Finding Favorites with Leah Jones

Ben Tanzer loves The Basketball Diaries

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 Missing release date March 21, 2024
The Missing book tour
Ben Tanzer on Bookshop
This Podcast Will Change Your Life
TanzerBen.com
twitter @BenTanzer
Instagram @tanzerben/
Facebook @BenTanzer
Show Notes
Amy Güth
Jen Michalski on Finding Favorites
 The Missing on Kirkus Reviews
This American Life: This American Life
Exile in Bookville: Exile in Bookville
Lee Matthew Goldberg: Lee Matthew Goldberg
The Book Cellar: Book Cellar
Finding Favorites bookshop.org shop: Finding Favorites bookshop page
Michael Keren: Michael Keren
When Words Count: When Words Count Retreat
Elizabeth Splaine: Elizabeth Splaine
The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll
Adam Lawrence
Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews
Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty
John Edgar Wideman
Hendrick’s Gin: https://www.hendricksgin.com/
Bombay Sapphire: https://www.bombaysapphire.com/us/en/
Tanqueray: https://www.tanqueray.com/en-us
Death’s Door: https://www.dancinggoat.com/deaths-door-gin
Empress Gin: https://empressgin.com/
Alan Heathcock:https://alanheathcock.com/
Matilda: https://www.matilda-babyatlas.com/
David Masciotra: https://davidmasciotra.com/
Sunday Salon: https://sundaysalon-chicago.com/
P&T Knitwear: https://www.ptknitwear.com/
A Novel Idea: https://anovelideaphilly.com/
Village Well: https://villagewell.com/
Eric Spitznagel: https://www.ericspitznagel.com/
Megan Stielstra: https://www.meganstielstra.com/
Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com
Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Paul Scheer loves the L.A. Clippers

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 Get Made
Unspooled
The Friendzone on Twitch
Follow Paul Scheer on Substack
Pre-order Joyful Recollections of Trauma (and Paul will send you a postcard)
@paulscheer on Instagram
(Are you impressed by how calm, cool and collected I've been so far? Paul is one of the hosts of my favorite podcast and he's on MY podcast and that is very cool and I am not collected. I'm so uncollected, that I'm releasing this episode a week early! After the show notes, I'll link to a few episodes that include some links to related episodes of Finding Favorites).
Show Notes
“Hook” by Blues Traveler
Hamilton Tour
Miguel Cervantes on Saying Good-Bye to Hamilton After 2,013 Performances
The Book of Mormon Tour
 The Curse: The Colorful & Chaotic History of the LA Clippers by Mick Minas and Jim Lynam
30 for 30: 30 for 30 on ESPN
HDTGM adjacent episodes of Finding Favorites
Kevin Alves loves Letterkenny and Pirates - solid 20 minute tangent about the Halloween HDTGM in Chicago that I wore a 6 foot vinyl banner movie poster as a costume
Pam Rose loves Jason Mantzoukas, HDTGM and very bad movies (Pam is a second opinion super star and friend from the HDTGM fan community)
Poet Dan O'Brien loves British comedies (Dan is Jessica St. Claire's husband, fair warning - lots of cancer talk between the two of us)
Matt Zoller Seitz and The Deadwood Bible
Kevin T Porter loves Bruce Springsteen - Kevin's podcast Gilmore Guys was how I got to HDTGM
Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com
Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.

Esther Goldenberg loves Pour Painting

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 Life: A Field Guide to Mind, Body, and Soul by Geneen Roth
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Cyanotype (blue sun printing)
Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford
Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess:
Nowhere Bookshop, Jenny Lawson’s book store
Kulu Sadira in Durango, Colorado
Leah's Shabbat Shirah d'var torah based on Esther's comments about Miriam
A few days after I published Kathie Giorgio's interview, her beloved husband Michael was hit by a car while walking to the bus and suffered a traumatic brain injury. I've been following along on Facebook and am praying for Michael's full and complete recovery.
Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com
 

