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Mixed Bag of Holding: NaddPod Recommends! (Our Favorite Things from 2025) (Patreon)

Published:
2025-12-31 22:12:21
Imported:
2026-06

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Content

Happy Two Year, everybody! In our newly minted annual tradition, The 2 Crew shares our Top Five Things from 2025 (as well as a slew of honorable mentions). Scroll down to see all our lists!

NADDPOD RECOMMENDS 2025

---

CALDWELL

5. The Finnish Long Drink

4. Delta Rune

3. The Last Dinner Party

2. Dollywood

1. Haikyu!!

---

EMILY

5. Mood Lighting

4. Basketball / Fantasy Sports

3. The Library

2. Basil Plants

1. The Roman Empire (Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome)

---

JAKE

5. Breathwork

4. A.M. / F.M. Radio

3. Efterklang - "Dreams Today"

2. Keen Water Shoes

1. Randall's Island

---

MURPH

5. IDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics

4. Chair Company

3. Activate Games

2. Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles

1. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes

---Thanks again for listening and supporting us this year, if you've got a recommendation to share, drop in the comments below!

Comments

Tiffany

HAPPY 2026 Woo

Alison

happy new year! perfect timing. this notification came through as my friends and i are doing our top 5 things presentations. my friend and i introduced one of our mutual friends to naddpod this year and we’re working on the others

Ashton Johnson

Yay so glad you did another one of these!!

Scrumblina Brumblina

Yesssss cannot wait to listen. Thanks for all the great content

Wyl

scandinavia mention!!! efterklang are great, and i'm currently brewing an apple and basil iced tea overnight in the fridge for me to enjoy on my first day of 2026 :) happy new year to all the naddpoles!

Stacie

Yay! Happy New Year all 🎇

Fleeting Effigy

I’ve been waiting for this!! I have been saving a recommendation of my own for the NADDPOLES and especially Murph. This year I listened to “Beat the Champ” by The Mountain Goats well over 100 times. The Mountain Goats are a long standing folk/rock/??? outlet and a particular all-time favorite of mine. “Beat the champ” is an upbeat and also highly reflective album about professional wrestling. My favorite song is either “The Legend of Chavo Guerrero” or “The Ballad of Bull Ramos” hopefully someone else enjoys this as much as I have.

rosebramblewolf

It's okay guys, what media you consume isn't your personality

senna

HAPPY NEW YEARS !!

senna

deltarune mentioned ‼️

senna

@jake plz drop the link for ur breathing videos if you can i have chronic pain and i feel like this might change my life

Rootie

I cannot wait for y'all to play Blue Prince. If Lorelai was good for y'all... buckle up!

Kellyd

I know they'd never play this but whenever they talk about Lorelai i think Emily would love the old Nancy Drew games and i wish i could recommend to them!! Blackmoor Manor and Crystal Skull would be my recs due to length and difficulty level and in-game reading and necessary note taking

Erica H

As somebody who works at a library, it actually makes me feel so special how much Emily loves libraries.

Zarroc

Caldwell I feel like I just need to say I always recognize and appreciate your anime references lol

Lamp

My calling is here, bask in my ambient glow

slingomaboga

no i fear cell phone fatigue is real lol im 22 and have begun en corporate burning cds & digicams and physical books again

kaylee w

emily how are you taking the jokic injury

John Larson

Dungeon Crawler Carl! Especially the audiobooks, incredible narrator with a wide range and also reads a little like a D&D campaign the first few books.

Ryanne Wallace

Emily has mentioned getting dvds from the library a bunch. If she doesn't already know about it, she should check out "Kanopy," it's like libby but for movies and TV shows!

Fernathan

Happy New Year everyone! ☺️

jackalope503

Murph getting crushed for avoiding problematic athletes on his fantasy team is such a niche problem that I identify with heavily 😂

Ilana Galpert

i beat the widow (silksong) listening to this so thank you

HalcyonicHermes

Failed to mention the classic quote "I Love Lamp" from Murph's favorite movie: Anchorman, at the top of the episode 🤣

A. Lee. S

Murph, we are the same age and we go to activate alllll the time! It’s so fun. (They have them in Canada)

Veronica S

I’m sorry, how does one go about making apple basil iced tea?? That sounds delicious!!!

5minutelovecrafts

Highly recommend the stormlight archive by Brandon Sanderson. That and the wider cosmere series is wonderful.

Veronica S

Post the tasteful Halloween sweater!!! 🎃🦇👻

ASHNRider

Julius Caesar is so good. I love Shakespeare. Have you guys gotten into stage combat at all with this stuff? It’s super cool

sam s.

drop the sweater

Wyl

a handful of basil (about 20g-ish), a tablespoon of sugar, mashed together with a cocktail muddler or a wooden spoon, then add 500ml of water, the peel and flesh from one red apple chopped into manageable chunks, and then throw in two bags of english breakfast tea! cover with a lid and leave in the fridge for about 24 hours, then strain and serve over ice.

jackalope503

For a split second I thought “My Keen Water Shoes” was the title of a poem Jake loved

Courtney F.

Happy new year to all!!! 🎉Sincerely thankful for another year of great content and here's to what's ahead! 🥂 See y'all at Radio City!!! ❤️ Will there be dancing? 😂💃🏼

Wyatt Royse

If you take a sip of the long drink and then add a little more gin, you can make a “longer drink”. Or at least that’s what we do.

emilythecoffeewench

yesss!! lorelai and the laser eyes!! I played with my girlfriend after y'all recommended it the first time, so much better with two people.

Andrew Kelley

As a public library worker my heart is so so warmed by how much Emily loves her library. Libraries have so many cool things to offer for people of all ages, interests, and abilities-all for free!! Please keep shouting out all the resources libraries provide, I’ll never get tired of hearing it!

Barpo Goodbarrel Bard-Barian

If you liked the Bright sword I highly recommend Spear by Nicola Griffith. It was one of my favorite new (to me) books of the year.

