Best Stampede Immersive Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 480: Branching out with escapist, emotionally resonant novels 58:23

1d ago58:23

58:23

Feeling more confident about finding the right reads is a common bookish goal. In today's conversation, Anne welcomes Tynisha Coleman to the show to talk about her current reading goals. Tynisha is a leadership development coach, university lecturer, and sci-fi and fantasy lover from New Jersey. She doesn't shy away from books that tackle tough plo…

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Ep9: "The Science Of Metal" with Dr Mike Trubetskov 1:14:25

6d ago1:14:25

1:14:25

This week’s guest is Dr. Mike Trubetskov — a Russian-Australian audio engineer, producer, and creative force blending science, emotion, and precision. With a PhD in hand and a studio built on passion, Mike has carved out a reputation for delivering heavy, high-impact productions with surgical clarity and immersive depth. We unpack his journey from …

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Ep 479: Balancing backlist with shiny new releases 1:12:38

8d ago1:12:38

1:12:38

Every year we get some variation of this question: how can a reader like today’s guest, Elise Brancheau, balance all the shiny new books of summer with the backlist titles that are already patiently waiting on her to-be-read list? Elise is a New Jersey-based professional classical singer who describes herself as a huge reading-planning nerd. We kno…

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Ep 478: A snippet from the 2025 Summer Reading Guide 10:33

15d ago10:33

10:33

We're taking you behind the scenes of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide and sharing an excerpt from our live Unboxing party. Our 2025 Guide includes 35 books across a range of genres which we've grouped into six categories. Today you'll hear Anne's commentary of three books from the first category, Family Sagas. Our Summer Reading Guide and Unboxing ar…

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Ep 477: A summer reading road trip 59:40

22d ago59:40

59:40

We're kicking off Summer Reading Season with our fourteenth annual Summer Reading Guide, coming this Thursday! Today on the podcast Anne is joined by a special guest who is particularly well qualified to go behind the scenes of our 2025 Summer Reading Guide with her: Will Bogel! Many of you consider Anne's husband Will to be your book twin, and tod…

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Ep 476: Offbeat, intricately plotted books for an ambitious reading project 1:13:42

29d ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Reading projects take all shapes and sizes, and today's guest has set a goal to read all the Women's Prize for Fiction shortlists and winners. Today, Anne is talking books with Kathryn, who lives on the island of Okinawa, Japan, with her military husband and energetic golden retriever. Kathryn works for a nonprofit and spends her leisure time readi…

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Ep 475: Help for a fiction lover who wants to read more nonfiction 48:59

1M ago48:59

48:59

Today's guest is an avid reader, retired social worker, and What Should I Read Next? completist who lives in New Jersey. Jill Jaclin has a reading conundrum: she really wants to read more nonfiction, but she's struggled to find a way to incorporate it into her reading life. As she told Anne, she also knows that there are nonfiction books out there …

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Ep 474: Burnout and the reading life 51:22

1M ago51:22

51:22

Readers, if you are feeling burned out right now, you are not alone. In our team meeting last week, we talked about the fact that things are hard right now. That's why this feels like a great time to revisit a favorite past episode from another time not so long ago when we were also feeling burned out. Today we're sharing Anne's May 2021 conversati…

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Ep 473: Refining an out-of-date TBR system 1:00:46

2M ago1:00:46

1:00:46

When the world feels heavy, many of us look to books for distraction, inspiration, or reassurance. Today's guest has a unique spin on what she's seeking and would love Anne's help in figuring out how the types of reads she wants right now fit into her existing to-be-read (TBR) system. Émilie Weidl lives in Wales, where she's taken a year off before…

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Ep 472: Literary + Genre = match made in heaven 56:55

2M ago56:55

56:55

Finding highly discussable books for book clubs often feels like a full-time job, especially if you're a member of multiple long-standing book clubs like today's guest, Lara. Today, Lara joins Anne to talk about her constant search for fiction that explores the human condition in all its messy glory. She loves these sorts of books because they give…

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The Drumming Woodpecker 3:22

2M ago3:22

3:22

Step into the big, leafy forest, where the air smells fresh and green, and the trees stretch high into the sky. The morning sun peeks through the branches, the birds are singing… but listen—tap-tap-tap! Who’s making that tiny drumbeat? It’s a woodpecker! With its bright red cap and sharp little claws, this busy bird clings to the tree, tapping, tap…

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Howl in The Jungle 4:19

2M ago4:19

4:19

Step into the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, where the air is thick and warm, the leaves drip with rain, and the jungle is never, ever silent. Birds chirp, insects buzz, and somewhere in the distance… a deep, echoing howl shakes the treetops. It’s the Howler Monkey, the loudest voice in the jungle! But why does it call so loudly? In this immersive…

