Best The Secret Slob Podcasts (2024)

1
Bonus Live Ep: hosts' secrets revealed and the classics stripped bare! 30:05

18h ago30:05

30:05

Co-hosts Sophie and Jonty bare all in a bonus SLoB live ep! After months of rummaging through the dirty laundry of the great writers, it is only fair that we turn a critical eye back upon ourselves - and reveal the secret life of the Secret Life of Books. In this bonus episode, recorded to mark our official launch before a live audience in Sydney’s…

1
Uncovering Your Lie-dentity Will Change Your Life, with Kristin Ericksen 50:50

2h ago50:50

50:50

EP425: Today’s guest is Kristin Ericksen, the inspiring founder of "Break Free, Make It Happen." Kristin spent 25+ years as a celebrity personal trainer working with high-profile clients in Los Angeles and New York City and using that experience and wisdom gained has transitioned into a new career as a peak performance coach and keynote speaker. Sh…

1
Northanger Abbey: Jane Austen does gothic horror with insta-ready clothes and interiors 1:04:36

4d ago1:04:36

1:04:36

Henry Tilney: is he yet another of Jane Austen’s Bad Men, or the stealth MVP with his interest in dress fabrics and interior decorating? Northanger Abbey is Austen’s funniest, most unabashedly joyful and silly novel. It’s also where Jane gets meta – with lots of speeches about what novels are and why we love reading them. Sophie makes the case that…

1
Death & Paralysis: Rethinking What’s Possible After Tragedies, with Becky Galli 43:29

1h ago43:29

43:29

EP424: Today’s guest is Rebecca (Becky) Faye Smith Galli, an author and columnist who writes about love, loss and healing, and whose life story is one of profound tragedy transformed into a beacon of resilience and hope. Becky recounts her journey marked by significant loss, including the heartbreaking death of her brother and the many challenges t…

1
James: National Book Award global hit; a Huck Finn rewrite the world needed; plot twists you'll never guess 48:35

11d ago48:35

48:35

It took 140 years for someone to write back to Mark Twain’s brilliant but troubling masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Now the celebrated American novelist Percival Everett has done it with James, a daring, provocative, retelling of Huck Finn through the eyes, mind and heart of Huck’s friend Jim, a runaway slave. What are the untold se…

1
Secrets Revealed and Lessons Gained From the Death of a Loved One 20:06

9d ago20:06

20:06

EP423: In this solo episode, I talk about my recent experience of going back to the place of my birth, where I spent the first 18 months of my life and many of my summers growing up, to attend a beloved aunt's funeral in Massachusetts and the profound reflections it prompted. I share two key lessons, involving some pretty incredible secrets, which …

1
Huckleberry Finn: but wait, maybe THIS is the great American novel? 58:45

18d ago58:45

58:45

What makes a trip down the Mississippi river so famous - and so notorious? Why did it need to be rewritten in the 2024 novel James by Percival Everett? Is Huck Finn the most famous character in world literature? We’ve gone on record saying that The Great Gatsby is #1 Great American Novel - but this week we may have to eat our words. Is it actually …

1
Hamnet: sexy witches replace skulls and soliloquies 50:05

25d ago50:05

50:05

Ever wonder what Shakespeare got up to in the bedroom? Well, whether you do or not, you’ll find out - along with many other things - in this episode devoted to Maggie O’Farrell’s superb novel Hamnet (spoiler alert: it involves a shed, a kestrel and shelves of bouncing apples, rather than an actual bedroom). Hamnet was published to critical acclaim …

1
How Finding Love Today Is Different Than The 80s, with Sandy Weiner 49:32

21d ago49:32

49:32

EP422: Today I have a returning guest, Sandy Weiner, who is the Chief Love Officer at Last First Date. She's an internationally known TEDx speaker, dating and relationship coach, author, and podcast host, and she recently released a new book, “Love At Last,” featuring 18 inspiring love stories that prove it’s never too late to find meaningful relat…

