8 Incredible Podcasts All Book Enthusiasts Will Love

Is life getting in the way of your book habit? The more hectic your schedule, the harder it is to find time to indulge in your favorite work of fiction.

Fortunately there’s a new invention called a “podcast” that may just satisfy your craving for juicy storytelling. As an audio-only experience, podcasts can be enjoyed at times when it’s simply not practical to read a book—like while driving a car during your morning commute, standing squished against strangers in a bumpy train car, or working at your computer.

If you’re ready to be whisked away to realms of imagination, learning, and exploration, here are eight incredible podcasts you’re sure to love.

1Myths and Legends

For those who love a good fantasy, Jason Weiser’s Myths and Legends delves into the rich and bizarre realm of world folklore.You’ll meet wizards and princesses, gods and dragons, and learn the fantastic (and often surprising) origin stories of your favorite fantasy characters before Disney got ahold of them. Weiser’s insightful storytelling and melodious voice will carry you off to magical lands and keep you coming back for more.

Couldn’t be more in love if I tried. @mythpodcast #mythpodcast #mythsandlegends #greatstor… https://t.co/mHY1ZL4wJ0 pic.twitter.com/udlsQTjw70

— Chenoa Loves Hair (@chenoaloveshair) March 22, 2016

2The Black Tapes

As an investigative documentary series, The Black Tapes is a modern-day War of the Worlds—convincingly blurring the lines between real-life and fiction. The show follows journalist Alex Reagan and paranormal expert Dr. Richard Strand as they investigate Strand’s mysterious unsolved cases. In their search for truth the duo encounter strange disappearances, occultic geometry, and portals to hell. Fans of sci-fi, mystery, and public radio will revel in this gem of a show.

Serial meets X-Files: the #blacktapespod is the most imaginative podcast since CBC’s brilliant Wiretap. https://t.co/be7zE9yvW6

— Miles Weafer (@miles_weafer) May 14, 2017

3LeVar Burton Reads

Need to get your short story fix? For countless years fans have been begging LeVar Burton to create a Reading Rainbow for adults, and the gods of fiction have finally smiled down on us with LeVar Burton Reads.

Burton selects his favorite short stories from various genres . . . which he then reads to you, whereby fulfilling one of your greatest childhood fantasies (or is that just me?).

The warm, soothing tones of his voice will melt away the stress and anxiety of daily life, and the thirty- to sixty-minute run time is perfect for your commute.

I started my week listening to @levarburton read me a story during my commute and I swear it has made all the difference.��#LevarBurtonReads

— lacie kopez (@KacieFriday) August 7, 2017

4The Grift

Lovers of true crime, this one’s for you! Journalist Maria Konnikova takes us deep into the world of con artists and their victims. Each episode of The Grift focuses on the incredible life and crimes of an infamous con artist. From the greatest card sharp alive, to a master art forger, to the schemer behind a $450 million Ponzi scheme, you’ll get a peek inside the minds of these expert deceivers and leave with as many questions as answers. It’s a cocktail of deception, power, and charisma that goes down smooth.

#TheGrift pic.twitter.com/8NuCZ06Ap9

— Panoply (@Panoply) April 28, 2017

5Modern Love

Based on the popular New York Times column, the Modern Love podcast dwells at the intersection of drama, romance, and the personal essay. The stories featured explore love and relationships, heartbreak and joy, with a vulnerability and intimacy that’s often heart wrenching.

Most episodes run twenty to twenty-five minutes and feature an essay lovingly read by an actor or personality (Kristin Chenoweth, Margaret Cho, and Judd Apatow, to name a few), plus an insightful follow-up with the essay’s author.

Swooning over this week’s #modernlove podcast about #bigtalk. Hint: It’s huge! https://t.co/gHSHneDA2M #intuition #matchmakers #datingtips

— Kelleher Intl (@kellehermatch) March 24, 2017

6Fictional

Another must-listen series from the creative genius behind Myths and Legends, Fictional transports us into the world of classic literature—but with a twist. Weiser features books that are difficult reads but tells them in a modern, conversational voice that’s easy for modern ears to follow.