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The Nightingale 5:38

2M ago5:38

5:38

Step into the quiet of an ancient forest, where the trees stand tall and still, their leaves whispering in the cool night air. The world is hushed. The other birds are sleeping. Even the wind seems to pause. But listen - somewhere in the darkness, a single voice rises. A song. Soft at first, then stronger - clear, rich, tumbling like a tiny stream …

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The Bearded Seal 5:27

2M ago5:27

5:27

The Song of the Ice – The Bearded Seal ❄️🎶✨ Step into the frozen Arctic, where the sea is dark and endless, the ice stretches for miles, and the air is crisp and still. The world above is silent. But beneath the waves… something is singing. A low, spiraling call drifts through the water - deep, rich, and echoing like music from another world. The B…

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The Arctic Tern - To the Edge of the World 6:45

2M ago6:45

6:45

To the Edge of the World – The Arctic Tern ❄️🕊✨ Step into the icy world of the Arctic, where the wind sweeps over frozen shores, and the sea stretches wide beneath a sky that never truly rests. The air is sharp, the ice groans as it shifts, and high above, a flock of birds waits—watching, listening. A hush falls. Then - a single cry cuts through th…

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Howl of The Wolves 6:37

2M ago6:37

6:37

Step into the frozen wilderness of Canada, where snow blankets the land, the trees stand tall and still, and the air is crisp and cold. But listen—a sound rises in the distance… a long, echoing howl. The wolves are calling. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will follow a wolf pack on the hunt, moving silent as shadows thr…

1
The Hidden Forest 6:18

2M ago6:18

6:18

Step into the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest, where the trees stretch high into the mist, their trunks wrapped in emerald moss. The air smells of rain and pine, and the ground is soft beneath your feet… but listen closely—there’s a world beneath the trees that no one ever sees. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers …

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Sky Hunter - The Peregrine & The Jackdaw 4:53

2M ago4:53

4:53

Step into the wild cliffs of Scotland, where the wind rushes over the hills, the sea crashes below, and a shadow moves high above. A sharp cry cuts through the sky - the peregrine falcon is hunting. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will follow the fastest bird on Earth, soaring over rolling moors and rocky cliffs, search…

1
Volcanos Roar 5:05

2M ago5:05

5:05

Step into the wild lands of Iceland, where fire and ice collide. Towering glaciers stretch across the mountains, their frozen rivers cracking and groaning as they move. But beneath the ice, something stirs - a deep rumble, a slow rising heat… a volcano is waking up. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will listen to the Ear…

1
Song of The Gibbons 5:07

2M ago5:07

5:07

Step into the rainforests of Sumatra, where the trees stretch high, the air is warm and damp, and the jungle hums with life. Before the sun rises, the world is already waking… but listen closely - what is that deep, echoing call? In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will hear the siamang gibbons begin their morning duet, the…

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Nighttime in The Rainforest 3:34

2M ago3:34

3:34

🌿 NIGHTTIME IN THE RAINFOREST 🌙✨ Close your eyes and step into the heart of the rainforest at night. The air is warm and damp, the leaves glisten with raindrops, and the jungle is never, ever silent. Listen—the trees creak and whisper as they sway, the frogs croak in the distance, and somewhere, hidden in the shadows, a sneaky jungle cat moves thro…

1
Thunder Feet - The Elephant Herd 6:35

2M ago6:35

6:35

Step onto the wide, golden plains of the African savanna, where the warm wind whispers through the tall grass and the earth holds ancient stories. The air smells of wild earth and dry grass, and in the distance, the deep rumbles of elephantstravel through the ground. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will follow the foots…

1
Monkey Drummer - The Indri 5:11

2M ago5:11

5:11

Step into the rainforest of Madagascar, where the air is warm and damp, the trees stretch high, and the jungle hums with life. Birds call, geckos scurry, and then - a long, echoing cry rings through the treetops… In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will listen to the haunting song of the Indri lemurs, also known as the Drum…

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Rain Dance - The Forest Frogs 5:12

2M ago5:12

5:12

Step into the rainforest, where the trees stretch high, the air hums with life, and something magical is about to begin. The wind is shifting, the animals pause… and then—plop… plop… pitter-patter! The rain has arrived! In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will hear the drumming of raindrops dancing on leaves, the booming of…

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The Dolphins & The Sea 4:43

2M ago4:43

4:43

Close your eyes and dive into the sparkling blue waters of Baja California, where the desert meets the sea. The waves roll gently, the salty breeze drifts past, and then—a whistle, a splash! Dolphins are playing in the surf! In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will swim alongside a pod of dolphins, listening to their quick …

