5 Podcasts for Any Personality

Earlier this year, I mentioned I had started listening to podcasts at the gym while I was training for my triathlon. Then, in the past week, six different people recommended a new podcast to me; I started listening to it this week and am already hooked. So for today's "5 Things" list, I thought I would round up five of my favorite podcasts! They are each pretty different, so you should be able to find at least one that interests you. :)

5. For the current events junkie: Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! (NPR) // Not only is this a weekly news quiz, so you'll feel more informed about the world and therefore better about yourself, but it is HILARIOUS. The show also hosts a guest celebrity each week, which can be very interesting. This is definitely a show I would love to see live!

4. For the history buff: Stuff You Missed in History Class (How Stuff Works) // It's just how it sounds! From cosmetic products in Ancient Egypt to the origins of popular Halloween traditions to short biographies of important historical figures, this show is always fascinating (and short enough to listen to during a quick run!).

3. For the person who doesn't have 10 extra minutes in the day: Story of the Day (NPR) // Each day, NPR posts a 4-7 minute story from the news that day, which is perfect for anyone who doesn't have time to listen to a full news show but still wants to hear some interesting stories.

2. For the sports fan: Best of Mike and Mike (ESPN) // If you are a hardcore sports fan, you'd probably listen to the full Mike and Mike show on ESPN Radio every weekday, but I prefer this shorter highlight reel to get all my sports news. Also, this week is as good as any to become a fan of the Mikes. (Haven't you heard of Mike Golic's Kim-Kardashian-butt-oil bet? That he lost??)

1. For everyone on this planet apparently: Serial (This American Life) // This is the podcast that was recommended to me six times in the span of one week. I first read about it on Cup of Jo last week, so I downloaded it to my phone for sometime in the future. Then, two of my good friends from college independently texted me to tell me it was such a "Megan podcast" and I should definitely listen. Then, a few of my classmates from library school created a Facebook group for a weekly listening party. Finally, both Cat and Nicole recommended it to me on a post I wrote earlier this week. So, I started listening, and HOLY COW EVERYONE IS RIGHT. Long story short, it's about a high school kid who went to prison in 1999 for killing his girlfriend, but there was a scary lack of physical evidence and a lot of conflicting testimony. The podcast follows the case while pointing out how and why he could be innocent. (He is still in prison for that murder, by the way.)

If my scintillating descriptions above weren't enough to convince you to start listening to podcasts, here's one more reason: They're free! I just downloaded the Podcasts app (also free!) to my phone, and I make sure to download new episodes while I'm on wifi to conserve data. Once they're downloaded, you can listen to them any time!

Have you heard of any of these podcasts? If you're a fan, when do you prefer to listen to podcasts?

Linking up with Darci, April, Christina and Natasha for FIVE on Friday; Clare for Five Things Friday; Sarah for Fan Friday; and Karli for Oh Hey, Friday!