22 Podcasts You Really Need To Subscribe To In 2016

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

We asked the BuzzFeed Community and BuzzFeed staff to tell us about the best podcasts they have been getting into in 2016 so far. Here are some of their great suggestions.

Chat

1. Guys We Fucked — Comedy duo Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson ostensibly have this anti slut-shaming podcast to talk about sex, but in practice, they use it to talk about all kinds of topics through their candid, brash, funny relationship. Each episode, they call up a guy they’ve had sex with at some point to interview him, but the thing that really catches your ear is their support of one another and the big laughs in between.
_{Suggested by delmaks}

2. Elis James and John Robins — This British podcast, based on a Radio X Saturday show, is rated for its personalities and witty retorts. Our reader recommendation said: “Ellis is a laid-back, football-loving, down-to-earth Welshman and John is an uptight, Queen-obsessed, slightly insane Englishman. Both of them are very funny men and they have a great chemistry.”

_{Suggested by Jake Graham, Facebook}

3. Black Girls Talking — You want to be woke. Society needs you to be woke. Do yourself and literally the entire world a favor and listen to Alesia, Aurelia, Fatima, and Ramou talk through their lives and share their stories so you can live your own life better. From pop culture happenings to the latest in aromatherapy recommendations, this is the kind of conversation you want to overhear — even if it means you’ll have FOMO that you’re not best friends with them in real life.
_{Suggested by kristikat3}

4. How Did This Get Made? — Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael discuss one thing that unites the entire of humanity: our love for absolutely dreadful films. A reader told us: “If you love bad movies you’ll love this podcast.”
_{Suggested by unal2}

5. Bitch Sesh — This podcast dissects episodes of Real Housewives of Beverley Hills in immense detail, and the jokes and analysis by Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider are A+. A reader told us: “They also notice a lot of the same things I do as they are watching Real Housewives so I feel like they are perceptive.”
_{Suggested by scifib}

Science and Culture

6. Myths and Legends — Jason Weiser’s smooth voice tells you stories that have shaped various cultures from across the world. We were told that “it has great stories and so it’s so interesting! Awesome job.”
_{Suggested by samanthac46e4a8482}

7. Lore — There are many scary stories out there that unsettle us and Aaron Mahnke tries to work out what’s behind these urban legends. A reader said: “It is literally so so good — kind of like a creepy history lesson.”
_{Suggested by francesloyve}

8. Here’s the Thing… — Alec Baldwin’s WNYC show dives deep into conversation with well-known names from entertainment and culture in New York, and it feels so personal it’s like you’re eavesdropping on a private conversation. A reader said: “It feels a genuine honour to be listening in to great conversations.”
_{Suggested by benjaminw479fe407b}

9. Flash Forward — The world is a weird place and getting weirder, which means that it’s always an adventure to listen to host Rose Eveleth as she brings listeners to a future they may or may not have imagined just yet. The best thing about this show is that there are real scientists and experts weighing in on the bizarre futures that may be to come — for example, if the entire world went face-blind.
_{Suggested by by Julia Furlan, BuzzFeed}

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

History

10. You Must Remember This — This well-researched podcast by Karina Longworth examines the forgotten history of Hollywood. A recommendation read, “If you have ANY interest in movies and even the SLIGHTEST interest in Hollywood (which I didn’t previously) you must must must listen to this incredible podcast.”
_{Suggested by scifib}

11. The Memory Palace — Nate DiMeo presents these little nuggets of modern history every month. We were told: “The episodes are only a few minutes but so well presented and wonderfully detailed considering. Emotions are beautifully captured and the stories are so much more interesting than your average history topics.”
_{Suggested by Cinder}

12. The History Chicks — Presented by Beckett Graham and Susan Vollenweider, this show looks at women throughout history and boasts that “any resemblance to a boring old history lesson is purely coincidental.” We were told that this podcast is “like having two friends over for coffee and geeking out about what books you have read recently.”
_{Suggested by by Chloe Thorpe, Facebook}

