Finding Favorites with Leah Jones

Poet Dan O’Brien loves modern British comedies

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 Dan's books
Our Cancers
True Story: A trilogy
Survivor’s Notebook
From Scarsdale
Show Notes
The Deep Dive podcast
Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy
Colon Cancer screening info
Mammogram guidelines
Scanxiety 
Story Studio Chicago
Menopause: A Comic Treatment
Lucy Shair Foundation
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
Toast of London
Alan Partridge
The IT Crowd
Steve Coogan 
Matt Berry
The Fast Show
That Mitchell & Webb Look
The Peter Serafinowicz Show 
Armstrong & Miller
Harry and Paul's 
The Mighty Boosh 
Bob Mortimer Would I lie to you compilation 
Tim Key
Green Wing 
Party Animals
Midsommer Murders
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Send questions, comments or guest pitches (pitch yourself and YOUR favorite thing) to findingfavoritespodcast [at] gmail.com
Otter.ai Transcript  follows
Dan O'Brien  0:00  Hello, my name is Dan O'Brien. And my favorite thing is British TV comedy of the last 20 years.

Bindy Bitterman loves limericks

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 valentines?
Maquette
Elsa Wachs

Illustrator Rachel Duggan loves BUTTS!

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 bookstore
What is fool's gold?
Finding Beach Glass in Milwaukee
Dune Stinkhorn 
Bob's Burger episode about fungus
Picture Mushroom app
Merlin birdsong app

Vanessa Ricci-Thode loves Monarch butterflies

Canadian author Vanessa Ricci-Thode has turned her front yard into an official Monarch butterfly waystation and joined Leah Jones to talk about her love of the migrating butterfly. We talk about the very long commute from Mexico to Canada, simple steps to conservation and their second love of gigantic trees.
Vanessa's new book True Flame (Book 2 of the Fireborn series) is available now and books 3 and 4 will be published in the next year.
Vanessa Ricci-Thode's website 
Instagram @vriccithode
Blue Sky @vriccithode.bsky.social
True Flame
Dragon Whisperer
Get Vaness's books in Canada
Show Notes
Journey North
Monarch Watch
time lapse of a Monarch butterfly transformation 
Bee balm
Climbing Giant Sequoia 
National Geographic
General Sherman
Good Company Chicago
Upper Middle Brow
Chicago Jewish Book Fest 2023

Chad Hancock loves Bluey

Chad Hancock, host of Wackadoo! A Bluey Podcast for Grown-ups, joined Leah to introduce her to the new blue dog popular with kids and parents alike. Chad shares how he and his family started watching family, why it's an important piece of children's media and some of his favorite episodes. We also compare notes on hosting food podcasts, Chicago vs. San Francisco, and puppets on stage.
Follow Chad online
Wackadoo: A Bluey Podcast for Grown-Ups
You Tried Dat
Instagram @napoleon_puli
Show Notes
Coldest Winter Mark Twain?
Bluey.tv
Maple Poffertjes at Trader Joe's 
Caillou
Bluey Tour
How to play jinx
Sleepytime
Keepy Uppy
Grandad

Allison Stalberg: niche video games and obscure TV

Author and MFA student Allison Stalberg joins host Leah Jones to talk about niche, independent RPG games, obscure TV and movies from the 80s, the impact of Tumblr and her current writing projects.
Follow Allison online
Twitter @stalbergwrites
Tik Tok @stalbergwrites 
Sor Anime on Tumblr
Show Notes
The Candle Wench (page 43)
Wander 
Faerie Tale Theatre
YouTube Playlist of Faerie Tale Theater
The Polar Bear King
Alphonse Mucha
The Last Unicorn
Ib 
Chicory Game
Get Played podcast
Disco Elysium
Story of Seasons
Selkies
 

Dana Kaye loves Stand Up Comedy

Dana Kaye, a Chicago-based book publicist, loves the creative outlet of stand-up comedy. She also loves a good memoir, so first we compare notes on audio memoirs we've been listening to before diving into how she uses open mics and stand-up comedy as a creative writing outlet.
Follow Dana Kaye online
https://kayepublicity.com/
Instagram @danakaye23
Show Notes
You could make this place beautiful by Maggie Smith
Educated: A Memoir
The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson
I'm Glad My Mom Died
https://www.chirpbooks.com/
Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the unmaking of America
Mike Nichols: A Life
Not my father's son by Alan Cumming
Ali Wong: Dear Girls
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
The Last Black Unicorn
Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
I'm judging you: the do better manual by Luvvie Ajayi
Not Funny by Jena Friedman
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Take a Shot Open Mic
Second City Brunch
Instagram @chicago.openmics
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Stacey Agdern: Hockey, Romance and being Jewish

Stacey Agdern, author of B'nai Mitzvah Mistake, joined Leah to talk about the intersection of writing romance, being joyfully Jewish, and her love of hockey. In her fourth romance novel with Jewish characters, Stacey brings together professional hockey and Jewish traditions.
Follow Stacey online
StaceyAgdern.com
Facebook
Twitter @nystacey
Instagram @sagdern 
Tule Publishing: B'nai Mitzvah Mistake 
Bookshop B'nai Mitzvah Mistake 
Going All In on Bookshop (Vegas night)
Chippy Chicks on Youtube
 
Show Notes
Twice a Quinceñera
Paul Scheer & Hockey Romance
Love's Sweet Arrow
Linda Cohn - Chance of a lifetime
EBUG
Zamboni driver as ebug
Shane Mcanally
Joe Buchanan
Bo Burnham Spider
The Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Zach Hymen jersey in Hebrew
Zach Hyman speaks up about antisemitism
Zach Hyman is going viral over pride night interview
Leah performed at Miss Spoken this week. The month's theme was Fangirls Forever, so it was time to share Five Rules for being a fan of HDTGM

Dr. Christina Meyer loves NKOTB

Christina Meyer, a musician and practicing physican, joined Leah to talk about her love of NKOTB. We talk NKOTB Cruises, Joey's solo shows, fandom friends and getting ready for BlockCon happening this weekend in Chicago. (In fact, both Christina and Jen - who was on the podcast to talk NKOTB in 2021 - were both at BlockCon this weekend!)
Follow Christina online
DrMetalMusic.com
Instagram @nikkinanametal
Twitter @nikkinana
Show Notes
NKOTB Cruise
BlockCon 2023
The Block album
Remember Betty 
NKOTB Funko Pops

Laura, Annie and the BFF Sticker Club

Laura and Annie are childhood best friends who both became mental health professionals. During peak COVID lockdown, they created the BFF Sticker Club. It's an online community for adults who love stickers, so we are talking all about stickers and stickies!
BFF Sticker Club
Instagram @thebffstickerclub
Etsy for thebffstickerclub 
Show Notes
Camp GUCI
Camp BFF (Sold out for 2023)
St. Elmo's steakhouse in Indianapolis
Everything Smells 
Social Distancing All Stars 
Paper Treat Shop