Whether you’re already a fan of Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or if you’ve had difficulty getting comfortable with these texts, this podcast brings new life to classic stories.

@fictionalpod thx for doing a Sherlock story so quickly! Loved it! Keep up the great work, already loving this podcast!

— Joel Mendez (@JoeDiddy99) August 23, 2017

7Lore

If you’re a fan of horror, folklore, history (or just plain having your pants scared off) you’ll find a new favorite in Lore. This award-winning podcast tells the spine-tingling true life stories of the ghosts, monsters, curses, tragedies, and altogether unexplainable phenomena that have haunted human history. So grab a mug of cocoa and a blanket, and lean a little closer to the campfire—the show’s tagline, “Sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction,” does not disappoint.

I’ll be honest, this @lorepodcast story truly creeped me out and I thought I was immune at this point. ������ #podcast #mystery #lore #folklore https://t.co/5PQ4osQz6D

— Brook (@brook_podjunkie) August 22, 2017

8Rabbits

Another compelling docudrama for those whole love a good mystery, Rabbits resides in the same world as The Black Tapes—full of shady characters, conspiracy theories, and the unexplained. Carly Parker takes us into the world of ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) as she searches for her best friend, Yumiko, who has disappeared while playing a dangerous game known only as “Rabbits”. But as Carly’s quest unfolds, the rabbit hole begins to go much deeper than expected.

This made weeding, baking and cleaning thrilling! Fascinating podcast! #rabbits https://t.co/4KuEvdtYSj

— Erin Conkin (@ErinConkin) August 1, 2017

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your Writing

A few years ago, author Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, became a New York Times Bestseller. Kondo, a Japanese consultant who helps people get organized, detailed her KonMari method of decluttering in her book. We wondered if her principles could be applied to writing and found that they work just as well for creating clean copy as they do for creating a clean habitat.

“In Japan,” writes Kondo, “people believe that things like cleaning your room and keeping your bathroom spick-and-span bring good luck, but if your house is cluttered, the effect of polishing the toilet bowl is going to be limited. The same is true for the practice of feng shui. It is only when you put your house in order that your furniture and decorations come to life.”

Here are some great tips inspired by Kondo’s book to help you declutter your writing and make it come to life.

Tidy by Categories

It’s hard to figure out where to start editing when you look at your writing as a whole, but if you break it down into categories things become a whole lot easier. Kondo’s book will help you clear out a cluttered closet and find a new home for that blender you never use. In writing, instead of taking out the garbage, you’ll be sweeping away the extra verbiage. Finding incidences of some of the words below might be as simple as using your word processor’s “find” feature (ctrl + F or cmd + F), sorting through your finds, and deciding what to dump.

Slash weasel words

Weasel words are qualifiers. They can make your position seem weak or ambiguous, as though you’re trying to create a little wiggle room. Say what you mean! Slash words like: could, can, like, may, might, virtually, up to, as much as, believe, and possibly. You may need a qualifier every now and again, but more often than not you’ll find yourself able to cut them without changing the meaning of what you’ve written. In fact, your writing will be stronger and you’ll sound more confident. How will you know you’ve used a weasel word? If you sound like a politician trying to smooth over a public relations disaster, you’re on the right track.

Toss out very, really, and other empty words

Renowned newspaper editor William Allen White said, “If you feel the urge of ‘very’ coming on, just write the word, ‘damn,’ in the place of ‘very.’ The editor will strike out the word, ‘damn,’ and you will have a good sentence.” Editors disdain the words very and really, so it only stands to reason that you should pitch them out when you’re cleaning up your draft.

You may find you have a tendency to use adverbs to amplify weak adjectives. Instead of saying that death metal concert was “really loud” you could say it was “ear-splitting.” That good-looking salesman may be “very cool,” but why not describe him as “suave” instead? Better yet, especially if you’re writing fiction, do your best to eliminate adjectives that tell readers how to feel. Invoke feelings through narrative, instead.