1
Hamlet: Shakespeare's secret double or pain in neck? 1:10:58

1M ago1:10:58

1:10:58

Hamlet is jammed with famous quotes like “to be or not to be,” “something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” “time is out of joint,” “the play’s the thing,” “get thee to a nunnery,” and “the rest is silence.” But who really knows what happens in the world’s most famous play? And why is it so damn long? Jonty confides the intense boredom induced by…

1
Changing Lives With Her “Happy Meal” Concept For Books, with Denise Corbo 59:11

27d ago59:11

59:11

EP421: Today’s guest is Denise Corbo, a retired educator and the founder of Storybook Treasures. Denise shares her inspiring journey from stumbling into her first teaching gig as a high school cosmetology teacher, to finding her passion as an elementary school teacher, and then to starting a nonprofit dedicated to promoting literacy and spreading t…

1
Midsummer Nights Dream: are true love and sexual attraction magic tricks? 54:11

1M ago54:11

54:11

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” It certainly did not in Shakespeare’s psychedelic fantasy about cross-dressing, polyamory, speaking truth to power and tik-tok – centuries before the internet. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is endlessly adapted and readapted. At its heart, it’s a play about the madness and thrill of attraction and love; a…

1
Go Tell It On The Mountain: growing up Black, poor and gay in 1930s New York 52:32

2M ago52:32

52:32

Go Tell It On The Mountain is one of the great incendiary debuts of the 20th Century. Published in 1953, James Baldwin’s autobiographical novel follows a fictionalised avatar of his younger self as he navigates his way through an ordinary day in 1930s Harlem. Baldwin showed readers life as he knew it as a black, working-class gay teenager in a raci…

1
The Great Gatsby: is this THE great American novel? 1:10:09

2M ago1:10:09

1:10:09

Few novels capture a moment and place in time as The Great Gatsby. F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 masterpiece captures a generation determined to live and party hard in the aftermath of the First World War. There are love affairs, exotic cocktails (a ‘gin rickey’ anyone?), no less than three car crashes and, of course, the famous party scenes. It has be…

1
From Thought Slob to Thought Snob, with Paula Swope 1:04:18

2M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

EP420: Today’s guest is Paula Swope, her social media followers call Paula the most relatable self-help author ever. She is a self-empowerment leader and author of Thought Snob: The Modern Spiritual Playbook for a Better Life. Paula shares her incredible journey of transformation, from being raised in rural Kentucky to believe her impoverished life…

1
To Kill a Mockingbird: racism, gun violence and coming of age in the 1930s South 52:05

2M ago52:05

52:05

Within a year of its publication in 1960, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird sold 2.5 million copies and has remained a much-loved classic by adults and children alike. What was it about this book that captured the public imagination at the time - and to this day? Harper Lee mined her own childhood in Alabama for this coming-of-age story of persona…

1
Since Turning 65, Life Just Keeps Getting Better, with Linda Ward 39:33

2M ago39:33

39:33

EP419: Today’s guest is Linda Ward, a life coach and writer with a passion for adventure, self-love, and personal growth. Linda shares her incredible journey of spending three transformative months in Italy with her husband, an experience sparked by her husband's dream and their shared love for travel. Linda reflects on major life transformations, …

1
Wolf Hall: is this the best historical novel ever written? 48:47

2M ago48:47

48:47

Hello Thomas Cromwell. And Hello Lev Grossman, best-selling author of The Magicians trilogy, the Silver Arrow children’s books, and now The Bright Sword, who joins Sophie and Jonty as THEIR FIRST EVER GUEST to talk about Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. Published in 2009 to immediate acclaim, Wolf Hall reinvented historical fiction and changed the way we…

1
A Heartfelt Letter That Snowballed Into Something Completely Unexpected, with Amy Daughters 49:32

2M ago49:32

49:32

EP418: Today’s guest is Amy Weiland Daughters, an accomplished keynote speaker, letter writer, satirist, sports journalist, and the award-winning author of two books: Dear Dana: That time I went crazy and wrote all 580 of my Facebook friends a handwritten letter and You Cannot Mess This Up: A true story that never happened. Known for her deep love …

1
Dracula: vampires even weirder than you think. And they may have started WWI 52:59

3M ago52:59

52:59

Twenty-first century vampires are the brooding, sparkly anti-heroes of Twilight and Ann Rice— all pointy teeth and hair-product. But they used to be much weirder, scarier and sexier than that. Bram Stoker’s world-changing 1897 novel Dracula is one of the most erotic and thrilling novels in English literature—despite having the most boring opening p…