1
The Great Elephant Seal Sing Off 5:29

2M ago5:29

5:29

Step onto the wild, windy shores of California, where the waves crash, seabirds call, and something huge is resting in the sand. But listen - HONK! That’s not the ocean… it’s an elephant seal, one of the biggest and loudest seals in the world! In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will waddle onto a beach full of elephant sea…

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Creaking Giants - The Redwoods 4:40

2M ago4:40

4:40

🌲 CREAKING GIANTS – THE REDWOOD FOREST 🌿✨ Step into the towering redwood forest, where trees as tall as castles have stood for thousands of years, whispering to the wind. Listen—the deep, slow creak of ancient trunks swaying, the soft whoosh of the breeze through the branches, and the tiny voices of creatures hidden high in the treetops. In this im…

1
Slither & Hiss - Snakes 4:53

2M ago4:53

4:53

Step into the Daintree Rainforest, one of the oldest forests on Earth, where the air is thick and warm, the trees stretch high, and something silent moves through the leaves. But listen closely—there are no footsteps, no flapping wings… just a smooth, sliding sound. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will follow the quiet …

1
Spirit of The Moose 6:48

2M ago6:48

6:48

Step into the frozen forests of the Arctic, where the air is crisp, the snow lies deep, and the land feels vast and silent. But listen—crunch… crunch… something is moving between the trees. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will follow the quiet footsteps of the moose, the giant of the north. Hear the slow, heavy breaths …

1
The Platypus 5:52

2M ago5:52

5:52

Step into the hidden rivers of Australia, where the water moves slow and secret beneath the trees. The air smells of fresh rain and wet leaves, birds call from the branches… and something small and mysterious glides just beneath the surface. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will follow the strangest swimmer in the world—…

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Stampede of The Wildebeest 5:20

2M ago5:20

5:20

Step into the golden grasslands of the Serengeti, where the sun rises over the wildest place on Earth. The land stretches far and wide, the wind rustles through the tall grass, and then - a distant rumble. The earth begins to shake… the Great Migration has begun! In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will follow the biggest h…

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Song of The Sea - The Humpback Whale 3:45

2M ago3:45

3:45

Take a deep breath in… and out…. Now, dive deep into the big, blue ocean, where waves roll and echoes travel through the water. But listen closely—what’s that sound? A song. A long, deep melody rising and falling beneath the waves. It’s a humpback whale singing in the sea! But wait—there’s another voice… a tiny, high-pitched chirp. It’s a baby whal…

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Penguin Parade 2:30

2M ago2:30

2:30

Zip up your warmest coat and step onto the icy shores of Antarctica, where the snow stretches for miles and the wind hums across the frozen landscape. But listen closely—what’s that sound? A chorus of happy penguin chirps and the soft shuffle of hundreds of tiny feet tapping across the ice… the Penguin Parade has begun! In this immersive episode of…

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The Roar & The Rustle 3:54

2M ago3:54

3:54

Close your eyes and step into the Serengeti, where golden grass stretches for miles and the warm wind whispers across the land. The sun is setting, painting the sky in glowing orange and pink… but listen—what’s that sound? A soft purr-purr-purr… a tiny meep! A lion cub is waking up, stretching his paws and learning how to be a lion! But his mama is…

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The Call of The Loon 4:56

2M ago4:56

4:56

Close your eyes and travel to the misty lakes of Scandinavia, where the water is so still it shines like glass and the haunting call of the loon echoes across the dawn. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will glide across the water with these elegant birds, listening to their duet songs, their playful splashes, and the gen…

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The Fox, The Jackal & The Dunes 6:00

2M ago6:00

6:00

Close your eyes and step into the golden dunes of the Kalahari, where the sand sings as it shifts in the wind. The desert may seem quiet, but listen closely—the land hums, the wind whispers, and somewhere in the distance, a jackal calls. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will meet the clever fennec fox, the tiniest fox in…

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The Go Away Bird 4:14

2M ago4:14

4:14

Step into the golden grasslands of Africa, where the trees stand tall like scattered umbrellas, and the air hums with the calls of zebras, baboons, and distant lions. But listen closely—one voice rises above them all… “Gwaaaah! Go a-waaaay!” In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will track down the White-Bellied Go-Away Bird,…

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Echoes of the Bat Cave 6:20

2M ago6:20

6:20

Step into the hidden world of the rainforest at night, where the trees whisper, the river flows nearby, and the air hums with thousands of tiny wings. But listen closely - most of these creatures are silent to our ears… until now. In this immersive episode of Little Listens, young explorers will use a bat detector to uncover the secret sounds of ba…

