Short stories, audio dramas or other engaging content on Spotify

July 12, 2024 12:56 PM

I'm making a playlist for someone who is getting chemo to listen to during, and in the days afterwards where concentrating is a struggle. Please could you recommend engaging content that's available on Spotify.

I'm looking for:
- Stand alone content - not part 1 of a longer story. (Stand alone episodes of on-going podcast series are great.)
- Feel good, cosy or interesting. Romance is a plus, but no sex.
- If non-fiction anything is fine as long as it would be engaging to a lay person.
- Ideally around the 20 minute mark, but longer is OK if it's engaging.
- Engaging but not complicated.
- No horror and nothing that dwells on death in general

I've been searching but I'm struggling a bit - hopefully you might have something you're currently listening to that you can recommend.

posted by Laura_J to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

I'm enjoying Smosh Reads Reddit right now. A comedian and his friends read and react to the craziest stories posted on Reddit. There may be sex or death in some episodes, but there's a description of each story they cover so you can avoid those ones. I haven't encountered any yet. They're super short and easy to listen to.
posted by wheatlets at 1:50 PM on July 12

Now You're Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn is an agony aunt double act which is larf-out-loud funny [imo] as well as being compassionate and interesting.
I also really enjoy Michael Rosen's Word of Mouth podcast about language usage in the every day.
posted by BobTheScientist at 3:01 PM on July 12

Despite its name, The Sleepy Bookshelf isn’t just for bedtime. The narrator has a beautiful, soothing voice, and she has an amazing talent for making each character’s voice distinct. There are dozens of comforting, enjoyable books to choose from.
posted by ReginaHart at 8:24 PM on July 12

A couple of non-fiction podcasts that might work -

No Such Thing As A Fish

The Rabbit Hole Detectives

They’re both basically a small group of friends who each research a different topic each week and chat about them. Super easy to dip in and out of without needing to concentrate for any length of time, a lovely way to have some friendly voices in your ear without demanding anything strenuous of you mentally.

Fish skews a bit younger (though actually they’re all probably well into their 30s at least now) and more comedic, though pretty nerdy, it’s not pod-bro ego-driven stuff, just feels like sitting in the pub with some funny friends. Rabbit Hole is older and posher and more sedate - one of the presenters is Charles Spencer (Lady Di’s brother), with Richard Coles (former Communard and vicar) and Norwegian archaeologist Cat Jarman.

In some rough times I’ve had recently, I’ve found Rabbit Hole particularly soothing, even when I’m not really listening or following along, their voices are just a gently friendly, grounding presence.
posted by penguin pie at 3:53 AM on July 13