1
Improve Your Home, Your Health, and Your Happiness Through Better Organization, with Laura Smith & Tasha Lorentz 30:12

3M ago30:12

30:12

EP417: In today’s episode I have two special guests, Laura Smith and Tasha Lorentz, who have joined forces to create a unique event that brings together experts in the field of organization, crossing a wide range of topics - from tips on how to better organize/declutter your home, to mastering your health through meal planning, and even understandi…

1
Frankenstein: the ultimate monster; the first A.I story; Mary Shelly's multi-generational grief 50:45

3M ago50:45

50:45

Frankenstein is English literature’s great myth about Artificial Intelligence, 200 years before A.I. existed. But the world’s most famous monster is nothing like you imagine. Who knew that he chops wood and reads Milton’s Paradise Lost? And who remembers if Frankenstein is the name of the monster, or the mad inventor who made him? Sophie and Jonty …

1
Wuthering Heights: passionate love affairs and dysfunctional families go together 54:41

3M ago54:41

54:41

A ghostly face in the dark, a child’s hand through the window, a doleful cry: “I’d lost my way on the moor! - I’ve been a waif for twenty years!” Are we talking about Kate Bush’s 1978 hit single “Wuthering Heights”? No! It’s Emily’s Bronte’s 1847 novel of the same name, back as never before. Heathcliff and Catherine are the doomed lovers in a novel…

1
How To Bounce Back From Life’s Curveballs Stronger Than Ever, with Donna Ferris 1:00:06

3M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

EP416: Today’s guest is Donna Ferris, who I first met when she was a guest on my podcast over two years ago (Episode 220). I invited Donna back to get an update on her life and talk about her new book, Bounce Back Stronger: Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens, which is a unique book with a workbook aspect meant to help people navigate …

1
A Different Kind of Therapy That Will Save You Time and Money, with Polly Angel 44:12

3M ago44:12

44:12

EP415: Today’s guest is Polly Angel, an expert in Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). Polly shares her inspiring journey from an elite equestrian athlete to a certified RTT therapist, driven by her own struggles with body image which led to her discovery and interest of RTT as a teenager. In this episode, we dive deep into the mechanics of RTT, a…

1
A 20-Year Dream Come True, with Laura Strachan 39:05

4M ago39:05

39:05

EP414: Today’s guest is Laura Strachan, retired teacher, cancer survivor, and author of her first children’s book that’s coming out later this month. In this interview we delve into her transformative journey from a place of depression to becoming a beacon of light and joy. When we met in late 2020, she was unable to get out of bed so Laura's journ…

1
Best Of: Is How You Are Living How You Want to Be Remembered? with Merle Saferstein 57:23

4M ago57:23

57:23

EP413: Today’s episode is a replay from an interview I did with Merle Saferstein who I interviewed one year ago, and I'm replaying it today because, as I was reviewing past episodes while taking some time off, this one felt very pertinent to my life today, AND because it's one of my most listened to episodes, I thought it was worth bringing back. M…

1
8 Lessons I Learned Recently About Life & Death 36:59

5M ago36:59

36:59

EP412: In this heartfelt episode, I discuss the eight crucial lessons I learned from my mother's recent death, emphasizing not just the process of dying but also some profound insights about life. The discussion covers a bit of my mother's background, which is helpful context in understanding some of the lessons, the all-consuming bond my parents h…

1
Wide Sargasso Sea 2: bohemianism, madess and celebrity back in England 45:20

5M ago45:20

45:20

It should have taken a year. It took thirty. In writing Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys endured several mental breakdowns, was arrested numerous times for verbal and physical violence, served time in prison, lost two husbands and suffered a heart attack. All the time, she came to increasingly identify with her heroine, making the inevitable tragedy of…