Barpo Goodbarrel Bard-Barian

A heartfelt sincere thank you for this show. It really got me through a truly terrible year. After 2 of my friends passed away, this show gave me something to smile about and look forward to.

Ilana Galpert

favorite books of the last year: snake-eater--i know it's another t. kingfisher book recommendation, and i promise i read other authors. this book was so good, though, and unlike anything else on the market (which is why it took her 10 years to get it published!) the rotting hound. this book is written in second person, which would normally turn me off immediately. I like the author though so i gave it a chance and...it's excellent. also, somehow, not like any other book i've ever read. it's about an acolyte's reverence for the avatar of a goddess, who begins the story as a regular human woman I also just finished this brutal moon, the last book in a trilogy by Bethany jacobs. the whole series is excellent but the last book is particularly good. the books are about a group of people ravaged by colonialism who are fighting for a safe place in the world that keeps taking advantage of their resources and their labor. last time i recommended books i think i also bought them all for you which in hindsight i regret because 1. gifts make reading feel l like an obligation and 2. idk your preferred method of reading, i like reading books on my phone because it's always with me, and i don't want to send something that will be more of a burden than a joy

Zanna

Not many people have seen Haikyuu!??? Every person I meet has seen this anime 😂😂 (I loved it in high school)

Alice W

For anyone looking for something to do on NYE, I highly recommend watching the very weird special Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, which boldly asks the question: “what if you just let people point and laugh at your physical differences instead of getting all sad about it?”

Chad Rhiness

My wife and I have been playing Lorelei through the winter break and it's got us HOOKED.

Chef Julie B

Yay basil plant and kitchen autonomy! ✨ Rosemary is a great second plant!

Kellyd

losing friends is a different kind of pain impossible to describe, sorry to hear! naddpod is a great coping tool ❤️

abi_all_pink

for emily (and any other basketball fans), highly recommend watching Unrivaled basketball. the season will start in just a week! and it’s great to support women’s sports!

Natalia

Emily I feel like you would LOVE the energy at WNBA games, the LA sparks are so fun to watch

Not Another D&D Podcast

yes I have heard!! I've gotta check it out. Angel city FC is the womens soccer team here in la, and the games are so fun to go to. The energy at the stadium is different in an awesome way. -Emily

Not Another D&D Podcast

I will check this out! The Curse of Chalion gave me a couple bright sword tingles, and I crave more. -Emily

Not Another D&D Podcast

I WISH. I took a couple fencing classes when I was a kid, but I had to stop because the instructor smelled very much like alcohol, and that worried my parents. It was cool though! -Emily

Not Another D&D Podcast

With nothing but patience for my king. He's done so much for my team, we ask nothing of him at the time but healing. I also have kawhi leonard, whose been on fire that past week, and tyrese maxey, who is awesome, and I've picked up a couple studs via streaming. We're also undefeated so far, so if we face our first loss in jokic's absence, that's fine. By we I mean my team of talented men. -Emily

Mortimer Lunch

Emily yes!!! I love the way you described fantasy sports. I don’t really care for football that much but I’ve been in a fantasy football league with friends I went to college with. This is our 15th year and most of us live in different parts of the country, but fantasy football keeps us chatting about EVERYTHING. I love that!!

ASHNRider

Yikes, but yeah! Caesar has tons of fun fight scenes and great theatrical monologues that make a great show! Would say glad you enjoyed it but I ain’t shakes! If you ain’t read Macbeth yet or recently I recommend

Mortimer Lunch

If you drink all of it and then fill the cup with gin, it becomes the longest drink!

Kallie

Regarding Kundalini yoga. Maybe watch the documentary Breath of Fire

thiswayjose

Where’s the Murph sweater episode icon?!?!

kaylee w

love maxey! and it looks like Jokic is gonna be back sooner than expected — no crutches! you made my NYE!!!

Courtney F.

Emily! Liverpool supporter here! I started following them because I loved Coutinho! Then... All of... That.. Happened.. But I've stayed a Liverpool supporter because I just love what they are ❤️ If you wanna go full crap team, support Everton 😜 YNWA

Evil Grimace

Some of my 2025 favourites: Kill 6 Billion Demons: an awesome webcomic you can read for free online. It is a techy fantasy where a sorority girl is thrust into a plot with demons, angels, and the rulers of the 777,777 universes. It has amazing artwork, lore, and was created by the person behind the Lancer ttrpg artwork. Rediscovering James Gurney’s amazing Dinotopia artwork: a world where humans and dinosaurs live together. Pokemon Concierge: Season 2: in a world where I am getting drowned by AI, it’s nice to see charming stop-motion still being used. Also the Sealeo episode really made me tear up. The Skaldova Arc: I was just really impressed by the lore and world building Jake did. Plus a good ol’ fashioned dungeon crawl was refreshing! Getting An iPad/ Using Procreate: just really helped give me a creative outlet if I just wanted to sketch or doodle some silly characters rather than setting up my cumbersome drawing tablet rig.

Jeffrey Steck, Lord of the Fjord

Listening to all retro recs: library, physical media, fantasy sports, classic music, is just describing my whole life. I didn’t finish Lorelei, maybe I needed a partner.

Kid Chaos, the pride and torment of the podcast

5 minutes in and this is already so controversial for me! You mean to tell me y’all have just living a wretched big lamp life until recently? And you light candles during the day?!? It’s so wild how different the paths we take in life are.

Mubeen Khan

Please play Dispatch! It's really good.

Santa Grinch Hugging HumBaba and two Fairies

Absolum is the most fun Video Game ive played all year I think. My Jersey friend recommended it to me, I bought it just to play with them and now I'm playing alone just for fun

Morgan

same here!! i work in admin (and am getting my MS-ILS) and being able to see all of the programming we offer along with all of the new novels we get in for all ages just makes me so happy!! more love for public libraries in 2026!!

