is fun to listen to. Ok – episode 70 (parts 1 and 2) was really good. Reese did a deep dive into his divorce and some other things affecting him. I may not agree with all of what he said in it, but it is well worth a listen. Joe gives some great advice, and you could tell there was true friendship and love there. I also have been listening to The Shuttlepod Show. This hosted by Dominic Keating and Conner Trinneer from Star Trek Enterprise. They have been interviewing actors, producers, and staff from Star Trek. It has been pretty good. I have learned some things during them that I didn’t know about Star Trek, and as a big Trekkie I like it.
I have listened to a few others, but for the most part I can leave them as easily as listen to them. The Roamies (another band) have a fun one that is a bunch of short podcasts (15 minutes or less typically), but don’t find myself wanting to listen all the time. Maybe it is the amount they put out; I am just not sure. But I do love the conversations that Rory and Alexa have on that podcast. So, maybe I should give it a try again.
I have found some that are multi-part series that they call a podcast, but it seems almost like an audiobook that is broken up into chapters. They tell a story that I enjoy listening to from beginning to end, but I don’t think of them as podcasts. Nut Jobs and It Burns by Marc Fennell were fantastic. Not an audiobook, but more like investigative reporting. Well worth a listen.
Maybe time is part of my issue. I find podcasts being people talking about something on a regular basis and that it will just keep going, where as a book is something with a beginning and end. Maybe there are lots of podcasts that I would enjoy if I wasn’t looking for people just talking about a topic and rather telling a story over a multi-week release schedule. That makes me think back to watching TV growing up and waiting for the next episode each week. But again I think would only work with a continuing story being told.
What do you think about podcasts? What ones do you really like?