Just like very and really, there are plenty of other words and phrases in the English language that, more often than not, aren’t necessary in clean writing. When you find them hanging around in your drafts, just like the 150 neckties hanging in your closet (including the twelve you actually wear), strike them out whenever possible:

• That
• Currently
• Presently
• Actually
• In order to
• Start to
• Suddenly
• Because of
• Therefore

Eliminate redundancies

It doesn’t make much sense to have both a toaster and a toaster oven—they’re two appliances with the same function, which makes them redundant. Redundant words and phrases can easily creep into writing, too. Search your draft with an eye out for where you might be repeating yourself. Here’s an example:

Before: Not a soul wandered the dark, deserted streets that night.

The words “not a soul” imply that a place is deserted. “That night” implies darkness. Eliminate the redundancies:

After: Not a soul wandered the streets that night.

Also, keep an eye out for tautologies—phrases with words that mean or imply the same thing. A few examples:

• Baby puppy
• Future prospects
• Added bonus
• 2:00 a.m. in the morning
• Completely devoid
• Final outcome
• Duplicate copy
• Honest truth

Don’t get too attached

Kondo is onto something when she directs her readers to focus on specific categories one at a time. The practice allows you to detach from your writing project as a whole and home in on the specific bits that need tidying up. It also encourages you to be ruthless with your purging. Remember: less is more!

We tend to ramble when we’re writing; it’s our brain’s way of finding just the right words. It’s fine to pour those words out into your first draft, but once the draft is finished, it’s time to start cleaning house. To declutter your living space, Kondo recommends putting all your clothing (or books) on the floor so you can get a clear look at just how much you have and get rid of whatever’s unnecessary. You can apply the same principle to your writing. Dump everything into your draft, but then sort through it, category by category, and keep only what works.

In writing, just as in keeping a home, we often become attached to things that don’t serve any useful purpose. You may love the way you’ve turned a particular phrase, but if it doesn’t fit with the rest of what you’ve written, or it’s otherwise repetitive or unnecessary, then it has to go. As Stephen King said in his book On Writing: “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”

The joy of tidy writing

Cleaning up your writing, just like cleaning up your home, is a process. It takes time to develop the habits that keep clutter at bay. But, as you tidy up each draft, you’ll begin to learn how to avoid most of the messiness in the first place. When you come across weasel words, empty words, and redundancies, you’ll be able to leave them on the shelf, and your writing will bring you joy.

Monday Motivation Hack: Focus on Self-Improvement

Are you better this week than you were last week?

There’s only one way to guarantee an affirmative answer to that question: Set a self-improvement goal at the beginning of the week.

Why the beginning?

What Research Says

Long-term goals encourage procrastination rather than action.

In a study published in 2015, Daphna Oyserman of the USC Dornsife Mind and Society Center and Neil Lewis of the University of Michigan found that for goals to be motivating, the future (the deadline) must feel imminent. In one scenario, the researchers asked participants when they would begin saving for retirement. They told the first group that they would retire from their jobs in 10,950 to 14,600 days. The second group planned on retirement starting after 30 to 40 years. Even though 10,950 to 14,600 days is the same amount of time as 30 to 40 years, the term “days” influenced how imminent the participants perceived their deadlines to be. The “days” group planned to start saving four times sooner than the group who thought of the event in years.

What the Research Means for You

Instead of setting a far-off goal, break one of your long-term goals into smaller chunks that have an imminent deadline. Amy Morin of Forbes called them “now deadlines,” and she explained how to reach them: “Create target dates to reach your objectives. Find something you can do this week to begin taking some type of action now.” Let’s look at an example together.

Long-term goal: Write a novel in one year.

Short-term chunks:

• Day One: Think of three interesting plot ideas by Sunday.
• Day Two: Decide which plot you want to pursue.
• Days Three to Six: Write 500 words every day.
• Day Seven: Read and enjoy what you’ve written so far.

Why Short-Term Self Improvement Goals are Always Successful

Forward movement is progress. Starting your week with an objective will provide motivation and structure. You may not always meet your daily goal, but you will still be moving forward and improving yourself. For instance, in the example above, the goal for Day Four was five hundred words. Even if you don’t have a chance to write a single word that day, you have still come up with three awesome plots and five hundred words of your new novel. You can get back on track for Days Four through Seven. The small steps you take every week will lead to big accomplishments.

