My Favourite Podcasts This Month | August 2018

Hey Guys! 

Over the past couple of months, I've been listening to podcasts instead of listening to music or watching YouTube videos while I'm getting ready in the morning. I love that with podcasts you don't have to physically watch it and can just put your headphones in or plug your speaker in and listen while multitasking. A few months ago I would listen to Estee Lalonde's podcast The Heart Of It while I was tidying my room or doing housework. After finishing her podcast series I started looking into other podcasts that I would enjoy, which led to me browsing through the popular section of Spotify podcasts. 

When I go to bed sometimes I struggle to fall asleep, so I've been finding different ways to help me relax. Sometimes I listen to soothing music or I put a Netflix show on just to have some noise in the background (I sometimes struggle to fall asleep when there is lots of silence. Bizarre I know!). After a while, I found podcasts were good to listen to when I couldn't sleep, so over the last couple of weeks, I've been switching between these three different podcasts when I'm getting ready in the morning or I'm struggling to fall asleep. 

On Spotify, there is such a huge selection of podcasts to choose from. There are so many different genres that there is something for everybody! 

(WARNING: SPOILERS)

Crime Junkie

I only started listening to Crime Junkie last week, but after a few episodes it automatically went on my favourites list. I'm a huge fan of murder mysteries and unsolved crimes/murders (highly recommend Buzzfeed's Unsolved True Crime videos with Shane and Ryan) so any stories of mysterious murders and bizarre crimes always capture my attention. When I first started listening to the podcast I wasn't sure if it would be as good as some other videos and podcasts I've listened to before about crime and murder. But the narration and stories are great! 

Crime Junkie is a weekly podcast where every Monday Ashley Flowers discusses a different crime story she has been researching. By dissecting all the facts and details she gives the full story behind the unsolved crime giving all the chilling information she has found while doing her research, which then leads on to who the suspects are and motives behind the crime or murder.   

The first episode I listened to was Episode 39: Serial Murder Todd Kohlhepp and straight away I was hooked! Ashley Flowers' narration is great. She gets straight to the point and gives all the facts straight up with suspense and chilling information. Each episode is different and the details she gives in each story is extensive and paints a full picture of the events taking place!

Some stories aren't as great as others and lack some suspense and thrill but I think that is more of a personal preference on what type of crimes and murder mysteries you find interesting. The Serial Murder Todd Kohlhepp was the most interesting I've heard so far due to the murders he committed and the number of people involved. Due to the fact it has more thrilling facts, I found it more gripping compared to other episodes. 

If you are crime-obsessed like me you'll love this podcast! They talk conspiracy theories, murders, wanted people and serial killers so definitely check them out over at Spotify. 

Happy Place

Happy Place is a podcast series by Fearne Cotton where she "talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them". Throughout the series, she discusses the subject of happiness, positivity and mental health with people such as Emma Willis, Gok Wan, Dawn French and Stephen Fry. It is a great series for those who need uplifting ❤

I started listening to Happy Place because I was looking for something that focused on positivity and getting over hardships. On Spotify, Happy Place is in their popular selection so I scrolled down the list and on seeing Dawn French pop up I clicked on her episode. I'm a huge fan of Dawn French from watching The Vicar of Dibley, French & Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous, Lark Rise to Candleford and from reading her autobiography a few years ago. I thought I knew a lot about Dawn French but actually, after listening to her conversation with Fearne I learnt quite a lot more about her and how she stays positive in the world of entertainment. Especially with divorce, journalists writing about her dad's death and her body image. 

I've also listened to Gok Wan's episode and I never knew he had such dark times in his life from his childhood to eating disorders and anorexia. He talked about when he left school because he got kicked out due to bad behaviour, working in his family's restaurant from the age of three and developing issues with self-confidence and body image. I've always known Gok to be a positive figure in entertainment, especially in helping women to learn to love themselves on his show How To Look Good Naked. But I never knew he had experienced such things as an eating disorder and had such a hard time when he was younger because he has always been so positive from what we see of him in the media and on television. But I think that just shows that nobody knows what is happening in someone's head and what they choose not to share. Gok Wan talks about many great things that keep him positive and it was so uplifting ❤

