Finding Favorites with Leah Jones

Monica Reida, a Chicago-based artist and writer, loves coffee. Like... LOVES coffee. Affogato, espresso, drip coffee, percolated coffee, different roasts, decaf and so much more. Keep up with Monica online Monica's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicareida/ Monica's portfolio: https://monicareida.myportfolio.com/ Monica's blog, Notes from a Sentient Cabbage: https://sentientcabbage2.wordpre...

We are one week out from Passover seders, so what better time to revisit Caroline's advice about preparing for the Spring holiday? New Haggadah alert - The Promise of Liberty by Stuart Halpern & Jacob Kupietzky Where are you leaving? Egypt Where are you going? Jerusalem What are you carrying? The bread of freedom Pesach (Passover) starts on Monday night and Caroline Musin Berkowitz joined Leah...

Scott Smith, aka Our Man In Chicago, returns to Finding Favorites to talk about the Mission Impossible movies - why he loves them, how he watches them and where to start with the series. Scott first joined Leah to talk about The West Wing . Keep up with Scott online Our Man in Chicago Instagram @ourmaninchicago The Frunchroom Facebook @thefrunchroom Show Notes   Regal Unlimited   The Mission: Impo...

Blaise Miller, an actor/director/writer based in LA, joined Leah to talk about his new web series "Hi, Blaise Miller" and his love of sweatpants. "Hi, Blaise Miller" is a six episode series exploring life for actors in Hollywood today - the world of self tapes and self doubt. The series is distributed by Crafty and new episodes are available every Friday. Leah and Blaise have been friends for 20 y...

Author Joyce Miller joins Leah to talk about her new book Joe Harris, The Moon, her love of greyhounds and her love of dancing with dogs. Keep up with Joyce online Look! You're Dancing: A Memoir of Dogs, Dance and Devotion Joe Harris, The Moon JoyceAMiller.com Follow Joyce on Instagram @joyceamillerwriter Show Notes Joe Harris Greyhounds "rooing" Greyhounds Reach the Beach The Grapehound Wine Tour...

Alabama based author Bradley Sides joined Leah to talk about his new collection Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood and his favorite band, The National. Keep up with Bradley online Crocodile Tears Didn’t Cause the Flood Bradley Sides on Facebook Bradley's website: Bradley-Sides.com Show Notes Those Fantastic Lives by Bradley Sides LeVar Burton Reads Calhoun Community College Common Read   U.S....

Ben Tanzer, a Chicago-based author and consultant, joined Leah to celebrate the launch of his new novel The Missing ( pre-order on Bookshop.org for March 21, 2024 delivery ) and his love of the book The Basketball Diaries. This conversation is a trip down memory lane, because Leah and Ben have been friends for 15+ years. We briefly discuss the suicide of a mutual colleague. Follow Ben online The M...

Paul Scheer, an LA-based actor, writer, comedian, and podcaster, grew up in New York Knicks territory, but now loves the L.A. Clippers. He joined Leah to talk about his memoir Joyful Recollections of Trauma (available for pre-order now, shipping on May 21, 2024), picking the right sports team for your family, and the inherent drama of NBA basketball. Keep up with Paul Scheer online How Did This Ge...

Author Esther Goldenberg visits Finding Favorites to share her loves of pour painting and drumming (djembe, not snare). She's also celebrating the publication of her first novel The Scrolls of Deborah. The Scrolls of Deborah is available for pre-order and will ship on February 20, 2024. EstherGoldenberg.com Follow Esther on Facebook and Instagram   Show Notes Storahtelling This Messy Magnificent L...

Kathie Giorgio, a Wisconsin-based writer and founder of The All Writers Workshop, joined Leah to talk about her lifelong love of writing and her genre-agnostic publishing career. Kathie published her first short story as a teenager, her first book at 50, and will publish her 14th book in 2024. Content Warning: Kathie and Leah are both breast cancer survivors and discuss the illness, as well as bul...

Some of your favorite guests are back for the Best of 2023 Call-In Show! Leah asked guests and friends to send in a voice memo with their favorite discoveries of 2023. It's important to find moments of joy during difficult times and that's what each of our callers found! Best of 2023 Show Notes   Carolyn Musin Berkowitz Snack hack!  Monica Reida   Prince Freya   The Gilded Age on HBO     Marked Sa...

Chuck Zagorski was declared the King of Christmas by his family and joined Leah to talk about his favorite holiday. Chuck listens to Christmas music all year, but limits his seven trees and 100+ nutcrackers to a window between November 1 and Three Kings Day. Email a 1-5 minute audio clip to Leah by December 25th to be included in the Best of 2023 show! What did you love in 2023? email your clip to...