You can’t predict the future. No one can say for a certainty what will happen in the future, especially years or decades from now. However, you can speculate what will happen tomorrow or next week with some accuracy. Take advantage of your short-term prediction skills by setting goals for the near future. You will have time to adapt and change to new events, technology, and even the weather when you set short-term goals.

How to Choose a Self-Improvement Goal

In an article titled “How to Worry Less About the Future and Make Each Week Awesome,” Samy Felice suggests concentrating on weekly events that are in your control. You can center goals around what time you wake up, with whom you associate, and what you eat, read, and watch. You can drop a bad habit or pick up a healthy one.

So, what will your goal be? Whatever you decide, make sure to divide your big objectives into small, manageable chunks that you can focus on each week. Choose something in your control, and don’t be discouraged by minor setbacks.

Are you better this week than you were last week? If you start the week with a self-improvement goal, the answer will always be yes.

Among vs. Amongst: What’s the Difference?

Amongst and among mean the same thing, but among is most common, particularly in American English. Both words are prepositions that mean “into, surrounded by; in the midst of, so as to influence; with a share for each of; in the number, class, or group of; mutually; or by all or with the whole of.”

Linda Richman, a Saturday Night Live character, would often give her audience an interesting topic to ponder, such as “The peanut is neither a pea nor a nut,” delivering the line in an exaggerated New York accent. “Talk amongst yourselves,” she would instruct them. Why did she say “Talk amongst yourselves” instead of “Talk among yourselves?” Is amongst a word? And if so, what is the difference between among and amongst?

Among is the older version of the word, tracing its roots back to Old English. Amongst appeared in Middle English. During this period, the English language added sounds to some words to form adverbs. In modern English, we still have some words like that, such as once, always, and unawares. Amongst, whilst, whence, and amidst may sound dated to some, but they’re still part of the language.

Here are some examples from literature:

“Voldemort himself created his worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do! Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be one who rises against them and strikes back!” —Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

“But the bravest man amongst us is afraid of himself.” —The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

“An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself.” —Marcus Tullius Cicero

“Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.” —Jane Wagner

Though the meaning of among and amongst is the same, the frequency of use is not. Among is much more popular than amongst. The Oxford English Corpus counts about 10,000 mentions of amongst in American writing. However, among appears over 300,000 times. The difference is less extreme in British English and other international English dialects, but among is always most common.

Because it appears less often than among, amongst can seem foreign, pretentious, or even incorrect. Then again, one blog quotes Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage as saying that the commentators who call amongst quaint or overrefined are “off-target.”

Among vs. Between

Use among (or amongst) to describe collective relationships: The key was hidden among the papers covering the desk. Use between when a one-to-one relationship or multiple binary relationships: The treasure map had been stuffed between the sofa cushions.

Linda Richman never asked whether writers should use among or amongst as a topic, but wouldn’t it make a great discussion? Which do you prefer?

Did You Learn Grammar in Primary And Secondary School?

What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

Here’s the Real History of Mother’s Day

Did moms come up with Mother’s Day as an easy way to get pancakes in bed? Did activists fight for its adoption as a way to get folks to focus on peace? Or did card companies invent it as a way to make a few (billion) bucks?

If you answered all of the above, you’re right. Well, at least partially. Peace activists did play a role in early versions of Mother’s Day, and makers of cards and candy (not to mention florists) do get to rake in the rewards the second week of May every year. And yes, who would ever pass up an excuse for pancakes?

But there’s more to the history of Mother’s Day than meets the eye. In addition to the hidden history of the holiday, there’s a whole lot of controversy, from debates about who came up with the holiday first, to lawsuits about who’s able to use the name “Mother’s Day,” to one of the founders actually trying to get the holiday scratched from the books, even after fighting to get it recognized as a national day. Besides all that, there’s the question of where that pesky apostrophe goes. (Don’t worry: we’ve got you covered on that one.)

