We're not even in November yet, but I'm feeling thankful. I want to say a quick Thank You to you for reading this newsletter. When I open my own email, it's like a tiny bomb goes off each time; I can hardly keep up.
So thanks for clicking on this email! I hope you find something awesome to listen to! (Or maybe you'll win something -- I'm including links to TWO giveaways below!)
Quick Take: The New Season of Modern Love
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Modern Love has now dropped two episodes of its new season since parting ways with longtime host Meghna Chakrabarti. Together, I'd give the shows an 8 out of 10. There are a couple of things that I'm still not sure I love:
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1. The openings to the episodes feature a snippet of an essay, meant to present the theme of the episode. These snippets are disconnected from the main essay of the episode, and it feels kind of "artsy" to me. I don't have anything against artsy (just the opposite, actually: I'm in awe of the things that people can create with audio), but it's definitely a new thing for Modern
Love and it's a little jarring to me.
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2. The essays are no longer read by well-known actors. Instead, The New York Times has acquired a company called Audm, which contracts voice actors. The quality is great, and the pieces are still emotional (a well-known audiobook narrator was read for episode 2), but it's still a real departure from the old Modern Love, which always included a quick note
from the celebrity about why they selected to read the featured essay.
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3. The hosts really lean into the fact that they're new to hosting a podcast. I think it's a way to help longtime listeners become more comfortable with them, and get to know and trust them. I'm 50/50 on it. At the beginning of episode 2, I found myself muttering, "Just make the podcast already."
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I'll remain subscribed to Modern Love, but I'll definitely miss those celebrity voices.
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Two weeks ago, this section was packed with new season launches, but today, there's just one biggie:
- Dr. Death is back for Season 2! There's a short teaser episode out now, and the first episode of the season will be released on Tuesday, October 27. It's told by the same great narrator from Season 1, and is about a doctor who
gave powerful medications to people who didn't really need them. (If you didn't listen to Season 1, go binge it now!)
I haven't listened to a ton of new shows this last week, but I have some queued up. Here is what I plan to listen to:
- Murder, Etc. is a recommendation from Cathy, who reads this newsletter (Cathy, I'm sorry it took me so long to recommend it!). The show isn't new, but it's new to me, and it's investigative instead of just outright
storytelling, which I like. The show's website also has a ton of photos, files, and other media for people who like to dig deeper into the details of the story.
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- Israel Story is a podcast that is often described as the This American Life podcast of Israel. I selected an episode at random just to get a taste for the show. I'm in the middle of episode 46 right now (pausing to write this
newsletter), and I really like it.
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- Constellation Prize was introduced to me earlier this week on the Death, Sex & Money podcast. I HIGHLY recommend the first episode of this show (called Crossing Guard). It's interesting and
ridiculous and touching and the audio mixing is beautiful. I didn't love episode 2 as much, so I have episode 3 downloaded and I'm crossing my fingers for it to be good.
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- How to Citizen with Baratunde keeps getting pushed back in my listening list. I've only finished one episode; I'm halfway through the second. I want to love this podcast, because the content is important and I'm a fan of
Baratunde Thurston. But the episodes are so dang long, and I would prefer to hear more from him directly than all the many guests. If you've listened to this show, drop me a line and let me know what you think.
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- Shows from this list.
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Another Audio Book Recommendation
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Holy heck, I listened to another great audio book that features a podcast within the story. It's clearly based on the success of the Serial podcast, but I also think there's a little bit of the Criminal podcast mixed in.
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This is a thriller centered around a famous podcast host who is reporting on a rape trial. She's being quasi-stalked by a mysterious woman who keeps contacting her about a cold case from 20 years ago.
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You can get the book in print, but the audio book was really, really good, and brings the podcast parts to life.
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Reminder: I get my audio books from Libro.fm because I can choose which independent booksellers to support with my purchases.
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2 Podcast-Themed Giveaways
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Fans of the Office Ladies podcast will want to get in on this giveaway for a Halloween-themed tote
bag and coffee mug.
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If you're a true crime podcast fan (and an Instagram user), be sure to get entered into this giveaway from Wondery. You could win a $500 gift card & a 3-month Wondery+ membership.Â
THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! SHOP NOW!
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Don't forget to check out the Podcast Gift Guides on the blog when you need a great gift idea. There's something for every kind of listener and podcaster!
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Send me YOUR Podcast Recommendations
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I'll be back in two weeks with more podcast goodness to share. I would love to hear from you and find out what your favorite podcasts are, why you listen to podcasts, and which app/podcast player you use.
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Shoot me an email at [email protected], or leave a comment on a blog post (if you're a podcaster, you are welcome to drop your own podcast in a comment on the blog!)
Don't forget to follow Podcast Maniac!
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