Another episode which really resonated with me was Stephen Fry's discussion with Fearne. As most people know Stephen Fry has battled with mental health for quite a while and now he is battling with prostate cancer. Listening to his episode was so enlightening. One thing he said was "why are we ashamed of the bodies we didn't choose to be given and have no control over" which I couldn't stop thinking about. He is so right and I think Stephen Fry is such a positive role model to those who have struggled because he reflects so much positivity. He has had the hardest of times due to coming out about his sexuality, getting criticised for marrying a man 30 years younger than him and then having to deal with his mental health and battle with cancer, and throughout this, he demonstrates how you can get through it with a positive attitude ❤

This series is great if you are feeling a little lost and need a boost to get you back in the right direction. Fearne Cotton narrating the podcast is great, she listens to each person's incredible story so attentively and lets them get everything off their chest without asking too many intrusive questions. 

Shane and Friends

Shane and Friends is a bit of an older series compared to Crime Junkie and Happy Place, starting in 2013 and ending back in 2017 with no new series appearing in 2018. Shane and Friends is also only available on Apple Podcasts instead of Spotify, so instead of my Spotify playlist, I also use my Apple Podcast app to listen to Shane and Friends and for looking up other podcasts that I might enjoy. 

 Narrated by YouTuber Shane Dawson and his co-host Jessie Buttafuoco (who is hilariously sassy) every Friday an hour-long episode would be uploaded which was described as "non-stop tea spilling, shade throwing and overall hilarity". Where Shane and Jess would "dig deep into the lives of their celebrity guests by asking brutally honest questions that others might not have the balls to ask". 

Shane has lots of guests on the show such as Joey Graceffa, James Charles, Tyler Oakley, Trisha Paytas, Tana Mongeau, Jenna Marbles, and the very well known Michelle Visage. He has had a lot of well-known influences on the podcast, most of them being fellow YouTube stars and some being viral internet sensations. The topics of discussion differ depending who they have invited on the show, so when Michelle Visage was a guest they discussed Celebrity Big Brother and Ru Paul's Drag Race. Whereas, with other guests, he'll discuss rumours that haven't been addressed, conspiracy theories, what is going on in popular culture, what is going on in their personal lives and what is happening with other celebrities. 

I haven't listened to all five seasons of the podcast as I tend to select the episodes I'd prefer to listen to with guests that I'm interested in, as some of the guests I'm not a fan of or the topic of discussion isn't something I'd find funny. The funniest one I've listened to is Episode 77 with Drew Monson and Garrett Watts, when those two and Shane are all together they are so funny and the conversation topics they have are hilarious! Another episode I really enjoyed was Episode 79 Conspiracy Theories and Trying Acupuncture because other than crime and murder mysteries I love conspiracy theories (especially Shane's conspiracy theory videos) so listening to different conspiracies is time well spent ❤

Shane's podcast isn't as PG as Crime Junkie and Happy Place as it is more of a comical podcast discussing crude topics and funny experiences, so there aren't as many serious topics discussed compared to the other podcasts I've been listening to. Shane and Friends is the podcast I go to when I need some comedy and something light-hearted to laugh about.  

Let me know in the comments below what podcasts you are listening to at the moment and if you have any recommendations ❤

See you soon!

Amy x

Books I've Bought Recently

Hey Guys!

There are so many books I want to read but unfortunately, I'm not one who can read four books at a time, especially when they are all of a similar genre. So instead I'm just going to have to work my way through the books I've currently got piled up on my bedside table. I'll do a separate post on my reading list but for now here are some books I've brought recently:

I highly recommend searching for the books you want in charity shops first before looking to buy them brand new, at least then you'll get a discounted price and you'll be giving money to a good cause. If you can't find the books you are looking for in your local charity shops try AbeBooks (you can buy literally any book second-hand and they are sold for amazing prices and most of the time postage & packing is free!) I've brought a few books from them now and they have only cost £2.65 each!

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

A lot of you will probably have heard of the Mortal Instruments franchise as Lily Collins starred in the 2013 movie The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and there has been a popular Netflix season called ShadowHunters which follows the Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare. When I was younger I was never really interested in the books (even though it is my favourite genre) but as soon as I saw the film I did gain some interest but didn't really think to go buy them until I started watching the series (if you haven't seen the series you should! It is really good). 

