Finding Favorites with Leah Jones

Elizabeth B. Splaine, a Rhode Island-based author, joins us ahead of her Tuesday, October 5th, release date for her novel Swan Song . We talk about her winding paths to performing opera, publishing four novels , and what it means to get inside someone's head. Her historical novel takes places in Germany during Hitler's reign and tells the story of an opera diva who learns that she is Jewish during...

Mike Keren, an author and clinical psychologist based in the Poconos, loves cooking shows that teach you something and haven't turned cooking into sport. We talk about Julia Child, the Galloping Gourmet and the Canadian show Wall of Chefs. Mike's first memoir will be published on October 5th and we also talk about caretaking, the AIDS epidemic, COVID and family recipes. Keep up with Mike online on...

Dawn Hogan, also known as DW Hogan , is a Hunstville-based author and publishing her first novel on October 5th. We talk about women's access to healthcare, homes for unwed mothers that were common the United States in the 1950-70s, and her family's love affair with Lego sets. CW: Leah and Dawn talk about coerced adoption, access to abortion, access to birth control and modern searches for biologi...

Lee Matthew Goldberg, a New York-based author, is ready to pack his bags and leave the country as soon as it's safe. Lee is a prolific author and his eight book Stalker Stalked will be published on Friday, September 17th. Lee hopes to celebrate publication and finishing his draft of the third book in his YA trilogy with travel, travel and more travel. We talk about early trips abroad, travel itine...

Jen Michalski, a California-based author, joins us this week to talk about abandoned sanitoriums and state hospitals that can be found east of the Mississippi. Jen has a new novel out through NineStar Press called You'll Be Fine available on Kindle and paperback. Keep up with Jen online @ MichalskiJen on Twitter and editor of the JMWW weekly digital journal Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and...

Greg Lindberg, co-host of Fresh Questions, Air , shares a Hoosier pride with Leah and loves the ABC TGIF anchor show - Full House. Not to be confused with the reboot, Fuller House. We talk about how Bob Saget got the role of Danny Tanner, the confusing layout of the San Francisco painted lady the family called home, and about working as a corn detassler. Follow @ EmCeeGreg on Twitter Follow @findi...

Kevin Smokler, a San Francisco-based author and filmmaker, loves used vinyl and is here to walk us through how to create a music curriculum at your local record store. You can catch his documentary Vinyl Nation at film festivals across the country or hear the Pointer Sisters wafting out of his windows in the Bay Area. Follow Kevin, aka @weegee, on Twitter and @smokler Instagram Follow @findingfavs...

Jo McCawley, a Chicago-based ad tech rockstar, has been on a journey to love her body and joins Leah to talk about falling in love with her fat body after years of dieting and body shaming. We talk about body positivity, body neutrality, the pervasiveness of shame in our culture - particularly for women. Trigger warning: Dieting, birth trauma, preeclampsia, medical fatphobia Follow Jo on Instagram...

Nick Krefting, a musician and physics teachers, has loved The Beatles since he was 9 years old. We walk through his introduction to the band, favorite books, favorites albums, documentaries that he taped from TV and how Paul deserves celebration as an artist. Listen to Nick's music on Spotify or check out his podcast (on hiatus) How Have You Never Show Notes The Beatles: A Private View by Robert F...

Kristen Carreon, host of HWY to Hell: A Supernatural Podcast , is our guide to the world of Dramione Fan Fiction. What? Stories written about an alternate universe (AU) where Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger fall in love. Whether is enemies to lovers in an office romance or an AU return to Hogwarts for year 8, Kristen tells us where to go for the best stories. Listen to Kristen on HWY to Hell and...

Jess Krefting, podcaster (on a break) and BookTok creator, has some books for you to read. We go through her current pile of library books and talk about what's important to her raising a young reader. We also talk about ADHD, hyperfocus on different craft projects, the Doughboys and more. Follow Jess as @Reading_with_E on Instagram and TikTok or listen to the archives of How Have You Never ?! Fol...

Beth Villafranca, a Massachusetts-based home healthcare provider, spends her days driving across southeastern Massachusetts and listens to podcasts as she travels from client to client. Today she shares her favorite podcast genre - true crime podcasts that don't exploit the victim's family. We talk about the Doughboys, Weird Al, Hamilton and more. Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter ....

Jocelyn Geboy, a Chicago-based writer, storyteller and Tik Tok creator, loves getting people talking about candy. She's found that asking people "red vines or twizzlers" can start the group down an hour-long winding road of nostalgia and light conversation. People might get wound up, but they won't get angry or have an existential crisis. Follow Jocelyn online - she's @ smussyolay on Tik Tok , Twi...

