Podcast Review: All Things Cozy

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun discussions of cozy topics

Cons: I’m too cozy to think up any cons

The Bottom Line:

A cozy podcast

Covering range of topics

And it’s always fun

Cozy Thoughts That Always Make Me Smile

Being an innovator who is always on the cutting edge of new technology, I finally started listening to podcasts this year.  (Yes, you can laugh at me now.)  (I'm talking entertainment type podcasts, not sermons recorded and released as podcasts when I say this.)  I only have a couple I am listening to at the moment, and I’m sure there are many out there I’d enjoy.  When I jumped full force into Instagram earlier this year (yes, you can laugh at me over this as well), I discovered the podcast All Things Cozy.  Not only have I been listening to the current episodes as they air, but I’ve done a deep dive into their past episodes.  And I’m loving every minute of it.

All Things Cozy is a bi-weekly podcast, releasing episodes on Sundays.  I’d tell you what it is about, but it is pretty much summed up in the title.  Each week, Matt and Gillian, our hosts, talk about a topic of the week, sometimes by themselves and sometimes with a guest.  As you might suspect (this is me recommending the podcast after all), they talk a lot about cozy mysteries.  I’ve enjoyed author interviews as they discuss the latest books by these authors.  Some are authors I’ve been familiar with, others are authors I haven’t read yet, but I’ve added them to my ever growing to be read pile.  (Honestly, it’s going to topple over any day now.)

But cozy mystery books aren’t the only things they discuss.  Every year, they have an episode devoted to Halloween.  They recently did an episode on making candles.  They’ve done one on comfort food.  Diving into the archives, they’ve discussed Hallmark mystery movies; Murder, She Wrote; and various non-mystery movies.  Plus, there’s the annual end of year cozy awards.

In addition to the main topic, each episode also features a segment on what is making Matt and Gillian (and any guests) feel cozy.  These are often shows or places.  Since our hosts live in Los Angeles, some of what they talk about is local to me, not that I’ve actually taken advantage of any of their suggestions.  Yet.  I fully intend to do so.  But don’t worry, not all of these suggestions are location specific, and their guests are from all over the country.  They end each episode by reviewing a candle they’ve been burning as they record that episode.  Due to my allergies, I don’t regularly buy or burn any candles, but I often have to remind myself of this as I listen to that part of the show.  I want to give in and sample some of these myself.

The show started in 2017.  Since they only release shows every other week, the backlog into overwhelming right now.  I’m enjoying going back and listening to the beginnings of the show and seeing how it has evolved over time.  And most of the topics are still interesting today.

The average episode is 50 or so minutes, some longer, some shorter.  Matt and Gillian have the occasional side trip, but they do a very good job of staying on topic without wandering too much off track.  And, their asides are usually quite a bit of fun as well.

I absolutely enjoy this podcast.  I can’t help but smile as I listen to the episodes.  The first thing I do when I wake up on a release Sunday is see if the newest podcast is uploaded yet so I can find out what they will be discussing.  Or, I should say we, so I am often talking back to them as I listen, trying to add to the discussion.

If you are looking for a fun podcast, I highly recommend All Things Cozy, which is available wherever you listen to podcasts.  You can jump in with any episode, or search through the archives to find topics and authors that interest you.  I bet you are soon as addicted as I am and just listening to all of them.

Oh, and be sure to join the official All Things Cozy Facebook group.