Lindsey

My biggest recommendation for 2025 is switching to expanding dental floss! My dental hygienist, who is an angel and a true subject matter expert, got me to upgrade to a better electronic toothbrush and to swap out glide floss for expanding floss and my mouth feels great.

Kellyd

I bought Lorelai a couple months ago but even a few reviews on Steam and non-naddpod subreddits mention playing with a partner so I keep getting intimidated into not starting it lol

TechnoMach

Emily for more Rome (and other history) you should check out the channel Historia Civilis :) He made a one-off called Work you should check out

Martian

When Jake started talking about that yeeting kids book the words "damn? Oppa Trunchbull style?" Escaped my lips before I could stop it. So that's in the world now I guess

casey eats pizza

My partner and I have been using MakeMKV and Jellyfin to save all our library dvd into our computer so we can have our own streaming with our bluerays

Laura !

cell phone fatigue is definitely NOT your age. i’m 25 and everyone i know hates their phone too

Andrea Quinn

Poet rec for Jake and any other Ross Gay fans: Hanif Abdurraqib. He’s got a new collection coming out in 2026, and everything he’s written is perfect. He’s also an incredible essayist and culture critic (his Fall Out Boy essay is so important to me). He’s also my only favorite Instagram follow. Here’s a good one, but he truly never misses: https://poets.org/poem/i-was-told-sunlight-was-cure

Mavid Stan

YES!! Caldwell! Love The Last Dinner Party!!! Audibly agreed! “Agnus Dei” I think is my favorite off this new album. I horseback ride and galloping around to “Second Best” is just the right song to move to.

Shelby

Speaking of going analog, is there anyway we could ever get a physical NADDPOD release? I would love a CD(s) of the campaign!

Mavid Stan

Emily, I love the Roman Empire too!! It has so many phases and so many layers. Could we learn from it? Maybe? Is it fun either way? Yes!!

Patrick Kearney

Emily, if you're into Fall of Civilizations and are on a Rome kick, you should check out Mike Duncan's History of Rome. If you like that, he also did/is doing Revolutions, a podcast on the history of revolutions from the English Civil War through the Russian Revolution (and a fictional future revolution)

JR Lonergan

I've been grinding all year on Final Fantasy Tactics as well, Murph. Best game ever.

Kellyd

Omg finally a naddpod/nancy fan, and a kapu cave fan at that my underrated king

JR Lonergan

Em, check out the Pop Culture and Philosophy series. There's a little bit of something for everyone

Crystal T

I happened to have read lots of duds this year. I had 7 DNFs! But Project Hail Mary was my #1. I just finished book 7 of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, which I also really enjoyed.

Crystal T

Haha, I had the same thought! I hate overhead lights. I only turn them on for very specific uses.

Lauri Savilahti

Finland mentioned, torille!!! @Caldwell, lonkero literally translates to 'tentacle'. There's also pineapple and glögg flavour, The latter IS exclusive for The holiday season

pkaydee

Caldwell, we do "Salty Dogs" in MO, grapefruit soda + gin + salted rim! Kind of like a poloma but grapefruit soda is way better 💜

9on

drew crew rise up

9on

Inscryption was my game of the year this year. it came out in 2021 but i recommended it to a friend who i thought would love it and she streamed it over discord and i was absolutely all in. base mechanics of a TCG but with puzzles and roguelite elements, changing art styles, and a really compelling story. every time you think you start to understand it, it flips your expectations on their head. truly haven’t had the thrill of surrendering to what a game had in store for me like that in a very long time, and it was fun to strategize with my friend about deckbuilding and strategy. honorable mention to disco elysium, which i played for the first time at the beginning of the year. truly nothing quite like it, scratches an itch you never knew you had. stands alone in every aspect. happy new year, it’s been another wonderful year on the patreon and a total delight to tune into every week. i maintain that the mixed bags are some of the most entertaining episodes you guys make, and are a highlight of every month.

Rune A

Have been looking forward to this! I just started The Bright Sword last night based on the recommendation from last year (got it as a xmas gift). As for my recommendations, I don’t have a full list but I read The Final Empire last year and that was great. I also recommend Chants of Sennar for people who are into linguistics and puzzle games.

Leif_millelnuie

Basil recommendation : repot it in a pot with drainage with high sulfate fertilizer and these mofos grow like weed.

Roy Prishkulnik

Emily I have to know who your favorite players were! Hearing you stopped supporting Liverpool because they sold them breaks my heart :( My whole family supports Liverpool and it's always been "club above all" so I don't relate to the sentiment but you should come back to us!! The current squad has a great blend of memesters and responsible adults imo, and we've been quite bad this season so it's also great timing 😅 And Caldwell if you like The Last Dinner Party I think you'd love FIZZ. Their sound is similar but maybe more upbeat

Joe Howard

Both my parents are librarians, including my dad who’s a library director and it feels cool to see them get their credit due :)

K. Diane

Studied the Etruscans, their language, and archaeology in college. Their history and relationship with the Roman Empire is so fascinating! The Francois Tomb is a trip

Jess J

“Because who I am suuucks” got me 😂 full snort

Zachary Armstrong

I'm excited for the 2026 NADDPOD recommends when they realise that Heated Rivalry truly saved TV right at the end of 2025.

Billie Ash

The breathing tip is actually something I ran into when starting voice training - and it really helped relax me when I got anxiety!

Ro

some 2025 recs for fellow horror writers or creepers or anyone really: Weird fiction - especially The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers Steering the Craft by Ursula LeGuin The game Dread which uses jenga for collaborative horror storytelling! The Strange Pictures/Strange house books by Uketsu are like puzzle novels that you work out as you read!

Ro

Also YNWA!

Jen M

How many people tried the breathing techniques and were like “will this fix me??”

