Top 5 podcasts to listen to if you like stories

It can be tough to find the time to read. If you’re like me, you can use the time during your commute or wind down before bed with a book, but sometimes, after spending all day looking at a computer screen, reading a book can really irritate your eyes.

When that happens I usually turn to podcasts. Audiobooks have just never done it for me, but in podcasts, I’ve found a whole world of entertainment that is current, diverse, and, of course, has great stories. Here are just a few I recommend if you’re looking for something different.

1. This American Life

If you’ve spent any time on a podcast app, chances are you’ve heard of This American Life (TAL) or its spinoff series Serial. It’s actually a public radio program that’s been on the air since 1995 and the experience shows in the production quality. TAL is an interesting mix of journalism and fiction with excellent standards of storytelling routinely hosted by Ira Glass. Keep in mind that storytelling is the emphasis here and I wouldn’t recommend it as a substitute for a news broadcast.

Each episode is based on a specific theme and usually has 2 to 3 “acts” in it so you can hear a variety of stories. It updates weekly, and if a new episode isn’t ready they will re-release an old episode (sometimes with updated content) from their extensive back catalogue. Almost every episode is standalone so you can start anywhere and don’t have to worry about missing a week, and because the themes are always changing there is something for every kind of listener! Some of my favourite episodes have actually been the ones where they experiment with their usual format including a live action musical they released called “The Radio Drama Episode” based on many of their popular episodes over the years.

Here are some of my recent favourites to check out:

• #637 Words You Can’t Say
• #624 Private Geography
• #560 Abdi and the Golden Ticket
• #575 Poetry of Propaganda 
• #556 Same Bed, Different Dreams

2. The Moth

For true blue storytelling, look no further than The Moth. I’ve written about how much I liked the book which anthologizes some of their top stories, but it was the podcast I fell in love with first. It’s hard to beat real stories from real people told in their own voices. The Moth organization takes the time to work with their speakers and workshop their stories so their personal narrative is well thought out and organized without losing authenticity.

Like TAL, each episode is standalone and has its own theme featuring sometimes a single speaker, sometimes multiple speakers. From Daniel McDaniels from Run-DMC to the doctor who treated Mother Teresa, alumni of the show include anyone and everyone. Often the best stories are from ordinary people you’ll never have heard of at all. The Moth really goes to show that everyone has a story to share, and who knows maybe one of those people could be you.

Check out some of my favourites in my old post. 

3. Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People

Hosted by comedian Chris Gethard and produced by Earwolf, Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People (Beautiful Anonymous) features a 1-hour anonymous call Chris has with a stranger. There is one rule: no matter what the guest says Chris is not allowed to hang up until the hour is through. He usually posts the dial-in line on Twitter and then they record so you never know what you’re going to get. It can get really weird sometimes, as you might expect, but more often than not you hear from anonymous people who speak so honestly and make themselves vulnerable in a way that there isn’t quite anything else like it.

Be prepared that some of the calls can take a dark turn since nothing is off the table and often there is talk about mental illness with Chris being very open about his own battles with depression and suicidal thoughts. Being a comedian, Chris will also throw in tons of jokes and brevity, including references to poop soup. Try out the first few minutes of an episode to see if you like the caller first because each episode is raw and uncut, so chances are the conversation will meander and the caller may not interest you.

For this one, I really recommend starting at the beginning since there is such a community behind it, but here is a sampler of some you can try:

• Mountain Man Vs. City Boy
• Successful Stalker
• Hipster Hospice Chaplain
• Ron Paul’s Baby
• Baby Brunch Wedding / Ron Paul’s Baby Returns