Here are the secrets of Mother’s Day and its history. And, for good measure, a few ideas on how to celebrate your own mom on the second Sunday of May.

The Birth of Mother’s Day

The origin of Mother’s Day as we know it took place in the early 1900s. A woman named Anna Jarvis started a campaign for an official holiday honoring mothers in 1905, the year her own mother died. The first larger-scale celebration of the holiday was in 1908, when Jarvis held a public memorial for her mother in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia.

Over the next few years, Jarvis pushed to have the holiday officially recognized, and it was celebrated increasingly in more and more states around the U.S. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making Mother’s Day an official holiday, to take place the second Sunday of May.

Anna Jarvis put Mother’s Day on the calendar as a day dedicated to expressing love and gratitude to mothers, acknowledging the sacrifices women make for their children. That’s why she was determined to keep “Mother’s” a singular possessive, as marked by the apostrophe before “s.” Each family should celebrate its own mother, so that individual women across the country could feel the love, even in the midst of a broad celebration of motherhood.

Other Mother’s Days

Before Anna Jarvis worked to get a day just for recognizing mothers, her own mom played an important role uniting women for good causes. Mama Jarvis—also known as Ann Reeves Jarvis—cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the field during the Civil War, and in its aftermath she organized a “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” the goal of which was to foster reconciliation between former Union and Confederate soldiers by having them come together, along with mothers from both sides. With the senior Jarvis’ lifelong focus on caring for children and promoting peace, it’s no wonder her daughter fought for a day just for moms.

At around the same time Ann Reeves Jarvis was working with mothers in the spirit of peace, Julia Ward Howe, another activist—as well as abolitionist and suffragette—worked to have June 2 be celebrated as “Mother’s Peace Day,” and wrote a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” calling on mothers to work toward world peace.

These women and others were responsible for precursors to Mother’s Day in American culture, but celebrations of motherhood go back deeper than that. Such celebrations sometimes involved worship of a mother deity, such as the Goddess Isis in Ancient Egypt, or Cybele and Rhea in Ancient Greece. In other cases, celebrations were only tangentially about mothers: Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom, for example, was originally dedicated to the “Mother Church,” but was later broadened to honor human mothers, too.

Around the world, Mother’s Day is celebrated in a variety of ways and on different dates throughout the year, though many countries observe the holiday on the same day as the United States—proof of the powerful impact made by Anna Jarvis.

The Big Mother’s Day Controversy

Even after Anna Jarvis was successful in getting Mother’s Day made an official national holiday, she wasn’t satisfied with the way that holiday was celebrated. She had teamed up with florists while she was lobbying to get the holiday recognized, even recommending a white carnation as the symbolic flower of Mother’s Day.

However, in the first few years of the holiday’s official existence, Jarvis observed as florists, candy-makers and card-makers, and even charities used Mother’s Day as a way to make an extra buck. The commercialization of Mother’s Day, according to Jarvis, defeated the whole point of a holiday that was supposed to be about celebrating the personal, individual connection between a mother and her children.

From about 1920 onward, Jarvis fought hard to prevent businesses from profiting by means of Mother’s Day cards, candy, flowers, and other gifts. Although she had fought to be recognized as the one and only “Mother of Mother’s Day,” she later lobbied to have the holiday removed from the calendar of national holidays, and spent piles of her own money in lawsuits against profiteers she saw as using the Mother’s Day name in vain.

The Commercialization of Mother’s Day

Did Anna Jarvis have success getting people to cut down on the consumerism? If you’re considering buying your mother a card or a bouquet of flowers, you’ve got your answer.

The National Retail Federation does a yearly survey to find out how much Americans are planning on spending for Mother’s Day. Here’s a hint: most people aren’t busting out the crayons to make a homemade card.

In 2017, the expected total spending for Mother’s Day in the United States is $23.6 billion. That’s an average of $186.39 per shopper. In the fourteen years the National Retail Federation has conducted the Mother’s Day spending survey, that’s the highest amount yet.

But don’t feel bad if you’re not planning on forking up quite so much. There are plenty of ways to celebrate Mom without emptying your wallet. It’s all about making it special.