Saul Colt, the smartest man in the world and founder of Idea Integration Company , loves cooking videos and hunting collectibles. In this episode we talk about his COVID cooking inspirations and his favorite flea markets and shops for finding nostalgic collectibles. Funko Pops, Pee Wee Playhouse items, custom sneakers or Be@rbricks - Saul wants to see it all. Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram an...

Max Pacheco, amateur Disney historian, Twitch streamer and podcast actor , claims that he has the most obscure Disney digital collection in the world and challenges other Disney collectors to prove him wrong. Leah and Max talk about his hunt for copies of 30 Disney movies from the 70s and 80s that seem lost to time. Show Links Sporadic Phantom Jess Lambert: Every Disney Movie Ever Max and Jess tal...

Cinnamon Cooper, a Chicago-based writer and crafter, is known among our friends for being an excellent host. In this episode she talks about how she learned to host dinner parties, soup nights and her epic Halloween bash. She is the author of the Everything Cast Iron Cookbook , which is still in print and an outstanding guide to cooking with cast iron. Includes a clip from Brandy Agerbeck's episod...

Dave Coustan, an Atlanta-based podcast producer and marketing strategist, picked up trumpet for the first time at the age of 39... because why not? We talk about what made him start playing trumpet as an adult, a 5-hour lesson in Portland from David Monette, and how he became a podcast producer at I Heart Radio. Follow Dave, aka @Extraface, on Instagram , Twitter and subscribe to Three Banana Thur...

Kyle Loder, co-host of A New Low and Who Does a Podcast , has played the tabletop war game Warhammer 40K for most of his life and he is very excited that game stores and tournaments are re-opening this summer. We talk about what's next for his Hamilton podcast (Who Does a Podcast), the life of Warhammer 40K consultants (which he is not), and how to pack for a Warhammer tourney.   Follow rate and r...

Jasmine Davila, curator of Miss Spoken, is back on Finding Favorites to talk about all things bacon, eggs and pancakes. Yes, with indoor dining returning, we're just talking about brunch. Current favorite orders, closed diners of our 20s, brunch while traveling and brunch that makes for anxious dreams. Follow @Jasmined on twitter and instagram Follow @FindingFavsPod on Twitter and Instagram Brunch...

Robert Persinger, co-host of Gentlemen Overlords and associate producer of Doughboys, introduces us to the world of reaction videos, explains how to listen to a "watch along" recording, and shares some of his favorite content creators in this genre. We also talk about cats, Empress Gin, theme parks and the comfort of a rewatch. Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter . Rate and review on A...

Adam Salzer is a podcaster, Twitch streamer and wrestling announcer based in New Hampshire. We talk about his love of professional wrestling, the difference between staged and fake, and how he got into podcasting and Twitch streaming. He also starts to build his dream league and introduces Leah to some new vocabulary. Follow Adam Salzer online as The Salzer Effect on Twitter and Twitch His podcast...

Entreprenuer and author Elisa Camahort Page is here this week to talk about lessons she learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and how to deal with problematic creators. We talk about poolside chats at BlogHer 2006 in San Jose, Elisa's book Road Map for Revolutionaries, and the pop culture keeping us company. Follow Elisa online @ ElisaC on Twitter, The Week-Ish Newsletter , and listen to her on Th...

Michele Weldon, a Chicago-based author and journalist, loves to paint and sketch. She joined me from her art-filled home to talk about the joy she has found in oil painting, pastel sketching and not turning a beloved hobby into a side-hustle. Follow @findingfavspod on Instagram and Twitter . Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Follow @MicheleWeldon on Twitter Show Links Michele Weldon's website Act...

Last weekend, I got on Zoom with Aaron Gadiel and realized that if I edited fast - you could learn about the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in time to tune in to Jazz Festing in Place on WWOZ . Aaron Gadiel, creative coach and principal of Gadiel Group, has loved Jazz Fest since he went for the first time in 1997. We talk about how to get a Jazz Fest mentor, what weekend to go, and escapin...

Caroline Conner, better known as Wine Dine Caroline , is a wine educator based in Leon, France, who loves wine and fantasy books. We dive into how she started her career in the wine trade (spoiler alert - she won the 2009 Varsity Blind Wine Competition between Oxford and Cambridge). Get your Bookshop.org shopping cart ready, because she's got books for you to read. Learn about wine with Caroline (...