Kathie Giorgio loves Writing

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 bullying, death by suicide, and political violence throughout the episode.
UPDATE: Shortly after this episode was published, Kathie's husband suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was hit by a driver in a minivan while walking to the bus. Go Fund Me available here.
Keep up with Kathie online
KathieGiorgio.org
Facebook @KathieGiorgioAuthor
Twitter  @kathiegiorgio
Instagram: Instagram @kathiegio1
Don’t Let Me Keep You due for release October 3rd.
Today's Moment of Happiness Despite the News: A Year of Spontaneous Essays
Find Kathie on Bookshop.org
Show Notes
Hope Always Rises
All Writers’ Workplace & Workshop, LLC
Maria Bamford’s memoir Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere
This Week's Moment of Happiness Despite the News, the blog the preceded the book
Poet Kelly Cherry
Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books
Brian Mazzaferri/I Fight Dragons
The E Myth Revisited
Oddities & Endings
 Chicago Jewish Book Festival
Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com
 

Best of 2023 from your favorite people

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 Safe Podcast 
 Coaster radio 
Cameron McKenzie
An introduction to Mezcal 
Paloma cocktail recipe 
 Blindness by Jose Saragamo 
Roanoke, VA
Vanessa Ricci-Thode
Monarch butterflies
Redwoods
Dogs
Doctor Who 60th Specials
World Running Down by Al Hess 
The Murderbot Diaries
Shai Korman, Friday Night Movie podcast
Barbie
Guardians of the Galaxy 3
Jesse Dukes, Upper Middle Brow
 Catch a Fire by timothy white 
 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 
Thea Lux
The Wheel - https://www.thealux.com/wheel
Amy Guth
If you can’t fix it, feature it
https://amyguth.substack.com/ 
Rocco Cotaldo
Adventure, seeing the country
https://rocco.substack.com/ 
Jo McCawley
Saltburn
Mitski
Sufjan Stephens
Pam Rose
Surface on Apple TV
Loki
Squidgame The Challenge
Peacock - The Traders (US, UK, Australia)
Taylor Swift Eras Tour
Tate McRae 
HDTGM
Films To Be Buried With - Brett Goldstein 
Barbie 
Oppenheimer
Phil Mottaz
The Hives https://www.thehives.com/ 
Women’s Soccer https://www.angelcity.com/ 
Chris Bagg
Joe Haldeman, The Forever War 
Upper Middlebrow episode 1 about Forever War
Steve Higgins
Hadestown
Barbie
Doctor Who 60th Anniversary 

Chuck Zagorski is The King of Christmas (Music)

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 findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com
Get news on new Christmas songs from Chuck on Facebook.
November 1: First Official Day of Christmas Music
 
Show Links
Add to Cart
The Deep Dive
Funko Pops 
Polish Christmas Mushroom Soup
Some of the music we cover
Dee's Rock N Roll Christmas Tale
A Very Special Christmas (all of the albums)
Doris Day
Frank Sinatra
Kelly Clarkson
Mariah Carey
Winter Wonderland by Eurythmics 
Christians and the Pagans by Dar Williams
Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify.

Emily Drake loves Cozy Games

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 @emdrake
Who's Missing Podcast
Show Links
Stardew Valley
Cozy Grove
Animal Crossing
Triple Match 3D
Merge Mansion
Get Played episode "Now That's What I Call Video Game Music: Cozy Edition"
Finding Favorites episode "Keidra Chaney loves #KPopDollstagram"
The Deep Dive
Doughboys
How Did This Get Made
Greens, Beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify.
Thank you to Chris and Jesse at Upper Middlebrow for the shoutout!

Thanksgiving Interlude and Upper Middlebrow trailer

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" audio clip to findingfavoritespodcast@gmail.com
Bring Them Home: Stories of hostages from October 7
 

Evonne Marzouk returns (and loves writing)

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 being made to Leket.
Keep up with Evonne online: Substack
Evonne on Substack
Instagram @heroinewhisperer
Facebook @HeroineWhisperer
Order The Prophetess in paperback
EvonneMarzouk.com
Uplifting People and Planet: Eighteen Essential Jewish Lessons on the Environment
Special thank you to Rob Abrazado who joined the Finding Favorites team as an editor and sound mixer.

Author Holly Wendt loves cycling of all sorts

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 crash
End Papers
The Art of Fielding
The Cactus League
The Desert Sky Before Us
Indian Horse
Tour de Fleece
Seagull Century
Bike Rally (Toronto to Montreal)
Wild Horses
Sepp Kuss (Durango, Colorado)
Domestique
Tim Declercq
Farm to Fork