The Couch Podcast
Conversations about pop culture and why it matters
The Couch Podcast #120: Reading Books About Books & Reading (with Amy Clark)
What’s better than reading a good book? Reading a book about books! Or bookstores or publishing or libraries! Back for this very book-ish episode is my friend (and friend of the show) Amy Clark. Amy is a blogger and the founder of MomAdvice.com, which happens to be a place I write articles for on occasion. She’s also the host of the Mom Advice Book Club and my go-to person for book recommendations. Today we’re talking about some of our favorite books about books or book-adjacent themes, and we’ve compiled an excellent list of reads for you.
The Couch Podcast #119 – The Soundtrack of Our Childhood (with James Walters)
When I say the words, “the soundtrack of your childhood,” what music pops into your head? If you’re anything like several members of The Couch community, I’m going to bet your list includes the Beach Boys, 80s or 90s country, and the forbidden Madonna. But maybe yours is different than ours! I can’t wait to compare notes.
The Couch Podcast #118 – TV Series Finales: The Ones We Love & the Ones We Love to Hate (with Amanda Hood)
Traditionally, most TV series have aired their final episodes in May. Now with streaming and shorter seasons even on networks and cable, a series finale can come any time of the year. But we’re still gonna talk about them now, during this time of the year. My good friend and long-time listener, Amanda Hood, has joined me for this episode, as we discuss why people (and by “people,” I mean us) get so worked up about finales, which ones are for the birds, and which ones we love.
The Couch Podcast #117: Summer Movie Preview with Dawn Camp
MMy friend (and friend of the show) Dawn Camp is back for this summer movie preview episode, and we have a great list of movies to look forward to—and mark on the calendar. Of course, yes, yes, this is The Couch (where rabbit trails and side notes are always welcome), so we do spend some time talking about TV shows too. But mostly it’s a movie-centric episode this week, and I know you’re going to love it.
The Couch Podcast #116: Decluttering Our Digital Lives with Dana White
It’s spring so let’s talk spring cleaning! But, you know, in The Couch style. That’s right, we’re talking about decluttering our digital lives today with decluttering expert (and one of my favorite friends from early blogging days), Dana White.
The Couch Podcast #115: I Don’t Wanna Wait…to Talk Teen TV Shows (with Lyndsay Rush)
The thing about teen TV shows is that they answer some of life’s most important questions like, “what happens when a boy meets the world,” “did I do that?” and, of course, “Dawson or Pacey?” And that, obviously, is why we’re talking about these deeply important works of art today. Or, my friend Lyndsay Rush and I just love to watch shows about teenagers and we decided it’s high time to investigate why. The explanation is one of those things, I’m sure.
The Couch Podcast #114 – Struggling but Strong: The Female Characters We Relate To (with Jenny Rapson)
While most of us can admire and look up to superheroes like Wonder Woman or oh, I don’t know, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we can’t necessarily relate to them. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I was not raised on an island of Amazons, trained to be a warrior, and given accessories that literally deflect bullets. So today Jenny Rapson and I decided to talk about a different group of strong women. The women who have faced challenges, who are vulnerable, who are struggling in one area or another—but still manage to face the day with determination, perseverance, and strength.
The Couch Podcast #113 – Bad Guys, Better Nate, & More Adaptations Based on Kids’ Books (with Latasha Ferguson)
Have you read the book yet? Is the book better? Can you watch the movie even though it’s so different from the book? Watching TV and movie adaptations of books can bring up a lot of questions, and we’re answering all of them today.
In today’s episode I’m chatting with my friend (and friend of the show) Latasha Ferguson, a speaker, writer, podcast host, educator, and mom. To say she knows a thing or two about movies and books for our kids would be an understatement!
The Couch Podcast #112: Lost Cities, Jungles, & Treasure Hunting in the Movies (with Tori Rask)
Why do we love jungle movies so much? And why is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in all of them? Okay, so he’s not in all of them. Either way, my friend (and friend of the show) Tori Rask and I dive into which of these movies are our favorites and why we think they’re so compelling. I’m not going to lie. We ramble and travel far down rabbit trails but, thanks to Harry Potter, we manage to bring it full circle for you.
The Couch Podcast #111: Watching LOST for the First Time (with Amanda White)
Thanks to technical difficulties, I’m releasing a conversation from 2020 that was previously for Patreon members only. My good friend (and friend of the show) Amanda White joins me to debrief after I watched the first half of the first season of LOST – for the first time!
The Couch Podcast #110: The Actors We Want in More Hallmark Movies (with Anna Rendell)
Have you ever noticed that Hallmark movies feature the same actors over and over? Well, my best friend and best friend of the show, Anna Rendell, and I decided to fix that. We’re here to make a list of actors we want to see in more Hallmark movies, and we’re sure (haha) that the people making the movies are going to pay attention.
The Couch Podcast #109 – How Reading YA Books Builds Empathy (with Jessie Weaver)
Anxiety. Immigration. Foster Care. Multi-generational families. Science fiction fandoms. Teen athletes. LGBTQ teens. Autism. Trauma. These are just a few of the things I’ve learned about in young adult books—and each reading experience has given me a wider perspective, deeper understanding, and so much more empathy. This week my friend Jessie Weaver is joining me to talk about YA books that build empathy, and have we got a list for you!