D (28) and I are going on a 21+ hour road trip. Looking forward to really catching up with her but seeking suggestions for a great book or two or podcasts, ted talks, etc. Looking for those things that are so interesting and engaging that you forget how long you’ve been sitting in the car!
I recommend Serial podcasts.
Why, Outlander of course!
Moth podcast.
Dirty John.
Judge John Hodgman podcasts are fun. They are funny and always spark debate in our family on how we would rule.
Armchair Expert. Dax Shepard. He interviews some very current people that you both will know (Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel, his wife Kristin Bell, etc.) and most of the episodes are easily 90 minutes. Has some foul language if that bothers you. I really enjoy them.
Also if you’re Harry Potter fans, Bingemode Harry Potter. Really deep intricate discussion of each book (each book is like 4 different episodes) and the podcasters are HILARIOUS. (The Ringer’s Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion) So interesting and fun.
Audiobooks are great for long car trips.
I like Clark Howard’s podcast. He gets some pretty interesting callers.
If you were West Wing fans check out the West Wing Weekly which has an hour-ish discussion of each episode. It’s hosted by Joshua Malina, and often has other cast members on. The Longform podcast has lots of interesting discussions of journalists and current affairs. The New Yorker has a variety of good podcasts…fiction, and non-fiction focussed. Alec Baldwin has a surprisingly good show, Here’s the Thing, with a wide mix of writers, actors, etc.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcasts. I’m not even a particularly big history buff, but his method of storytelling is riveting.
When my wife and I drove across the country she read “The Thorn Birds” to me. But that was 38 years ago.
The West Wing podcast not only has on the actors from the. Show but also government officials who shed light on the issues, like the first gay secretary of the Navy on an episode about Don’t ask, Don’t tell. And Justin Trudeau (a West wing fan!!) on an episode where Canada played an important part of the plot.
I usually listen to Great Courses or the Atlantic podcasts.
I kinda liked Road Trip Radio on SiriusXM. But I think singing along makes the time fly. (I do it even when I’m not on a road trip.)
I highly reocmmend “Beneath a Scarlet Sky,” a WWII novel based on a true story. The narrator was excellent and the book held my attention the entire time. I liked it so much that I convinced my book club to read it last month, and everyone enjoyed it. I would actually consider listening to it a second time, I liked it so much.
Thank you for all the suggestions. I’ll check them all out!
Just be sure everyone in the vehicle is in agreement — my kids had a big fight partly because one wanted to listen to history of the world and the other thought it was going to be more pj party bonding.
“Slow Burn” podcast about Nixon is good.
If you are wanting to get into Christmas - “A Christmas Carol” might be fun. Other “page turners” that are easy listens “Jaws” or " Jurassic Park" or if you want non fiction Jon Krakauer is good- “Into the Wild”- but it is a bit sad.
RadioLab has some great podcasts (our favorite is Dynopocolypse and Colors, definitely skip “In the ‘No’l if you want to keep it light!). “A Man Called Ove” is an excellent, sweet & funny audio book. Enjoy!