The Lonely Road

 I spend a lot of time in the car traveling for work. It's not uncommon for me to be alone in the car for 6-8 hours a day at least a couple of times a week. After a while you have to stop listening to Taylor Swift's 1989 on repeat and change things up. Recently, instead of music, I've been listening to a lot of podcasts.

If you were obsessed with Serial, you're not alone. The popular podcast was downloaded by over 5 million people and has become the most downloaded podcast on iTunes. I was one of those millions who became infatuated with the case. My girlfriends and I would text endlessly about the episodes and alternative theories about the case. I hate to admit it, but I actually listened to all 12 episodes twice. (I know, I know, that seems crazy, but seriously, I spend A LOT of time alone in a car) It's actually even better the second time around when you are familiar the the story and cast of characters.

Serial follows the 1999 murder case of Baltimore high school student, Hae Min Lee and subsequent arrest of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. Host Sarah Koenig explores the case and attempts to determine if Adnan is innocent, as he proclaims to be.

This is like Dateline for your ears and my favorite podcast I've listened to so far.

Grade: A

My first post Serial attempt was the podcast that Serial spun off from, This American Life.

This American life is a weekly public radio broadcast hosted by Ira Glass. This is a podcast that I find hard to grade as the topics vary from week to week. There are episodes that I really enjoyed listening to and some that I couldn't get through. So for me, this podcast really depends on your interest in that week's topic. The episode I enjoyed the most was "129 Cars" which followed car salesmen attempting to make that month's quota. Doesn't sound very interesting, does it? I'll just tell you this, I'd definitely listen to this episode before stepping into the dealership to purchase your next car.

Grade: B-

I discovered Call Your Girlfriend from an article in Entertainment Weekly that was suggesting podcasts for people who were going through Serial withdrawal (That's me!).

CYG (I'm down with the acronym now) describes itself as a "podcast for long distance besties everywhere". Hosts Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow are friends who live long distance and decided to turn their phone convos into a podcast that covers a wide range of topics that are relevant in the lives of women in their 20 & 30s. I love these two. They are smart, funny, and successful. They can go from talking about reproductive rights to Beyonce without missing a beat. They make my liberal heart swoon.  I enjoy them so much I'll even forgive them for like Pitbull. My biggest complaint about this podcast is that they only release episodes every two weeks.

Grade: A (Warning: If you are a conservative, this podcast probably isn't for you)

Criminal was suggested for people who liked Serial. I'll start by saying I enjoy this FAR less. As a Dateline and 48 Hours enthusiast, I assumed this would be right up my alley. So far I've only listened to half the episodes, but I'm having a hard time getting into this. Some episodes are better than others, but I find the episodes short and leave you wanting more detail. Like This American Life, I found myself interested in some episodes much more than others. The episode I enjoyed the most was "The Buck Stops Here", but again, it left me wanting more.

I would only suggest this if you are stuck somewhere with out a television, book to read, and have exhausted the podcasts listed above. It's not bad, but it's not anything to write home about.

Grade: C-


I'm now on the search for a new podcast to listen to before I hit the road for meetings again next week. Any suggestions? Hit the comments section with suggestions or reviews!