Nick Neverman

I’m so sad the truth of Tottenham fandom settled in for Jake, he was so optimistic for a while

Santa Grinch Hugging HumBaba and two Fairies

I almost to Recommend "Castle Rat" they are a Wizard Doom Metal band from Brooklyn and they sound like a personified Wizard metal van ? I Dressed up as a Wizard and saw them live on a Tuesday night maybe the best night I had this year

Patrick Briatico-Kirwin

+1 for byung chul han, keens and reading. And I guess anime (finally finished hibike euphonium it was top 2 for me)

Jenna H

1. It makes me so happy that Emily has grown to love basketball through playing fantasy. Having approximately 15 baby boys from across the league that you see as your guys is imo the perfect way to watch. It is unfortunately a nightmare trying to figure out what games are where. The NBA app is nice for knowing where they'll be as it's listed on every game. 2. Highly recommend Seance at Blake Manor for spooky energy puzzle game. You get contacted to find a missing woman at a hotel that's going to host a seance where something Bad is going to happen. Find out why every guest is there, convince them to skip the seance, and find the missing woman. It's really fun and atmospheric, deeply drenched in Irish mythology and folklore. Plus some really great voice acting. Would be very fun to play with someone next to you.

hannah

naddpod will always be on my top five and i listened to this while going through my slow, sunshine cloaked morning and it was such a delight

uudd

Im curious if any of them took the 2024 recommendations, like did Jake play magic, did murph and Emily boiled eggs differently, did anyone buy the perfect v neck?

Hunter Leach

I cannot recommend the Kamen Rider shows enough for Caldwell or even Emily and Murph (cause they loved power rangers). Not the anime the actual Tokusatsu series.

A. Lee. S

My Roman Empire is Cleopatra right now. But it has definitely been the Roman Empire in the past!! 💕☺️

Brant

legitimately choked on my coffee at “how about throw, scott”

kimikoroi

I can vouch for Keen hiking boots! They're the only pair of shoes I've owned for the past 2 years and they've held up great after being worn every single day of my life. Super comfy too

Hunter Leach

For Caldwell specifically id recommend Kamen Rider Gaim, it’s written by one of the people who created Madoka Magica

Crangar’s Little Helper

Also if people like Deltarune try playing ‘Look Outside’. Spooky crazy cool and fun

Bransy330

My husband and I are part of a fantasy football league with our core group of couple friends in NJ. I can confirm it's a ton of fun to suck at

Xacris

I have been discovering the joy of mood lighting as well! I got one of those lamps that activates when you touch any part of it because the light switch for the room was inconvenient... and now I have a taste for that moodier feel! LAMPS!

Kelso of the Sea

I seriously admire how much Emily just does new things! I have a million interests and things I want to do and I have the hardest time getting myself to actually do any of it. Also what Jake with breathing is describing is why therapists will often have you do breath work even when it’s annoying!

Crangar’s Little Helper

I loved how wholesome this episode was. So good for the soul. So good to start the year with.

megcelente

THE LAST DINNER PARTY MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥

Melissa Shilale

This yoga instructor is really happy to hear this breathing breakthrough 🫶🫶

Trey

The breathing discussion also shows why learning to sing/play an instrument is important (especially in children) because diaphragm is a natural part of the process. Breath control will actively define tone, phrasing, pitch and timbre..etc.

Shrimp Loaf

Show us the Halloween sweater you cowards

Brandon Stacks

Book recommendations this year has to go to Becky chambers. The monk and the robot duology and the wayfarer series are incredible. Also L.M. Saga’s two debut books are very warm and heartfelt sci-fi books that I’ve thought about all year

tyalaman

Im still listening and I love this for recs. I'm at the NBA portion. The whole fracturing of media landscape and how to watch games is annoying. But I also think more games are available now for national audience to watch across NBC/Peacock, Prime, ESPN/ABC and whatever your local channel would be for you local team. If you want to know where a game is this link is what I've bookmarked to know where a game is that night: https://www.nba.com/schedule I know it's super basic but it's been a god send this season

Theo Englund

Teddy’s 2025 top five 1. Finding Inner Peace (still looking) 2. Lenovo Legion Go S 3. My cat Baz 4. Physical Media 5. Cloudward Ho! Happy new year gang! I just wanted to reflect on my favs this year too, hope 2026 is great for all!

Ro

Ok last one: I just saw Pillion and it’s the best film I’ve seen in AGES!

Wojtek

You guys are so old (complimentary)

Tavitafish

I keep my Christmas lights strung up all year across my ceiling and it's huge. It's just enough light that you can see at night but dim enough to not be annoying or keep my daughter awake

Rowdy Grandpa

I wanted to cheer aloud when FM radio got brought up! WRIR is a local station that broadcasts in Richmond VA but they have a website where you can listen online & look at their archived shows. Highly recommend it for expanding your listening interests with actual human curation :D https://www.wrir.org/ also HELL YEAH TO BASKETBALL AND HAKIYUU

Ashley

Emily, you’d love Dan Carlin’s Hardocre History podcast.

Boon

I have been using the library this year on emilys recommendation and ive been reading so much more.

Veronica S

Oh my goodness, this sounds so good, I can’t wait to make this! Thank you so much!!!

Nick D

CALDWELL! Please check out Ace of the Diamond, since you like Haikyu!! And anyone else! Please watch, it's done by Madhouse, it's about baseball, and it's getting another season this year. So so good. Ahiru no Sora gets an honorable mention for basketball anime, but that one really has some feels in it.

Wyl

I hope you enjoy!! the color might turn out a little gnarly but the taste is excellent.

Jamie Matthews

As someone who works at the library I am loving these shout outs!! People ask me at least three or four times a week "how much for a library card?" because they literally cannot conceptualize that its totally free.

InevitablyLion

A book rec for Murph: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. It's medieval, it's biblical, it's truly horrific, and it's about a knights journey doing what's Right and I think you and Emily too would love it. Was my #1 book of this year

Tayci Stallings

My kids and I played Lorelei and the Laser Eyes due to Murph and Emily's recommendation and its such a great game. I love puzzle games and grew up on action/adventure games so it really hit the spot. While its a bit different Blue Prince is in the same wheelhouse and I highly highly recommend.

