Podcasts are like wild mountain gorillas

They’re really hard to find, but when you do finally find one they scream, grunt and bang their chests and you realise that you’re not that interested in listening to them after all.

Let’s just say, there is a lot of rubbish out there, so here are some podcasts that I highly recommend.

Serial

The best and most popular podcast ever. This is a fact. Once you start you’ll be completely hooked and you’ll be binge-listening until the end. It’s the true story of the murder of an American high school student, told over 12 episodes. Her ex-boyfriend was convicted of the crime but he has always maintained his innocence. The podcast was a spinoff of This American Life. It goes over the facts and interviews everyone involved. Be warned, it's highly addictive.

This American Life

Weekly episodes of short, true stories, mostly about Americans and tied together thematically.

No such thing as a fish

The researchers of brilliant British comedy TV quiz show QI hosted by Stephen Fry make this podcast with their leftover facts. It’s fast and funny and you might even learn something new. Basically it’s fact!fact!fact!joke!joke!joke!fact!fact!fact!joke!joke!joke! so do try to keep up.

Comedy bang bang

Hosted by comedian Scott Aukerman and featuring regular and irregular guests, sometimes with improvisation that goes so deep you forget what’s real and what’s not. Also, this is the first podcast to make me snort with laughter while walking down the street. How embarrassing.

TED radio hour

TED stands for technology, entertainment, design but speakers cover all kids of subjects including science and culture, taken from TED conferences around the world.

How did this get made?

Another comedy podcast, this one takes the mickey out of bad movies and helps us to understand the director’s vision, however unclear and idiotic that may be.

Radio New Zealand has some great podcasts too, and check out Auckland Libraries' own music podcasts!

Chelsea Handler is coming to NZ !

“I've decided to go on tour and support my new book, Uganda Be Kidding Me. I think we all know how much I love the sound of my own voice." - Chelsea Handler

That's right, Chelsea Handler, comedian, talk show host and author is heading to little ol' NZ in November for the first time evaaaa as part of her new stand-up comedy tour Uganda Be Kidding Me. Handler will be performing at the ASB Theatre in Auckland on Sat 29th November ! 

My Live Nation members can secure tickets first during an exclusive pre-sale beginning 9am on Wednesday July 23rd until 5pm Thursday July 24th. For complete details visit Live Nation !

Check out the libraries' Chelsea Handler collection below:
Uganda Be Kidding Me 

Lies that Chelsea Handler told me / by Chelsea's family, friends, and other victims 




Chelsea Chelsea bang bang










Are you there vodka? It's me, Chelsea
eAudiobook: Are you there vodka? It's me, Chelsea










My horizontal life : a collection of one-night stands
eAudiobook: My Horizontal Life: a collection of one-night stands

Yes Please, Amy Poehler!

Amy Poehler, of SNL and Parks and Recreation fame, has a book coming out! OMG. I'm very excited about this. I love love love her. Her Smart Girls youtube vids are great, she's such a great woman!

Her memoir-style book is set for an October 28th, 2014 release,  there will be a bit of a wait! But could make for an excellent Christmas gift.

While you wait for this release, you should check out Tina Fey's Bossypants and Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (also available as eBook and eAudiobook!). If you haven't already that is! Both are so great. I also have the audiobooks of them, read by the authors, and they're such a joy. I literally LOL while listening to Bossypants, and it is totally worth all the crazy stares.

Also did you know that she's been dating Nick Kroll, aka The Douche from Parks and Recreation ??? I've included a cute pic of them for your enjoyment. As much as I was disappointed that her and Will Arnett divorced, it's nice to see her with another funny man. His character is a d!#@k but is still hilarious. And I'm sure that if Amy chose him, he must be wonderful and encouraging of her woman power!

The Hills Are Alive With The Sound...

A shortish post from me this week.

The body as they say is willing but the brain has decided  to go on complete strike and be bloody difficult. Writer's block sucks.

Big time.

Still it could be worse.  This post could have started with "See Jane run.  See Dick run." which is just about the standard that my brain is capable of at the moment.

I'm going to blame it all on the BBC and Big Finish.

Now I never thought of myself as an audio book fan.  I had, of course, tried some many years ago but somehow I found them just a bit... flat.

Then I got onto Big Finish.  First with their array of Stargate audio books and then with their 8th Doctor Who adventures starring Paul McGann as the Doctor. Wanting to expand my horizons from just listening to science fiction I then discovered the BBC or more accurately BBC4.

It was like finding the holy grail.  Or least what I imagine it would be like.

The variety that the BBC produces is enormous.  From comedies to crime dramas to Shakespeare and Sci-Fi.  I have become hooked.

And like all addictions I just have to share.  So here's just a small taste of what I have been listening to and more.

Murder in the title [compact disc] : a Charles Paris mystery / Simon Brett.

I *adore* Bill Nighy.  So when I found that he featured in a series of radio dramas featuring an alcoholic, womanising actor who seems to constantly stumble across dead bodies where ever he goes I just had to give them a try.

And I'm so glad I did.  The Charles Paris mysteries featuring him are just marvellous with Nighy being... well Nighy..

Cabin pressure. Complete series 2 [compact disc] / written by John Finnemore.

A BBC4 find.  The appeal of this was that it featured Benedict Cumberbatch.  Or the Cumberbeast as he is known as to his many fans.  It also sounded really funny.

And it is. Gloriously so.

 In fact I guarantee this will have you laughing out aloud.

The adventure collection. Volume 2 [compact disc]

As a Doctor Who fan I just had to try these series of adventures read by David Tennant.

Though they don't have a full-cast like the ones above, Tennant's voice worked really well for me.

Then again I'm probably biased.


Torchwood [electronic resource] : the lost files.

The last story in this audio book made me cry.

Really.

I bawled my eyes out.

If that's not a recommendation I don't know what is.

Desert Island Discs [compact disc]

I haven't listened to this - yet.

But it's on my list.

The idea of famous people being interviewed about what book, music etc they would take to a desert island sounds fascinating, so how could I not give it a go.

The big sleep [compact disc] / Raymond Chandler.

I love the movie The Big Sleep with Humphrey Bogart so finding out that there was a audio-dramas - done by the BBC no less, I just had to add it my list of To Be Listened To.

It also features Toby Stephens (member of the RSC,  son of Dame Maggie Smith and the villain in the James Bond movie Die Another Day).

I can so imagine him as P.I. Philip Marlowe.