1
Wide Sargasso Sea 1: tropical gothic in the West Indies and Jane Eyre disrupted 53:30

5M ago53:30

53:30

Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, published in 1966, is a bold riposte to Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, humanising the mad woman in Mr Rochester’s attic. It is less than 150 pages, but took Rhys 30 years to write - one of the most agonising literary births in history. Jean Rhys was born on the Caribbean island of Dominica in 1890 and identified as ‘whi…

1
Jane Eyre 2: the Brontes' real lives are even wilder than their fiction 40:42

5M ago40:42

40:42

When Charlotte Bronte arrived in Brussels at the age of 26 to attend finishing school, she had no idea she would fall desperately in love with the director: Constantine Heger. Heger - a strange, mercurial character - would prove the model for Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre. On returning to Haworth Parsonage, she wrote obsessively to and about him, while…

1
Jane Eyre 1: passion, madness, gaslighting and bad hair days 54:45

5M ago54:45

54:45

What on earth was going on in the parlour of Haworth Parsonage in the Yorkshire Moors that caused three sisters to write three of the greatest novels in history within a year of one another? This is the question running through this four-part series of the Brontes. In this first episode, Sophie and Jonty look at the impact of Charlotte Bronte’s Jan…

1
How To Look and Feel Better As You Age, with Elise Marquam-Jahns 51:49

5M ago51:49

51:49

EP411: Today’s guest is Elise Marquam-Jahns, a retired public television executive who embarked on her second act as a professional makeup artist. With 35 years of experience in public television, Elise transitioned to the beauty industry, training with a nationally renowned makeup artist and working for seven years with a major cosmetics line. In …

1
The #1 Obligation We Humans Fail On, with Joanie Marx 43:16

5M ago43:16

43:16

EP410: Today’s guest is Joanie Marx, a three-time international bestselling author and renowned Storytelling Magician™. In this episode, we explore the powerful connection between laughter, creativity, and self-love. Joanie shares her perspective on how many people, especially those who haven't pursued traditionally creative careers, don't see them…

1
How to Deal with Family Estrangement, with Marie Morin 44:32

5M ago44:32

44:32

EP409:Today’s guest is Marie Morin, a licensed therapist, wellness coach, educator, and international best-selling author. Marie shares her wisdom on the complex and often painful topic of family estrangement, offering hope and strategies for healing and reconnection. Marie, who is also a mother of eight and a YouTube content creator, brings a uniq…

1
One Simple Tip to Creating a More Meaningful Life 21:03

6M ago21:03

21:03

EP408: In today's episode, I share a very simple tip for how you can create a more meaningful life. You may be surprised at how easy it is, but even more shocking is the truth bomb I drop about friendships and what your future beholds IF you follow this simple tip. To prove my point, I share examples from my past, some recent and one that happened …

1
Gulliver's Travels Part 2 43:55

6M ago43:55

43:55

As we learned in episode one, Gulliver’s Travels is the gloriously unhinged invention of the dirty-minded genius Jonathan Swift, who was also the greatest defender of Ireland under English rule. Swift was a man of contradictions - to put it mildly - a clergyman and patriot who wrote some of the most explicit and shocking poems and essays of all tim…

1
Gulliver's Travels Part 1 58:04

6M ago58:04

58:04

Gulliver’s Travels is one of the most popular books of all time, but it’s no mere child’s tale. It’s the GOAT of political satires – mad, dirty and brilliantly cutting, written in 1726 by Jonathan Swift, an Anglo-Irish clergyman and perhaps the most notorious writer of his age. Join us to learn more about the fictional adventures of Swift’s creatio…

1
I Got Scammed! 18:45

6M ago18:45

18:45

EP407: In today's episode, I diverge from my usual topics to share one of the reasons the shitty week I had that I discussed in my last episode was even shittier. Yes! I got scammed! So I explain what happened and give you a couple of tips that I hope will prevent the same thing from happening to you because scamming incidents are everywhere these …

1
Macbeth: terrorism, gunpowder and treason in James I's London 1:05:35

6M ago1:05:35

1:05:35

Macbeth, which actors superstitiously call the Scottish Play, is one of Shakespeare’s shortest and most exciting dramas. It’s also the most horrifying. Join Sophie and Jonty to find out why a play set in 11th-Century Scotland is really about the biggest issues of the day in King James I’s new court in 1606 London. Learn how Shakespeare is taking a …