Tayci Stallings

I will definitely check out Inscryption because that sounds so cool! Have you played Blue Prince 👀?

9on

yes, we just finished blue prince the other day! it was so fun

Trey

As a huge basketball (76ers) fan im so interested in hearing what players are on Emily's and Murphs teams.

Chris Ingham

I can absolutely vouch for the phone fatigue/going analog thing. I just got an mp3 player so that I can take my phone out of my life to some degree at least. It’s just nice to be able to leave my phone in the other room but still be able to listen to music while I do a hobby or the dishes or whatever. Plus I have a more active relationship with my music, since I’m the one that went out of my way to put the dang songs on there!

Alex

2025 was tough naddpoles. I’m very thankful to have had this podcast as a much needed reprieve through this past year. May 2026 be great for all of us and thank you again for what you guys do! I hope you’re able to read again Murph😭 (Might be more of an Emily recommendation than Murph, but for sure try to read anything by Sarah Waters if you wanna get back into reading! Tipping the Velvet is a personal favorite of mine)

Stefan UrKILL (Figgy)

I went to a bougie acting school for a year, and they really don't tell you how much breathwork there is in acting. It was like, 70% breathwork, 25% yoga as fitness, 5% doing plays. Mostly a waste of money but I still use a lot of the breathing stuff.

Robert S.

Emily’s gotta stop apologizing for loving the library. It’s literally the coolest thing on earth

Janaga

I think i recommended this earlier this year somewhere but Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree is worth plugging again. It's a cozy book set in a fantasy world about a grizzled orc adventurer who decides she's had enough and settles down in the city to open a coffee shop. I finished the sequel recently, Bookshops and Bonedust and I think this man single handedly reinvigorated my childhood love of reading. I'm in the middle of another book now, have another one ready to go after that, and my mom got me the third book, Brigands and Breadknives, for Christmas. 2026 will be my grand return to books.

Aryena

Ugh the recommendations episodes are always my favorite, I’m so glad you do these now. Emily is why I’ve been more committed to going to the library and using Libby - everyone should go and support their libraries so they stay funded 🥹 Haikyu I got really into it beginning 2024 right before the Olympics - it actually inspired me to try volleyball and I literally play beach volleyball multiple times a week for over a year and a half now. I was never a sports person but Haikyuu literally unlocked the jock in my nerd self!!! It’s a fantastic anime I totally second the Activate gym, I went to that exact same one and it was a life changing experience. It was a great blend of both my #gamer and newly found jock side hahaha

Aryena

I was going to recc the same book!! Incredible read

Aryena

Oh I wanted to also recommend the Persian poet Rumi to Jake - a book called “the essential rumi” by coleman barkes. Another book I’d love to recommend in general is “A Lover’s Discourse” by Roland Barthes. Just a lovely book analyzing little fragments of love and how people show and express it, and covers the whole spectrum of the emotion - from the highs and the lows. It was a little hard to get into because it’s a translation but I stuck with it and it’s really beautiful

Kris Barnes

Love the recommendation episodes. Caldwell if you love Haikyu you should check out the movie 100 Meters. It’s on Netflix and there’s definitely some similar themes

Danny P

Release the sweater pics

Summer Tribe

I cannot fucking believe that Murph is reading comics and isn't reading DWJ's Transformers. Optimus Prime pulling wrestling moves has to be up his alley

Michelle Spurgeon

I thought Emily said bagel plant and i was very confused lol

Zoe

Emily, if you ever move on from the roman empire, the Napoleonic era is a great deep dive as well. A great starting poi nt is The Age of Napoleon podcast with Everett Rummage!

Emily Lalande

Happy new year everyone! 🎉 Emily, I super recommend the book Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper!! Historical fiction that deals with the Iceni rebellion against Rome in Britain, then Nero’s reign and the Year of Four Emperors! She also has a great series called the Wolf’s Den about Pompeii just before the volcanic explosion.

Riley Deveau

Emily you should read The Will of Many by James Islington. I didn’t like his first Trilogy but this book is SO good and Roman inspired

Vaelyhn

The 2011 IDW TMNT run is without a doubt the best TMNT media ever released. The perfect combination of the other runs.

Bruce Kellerman

I went to activate with this year with my 7 year old son down here in Atlanta! That place rocks!

Miss Ter Cole

My sister had Costco sheet cake for her wedding, not cause it's cheap, but because it's delicious.

Mads Kathleen

Might get back into haikyuu. I originally watched it in highschool and waited forever before figuring they would never finish the show tbh. Highly recommend the anime The Summer Hilary Died on Netflix. Absolutely incredible one that came out this year.

Dom Lehn

I too decorate my house like a dorm room 😂

JFran

"Like a serpent with arms" is an incredibly vivid descriptor.

Dom Lehn

Whistle punk and donkey puncher as jobs had me dying 😂

aaaapril

You guys should check out Scavenger’s Reign, it’s the same animation company as Common Side Effects, but it’s about people surviving after crash-landing on an alien planet. It’s incredible beautiful and sometimes horrifying.

Ashley

Loved this! I've gotten into the library too, and VINYL. My recommendation: everyone should sit without a phone and just listen (re-listen) to Nirvana's MTV Unplugged on good speakers or headphones. Experience a feeling.

Aaron Tippetts

Emily’s slow morph into a frat bro (interests include Roman Empire, fantasy sports, taking care of a low effort plant) needs to be studied (joking ofc but it elicited an out loud laugh at the gym when she revealed her #1)

Erik Moser

As a rural library director in WA, hell yes.

