Guys, do you miss us yet? We miss you!

We’re busy scheming for Season 2 of Highly Enthused, and we want to get to know you better. We’ve written up a quick survey to find out more about you guys, what you liked about Season 1 and what you’d like to hear more of next season.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

We’ve also teamed up with Booktopia to bring you guys all the books we recommended in Season 1, in one place. How cool is that! Happy reading.

NB: As of this week, we’ve begun an affiliate relationship with Booktopia - which means if you buy a book we recommend through our newsletter, we may receive a small commission. This in no way influences (or will ever influence) the books we recommend here, it just helps us fund this free project so we can keep bringing you cool stuff. Win-win.

And to keep you busy until we get back we’ve got a podcast episode recommendation bonanza below. Keep reading for our favourite podcast episodes as well as some favourites from YOU our loyal listeners.

SM’s Favourite Podcast Episodes:

• Elizabeth Gilbert Shows Up For Everything, TED The Interview
  I could listen to Elizabeth Gilbert read the phone book, and this episode is so powerful as she tells the story of losing her best friend/lover/life partner and coming out the other side. She speaks incredibly on gratitude, grief and finding joy in creative work.

• Nigel Slater, How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
  I just love how “Nigel Slater” Nigel Slater is in the episode. So charming and a bit ridiculous. This episode is emotional and funny and wonderful.

• You May Want to Marry My Husband: Part 1, Modern Love
  This is one of the podcasts I keep on rotation, where essays from the New York Times column are read by famous actors. This one is especially heart wrenching and loving and surprising.

• Marian Keys, Love Stories with Dolly Alderton
  I’m convinced Dolly and Marian fell in love recording this episode and now live in a cottage on the English coast somewhere. They just get along so well and talk about love, life and relationships very lyrically. Addictive.

• Alice Waters, How I Built This
  Alice Waters is a pioneer of the farm-to-table food movement through her work at her Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse. Here she reminisces on how it all began. I love how she did everything for love, not money. Another highlight from this podcast is the episode with Whitney Wolf, founder of Bumble. What a story.

SR’s Favourite Podcast Episodes:

• Source Code, Mystery Show
  An entire podcast episode investigating how tall Jake Gyllenhaal is. It sounds so stupid, but it is one of the most charming and delightful things I’ve ever listened to.

• The Living Room, Love + Radio
  I listened to this for the first time before Al - my husband - got sick and it moved me. Listening to it now is like a punch to a gut, but I think about it frequently.

• The Empty Chair: Part 2 with Emily Rapp Black, Dear Sugars
  Look this episode is about young children dying so consider yourself warned, but Emily Rapp is one of the most honest and accurate describers of grief and caring for someone who’s dying that I’ve ever heard.

• Alone: A Love Story
  I know this is cheating because it’s a season not an episode, but you can’t just isolate one episode! This podcast is as close to a memoir in audio form I’ve ever heard!

• Elif Batuman, Longform Podcast
  Elif Batuman might be one of the smartest people on the planet, and I am obsessed with her brain and the way it works. Her intelligence is so generous and fascinating!

Recommendations from you! Our Listeners!

• Stanley Tucci, Love Stories with Dolly Alderton

• Stella Bugbee on Leaning in to the Chaos of the Digital World, UnStyled

• No Partner, No Kids, No Problems, HBR Woman at Work

• Robin Wall Kimmerer — The Intelligence in All Kinds of Life, On Being with Krista Tippet

• Can you Be Ambitious and Happy? The Cut on Tuesdays

• #140 The Roman Mars Mazda Virus, Reply All

• #16 Rob, Heavyweight

We hope this keeps your ears occupied til September!

See ya in Spring,
SR & SM