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Lately I’ve been doing a LOT of driving, and sometimes my brain zones out while I listen to music and I might miss a turn or two. Listening to podcasts seems to make the drive quicker – having a story to follow and focus really helps. Here are a few of my favorites, with some bonus suggestions as well!

This Life with Dr. Drew & Bob Forrest: Anyone who knows me knows that I just adore Dr. Drew. I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to him – maybe that he’s an utter silver fox, or maybe I truly am attracted to intelligence. He’s been a really huge inspiration in my life, starting from the days Loveline aired on MTV, through his various media appearances and finally Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew. This Life with Dr. Drew and Bob Forrest features some of the best parts of Rehab – Dr. Drew, Bob Forrest, and interviews with other important players from the series, like Shelley Sprague, Amber Smith, Andy Dick and more – so it was a natural draw for me. As a bonus, check out some of Dr. Drew’s other podcasts as well – there’s one for any kind of mood you’re in.

It’s not a surprise to anyone either that I was obsessed with Glee during a particularly sensitive time in my life, and the Ladygang podcast is co-hosted by one of the Glee girls. Becca Tobin, Jac Vanek, and Keltie Knight host this weekly lifestyle podcast with some really cool guests (Lea Michele’s two-part episode is great) and they’ve expanded into a blog as well!

AfterPartyPod is hosted by Anna David, who is a regular on the Dr. Drew circuit. AfterPartyPod is primarily about drug and alcohol sobriety, but they also cover topics on mental health (which eventually spun off into a new podcast, You’ve Got Issues.) She has great guests and the conversations are really interesting and help shed some light on what it’s like to be in recovery. Highly recommended if you have friends or family who are active users or sober.

Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me is NPR’s weekly news quiz show, and I’ve been listening religiously since I found it sometime in 2006 or so. It’s a great way to stay updated on current events without the abject dismay that seems apparent in every other news outlet now. They build humor and jokes in even when the news is dark, and the rotating cast of comedians is fantastic, as is host Peter Sagal. Safe to say I’m looking forward to the levity offered by them in this week’s episode.

We found Sword & Scale about a year and a half ago (right before I drove to Charlottesville for Fleetwood Mac) and I listened through all available episodes in the drive there and back. I love true crime and this podcast talks about a lot of crimes I’ve never heard before, and goes into gory detail of some I have – like the two-part story of Luka Magnotta, which freaked me out so bad I had to stop listening as I drove past a Greyhound bus in Knoxville, TN. It’s been cool to see the success of this podcast, and if you’re into true crime, here’s a bonus for you – My Favorite Murder is a new-to-me podcast suggested by Dani. Hosted by two girls who chat about their favorite murders and crimes – I’m only two episodes in, but I’m really enjoying it!

What are your favorite podcasts?