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Ep 471: Don't let perfectionism ruin your reading life 1:07:42

2M ago1:07:42

1:07:42

Over the past few years, today's guest has been on a journey of self-discovery. Florida reader Casey has been working on coming to terms with her perfectionism and along the way, she's been noticing what it means for her reading life. Casey's noticed she tends to save highly anticipated books for later: some uncertain time down the road when circum…

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Ep 470: Revisiting childhood favorites for a nostalgic reading project 57:30

3M ago57:30

57:30

Re-reading is a practice fits into every reader's life in a different way, and today's guest has embarked on a unique reading challenge that brings a fresh perspective to her re-reading. Sarah Swarbrick joins Anne today from the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, to talk about the special project she's crafted in advance of her 53rd birthday. With her…

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Ep 469: Book Club is for discussing, discovering, and dissenting 1:08:29

3M ago1:08:29

1:08:29

Readers, we often receive questions from you about our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and what actually goes on in our online reading community, and today's guest is here to help Anne take you behind the scenes! You may already know Ginger Horton, our MMD Book Club Community Manager, from her prior appearances here on the podcast or because you interac…

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Ep 468: Books for an adventure out West 1:00:54

3M ago1:00:54

1:00:54

Today's guest is a mood reader who often finds herself falling down a reading rabbit hole. Madelyn Kresinske is an elementary school librarian, wife, and mom who reads widely from middle-grade and picture books to romance, family dramas, and more. Madelyn doesn't hate her pattern of falling into sometimes a rut, sometimes she actually quite enjoys …

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Ep 467: I love literary fiction... don't I? 1:05:45

3M ago1:05:45

1:05:45

Today's guest has a common readerly dilemma: what to do when reading tastes change? In her submission to join Anne on the show, Philadelphia dweller and avid book thrifter Phoebe Mellinger shared that she'd had pretty consistent reading tastes for her whole life, until last year when she noticed that her taste suddenly and vastly changed. Her go-to…

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Ep 466: New stamps for your literary passport 1:05:08

4M ago1:05:08

1:05:08

Today's guests excel in pairing the perfect read with worldwide destinations: joining Anne today are her friends, fellow book lovers, and podcasters Mel Joulwan and Dave Humphreys. You may know them as the literary minds behind Strong Sense of Place. They've also been guests on our show a handful of times across the years. Today, Mel and Dave are b…

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Ep 465: What's saving your reading life? 46:57

4M ago46:57

46:57

Every year on the Modern Mrs Darcy blog, Anne shares a post about what's saving her life right now, and today she's joined by team member Shannan Malone to talk about what's saving their reading lives lately. Shannan is our What Should I Read Next Patreon community manager, and also our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club co-host. Today, she and Anne explor…

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Ep 464: Travel-minded books for a fantastic European adventure 55:30

4M ago55:30

55:30

Today's guest has a bookish birthday trip in the works. When Barbara Andrade DuBransky told us about her tradition of taking big trips with her best friend to mark big life milestones, Anne knew she wanted to talk about Barbara's upcoming European trip. Barbara and her friend are passionate readers who rely on their libraries to help them plan and …

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Ep 463: Remarkable stories that demand to be told 1:03:53

4M ago1:03:53

1:03:53

Readers, today we're thrilled to share a delightful conversation with Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, authors of The Personal Librarian. This conversation originally took place over in our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club community, where Marie and Victoria joined Anne, our MMD Book Club Community Manager Ginger Horton, our MMD Book Club …

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Ep 462: LISTEN: Spring Book Preview excerpt 14:35

4M ago14:35

14:35

We hosted our Spring Book Preview last week, and if you missed out on that event you're in luck: today we're sharing an excerpt to whet your spring reading appetite! In this sneak peek at our Spring Book Preview live event, you'll hear Anne tell you about 3 of the 35 titles included in the preview. Spring Book Preview is one of our marquee events t…

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Ep 461: Backlist books that make your brain fizz 52:24

5M ago52:24

52:24

Many of the readers we talk to tune into the seasons to inspire their next read, and today's guest has a twist on the usual seasonal reading dilemma: Nell Cavallo is joining Anne today from midsummer in Sydney, Australia. When Nell sent in her guest submission for the show, she told us that as a southern hemisphere reader, winter meant reading the …

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Ep 460: Anne's best books of 2024 1:01:32

5M ago1:01:32

1:01:32

We're kicking off 2025 with a special episode: today Anne is joined by her husband Will Bogel to discuss Anne's best books of the past year. Every week here on the show, we take a personal approach to the reading life, really digging into what readers love, what they don't, and why. Our conversations are about individual readers and their individua…

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