Drama and Comedy

13. Smartest Man in the World — Hosted by Greg Proops, from Whose Line Is It Anyway?, this show is more than just stand-up — it is a hoot of intellectual, witty observations. We were told: “He talks everything from ’70s funk music to kittens to old cinema, societal unrest to historical baseball tales to druggy escapades, all spliced with a healthy amount of Jeremy Irons impressions and unsubtle tips about feminism being the ~way forward~.”
_{Suggested by Rebecca Hendin, BuzzFeed}

14. My Dad Wrote a Porno — Host Jamie Morton’s 60-year-old dad wrote a pornographic novel, so in each episode of this podcast Morton reads out horrific chapter in front of co-hosts Alice Levine and James Cooper, who have no idea about what is to come. The crude writing and reactions are hilarious.
_{Suggested by jasminer4b2846a11}

15. The Black Tapes — This well-produced serialized docudrama, by Pacific Northwest Stories, is about a journalist investigating paranormal stories. If you liked the week-by-week mystery of Serial but also have a love of being creeped out, this is the show to go to. Plus, it’s a great experiment in the podcasting boom that the show is essentially fiction cosplaying as truth.
_{Suggested by Rose Hastings, Facebook}

16. The Truth — This American podcast, fronted by Jonathan Mitchell, has been running for two years and has received rave reviews for its storytelling. We were told: “The sound effects are awesome, and the plays are really atmospheric. Each play is about 15 minutes, just enough time to sink into it, but not so long as to drag.”
_{Suggested by Ailbhe Malone, BuzzFeed}

Life and Advice

17. Modern Love — The column in the New York Times has been turned into a radio show full of stories about the emotion that builds us and devastates us: love. A reader told us: “You’ll encounter voices like Judd Apatow and Sarah Paulson reading columns in dramatic fashion — it’s not to be missed.”
_{Suggested by Jon-Michael Poff, Facebook}

18. The Awkward Human Survival Guide — This is totally different than Modern Love. Adam Dachis and others go through reader questions, no matter how crude or awkward.
_{Suggested by danielplight}

19. Anna Faris Is Unqualified — Have a relationship problem and want some celebrities to work it all out for you? Well, this is fortunate. Anna Faris and a celebrity friend such as Judah Friedlander and Alison Janney address personal problems each episode. Ellie told us: “It feels like you’re just having a chat with your way-more-successful famous friends. IT’S GREAT.”
_{Suggested by Ellie Bate, BuzzFeed}

20. Tough Girls Podcast — Sarah Williams interviews women from all walks of life, from athletes to motivational speakers, to inspire you to reach your goals. We were told: “It’s great for any girl wanting to beast it out at the gym! Best motivation ever! Makes you want to properly get out and DO ANYTHING.”
_{Suggested by Chloe MacCombe, Facebook}

21. Call Your Girlfriend — Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, two best friends, present a podcast on literally everything. It’s basically a magazine, discussing a new topic every few minutes. Yuri told us: “Ann and Amina are so refreshing and hilarious, I love them.”
_{Suggested by Yuri Xu, Facebook}

And a podcast about podcasts

22. Sampler — If you’re reading this list, it’s because you want more podcasts in your life. That essentially means that Sampler is the perfect podcast for you, because it’s about other podcasts, and lets you know all kinds of new shows you haven’t heard of just yet.
_{Suggested by by Julia Furlan, BuzzFeed}

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

Disagree with any of the picks or have any suggestions of your own? Let us know in the comments below!

Want to be featured on BuzzFeed? Follow BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter!

Read More [...]

Posted in BuzzFeed, IFTTT

9 Things I've Learned Writing Fan Fiction

Smut sells and misery is gold. Ship to your heart’s content!

My audience has grown since my first forays into creative writing; in 2013, I shared half a million words of fiction across fandoms including Merlin, Sherlock, and The Musketeers.

My best-known story is probably Torchlight, for the Elementary fandom.

Chelsey Pippin / Thinkstock / BuzzFeed

Fanfic thrives on peril: kidnap, pursuit, the enemy advancing slowly with a loaded weapon. Bring it on, then dot dot dot, more next week! The best fan fiction ends each chapter clinging to a narrow ledge of lust and/or despair, causing readers to type reviews that plead for the next instalment. I always included cliffhangers in my writing, but lately they have reached Matterhorn proportions.

