Finding Favorites with Leah Jones
Finding Favorites is where we learn about people’s favorite things and get recommendations without using an algorithm. Every other week, host Leah Jones sits down with a guest to learn about how they found their favorite thing, why they love it and why they think other people will fall in love, too.
Episodes
To kick off the month of Elul and High Holy Day preparations, Leah sat down with Sarah Osborne, founder of A Mitzvah to Eat, to talk about how her organizations supports Jews who are unable to fast on days like Yom Kippur. We also talk about leadership, our mutual friend Evonne, and tongue drums.
Order your A Mitzvah to Eat care package by September 12, 2025 to receive before Yom Kippur.
A Mitzvah to Eat
Shai Korman, one of the Friday Night Movie podcast hosts, is on the road with a movie he produced with his sisters. He took a break in between festivals to talk about The Floaters, film festivals and Weird Al.
Follow Shai online
- Shai Korman: https://www.instagram.com/pancake4table/
- Friday Night Movie Podcast: https://fridaynightmoviepod.podbean.com/
- Floaters the Movie: https://floatersmovie.com/
Show Links
Israel-based educator and writer Sharna Marcus joined Leah on Friday, June 20th, to share the story of how she was able to get to Indiana from Israel during the active war with Iran. Spoiler alert: a cargo ship was involved.
We talk about her work as a Middle East history educator, the damage done by the "weapons of mass destruction" lies told by the Bush administration, finding Jewish identity and community, and more.
Follow Shar...
Author Lee Upton joined Leah to talk about her newest book Wrongful, available for pre-order now for May 1 delivery, and about how she became a bunny person.
PSA: Bunnies are exotic pets and not responsible Easter presents. Stick to chocolate and toy bunnies today!
Where was the podcast? Leah had emergency gall bladder surgery which meant hitting eject from her life for about a month. So happy to be back on the mic and to welcome b...
Detroit-based Brandon Klein sat down with Leah to talk about his love of interviewing - AKA non-fiction storytelling. Brandon has been a meditation coach, lived "van life" in the national parks, and is the creator and host of Humanize the Human Eyes.
Keep up with Brandon on YouTube and Instagram
https://www.youtube.com/@brandonmklein/videos
https://www.instagram.com/brand0nklein/
Show Notes
Christine Marie Eberle returns to Finding Favorites to discuss her new book and the pilgrimage that inspired her to write it. Her new book Finding God Along the Way: Wisdom from the Ignatian Camino for Life at Home is available now.
We have an in depth conversation about the logistics, prayer and intentions of going on this pilgrimage in the fall of 2022.
Show Notes
Every year, we start by looking back at 2024. We asked friends and past guests to send in voice memos highlighting their favorite things of 2024. In this episode you'll hear from
- Shai Korman – Friday Night Movie Podcast
- Jesse Dukes – Upper Middle Brow
- Liz Nord
- Laura and Annie – BFF Sticker Club
- Chris Bagg – Upper Middle Brow
- Pam Mandel – Canned
- Mike Maddaloni
- Amy Guth – Canned
- Rocco Cataldo - Some stuff from Rocco
- Jason Mathes ...
It's a crossover episode of Finding Favorites and Upper Middle Brow - Leah Jones, Jesse Dukes and Chris Bagg are talking about robot friends and enemies. We start with M3GAN and go on a winding conversation from there.
Subscribe to Upper Middle Brow and rate them 5 stars: https://uppermiddlebrow.com/
Recommendations from this show:
- Ted Chiang’s Exhalation
- Alien: Romulus
- Duncan Jones Moon
H...
Curtis Smith, author of Deaf Heaven (available May 2025) and The Lost and The Blind, is a professor who loves 70s Hollywood. Leah and Curt talk about his new book, favorite movies and directors. Build your own 70s To Watch list from this episode.
Leah is still collecting voice memos for the best of 2024 episode slated for January 12th. There's still time to send in a 1-5 minute clip highlighting some of the things you found and lov...
Jeph Wilkinson, host of Big Campaign Podcast, loves table top role playing games (AKA TTRPGs) and joined Leah to talk about how he found Dungeons & Dragon, the joy of running TTRPGs campaigns with friends, and storytelling. Jeph is an independent podcaster!