Emily Drake, host of the podcast Who's Missing , loves a cozy game. Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Cozy Cafe and more! We talk about parallel play, building relationships and so much more.   Email a 1-5 minute audio clip to Leah by December 25th to be included in the Best of 2023 show! What did you love in 2023? email your clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com Follow Emily online Instagram @...

It's a thanksgiving interlude with a few updates of what Leah's been up to and the trailer for season 2 of Upper Middlebrow Podcast.   Stand Up Comedy Nicole Byer Kyle Kinane Samantha Bee Broadway Stuff Beetlejuice What a Wonderful World Here We Are The Lehman Trilogy Company Podcast Stuff How Did This Get Made live shows Welcome to Rob Abrazado Upper Middlebrow trailer Send your "Best of 2023" au...

Evonne Marzouk returned to the podcast to celebrate the release of the paperback edition of her debut novel The Prophetess. We talk about the process of finding an audience, her lifelong love of writing, and processing difficult times through writing. We talk about donations for pre-orders, but her publisher has extended the donations through the end of the war, G-d willing, soon. Donations are be...

Pensylvania-based author and professor Holly M. Wendt joined Leah to talk about their love of all things cycling - from professional races to riding long distances, Holly loves all things two-wheeled. Their debut novel Heading North will be available on November 8th and you can order it today. HollyMWendt.com Instagram @hmwendt Twitter @hmwendt Heading North   Show Notes Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane...

Bee Vargas, AKA the reigning Ms. Illinois, loves power lifting and joined Leah to talk about her journey to embracing her larger body in and out of the gym. Whether its rooftop yoga, crushing dead lifts or representing Illinois at the national level, Bee is a delight. Follow Bee online https://www.instagram.com/thatbeeword/ https://www.instagram.com/allbodiesaregymbodies/   https://www.tiktok.com/...

Donate to American Friends of Magen David Adom   Jerusalem-based tour guide Joel Haber joined Leah to talk about Shabbat Stews ahead of the release of his ebook Chulent & Hamin: The Ultimate Jewish Comfort Food.  There is so much more to Chulent than beans and meat! Follow Joel on Instagram and his blog Taste of Jew . Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter . Rate and review on Apple P...

Taylore Nicholl and Michael Lester, a pair of independent filmmakers from Texas, joined Leah to talk about their love of film, making films, and dream projects. Follow the pair online Support Taylore and Michael on Patreon   Carry On (Taylore's first movie) @taylorenicholl on Instagram What We Become   Tik Tok @mediocre_michael Show Notes Duo of Greenville filmmakers Jackass The Disney Vault Ira G...

Jesse Dukes, co-host of Upper Middlebrow, returns to Finding Favorites to wrestle with Jimmy Buffett's legacy. We talk about internal rhymes, lifestyle brands, and songs with more meaning on the tenth listen than on the first. Keep up with Jesse online Upper Middlebrow Podcast   JesseDukes.com Show Notes Neuromancer Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow The Space Between Worlds Jimmy Buffet - Songs...

Josh Mohr, Seattle-based author of Model Citizen, joined Leah to discuss his new novel Farsickness which he wrote this summer and is illustrated by his daughter Ava. We talk about teachers that change your life, collaborating with your children, making art during the pandemic, and grappling with PTSD.   Buy a copy of Farsickness today Silly Gooses with Josh Mohr and Ava Mohr at Valencia 826 (look...

Ronnie Raviv joined Leah to try and figure out if he has any favorite things. We talk about cocktails, cocktail bars, books, TV, great meals and our friendship origin story. For someone who claims to have no favorite things, there was no lacking in conversation. Like my beloved Zouks, Ronnie is not on twitter. Show Notes Second City Conservatory   Quipfire Improv   Sally Albright Chicken Pot Pie o...

Poet and playwright Dan O'Brien joined Leah this week to discuss his three books coming out this fall, before diving into the world of British comedies of the last 10-20 years. (We start talking about comedies at 35 minutes, but first 30 minutes is a lot of cancer talk.... schedule your mammograms and colonoscopies, friends). Follow Dan online Instagram @bydanobrien DanOBrien.org Buy or pre-order...

Bindy Bitterman, a Chicago-based author, published her first book Skiddly Diddly Skat at the age of 90 and joined Leah at the inaugural Chicago Jewish Book Fest for a storytime and live podcast interview. We talk about limericks, the Catskills, art collections and saying yes to all adventures. Keep up with Bindy online Show Notes Society of the Fifth Line Nautical Embroidery Bindy on PBS Jewish va...

Rachel Duggan, a Milwaukee-based illustrator, loves butts, foxes, and pretty rocks. We sat down to talk about her book All Butts are Good Butts, how she became the wedding butt illustrator and how much she loves finding things in her natural environment. Follow Rachel online RADIllustrates.com   Instagram @radillustrates Tik Tok @radillustrates   All Butts are Good Butts   Show Notes Lion's Tooth...