If you're not leaving your hero dangling over a flaming pit, Flash Gordon-style, then at least end a chapter on a sharp cut. Think TV scene changes. Avoid explaining what just happened, or wrapping it up at the end of each chapter. Your readers are the most expert audiences in the world – they get it.

---

View Entire List ›

Read More [...]

Posted in BuzzFeed, IFTTT

13 Things That Will Definitely Maybe Happen In "Game Of Thrones" Season 6

For the night is dark and full of spoilers.

Jon Snow WILL come back from the dead.

There's no point beating around the weirwood tree. We can talk all we want about who will or won't ride dragons, or whether Gendry will ever get off his fucking boat, but the first thing anyone wants to know about Season 6 is whether or not our curly-haired Lord Commander is coming back from his icy grave.

In short, of course he is. I mean, the fact that he's been photographed on set was a bit of a giveaway, but even before that there can't have been many who genuinely thought he was gone for good.

This isn't like when we lost Ned or Robb. Jon's family were (and are) great characters in their own right, but looking back it's now pretty clear that every shitty thing that's happened to a member of the Stark family has been to give Jon a reason to do whatever he's going to do over the final few seasons.

As has been said many times, it's a song of ice and fire. Other characters may come and go, but Jon and Dany aren't going anywhere just yet. And, yeah. There are photos of him on set, so...

Likelihood: 10/10

HBO

R + L = J will finally be confirmed.

Now we've established that everyone's favourite bastard is coming back, we can get back to banging on about Jon Snow's parentage. For the uninitiated, R + L = J is the widely accepted theory that rather than being Ned's bastard, Jon Snow is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryan and Lyanna Stark. You can read about it in full here.

Before Season 5 got a bit stabby, there were strong signs that we were heading towards a confirmation of Thrones' best-known theory. From Littlefinger's knowing look to Sansa in the crypts of Winterfell to this less-than-coincidental conversation crasher at Castle Black, it's pretty clear where we're headed:

HBO

Since the last season ended, however, we've had confirmation that a new filming location in Spain will be used as the Tower of Joy – Jon Snow's birthplace, assuming R + L = J is true. And it is. This almost certainly means we'll see flashbacks to his birth (more on that later), and one of the most talked-about fan theories in history will be a theory no longer.

But it's what happens next that's the really exciting part. How will Jon take the news? How will his enemies react? Will he ride around on a dragon looking like a total baller? We have no idea. But by the end of Season 6 we'll be a step closer to finding out.

Likelihood: 9/10

HBO / Via imgur.com

Bran and Rickon will reappear (having both gone through puberty).

Next up, two people who are definitely Ned's kids – Bran and Rickon. The last time we saw Bran he was on the receiving end of a sick burn from a very old man in a tree. ("You're going to help me walk again?" "You will never walk again.")

Though he didn't appear at all in Season 5, it's no secret that he's back in Season 6, and he's going to be a big player. Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran, has suggested to Entertainment Weekly that his character will return having learnt a variety of very useful skills from Bloodraven (the aforementioned very old man in a tree), in a similar manner to how Luke Skywalker learns the ways of the Force from Yoda, with almost all of it taking place off camera.

The reason this could be so important for the show (and books) is that one of these skills is Greensight, the ability to perceive future, past, or distant events in dreams. Events such as Jon Snow's birth at the Tower of Joy, for example.

HBO

---

View Entire List ›

Read More [...]

Posted in BuzzFeed, IFTTT

13 Reasons "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" Is Obviously The Best

It’s time for us to have a serious discussion, Potterheads.

Harry Potter fans, we need to have a serious discussion about something.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the best Harry Potter book of all time. ALL TIME.

Warner Bros. / Twitter: @Marximillion_

Firstly, while Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets are obviously great, they undeniably still feel like children's books.

Which is fine, obviously. It's largely acknowledged that the tone of the Harry Potter series matures with its characters. But Prisoner of Azkaban is where it starts to ~really~ mature and get more complex.

Warner Bros.

And it does it all without even a ~hint~ of the series' main antagonist.

