#SweaterWeather: cozy up to fall with these 5 podcasts

Brew some pumpkin spice lattes, break out your favorite knit sweaters from storage, and bake your favorite cookies to gear up for fall with some cozy, Podsauce-approved podcasts!

Whether you’re strolling in the countryside admiring the foliage, biking in the crisp-aired city streets, or camping out in front of your favorite coffee shop’s fireplace, podcasts can keep you company!

While it’s not quite spooky time just yet, we’re chilling out and layering up with some podcasts during the last week of September. On our list, we’ve selected podcasts featuring authors on their latest releases, a podcast about consumerism, a short fiction show hosted by an acting legend, and a poetry podcast. For foodies and culinary experts, we’ve also included a cooking show.

LeVar Burton Reads

Actor LeVar Burton partners with Stitcher to bring you his favorite short fiction selections in his podcast. With a golden voice built for podcasting, you’ll likely recognize his signature vocal cadence from his work on Star Trek, Roots, and Reading Rainbow (for all you ’80s and ’90s kids out there)! LeVar’s readings are mixed with soundscapes to complement the listening experience. Previous episodes include stories from Ray Bradbury, Octavia Butler, Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Kurt Vonnegut, and more.

Home Cooking

Hosted by chef/author Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway, creator/host of the podcast “Song Exploder,” Radiotopia’s “Home Cooking” is for foodies and chefs. This podcast was cooked up during quarantine and helps listeners decide what to cook and eat. With episode titles like “Starch Nemesis” covering waffles and mochi to “Bittersweet” a 53-minute episode dedicated to cookies, we bet you’ll get hungry listening to this delicious series. The hosts are often joined by guests such as Samin and Hrishikesh’s family members, writer/comedian Demi Adejuyigbe, and actor Jason Mantzoukas, just to name a few.

Add to Cart

Lemonada presents “Add to Cart,” an atypical take on consumerism with hosts Kulap Vilaysack and SuChin Pak. Episodes investigate what’s worth the investment, and emotional/financial considerations are analyzed. Kulap and SuChin will tackle products and ideas you’ve likely thrown in your cart or have graced your wishlist. They’ll explore health and beauty products, fashion, and essentials. And products and services they decide to skip. Is there anything we can do to make our lives more eco-friendly? They’ll explore this question in an episode. Special guests often join the hosts such as PEOPLE Magazine‘s Andrea Lavinthal and Jason Sheeler.

The Book Review

The New York Times‘ “The Book Review” welcomes authors and critics to unpack the latest and best-selling books topping their lists. Hosted by Pamela Paul, this series releases new, weekly episodes. On a recent episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead discussed his crime thriller, Harlem Shuffle, set in the 1960s. This is Colson’s third appearance on “The Book Review.” Colm Tóibín was interviewed and explained why he was inspired to write about the Nobel prize-winning novelist Thomas Mann in his book, The Magician.

Episodes also share publishing news and updates. Need new book recommendations? On this podcast, NYT’s staff will reveal what they’re currently reading.

The Slowdown

From American Public Media comes “The Slowdown,” a daily poetry podcast hosted by Ada Limón. In this series, poems offer listeners a short break from their day to reflect on ideas and the world. The new season kicked off in late September. All episodes are under 15 minutes long.