Rumi Tuesday

If yall aren’t listening to The Tallest Man on Earth, you should really start

Please Dont Look at Me

I have Christmas lights up on my bedroom wall and at night I turn off the overheads and plug in the Christmas lights. Right now the Christmas lights are hanging over 10 year old posters that actually were in my dorm room but even when I eventually get rid of the posters I’m keeping the Xmas lights forever and I’ll never be ashamed

Jameen Blizzard

I grow big leaf Basil every year, I get so much it’s insane. I end up making tons of pesto and then dry the leftovers and have dried basil for most of winter. I can only keep mine alive for few months before it gets some kind of systemic mold infection and dies

River

Totally get the sports thing. The Seattle Mariners. So-so team, great player to be interested in. Talking of course about Mr. Big Dumper himself, Cal Raleigh 👍🏻

Ashlie Stuckey

Emily & Murph, since y'all are such puzzle game lovers I seriously recommend you play Outer Wilds together. My partner and I did when we first got together and it was hands down the most impactful gaming experience I've had so far. Don't let this intimidate you though! We played it together because the controls were really hard for me but I really wanted to experience the game, and it was an awesome way to do it. General pitch: you're a new alien astronaut armed with a new translator tool to read the writing of an ancient species who left many structures and artifacts in your solar system. You are stuck in a time loop, and the goal is to figure out the mystery: why you're in the time loop, what happened to the previous alien race that lived in your solar system, and a few other things along the way. There are no upgrades or other tools you find, the only tool is knowledge. Those who know the secrets can beat the game in like 7 minutes. The gameplay *is* the sort of archeological mystery you unravel. The time loop gives you space to mess up and try theories, the music is really great, and the game is really well designed as well. The less you know going in the better it is, but don't feel bad about like looking at the trailer and reviews and stuff. We also took notes and pictures on our phones to help us put the mystery together. It just sounds like a thing y'all would vibe with. Hope you check it out some day :)

Lilla Duffy

I watched Haikyuu earlier this year per Caldwell’s rec and I genuinely find it so life affirming and lovely!! I am so happy to see so much Haikyuu merch out and about in the world right now! (Shoutout to my kenma keychain)

C.J. Smith

Came here to recommend this too! It's the podcast that got me into podcasts and audiobooks

Jbird723

Emily being into fantasy basketball is so random but so awesome lmao

Dysole

A friend helped me set up Christmas lights last year right as I come in and I never took them down and now I plug them in whenever I know I'm going to be home after dark and it's so nice to come home to. I've been super into fantasy baseball and football for a long time with a lot of success and a lot of fun with friends but I rarely watch the actual games and honestly you can do really well with just researching the crap out of everything. The sports teams I root for are consistently disappointing (Diamondbacks, Colts, and Arizona Cardinals) but have flashes where I think they're gonna be good and Jake is correct that those moments feel amazing.

SlainSigny

i had the EXACT same “holy shit this is like the bright sword” experience with that episode of fall of civilizations that emily did there are truly no original experiences anyways highly recommend fall of civilizations pod it rips

Lu

Emily, if you loved Shakespeare’s Caesar and A+C, you need to read Coriolanus!

Natural Dragon

I might be too early in the podcast but is Jake a cake guy? I hope I find out

Cavan Edwards

Where is the pic of Murphs sweater???

Shambles

I can't believe Murphy and Emily have been spending their evenings with the Big Light on (until 2025 I guess).

Grass

I’m really excited that Murph says he likes Christmas lights all year round because I do too and also that he suggested buying sweaters on eBay because I need a log lady costume for comic con

Ollie

Haikyuu really Is that good it’s truly life changing and deserving of a #1

Jesse

Caldwell your taste in music is immaculate, the last dinner party have been dotted through my playlists for ages in so glad they're getting some recognition and a recommendation too!

Ashley Schuster

I love both the library AND Haikyu!! 🧡

Toblerone. jpg

Fledgling and Yellowface are amazing books and while I was ready for a Yellowface mention the fledgling one took me out. Shout out books (books)

Isaac Nelson

Emily if you listen to podcasts, Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History- Death Throes of the Republic” series is a great one about the Roman empire. And Murph, he has a series on WW1 called Blueprint to Armageddon. I’m not a meme!

Stations & Starships

God dammit Murph... The Chair Company is so good. Thanks for the recommendation my wife and I are cackling!

Zoop

Glad to see Keens getting the recognition they deserve. I got my first pair when I was maybe 8 years old (about 20 yrs ago) and have been hooked ever since-they’re the best adventure sandal AND campsite shoe AND water shoe (all in one) on the market and I’ll die on that hill. I also have the Keens hiking boots and they rule; they’re not as sturdy as Merrill’s but honestly they’re close and they’re waaaay lighter

Bryce Peterson

Regarding Final Fantasy: Tactics: it’s not exactly the same but Knights in Tight Spaces is a grid-based deck-builder ya’ll might enjoy (especially on Steam Deck). I’ve played almost nothing else since it came out. Completely agree with Jake about breathing; it makes all the difference. Also TWRP is amazing!

Marge and in charge

Haikyuu!! Is literally the best I watch season 2 everytime I am in a slump and it’s so inspiring 😭😭😭

Abbie Worf

Emily should read any book by Mary Beard, not only is she an icon but also a great Roman historian

thiswayjose

In honor of this, here’s my top 5: 5. Pickleball 4. The Knives Out Trilogy 3. Expedition 33 2. Frieren 1. Calling friends while on a commute and having regularly scheduled time with friends (game nights and movie nights)

Luke Abramczyk

Just a heads up. If you google search for keen footwear one of the first result is currently a scam site keenfootewear (with an extra “e”) offering big discounts and looks legit. Wife accidentally put in credit card info before realizing and we had to get new cards.

Riley

Murph and Emily I sincerely recommend you play Blue Prince. It has the same vibe as Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and my fiancée and I had so much fun playing it together!

John EldenRing

May I recommend Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Marty Supreme, and Stardust Rhapsody: Anthem by Legends of Avantris 🙏 Happy new year nadpoles

Ghostedflakes

Emily! If you're into Roman history might i reccommend The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy by Adrienne Mayor? It came highly recommended by my classics professor

Emily Madsen

Bright Sword is so good! Enjoy reading it for the first time!

