Finding Favorites with Leah Jones

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

Intro to Cachaca with Phil Gomes

Phil Gomes joins Leah this week to reminisce about the early days of blogging and his dedication to the Brazilian spirit cachaca. Phil is the CCMO of Bloq and is currently based in Rio de Janeiro with his family.
 
Follow Phil online
PhilGomes.com 
Twitter @philgomes 
Substack
Show Notes
Instagram Cachacagora
Cachacagora.com
Werneck Cachaca apprenticeship
Wikipedia
Bagaceira
September 13
Rabo de Gala
LeBlon
Novo Fogo
Jequitiba wood
Please rate and review Finding Favorites on Apple Podcast or your podcast app of choice. Email Leah at findingfavoritespodcast [@] gmail.com

Author Phillip Mottaz loves The Ramones

Phillip Mottaz, author of The Psychic Barber mystery series, is on Finding Favorites to talk about CCIW colleges (Go Knox! Go Millikin!), early aughts Chicago improv and The Ramones.
 
Follow Phillip on Twitter and check his website for updates
The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air: A Psychic Barber Mystery
The Homicidal Hairstyle of the Viral Video Vixen (Book #2): A Psychic Barber Mystery
Definition of a cozy mystery 
Rita Mae Brown
Lillian Jackson Braun
GP Gottlieb: Whipped & Sipped
Ramones of the Day podcast
Alphabeatical podcast
The Ramones and CBGB
Rock and Roll High School
Why the Ramones Matter
Punk Rock Blitzkrieg: My Life as a Ramone
Phil's 70s into Ramones playlist
Rocket to Russia
Ramones Live
Thank you to Jesse and Chris at Upper Middlebrow for the kind shout out this week. Please remember to rate and review Finding Favorites.

Author Nicole Zelniker loves writing, cats and Broadway

Author Nicole Zelniker (she/they) joined Leah to talk about Broadway shows, writing and their love of cats. (Cats the animal, not Cats the musical, but maybe also Cats the musical). Nicole is the EIC of Knee Brace Press and her latest book, Until We Fall, available wherever books are sold.
Follow Nicole online
Tik Tok @nicolewritesbooks
Twitter @nicolezelniker 
Instagram @nicolezelniker
NicoleZelniker.com/ 
Kneebrace Press
TheNasiona.com
Mixed
Last Dance
Letters I'll Never Send
 
Show Notes
Wicked
Six
Hamilton
Moulin Rouge
Rent: 25th anniversary tour
Sweeney Todd
Natasha & Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
Hadestown
Aladdin
Sim Kern & the Trans Rights Read-a-thon
Fibromyalgia
Peachy by Camri Kohler
Survivor's Notebook: Poems by Dan O'Brien
The Spoon Theory
Finding Favorites on Bookshop

Chris Bagg loves Table Top Role Playing Games

Chris Bagg, co-host of Upper Middlebrow, joins Finding Favorites to talk about Dungeons & Dragons and the greater universe of table top role playing games. He shares how he started playing D&D, what he plays now and a brief explanation of why 50,000 D&D players and creators cancelled their memberships.
Keep up with Chris online
Twitter @chrisbagg
Instagram @christopherbagg 
ChrisBagg.com/
Listen to Upper Middlebrow podcast
Show Notes
One Shot Podcast
Daemon by Daniel Suarez 
Freedom TM by Daniel Suarez
Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook
The Arrest
Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus try DND with Brennan Lee Mulligan
Critical Role
HASBRO and Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast reporting by Linda Codega
Forged in the Dark
Eclipse Phase
Lancer
Paranoia
Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America

Author Laurel Snyder tells the story of Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires

Laurel Snyder, an Atlanta-based author, joined Leah to talk about the music and marriage of Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. From Jason's early career in the Drive By Truckers to current collaborations with his wife Amanda Shires, their music was the soundtrack to Laurel's pandemic life.
Laurel's new book The Witch of Woodland is available for pre-order now and is a perfect gift for tweens preparing to prepare for their b'nai mitzvah.
Keep up with Laurel on LaurelSnyder.com
Show Notes
Little Shop of Stories (order signed books) 
https://18doors.org/
JasonIsbell.com
AmandaShiresMusic.com
Tiny Desk Concert
The Nashville Sound
Amanda Shires Youtube
Jason Isbell Instagram
Amanda Shires Instagram
Hope the High Road
Elephant
Something More than Free
Jeff Tweedy and Ezra Klein
The Triggering Town
 

Abby Stewart loves artist journals and queso

Abby Stewart, a Bay Area author, loves artists journals and queso. She joined Leah fresh from AWP in Seattle to talk about her new novel Foundations, writing and publishing during lockdown, and her love of diaries and journals written by artists. We also talk about the best ways to improve Velveeta queso dip.
Keep up with Abby online
HelloAbigailStewart.com 
Twitter @abby_writes 
Instagram @abby_cake 
Whiskey Tit 
The Drowned Woman
Foundations
 
Show Notes
AWP
Sunset Magazine
Piper Cub Forum: Leah Jones
Leah Jones (piper cub)
The Folded Clock
Daybook: The Journal of an Artist
Anne Truitt
Self Portrait by Celia Paul
No 91/92
Jenny Lawson
Diary of a Provincial lady
The Forbidden Notebook
My Faraway One (selected letters from Georgia O'Keefe)
What are hatch green chiles?
Queso Blanco with roasted corn
15 Veggies to mix into your queso