Hi, hello & greetings from the other side! Friends, I miss writing to you all so much. This year, yes I’m saying this 3 months in, has kicked my behind x1000. I’m finally feeling like I’m on the other side of the madness with one of my grad school classes ending, seeing a little light in the work tunnel + plans for fun personal things starting to come together. I’m so excited for this blog post to be my first in several weeks. I have been listening to a ton of audiobooks, podcasts, evening wind down prompts and more that I’m excited to share. Below, I’m sharing 5 categories and all my current favs. I hope you find something in this list that intrigues you enough to listen. Let’s begin!
Podcasts
Unlocking Us by Brené Brown: Brené on Shame and Accountability – I think it goes without saying that Brené Brown is one of the best speakers today. I could listen to every single podcast and TedTalk from her and next get tired of her voice. This episode has been played several times in the past month and I can’t recommend it enough.
This is My Hobby: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – This podcast is fairly new and so far, they have talked about several books I’ve read including The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Pretty Life Wife, The Wife Upstairs & Verity. The hosts are two teachers who love reading as much as I do and I really enjoy their long episodes. It’s a mix of personal convo and book thoughts. My fav!
Skimm’d from the Couch: Judy Smith, crisis management expert and founder of Smith & Company– It’s no secret that I literally L O V E Judy Smith AKA the inspiration behind Scandal. I also think Scandal is the best show E V E R and that Shonda Rhimes is a master-mind, hence why my bookclub is reading her book this month *fangirl shrug* Anyway, Skimm’d from the Couch used to be one of my favorite podcasts to listen to in the office. The hosts do a really fun intro and outro including asking guests to skim their resume/experience then tell the audience something that we could never find out about them online. I love both of those questions because it’s not something I’ve heard on other podcasts and it allows you to learn more about the guest quickly.
Meant for It: Jessica Jackson, Chief Advocacy Officer for Reform Alliance (previously titled “I Want Her Job”) – Similar to Skimm’d from the Couch, I love every episode and guest on this podcast focused on woman and their careers. As someone who researched recidivism in college, this episode was SO powerful! Jessica was a great guest to educate the audience on what decreasing the chances of recidivism (returning to unlawful behavior and/or jail after being released) actually could look like, what opportunities are preset and what opportunities are lacking for recently released individuals. She talked very nerdy at some points about the data behind parole, the impact and when it becomes ineffective – my favorite part!
Audiobooks
I cannot rave about Scribd as my audio + e-book platform of choice enough! I did a sponsored post with them recently which was especially exciting because I have been talking about + loving this service since March 2020. So much so that I’ve convinced 25+ of you guys have signed up for membership. As always, you can get 60 days free (then it’s $10/month) of unlimited* reading and listening here: https://www.scribd.com/g/3rop3v
Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton – One of my co-workers recommended this debut novel and so far, I’m loving it! The story follows two young girls, now adults, bound by a BIG secret that comes back to haunt them 20+ years later. The timeless bounces back and fourth between then and present day.
The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda – Most of you know that Megan Miranda is one of my favorite thriller writers! I LOVED her book All The Missing Girls many years ago and still recommend it today. This story follows a woman who became a child celebrity at 6 years old when she went missing in her hometown and showed up 3 days later. There was a good amount of twists and turns and at the end, you are left questioning just how far people will go for fame and recognition.
My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due – This was our February book club pick and honestly, mos of the group didn’t *love* the book. I felt, and still feel, AWFUL that they didn’t but am glad we were still able to have a full conversation about it. This was our first sci-fi/fantasy book pick. The story follows David, an immortal, and his present life as an author, husband and father. His “night brothers” AKA other immortals, come back into his life after they think he is becoming too reckless and want him to return “home” with them. Everything starts to unravel when he believes people around him know or will find out that he’s an immortal and he starts to take things into his own hands, literally. Altogether, I enjoyed the book and would continue reading the series since the plot line of immortals is still very new to me.
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane – How surprised are you guys that ANOTHER thriller is on the list? I hope not at all because this is hands down my favorite genre! Pretty Life Wife takes you on a dark journey of a woman that plans to make her husband disappear. The plan goes haywire when his body is missing from the place she left him. The morality of all the characters come into question and at the end, I found myself genuinely shocked at the truth behind all of their lives.
Music
I find that I listen to the same three genres of music: throwback R&B, explicit rap & live gospel sets. After watching Bridgerton, I found myself listening to that soundtrack over and over when answering emails! I usually listen music on Spotify since I have more control over what songs I hear compared to Pandora.
Throwback R&B: I Love My 00’s R&B
Explicit rap: Running Hip Hop
Live Gospel sets: Feels Like Home & TRIBL
Bridgerton: “Official” soundtrack
While getting ready
First15 Devotional (app) – So this is actually a podcast but with the mix of scripture, a devotional and a song everyday, it feels less like a podcast and more like a set worship to wake up too. Every day there’s a different topic with corresponding action items for the day such as giving extra grace to your co-workers, calling a friend, praying for someone whose been on your heart, etc. You can listen to this on your mobile browser or via the app.
The Next Right Thing – Okay, this is also technically a podcast but it feels like Emily, the host, is speaking directly to you. This was one of my podcasts to listen to on the way to work. Then when we started working from home, I fell off on listening. With the madness of the last few weeks, listening to Emily in the morning has helped me clear my mind a little and try to focus on just one thing at a time.
At bedtime
If you have followed me on Instagram for any length of time, you will know about my sleeping difficulties. I’ve tried different variations of melatonin and sleepy time tea, which do help, but my problem is usually my brain starts to run through the day behind and the day ahead because it’s completely silent. I’ve been listening to a bunch of different Youtube videos at night to help “fill the space” so I don’t start thinking about how I forgot to bring someone a side of honey BBQ sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings on a busy Saturday UFC fight night 6 years ago LOL #ServerProbs
Mediation: My favorites are always the voiceovers with British accents but there’s a ton to pick from and I usually select what’s recommended after I learn one. Current favorite: https://youtu.be/acLUWBuAvms
Lofi: Hip hop/study beats – Anything lofi is perfect for background noise to study or sleep or journal. My favorite is linked but I would honestly recommend any and all sets. Current favorite: https://youtu.be/_tV5LEBDs7w
Instrumentals: Relaxing piano music – Perfect combo if you like to keep your TV on at night since the display is a burning fireplace. Current favorite: https://youtu.be/J0JG-15Ojtc
Faith: I try to cycle through all the bedtime sounds using a mix of verbal prompts (like mediatation), sounds (like lofi and instrumentals) and faith based stories/ verses. I like that with the abide recordings, I can hear the same verses over and over which makes me more likely to remember them in the morning. Current favorite: https://youtu.be/TVLMeKPhoXc
1500+ words later and we’re F I N, friends! I hope you all found something that you can start listening this week. I usually share what I’m listening to day to day on Instagram stories. Plus, I keep my book tally and ratings in the highlight labeled “2021 books”, if you’re interested! Thanks so much for reading! -xo, Azanique <3
#LotsofBooksClub Facebook Group | Book Club page | Instagram | Scribd (60 days free)
