It will come as no surprise to anyone that podcasts, books and music are passed around regularly at TCD – especially when our team have adopted a flexible work-from-home policy and are mostly communicating via messages on Google Hangouts.
So in the spirit of sharing things to keep our minds, bodies and spirits entertained, we’ve put together a list of the best content we’re consuming right now. If you’re tired of the recommended music playlists on Spotify, looking for a new podcast to binge-listen or are about to turn the last page of your book, here is our latest roundup of our favourite things to read and listen to while working from home. Enjoy!
(And if you love podcasts, consider subscribing to one of ours.)
Podcast Recommendations
Lorae Misipeka, Designer & Illustrator
Snowball by Unravel follows the relationship between a conwoman and a Kiwi family and is down-to-earth, funny and a little bit devastating. A great listen with anyone just starting out in the podcast world or too queasy for Case File. I am also a fan of Reply All – if you’re even a tiny bit curious about the world around you, this pod is for you. Also, the hosts are the gold standard for all podcast hosts. 100% would invite to my wedding.
Tessa Charters, Digital Content Producer
I am obsessed with the Shameless podcast, a celebrity and pop culture podcast “for smart people who love dumb stuff”. It keeps me up-to-date with pop culture in a super educational way. Since working with Anita East and the Beautiful Unique Face skincare range, I’ve also upped my beauty podcasts and find Beauty IQ Uncensored really informative. They cover a wide range of skincare topics and the hosts are also super relatable.
She’s On The Money is a fun and easy way to understand money and comes with so many money tips and tricks that I’ve been able to implement in my life. Happy Hour by Lucy and Nikki (co-creators of @wethe_wildones and fashion label Jagger and Stone) is wild and gives amazing insight into the secret lives of influencers and running a fashion business. KIC POD interviews some great Aussie guests, hosted by Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw.
Kurt Sanders, Director of Strategy
Reply All is amazing, they get me. Their episodes about the Democratic party in Alabama are insanely well put together. But I must admit my podcast consumption has dropped since COVID-19 stopped me getting in a car every day. I intend to start listening to The JJ Redick Podcast – it’s an NBA basketball podcast.
Rohan Williams, Digital Content Producer
I’m sure at least one other person will have recommended Reply All already, so I’ll go with Screen Drafts – it gathers a bunch of experts and movie fans every week to draft the best films in various genres. The lists are almost always full of head-scratchers, but that’s part of the fun of the show.
Brittanie Dreghorn, Account Director
I’m also a big fan of Snowball by Unravel, and have recently gotten into Who the Hell is Hamish. It turns out I’m really into true crime podcasts, specifically related to fraud cases.
Melissa Black, Digital Content Producer
I’ve loved almost every episode of Wilosophy, where Wil Anderson has insightful conversations with a bunch of interesting people. And I’ve been getting my daily news from The Briefing, highlights of the day in 20 minutes or less hosted by Tom Tilley. I also love Reply All – at this rate it might as well be sponsored by us.
What we’re currently reading
Brittanie Dreghorn, Account Director
The Guilty Feminist by Deborah Frances-White. It’s an explanation about the various forms of feminism present, how we got here and why we need to keep going. It recognises that there’s no perfect feminist, and despite feeling guilty about not doing it right, we do need to keep pushing for equality and we need to raise others up along the way – especially people of colour, people from the LGBTIQ community and people with disabilities.
Lorae Misipeka, Designer & Illustrator
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferante. It’s a story about female friendship in 1960s Naples.
Rohan Williams, Digital Content Producer
I’m re-reading Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima’s Lone Wolf and Cub, the ‘70s manga series about a father-and-son assassin-for-hire team on the road to hell. There are 28 volumes, so it’s not necessarily a quick read, but if you liked The Mandalorian, you’ll love this.
Kurt Sanders, Director of Strategy
I mostly read Twitter. What a hellhole that is. But it’s also a great storytelling platform for good journos and those wanting to deep-dive into threads. I have been trying to read Boy Swallows Universe for about 6 months now and failing dismally. I mostly read news and blogs from people I find interesting.
Tessa Charters, Digital Content Producer
I joined the Shameless book club during this strange time, but unfortunately I haven’t liked any of the books enough to recommend any of them. When we first started working from home I read Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and looooooovvvveeeedddd it. It’s set in North Carolina and I went on exchange in South Carolina a few years ago and it brought back all the memories. The story is mesmerising and it really transports you there – plus the combination of crime and romance drew me in.
Other recent reads that I’ve enjoyed include Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty and Becoming by Michelle Obama.
Melissa Black, Digital Content Producer
The 10000 Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. It’s a brilliant fantasy story about different worlds. Kind of like Narnia but for adults. I also just pre-ordered my copy of Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyas, who was behind one of my favourite books Homegoing, so I’m really excited to read her second novel.
What we’re listening to while working from home
Lorae Misipeka, Designer & Illustrator
Whitney (the band, not Houston) is my new favourite find – so chill and serene. Otherwise Audible!
Brittanie Dreghorn, Account Director
I love the Lounge – Soft House playlist on Spotify. It’s great for background noise and makes my home office feel much more funky than it really is.
Rohan Williams, Digital Content Producer
I’ve been listening to a lot of Sweeps, a lo-fi hip hop producer from Boston who makes atmospheric, jazz-infused beats that sound like transmissions from a future that never arrived. 2019’s ‘City Nights’ LP is the one that’s been living in my headphones, but just throw on any Sweeps playlist and you can’t go wrong.
Kurt Sanders, Director of Strategy
I am one of those weirdos that listens to every Triple J Hottest 100 between 1994 and 2008 on repeat. Also lately for some reason I’ve been listening to the A Star Is Born soundtrack. And I put on NBA in the background a lot…
Tessa Charters, Digital Content Producer
I actually just work in silence, is that weird? Hahaha. Sometimes I’ll put on my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify or I made a Student One playlist a couple of months ago, which has actually been a vibe. Taylor Swift also dropped a new album so of course had to listen to that. But mostly I like the quiet because I can concentrate better.
Melissa Black, Digital Content Producer
When I’m focusing on something I throw on Coffitivity, a website that has recreated the ambience of a bustling cafe. I also like to unplug my laptop at the same time, because everyone knows there’s no better productivity boost than working from a cafe without your charger. I am also really digging Washington’s new album, Batflowers. (Fun fact: I went to school with her!)
Got a recommendation you’d like to share? Let us know at [email protected].
