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

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!

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

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

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!!!

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

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! 📚 🧩 🏟️🗺️👍🏻💕

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

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.).

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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!!!

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Murph sweater! Murph sweater! Murph sweater!

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

S.P.Q.R. by Mary Beard is my favorite Roman history book!

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

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

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

Every time Caldwell mentions TWRP I get really happy

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ITS HAIKYUU AND IT FUCKING ROCKS

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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

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

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

I think a neat link to the Roman Empire is that it was so influential that it even influenced rocket ship design! Link with the deets: https://dwanethomas.com/roman-chariots-and-the-space-shuttle/

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.

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!!

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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!)

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!!

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.

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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)

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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)

I love both the library AND Haikyu!! 🧡

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!

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

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

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

Where is the pic of Murphs sweater???

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

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

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

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.

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

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)

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 :)

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 👍🏻

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

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

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

As a rural library director in WA, hell yes.

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)

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.

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.

Whistle punk and donkey puncher as jobs had me dying 😂

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

I too decorate my house like a dorm room 😂

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

Release the sweater pics

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

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

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.

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

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.

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)

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!

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

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.

Waiting for Emily's Roman inspired court politicking campaign

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

You guys are so old (complimentary)

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!

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

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

Show us the Halloween sweater you cowards

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.

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

THE LAST DINNER PARTY MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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?

Murph, read Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Yoo FFT

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

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

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.

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

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

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)

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!!

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Emily are We Talking Budica Barabarian Druid Warrior Queen of Britain?

Tastful sweater pic Please

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.

I guess in no particular order, some of my favorite things this year have been Bioshock, spa retreats, the Stone Age, poetry, and watching movies

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

Please play Dispatch! It's really good.

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.

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.

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.

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

The return of the GOAT show

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

Murph, Speaking of Turtles, got something I will be sending in 2026.

Regarding Kundalini yoga. Maybe watch the documentary Breath of Fire

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!!

COYS

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

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!

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

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

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?”

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

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

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.

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.

I need to see the sweaters Murph!!

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!

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.

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.

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? 😂💃🏼

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

drop the sweater

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

Post the tasteful Halloween sweater!!! 🎃🦇👻

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

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

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

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

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

Happy New Year everyone! ☺️

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!

hell yeah dollywood

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.

emily how are you taking the jokic injury

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

My calling is here, bask in my ambient glow

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

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

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

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

@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

deltarune mentioned ‼️

HAPPY NEW YEARS !!

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

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.

Activate fucking rocks!

Yay! Happy New Year all 🎇

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!

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

Yay so glad you did another one of these!!

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

YAY

HAPPY 2026 Woo

Happy New Year everyone!