Rune A

I read all of Book I in one sitting on the first day so I’m definitely enjoying it so far! I’ve been reading Book II a bit more slowly (like 1-2 chapters a day) though. Something something uncooperative ADHD. Still enjoying it tho!

tyalaman

The Long Drink is absolutely delicious. I first had one on a trip to a cabin by a frozen lake early 2025. That's a wholly unique experience, walking across a frozen solid lake, drinking crisp cold long drink with friends. They're absolutely delicious

EternalJ

MURPH I WENT TO TO ACTIVE GAMES IN GA!!! It was so much fun! Awesome recommendation!

Scrumblina Brumblina

Have to throw out my recommendation cus it's been stuck in my head since I played it - Sorry, We're Closed. It's a queer PS1 style indie horror game with unforgettable neon drenched art, excellent writing that's goofy at times and perfectly dramatic at others, and an absolutely banger soundtrack.

Akrilothian Gaming

Thanks to you guys with the recommendation me and the wife are playing laurelai and the laser eyes only a few hours in and we are having a GREAT time playing it as a couple is a great way to experience it thank you guys!!

Bridie O'Dare

I accidentally played Lorelei and the Laser Eyes for 3 full days because of your recommendation Murph. It was exquisite. I am in tears. It is also a very good dog patting simulator for those interested. (Haikyuu is also one of the best animes I've ever seen. It's everything I love about sports and teamwork and friendship!)

tony bakov

Omg strong second on red rising and it's sequels under Em's books!

Jackie Hale

As I librarian I always enjoy hearing about Emily & Murph’s library DVD escapades. It made me so happy to hear all the library love this ep!

Sharon G

A book recommendation related to Ancient Rome/Julius Caesar is the sci-fi book the Stars Undying by Emery Robin, it’s a very good Julius Caeser retelling!

josolin

lol does anyone know if they actually posted the tasteful ‘ween sweater anywhere ?

A$

I’m glad Emily shared about the Roman Empire because truly civilizations are so fascinating, I read The Wayfinder in December and now I’m obsessed with the Tuʻi Tonga Empire, I highly recommend a look into the Tongan history when Emily needs another empire to get fascinated over. It’s stunning. The Wayfinder is a def good place to start, best book I read in 2025.

A$

Might as well join the prompt: my favorite things from 2025, top four books: The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson Moonbound by Robin Sloan Lush by Rochelle Dowden-Lord Soft Core by Brittany Newell

Clotilde

GUYS. WHY IS THIS EPISODE SO DEFINED BY SHAME?!? Like the things you like! You are neither too old nor too young to enjoy something you like!!

Treston

Jake's breathing advice helped me figure out why I had been dealing with tightness in my back and shoulders. I work retail and have anxiety, so I was constantly breathing shallow but didn'trealize or think about it. Feeling better already.

Galen W Burghardt

So over the past couple of years in Finland they've been really into the pineapple long drink, and they're fantastic. The only thing is you have to be careful because they go down so easy!

Kaidan C

I didn’t appreciate final fantasy tactics as a kid either, but it’s extremely my shit as an adult And for what it’s worth, I connect with all these feelings of cellphone fatigue and wanting to reconnect with analog tech as a 20 something

Shane C

Here’s my list of things I loved this year: 1. Baking gluten free bread 2. Libraries 3. Heated Rivalry 4. Only following your friends on social media 5. Learning new languages

Galen Graham, Local Talent

jake, go take a couple voice lessons! it helps solidify proper breathing even when active

Mike Cathcart

Hell yeah, libraries! I've worked in my local library system for 15 of my 30 years of life and it is the single greatest institution in the world, imo! I always love hearing your library praise!

KCampbell

Wasn’t expecting a TWRP shout out! I discovered them in 2024 and saw them in concert this year. Such a fun group.

to_mara

Things I loved in 2025: Pursuit of Happiness cover by Chance Peña Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party Book Nook crafts Reading chapter books to my 5 year old Thank you 2 Crew for doing this episode, it is a balm to my heart to hear about other people's tiny joys. It also makes me really consider where I found joy instead of focusing on the negative. PS: I would listen to an entire podcast of Emily explaining the Roman Empire.

Jack Ferrari

Having just completed my masters program in Library Science, it was great to hear all of the library praise. To suggest a really well done book that ties into studying about Rome and rereading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, I recommend "The Ides: Caesar's Murder and the War for Rome" by Stephen Dando-Collins. I took a class on the history of assassinations in undergrad and this book was an optional text I chose to read. It replays the drama of the assassination in a very accessible yet detailed way and was a influential for my own understanding of the era and event.

Alexander Powers

I know I'm late to the party on this, but hearing about libraries I had to recommend Hoopla on the off chance y'all don't know about it! It's a streaming app that partners with libraries to let you stream their media catalog on your phone or TV for free! Great service, no ads or subscription or anything, you just need a library card. And your media is returned automatically so you'll never encounter late fees, either.

Charlotte G

ITS HAIKYUU AND IT FUCKING ROCKS

lily 😦

not a niche recommendation but i highly recommend pluribus if you haven’t watched yet! such a unique show with so much attention to building out characters that was really refreshing to see

lily 😦

also for emily i think you’d like our wives under the sea by julia armfield if you haven’t read it already! it’s a kind of gothic deep sea novel

Parker

Congrats on finishing your program!

Omi

I think Emily would love strange houses by uketsu, its a short read, translated from Japanese that has spooky, kinda paranormal vibes and has house floor plans that the story is built around

iamthetoothfairy

Emily You need to read pathogenisis It’s a non fiction book about how pathogens shaped human history and evolution So good

jj-scout

Congratulations! What kind of library do you want to work in? I'm a medical librarian and love it!

Elizabeth Urban

If you want to root for a shitty team then the Seattle Mariners will happily crush your heart

Bat-Fran

I cannot relate more to what Jake is saying and dear lord I hope in a few months time I also find my total body pain is diminishing! It's amazing how much tension we can hold and how that just makes us weaker/more suceptable to injury

Fish pants

In honor of the basil plant, I’ve got to recommend the song basil by mirabai kukathas

Meg

Me as well!