How to Celebrate Mother’s Day Today

For most modern moms, going out to brunch or getting a Hallmark card and a fat bunch of flowers will do the trick. Sure, Anna Jarvis will roll her eyes, but if Mom’s grateful, where’s the real harm?

If you want to go the Anna Jarvis route, make your own card or write a letter to show your love to your mommy dearest. Need inspiration? Use a phrase involving the word “mother” (like, “Word to your mother” or “Shall I be mother?”) or a nice mom-centric quotation. Here’s a good one:

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one. – Jill Churchill

More where those came from here.

For some more free alternatives, you can pick up the phone (fun fact: Mother’s Day marks the highest phone traffic of the year in the United States), take Mom for a walk (if you live nearby), or send over something sentimental, like these pictures of animal moms with their cubs, pups, kits, or kids. Irresistible, right?

Most importantly, show your mom that she (and Grammarly) taught you well by putting the apostrophe in the right place when you write “Happy Mother’s Day.”

How to Accept a Job Offer (Examples and Tips You Should See)

Accepting a job offer isn’t as simple as saying, “I’ll take it! When do I start?” It’s important to make sure you and your employer have covered all the bases and there’s no confusion. It’s best to accept a job offer with a letter of acceptance.

What to Look for in a Job Offer

Prior to the official offer, you may take part in a brief little dance (sometimes called a supposal) where your potential employer says something like, “Suppose we want to offer you a position. What would we have to offer in order for you to accept?” Once you’ve negotiated the terms, it’s time to seal the deal.

Here’s a tip: The time to negotiate your salary and benefits is before you’ve accepted the position. If you’ve had a strong interview (or series of them) and you’re anticipating being offered a position, it makes sense to prepare to address these things in advance. Knowing what you want is half the battle.

Except in the most informal cases, your future employer should then extend an offer to you in writing. The offer should lay out:

• Your salary
• Your benefits package
• Your start date

Here’s a tip: If the employer doesn’t extend a written offer, it’s a good idea to request one. You can subtly prompt the employer to send you something in writing by saying, “I’m excited to get to work! I’ll review the terms of your written offer just as soon as I receive it. When would you need my response?”

How to Write an Acceptance Letter

You’ve got the job! Now it’s time to show your new employer they’ve made a good investment. You polished your resume and cover letter, so give your acceptance letter the same attention. Make sure you proofread your letter carefully. (May we suggest a helpful personal editor?)

Here’s a tip: Read your letter aloud to yourself before you send it. Reading aloud helps you recognize problems with flow and syntax—the parts you stumble on as you speak might need some rewriting.

Be sure to express your gratitude for the job offer. You’ve been given an opportunity, and your acceptance letter is a great time to show how excited you are to get started. Think about what you’re looking forward to the most. Maybe you’re amped about contributing your creative energies to projects, or you’re on board with the company’s mission, or you’re ready to dig into a project you’ve been told about. Go ahead and say so!

Keep your letter short and sweet, but do include these elements:

• A thank-you for the opportunity
• Verbiage that says you accept the company’s offer of employment
• Your title
• A recap of the salary and benefits as you understand them
• The date you expect to start

Job Offer Acceptance Letter Example

You can send your acceptance letter by snail mail or email. If you send a hard copy letter, format it like a business letter with your contact information at the top.

Here’s a tip: If you’re unfamiliar with business letter formats, word processors like Google Docs and MS Word have handy templates you can use.

If you’re sending an email, include your name in the subject line and the words “Job Offer Acceptance.”

Here’s what the body of your message might look like:

Dear Cecilia,

I was excited to get your phone call yesterday. I’m writing to formally accept your employment offer for the Social Media Manager position at XYZ Company. Thank you for the opportunity to put my skills to work making XYZ’s brand shine across multiple platforms.

As we agreed, my starting salary will be $52,800 per year with two weeks of paid time off. I understand that health and dental benefits will be available after ninety days of employment.

If there’s anything you need from me prior to that start date, or any documents I should bring on my first day, just let me know. I’m eager to dig in and get started on November 6, 2017.

Thanks again,

Paul