After the tragic loss of one of his Horcruxes at the end of the last book, Voldemort is laying low for a while. That means the major antagonist in Prisoner of Azkaban is Sirius, a man who not only turns out to be innocent, but also ends up being a father figure and confidante to Harry. And if that's not a major plot twist, I don't know what is.

Warner Bros. / BuzzFeed

---

View Entire List ›

Read More [...]

Posted in BuzzFeed, IFTTT

Meet The Women Behind Nigeria's Most Subversive Novellas

Photographer Glenna Gordon spent months capturing female Muslim writers whose books are among the dozens of cheap, pamphlet-style novels popular across markets in northern Nigeria.

A woman reads a Hausa romance novel using the flashlight on her cell phone as a train traveled through Nigeria.

Glenna Gordon

Known as “littattafan soyayya” – meaning “literature of love” in northern Nigeria’s Hausa language - the plots all revolve around love and marriage. But not all the stories are Mills and Boons-style fantasies: some are subversive or political, tackling subjects like child marriage and trafficking.

The movement was born in the northern capital of Kano in 1990, when author Balaraba Ramat Yakubu published Sin Is A Puppy That Follows You Home. The novel was based on her experiences of being a child bride before being divorced and destitute by the time she was 19 years old.

Book covers by a popular author with drawings in a style typical of the genre.

Glenna Gordon

Gender disparity is high across all of Nigeria, but particularly in the Muslim-majority north, and many of the authors struggled to get an education. A minority are encouraged to pursue writing by their families. But all face public censorship. In 2007, then-governor of Kano, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, publicly burned the novels, which he claimed were “pornographic” and out of line with northern Nigeria’s traditional values.

Khadija Gudaji works on her novel while laying in bed at her home in Kano, Northern Nigeria.

Glenna Gordon

In her book titled Diagram of the Heart – named after one of the pocket-sized novels – Gordon shows another side to a region known to the outside world primarily for attacks from Islamist militants Boko Haram.

Gordon, who has also tackled subjects such as the mass abduction of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram, also documents the weddings and glamour that accompany life in northern Nigeria, which revolves around family ties.

A bride at a wedding in Kano, Northern Nigeria, stands apart from the guests. Male guests and female guests seldom mix in the conservative Islamic norther part of Nigeria.

Glenna Gordon

Sani with his first wife, though his second wife is pictured in their family portrait. Many of the books are about struggles between co wives.

Glenna Gordon

Women buy novels at a shop run by Jamila Umar, a poplar writer who opened her own stall at the market in Kano.

Glenna Gordon

Novels and other books are put together by hand.

Glenna Gordon

Maryan Nazifi, a young bride getting married, poses for a photo with her mother.

Glenna Gordon

A young wedding guest, all dressed up.

Glenna Gordon

Firdausy El-yakub reads a romance novel in her bedroom in Kano, Northern Nigeria. Her university has been on strike for weeks, so she spends most of her days reading and dreams of one day becoming a novelist too. Her father allows her to go to the market and buy new books often.

Glenna Gordon

Rabi Tale in the courtyard of the Ministry of Information where she has a day job. Tale is a romance novelist in Nigeria.

Glenna Gordon

Read More [...]

Posted in BuzzFeed, IFTTT

Should You Go To Hogwarts Or Xavier's?

Either way you are a very special teenager with incredible powers.

Read More [...]

Posted in BuzzFeed, IFTTT

This College Student Made A Real-Life Version Of The Weasley Clock From "Harry Potter"

Who said Muggles can’t do magic?!

Trey Bagley is a senior at Duke University who used his knowledge as a Computer Science major to create a real-life, digital version of the magical clock from the Weasley's house in Harry Potter.

Trey Bagley / Via imgur.com

As all Harry Potter fans know, the Weasley's clock that was located at the Burrow helped keep track of where the individual family members were at all times.

Warner Bros. / Via harrypotter.wikia.com

Bagley told BuzzFeed that the Harry Potter series was always special to his family.

Trey Bagley / Via youtube.com

"From midnight book releases to Halloween costumes and birthday parties to visiting the filming locations, it’s been something that we could all share and get excited about," he said.

Trey Bagley / Via imgur.com

---

View Entire List ›

Read More [...]

Posted in BuzzFeed, IFTTT