My top books & podcasts of 2024
Shout-out to the World Book Encyclopedia
Yesterday I shared my top films and TV shows of ‘24. Now let’s get into pages and pods — please suggest your own in the comments!
MY 11 FAVE BOOKS OF 2024:
11. Processing by Tara Booth - Messy, honest, funny comics that capture the art of imperfection.
10. Joyful Recollections of Trauma by Paul Scheer - The comedian/actor shares a life punctuated by pathos and pop culture.
9. Women by Chloe Caldwell - The sad-sexy cult classic was reissued this year, ensuring we don’t have to loan our copy to someone who can’t find it.
8. Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto - I loved this memoir about a Japanese man who starts a business offering to “do nothing” — and is surprised by how many people he helps with his mere presence.
7. The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne - The actor delivers a page-turning glimpse inside his famous family and youthful wanderings.
6. I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together by Maurice Vellekoop - In this 500-page graphic memoir, Vellekoop unwraps his relationship with his mother, his sexuality and a vibrant career.
5. From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough - I didn’t expect to be so moved by this book, which was also my favorite audiobook of the year. (Keough narrates as well as Julia Roberts, who reads Presley’s passages.)
4. Rebel Girl by Kathleen Hanna - I knew this book would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be stay-in-bed-and-read-for-hours good!
3. The Freaks Came Out to Write by Tricia Romano - This comprehensive oral history of the Village Voice is a must-read for young journalists, old journalists, New Yorkers, poets, DJs, weirdos, dweebs and everyone in between.
2. All Fours by Miranda July - The explosive summer read made many women yearn for a (motel) room of their own.
1. I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante - I read this memoir when it came out in February, and I’ve been thinking about it ever sense. The story of Sante’s gender transition at age 67 is beautifully written and relatable to anyone coming to terms with who they really are (and isn’t that pretty much all of us?).
And special recognition to … James Baldwin centennial celebrations and reissues; The Paris Review; Dean Haspiel’s meta-memoir The Red Hook x Dean Haspiel; The Long Run by Stacey D’Erasmo; independent bookstores
MY 11 FAVE PODCASTS OF 2024:
*Find them wherever you get your podcasts; personally, I like the Overcast app.
11. Take This Pod And Shove It - Friends Tyler Snodgrass and Danny Maupin try to create the ultimate country playlist, one twangy tune at a time.
10. The Virtual Memories Show - Each week bibliophile Gil Roth interviews writers and artists about their work and creative philosophies.
9. Stay F. Homekins - The always-charming chat with married couple Paul F. Tompkins and Janie Haddad Tompkins gives me joy once a month.
8. Las Culturistas - Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers scored some of the all-time biggest podcast guests this year, including Mariah “I hate overhead lighting” Carey and Charli XCX.)
7. Kreative Kontrol - Vish Khanna brings expertise and infectious enthusiasm to each of his conversations. This year’s guests included Kathleen Hanna, Cursive, Fugazi and the last interview with Steve Albini.
6. The Book Review - New York Times Book Review editor Gilbert Cruz leads this thoughtful literary roundtable, which has helped me decide which books to read (and a few to skip).
5. Ask Ronna - The top-notch advice pod is still going strong with a bouillabaisse of laughs, luxury and practical advice.
4. Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso - While smart and charming, the real key to Fragoso’s interviewing prowess is old-fashioned, time-consuming research. Nearly all guests are moved by how much preparation he puts into these conversations — and, as a result, we’re rewarded with real talk and very little self-promotional froth.
3. Who Charted? - Howard Kremer still delivers one of the best podcasts out there, with a winning formula that breaks down the week’s top songs and movies as well as music discoveries from himself and rad co-host Brett Morris.
2. Handsome - It does seem like every comedian has a podcast, but when Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin join forces, they create something millions of listeners can’t survive a week without.
1. The Best Show - It more than lived up to its name this year with in-studio musical performances, fantastic guests, strange and beloved callers, a solid-gold “Four Horseman” crew, and the wizard behind it all, Tom Scharpling. Onward to 2025, when the show turns 25!
And special recognition to: The wisdom of co-host Caissie St Onge on Busy Philipps is Doing Her Best; the wisdom of Naomi Ekperigin on every dang podcast she appears on (including her own, Couples Therapy); Jason Mantzoukas’ pop-culture picks on “Last Looks” eps of How Did This Get Made?; Fresh Air co-host Tonya Mosley; Kim France & Jenn Romolini’s Everything is Fine; the return of Julie Klausner’s How Was Your Week?
Previously:
Thanks for the shout out, Whitney. I appreciate you more than you know.
I heard Whitney talk about the Best Show podcast a few times. After meeting Jon at the Rock Hall, i finally listened. what took me so long?
Best show is brillant. The unconventional humor and cutting edge pop culture references. I love this!
GO TOM & JON! 🎤🔥
TRUST MATHESON 👽🔥