1
How To Make A Shitty Week Better 19:43

6M ago19:43

19:43

EP406: Today I'm sharing my experience in dealing with a very challenging (aka shitty) week, and the one simple little shift I made to move out of my extremely negative mindset. Yes! positive, happy, vibrant me DOES occasionally get trapped in a negative head space. And this was one of those weeks So I'm here to share what happened and what I did, …

1
Alice in Wonderland: rabbit-holes, mad mathematics and the elephant in the room 59:10

6M ago59:10

59:10

Alice in Wonderland is one of the most widely translated and quoted books in the world, and yet it is - quite literally - nonsense. How was it ushered into the world and why did it travel quite so far? Lewis Carroll, or Charles Dodgson to his mum and dad, was born in the north of England in 1832. Somehow, the unique circumstances of his life - a wi…

1
Secret Life of Books Trailer 0:53

6M ago0:53

0:53

The Secret Life of Books is a fascinating, addictive, often shocking, occasionally hilarious weekly podcast starring Sophie Gee, professor of English at Princeton University, and Jonty Claypole, formerly director of arts at the BBC. Every week these virtuoso critics and close friends take an iconic book and reveal the hidden story behind the story:…

1
Stress: A Human’s Form of Kryptonite, with Dr. Gala Gorman 48:32

6M ago48:32

48:32

EP405: Today's guest is Dr. Gala Gorman, a licensed Acupuncturist, Naturopath, and Author who offers practical advice and programs to reverse health issues resulting from chronic stress. In this episode, we dive deep into the often-overlooked impact of stress on our health, through Dr. Gala’s personal journey and professional insights to shed light…

1
An Alpaca Encounter That Changed the Direction of Her Life, with Jane Lee Rankin 47:44

7M ago47:44

47:44

EP404: Today's guest is Jane Lee Rankin, a true embodiment of resilience, passion, and community spirit. In this lively conversation, Jane Lee, who goes by Lee to friends, takes us on a journey through her extraordinary life as a first-generation farmer, cancer survivor, single mom, and the visionary behind Apple Hill Farm nestled in the breathtaki…

1
The Four-Pronged Approach That Will Diffuse Your Inner "Mean Girl" 28:13

7M ago28:13

28:13

EP403: In today's episode, we're diving deep into a prevalent issue I’ve seen recently: the rise of mean behavior, especially targeting those who don’t deserve it but who are more accessible as online business owners. It's a topic close to my heart, as I've seen friends and business colleagues, like Nathania Stambouli, a devoted yoga teacher, and V…

1
The Heartbreak of Unexpected Change 38:30

7M ago38:30

38:30

EP402: In today’s episode, I share my personal journey through a profound realization that led to a heartbreak; however, not the the kind you usually associate with heartbreak. It wasn’t a romantic breakup, but a business one that resulted in a significant professional and personal shift. Initially contemplating this topic, I decided to draw guidan…

1
Finding Yourself And Your Potential After Living In A Cult, with Heather Rivera 56:23

7M ago56:23

56:23

EP401: Meet Heather Rivera, a woman whose story is nothing short of extraordinary. I met Heather on my recent yoga retreat in Thailand and thought her story of finding her way to her authentic self, despite the pressure to be someone she wasn’t, just had to be shared as proof that true happiness can only be found when we follow our own path - no ma…

1
The Gift of Unplugging: What Thailand Taught Me 30:55

8M ago30:55

30:55

EP400: In this special episode, I share the gifts I got as a result of my recent inspirational trip to Thailand, offering reflections on what I learned, what I was reminded of, and how I want to move forward in life for at least the near term, and most important, how crucial unplugging is for the soul. I talk about my surprises with the long-haul f…

1
Using Hypnosis To End Your Yo-Yo Dieting For Good, with Rita Black 49:06

8M ago49:06

49:06

EP399: In today’s episode, I’ve invited a past guest, Rita Black, who is a clinical hypnotherapist and leading expert in the fields of smoking cessation and weight loss, to join me again because our last conversation was so powerful, and it’s worth hearing again. Plus she has something special coming up that, if you’re curious about trying hypnosis…

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