Jack Ferrari

I read some compelling articles about medical libraries in my masters program, they do sound like an interesting place to work. I specialized in archival studies and now work at a university library's archive. I also work the front desk at times. Really fun work and also has given me a lot of hyper specific knowledge on very random topics.

spike mccue

Emily: listen to the history of Rome! By Mike Duncan. Classic dry as heck podcast, he does the whole damn thing, it’s great.

spike mccue

Also, LA libraries are great. A friend who works for the city told me recently that theyre funded as their own line item, or something, in the city budget, so that the funding can’t be fucked with, which I thought was interesting. My favorite library was in the Palisades (RIP), but a runner up might be the Monterey Park library.

Spencer Murphy

Every time Caldwell mentions TWRP I get really happy

Spencer Murphy

Also to Jake: I hadn't realized it until now but the shoes I wear for work are Keens and I must've subconsciously heard it from you before which is why I got them

Takowowo

I saw the Haikyuu movie in theaters and I was so invested. I fully cried through the whole thing. Also this is the year I got into Magic: The Gathering and I really have been having a great time going to friends house just to play cards and I've even started doing some events at my LGS. Also I don't know if Murph would ever watch it but the way he described IDW TMNT made me think about how I felt about Rise of the TMNT. I wholly recommend it to at least Caldwell because that show is beautiful and anime as hell

Nate L

If you like the Last Dinner Party, check out Japanese Breakfast and the Crane Wives! Also big on those music vibes

Katie P.

I went to Seoul, SK and there's a Costco there. It's so tight. If you're in the NYC area, my favorite FM station in WFUV, 90.7. It's the Fordham radio station and they play great indie music and local up and commers on their segment New York Slice

Cora Bright

Murph sweater! Murph sweater! Murph sweater!

Blue Bee

I'm sorry to say I did actually laugh out loud when Caldwell said Haikyuu is not very popular

Nick Becks

My wife and I have gotten so into Lorelei and the Laser Eyes because of the rec from months ago! So good

Justin McPherson

Naddpod - Buckets crossover over-under draft when? Mixed Bag playing Basketboss? Book recommendations: The Last Pass by Gary M. Pomerantz Tall men, Short shorts by Leigh Montville The Whore of Akron by Scott Raab

PjandEthan

As a children's librarian, I have been loving the runner of Emily recommending library services ❤️💛❤️

Bella Poore-Furolo

My husband and I just started Lorelei and the Laser Eyes last night and I truly can't overstate how much fun it's been. We've been trying to find something to do together while our 3 month old naps and this has been exactly what we needed.

Ryan A

Other games that give that "epiphany" feeling throughout: Tunic The Case of the Golden Idol Blue Prince Outer Wilds Animal Well Seance of Blake Manor The Roottrees are Dead Return of the Obra Dinn Fantastic games and I insist more people experience them

Lexi H

Emily - can you drop the name of the podcast that was your “gateway” into Roman occupation? The Bright Sword made me realize how little I know and it made me so curious!!!

emjemme

The way I gasped in excitement when Caldwell dropped The Last Dinner Party simultaneously pierced my own ear drums and alerted all dogs within 10 miles of me.

Ted Orbach

Emily/Caldwell you should check out the album Getting Killed by Geese

Kael Sauder

Outer Wilds was amazing, I will always cherish that one forever. I got Obra Dinn on my wishlist already, but thanks a bunch for the extra recs!

John H.

Jake....drop the Keen link to the water shoes. Want to see the official recommendation 😁 Been looking for a new pair!

ash r.

librarian here! it’s really lovely to see y’all boosting the libraries, especially public libraries! i wanted to let y’all know in case you weren’t aware — most libraries have a service called ILL (interlibrary loan) that allows you to request books from other libraries when your library and its branches don’t have a particular material you’re looking for. the request form should be on the library’s website, or you can ask a library worker about it!

Valencia Nix

My brother and some of our friends did VO work in the English dub for Haikyu!! So it tickles me pink every time Caldwell mentions it lol

Reese Pettigrew

i thought he was going to say something like lotus water blooming poo lol instead of something I and a lot of people would recognise

Cody Faye

Red Rising mentioned! Im starting Dark Age right after listening to this 🤘😁

Kork Horf

Mikal Bridges is just such a solid pull for nba player, good ball knowledge. How about them wolves tho!

Emily

I’ve heard about hoopla because of these comments!! Thank you! Plus it lets you borrow to relisten your favorite audiobooks!

Alexander Powers

It's a great service! More people should know about Hoopla

Thomas Jager

Anyone who has read Crescent City can't deny thinking about the Roman Empire, even if it's not the actual Roman Empire. That whole series could not be more Roman-coded (Senatus Populusque Midgard, etc.).

sam s.

jake.. how long do i need to keep my feet on the wall to fix my back??

J. Gro

Hey Emily, you're a delight. Learning is fun, and anyone who doesn't agree with the previous two statements can for sure get lost. Keep on keepin' on, sister! 📚 🧩 🏟️🗺️👍🏻💕

J. Gro

That stadium is for both the colosseum and sports!

Connor Klotzbach

Huge library lover! My local library also has seeds, zoo passses and D&D community groups!

Peregrine

Aw guys I’m only listening to this now but I’m seeing The Last Dinner Party later this month!!! Yay I love that Caldwell recommended them!!!

Kelly Gilbert

I'm late to the party but all this library love made my librarian heart so happy!!

Rachel the Freckled ADHDer

There is NOTHING wrong with Christmas lights all year round. They bring joy and happiness. How can that be a bad thing??!

Rachel the Freckled ADHDer

Is "Senatus Populusque Midgard" a real name from that book? That's such an over-the-top name. I love it.

Ben Helford

Jake inspired me to buy an am/fm radio ahead of baseball season this year, and I've been really enjoying listening to Mariners games. It's so nice not to worry about what streaming service or other BS, and just go with the public airwaves. So thank you for the suggestion Jake!