Follow Jeph online
- The World of Big Campaign Stories: https://www.bigcampaign.com/
- Big Campaign Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/big_campaign_stories
- Big Campaign Po...
Rabbi Michael Zedek, the rabbi emeritus of Emanuel Congregation in Chicago, joined Leah for a very fun and meandering conversation about lots of his favorite things. His book, Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality, is going into a second printing and he's available for all of your events - Jewish or not, in person or virtual, to discuss the book.
As a congregant of 20 years, Leah used the podcast to get the...
Ashlie, host of Advice from The Cheerbrarian, LOVES books and loves to prescribe books to friends, listeners and strangers based on a few questions. We talk about breaking up with your phone, the benefits of parallel reading multiple books at the same time, and book discovery.
Keep up with Ashlie online
- Advice from the Cheerbrarian: https://open.spotify.com/show/77y9HmJHzKhZZ8wyspnCqb
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ardai...
Nancy House-Bluhm, author of Whispers for Terra and The Nickel Loop, loves clear communication. The midwesterner spent 25 years in Colorado before returning to Michigan. She talks with Leah about communication skills, trains and The Artist's Way.
Keep up with Nancy online
- Whispers for Terra
- The Nickel Loop
- Nancy's website
- Nancy's email
- Instagram @jnbpine
- Nancy on Facebook
- Tik Tok @nancyhouserbluhmauthor
Show Notes
Elana Silber is the CEO of Sharsheret, the Jewish breast and ovarian cancer organization that Leah supports, and totally obsessed with Orangetheory. Nothing interrupts her daily workouts and she might get you Orange-curious by the end of the episode. Elana has dedicated her career to supporting people with breast and ovarian cancers through her work at Sharsheret. We talk a lot about what you should be doing to understand your brea...
Theresa Goodrich, aka The Local Tourist, has always loved to write. After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided not to let anything stop her from writing fiction and she has written FIVE mysteries featuring travel writer Alex Paige. Theresa is one of the first people I met on Twitter and this was a great chance to catch up with each other.
Since it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, both new episodes will feature intervie...
Summer hiatus is over with a banger of an episode! Abbas Jaffary, a mathematician and roller derby referee, joined Leah to talk about The Chicago Knockouts Roller Derby League and his love of math. Leah and Abbas also share a love of How Did This Get Made, the podcast that brings all people together.
Follow Abbas online
Mathematics for Misfits: https://linktr.ee/mathematicsformisfits
Accessible Mathematics:https://www.accessiblem...
Chuck Gay, a musician, writer and actor, joins Leah to introduce her to Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. Chuck can be seen in Elvis of the Yukon (as Elvis) written by guest Pam Mandel and produced by Amy Guth.
Keep up with Chuck online
Top Five Buck Owens Albums
- Buck Owens and The Buckaroos - Carnegie Hall Concert
- Buck Owens and The Buckaroos - In Japan!
- Bu...
Author Darrin Doyle returns to celebrate a new book and his love of horror movies.
Keep up with Darrin online
- Darrin's website: https://www.darrindoyle.com/
- Darrin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarrinDoyle
- Darrin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrindoylewriter/
- Let Gravity Seize the Dead pre-order: https://regal-house-publishing.mybigcommerce.com/let-gravity-seize-the-dead/
Show Notes
Author and film maker Pam Mandel is here to convince us all to add an ebike to our garage for local errands and more freedom of movement. Her debut short film Elvis of the Yukon debuted in New York and has just been selected for the Seattle Film Festival.
We will be visiting with her collaborators throughout the summer as we celebrate road trips.
Keep up with Pam Mandel online
Pam’s Links
- Nerd's Eye View website and blog: https...
Monica Reida, a Chicago-based artist and writer, loves coffee. Like... LOVES coffee. Affogato, espresso, drip coffee, percolated coffee, different roasts, decaf and so much more.
Keep up with Monica online
- Monica's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicareida/
- Monica's portfolio: https://monicareida.myportfolio.com/
- Monica's blog, Notes from a Sentient Cabbage: https://sentientcabbage2.wordpress.com/
Show Notes
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