I was eyeing it up in the charity shop in my hometown for a while but because I have such a huge pile of books to read already I didn't see the point. But after eyeing it up every time I went in I decided to finally buy it (£1.99!) and now I'm desperate to read it ❤

The plot summary states "Clary Fray is seeing things: Vampires in Brooklyn and werewolves in Manhattan. Irresistibly drawn to the Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, Clary encounters the dark side of New York City - and the dangers of forbidden love."

I already know the basic outline of the story as I've seen the movie and series which both follow the storyline of the City of Bones but I'm interested to see if they have missed any parts of the book out in the film and the series (like what I found in Harry Potter). There are six books in the Mortal Instruments series so I'll be purchasing the next book City of Ashes once I've read this one. I've found myself buying books that are all part of collections, like with Fallen and Harry Potter, so at some point, I'll just have to stick to one collection and finish all those books before moving on to other books. At the moment I'm halfway through the Harry Potter books, then I need to buy and read Torment which is the second book to Lauren Kate's Fallen series and then find the second book to this series and finish this collection of books (this may take me a while). 

The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

I got The Interpretation of Murder in Paris at Shakespeare and Company in the second-hand section. My mum and I both chose to pick this book as we both love a murder mystery so we knew if one of us enjoyed it the other would. Shakespeare and Company did a great selection of books and this one stuck out, especially as it is about Sigmund Freud and his first and last trip to the USA (I read a lot of Sigmund Freud's work for my degree). 

The plot summary states "On the morning after Sigmund Freud arrives in New York City on his first – and only – visit to the United States in 1909, a stunning debutante is found bound and strangled in her penthouse apartment, high above Broadway. The following night, another beautiful heiress, Nora Acton, is discovered tied to a chandelier in her parents' home, viciously wounded and unable to speak or to recall her ordeal. Soon Freud and his American disciple, Stratham Younger, are enlisted to help Miss Acton recover her memory and to piece together the killer's identity. It is a riddle that will test their skills to the limit and lead them on a journey into the darkest places of the city, and of the human mind". 

I've read tons of books that are murder mysteries where people have disappeared out of nowhere and for me one thing I love is seeing the story unravel and everything making sense at the end. Something I always do is try and guess who the murderer is looking at the logic behind all the clues! So when I come to the end of the book and I guessed right I love it! Or even better the culprit is someone completely unexpected and was never even considered the person behind the murder. I've read a few Agatha Christies which got me into the crime genre. So, I think both myself and my mum are going to really enjoy reading this book! 

Recommended Books

I thought I'd add another section to this post for books I'd recommend you guys to read if you are into mysteries and crime novels. 

No Time For Goodbye

I read this book on holiday a few years ago when I got bored with the book I was reading, so I picked this one up from a selection of books my mum had brought with her. I didn't really expect must as I just looking for something different to read while we were sat sunbathing or on the terrace. But to my surprise, I could not put the book down! I was sucked in! I was constantly picking it up when I had a spare five minutes and it is actually the first book I have finished in one week. The story is gripping and I was desperate to know what was going on and what was behind the disappearances. 

Source: Wikipedia

The plot summary states "On the morning she will never forget, suburban teenager Cynthia Archer awakes with a nasty hangover and a feeling she is going to have an even nastier confrontation with her mom and dad. But when she leaves her bedroom, she discovers the house is empty, with no sign of her parents or younger brother Todd. In the blink of an eye, without any explanation, her family has simply disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? If so, why was she spared? And if they're alive, why did they abandon her in such a cruel way? Now married with a daughter of her own, Cynthia fears that her new family will be taken from her just as her first one was. And so she agrees to take part in a TV documentary revisiting the case, in the hope that somebody somewhere will remember something - or even that her father, mother or brother might finally reach out to her . . .

Then a letter arrives which makes no sense and yet chills Cynthia to the core. And soon she begins to realise that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made . . ."

Other than Agatha Christie's novels this was one of the books that got me into crime novels and mysteries. Unfortunately, I think we gave the book away for someone else to read but I wish I would have kept it so I could give it another read. It is hands down one of the best books I've read, especially out of all the crime and mystery books I've read. It's so fast moving and there are so many ups and downs!  

A true rollercoaster!

What books do you recommend? Let me know in the comments below ❤

See you soon!

Amy xx