Daily commutes can be a drag, whether you’re sitting in traffic or scrunched up on public transportation. You’re bound to be tired and impatient for all that in-between time. If you could just find the right entertainment, maybe it would move a lot faster.
We asked our audience how they spend their commute, and a large portion, 35 percent, love to listen to music (same) but even more offered specific recommendations we could share with the group. These are our readers’ favorites for podcasts, books, and music to give you some extra motivation and a better mood before and after your long workday.
Podcasts
1. Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Comedian Amy Poehler hosts a variety of famous people on her 2025-launched weekly podcast, Good Hang, to talk about life and take the pressure off. She’s already hosted the likes of Michelle Obama, Jack Black, Martin Short, and Idris Elba.
2. ReLiving Single
The classic 90s sitcom Living Single may just deserve a rewatch—and you can listen to original stars of the show, Erika Alexander and Kim Coles, react right along with you with their unofficial rewatch podcast, ReLiving Single.
3. Diary of a CEO
Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett hosts The Diary of a CEO, in which he interviews top leaders around the globe to suss out lessons and truths for listeners with their own aspirations.
4. My Favorite Murder
Since it launched in 2016, My Favorite Murder has remained a major hit with true crime lovers. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark talk through some of the most baffling murders out there alongside their unique humor and wit.
5. Affirmations for Black Girls
This podcast from Tyra the Creative is a supportive space for women to embrace their emotions and discuss some of life’s most significant challenges.
6. Psychopedia
Host Investigator Slater takes listeners through all the details of true crime cases in Psychopedia, focusing on the dark side of the human psyche.
7. Ridiculous History
True stories really are stranger than fiction. In Ridiculous History from iHeartRadio, hosts Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown talk about some of the most ridiculous and weirdest stories from history.
8. Coaching Real Leaders
Leadership coach Murial Wilkins hosts this podcast from the Harvard Business Review, offering listeners takes from real coaching sessions and conversations for advice and guidance.
9. The Squeeze
If you’re looking for more talk about mental health, The Squeeze—hosted by BOTH Taylor Lautners—provides support, insights, and coping strategies for listeners going through it.
10. This American Life
This American Life has become an institution when it comes to podcasts. Hosted by Ira Glass, each episode has a theme that the stories center around, all commenting on some aspect of the American experience.
11. Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
Psychotherapist and author Esther Perel hosts the relationship-focused Where Should We Begin? podcast. She helps real couples and individuals experiencing breakups work through major challenges in their lives.
12. Re:Thinking
Re:Thinking brings on some of the world’s most famous leaders to talk about how to think differently, whether based on science or experience. Host Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist.
13. Code Switch
This podcast from NPR is all about race and how it impacts all aspects of our lives. Code Switch is hosted by journalists of color to unpack racial issues through meaningful conversations.
14. Radio Amulante
Radio Amulante tells “uniquely Latin American stories” through podcasts and collaborations, focusing on narratives from Spanish speakers that celebrate Latin American diversity.
15. Crime Junkie
Another podcast classic is Crime Junkie, hosted by Ashley Flowers. The weekly show covers some of the most interesting cases out there, mostly unsolved.
16. Mind Love Podcast
Melissa Monte hosts Mind Love, which focuses on how you can solve problems and live a better life by breaking out of old patterns and embracing new ways of thinking.
17. We’re Your Girls
Every Friday night, best friends Taryn Delanie Smith and Tiffani Singleton get together to chat on We’re Your Girls. The light-hearted podcast is great for unwinding and getting in some laughs on your commute.
18. Too Scary; Didn’t Watch
Horror movies just not your thing, but you’re a little curious? On Too Scary; Didn’t Watch, hosts Emily Gonzalez, Henley Cox, and Sammy Smart provide recaps so you never have to watch them yourself.
19. Normal Gossip
If you love some good gossip, but would rather hear it about strangers, Normal Gossip is your podcast. Rachelle Hampton hosts and brings on guests who spill the tea about people you’ve never met.
20. The Self Love Fix
Coach Beatrice Kamau hosts the Self Love Fix, a podcast that focuses on how women can nurture more self-love and improve their self-esteem.
21. Call Her Daddy
Last but not least: Call Her Daddy, one of the most popular podcasts for women out there right now. Host Alex Cooper interviews people and talks about sex, dating, mental health, and more, notoriously stirring the pot.
Books and Authors
22. Libby
Our readers raved about the Libby app. If you have a library card from your local library, all you have to do is use it to sign in and access free ebooks, magazines, and audiobooks, perfect for commuters who don’t mind reading on a mobile device or are stuck in the car.
23. The Unspoken Truths for Career Success by Tessa White
Tessa White writes about everything from promotions to burnout to office politics in The Unspoken Truths for Career Success, which is targeted toward “digital native Millennials.” The book helps readers take control of their professional lives.
24. N.K. Jemisin
A master of fantasy and sci-fi, N.K. Jemisin has a range of books to choose from — but you might start with her lauded Broken Earth series, which consists of The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky.
25. Royals Series by Erin Watt
Author Erin Watt is actually the self-described brainchild of Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy, who wrote the five-book Royals Series, which follows the Royal family and their messy love lives.
26. Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
Phantasma: A Dark Fantasy Romance by Kaylie Smith follows the protagonist Ophelia as she has to go through a series of challenges in the Phantasma contest to save her sister, who disappeared.
27. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
In her historical fantasy novel, What the River Knows, author Isabel Ibañez delivers a captivating story about a woman who must travel to Cairo with her new, mysterious guardian to uncover truths about her missing parents.
28. Juan Felipe Herrera
Switch up your quick reads with a little poetry. Juan Felipe Herrera is a poet and professor and served as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017. He’s written many books of poems and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for his book Half the World in Light in 2008.
29. A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
After a spell goes wrong, witch Mariel Spark has summoned a demon, who she has to pretend to date in Sarah Hawley’s fun read, A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon.
30. The Kitchen Witch Mysteries by Lynn Cahoon
This series by Lynn Cahoon follows the kitchen witch Mia Malone, who has to solve a host of problems in each book to solve cases while concocting recipes.
31. You Are Your Best Thing by Brené Brown and Tarana Burke
Researcher and author Brené Brown collaborated with activist Tarana Burke to write You Are Your Best Thing, an anthology of essays by Black authors who process and share their trauma caused by white supremacy.
32. William Kent Krueger
Getting engrossed in a good crime novel is sure to pass the commuting time. Author William Kent Krueger writes award-winning crime novels, many of which follow the character Cork O’Connor in Minnesota.
33. Kristin Hannah
New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah has written a range of novels in the historical fiction genre, including The Nightingale, The Great Alone, The Four Winds, and many others. Her most recent novel is The Women, set in the 1960s.
34. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Jen Sincero’s infamous self-help book (full name: You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life) aims to help readers let go of beliefs that no longer serve them to meet their life and career goals.
35. Hal Elrod
Author, speaker, and coach Hal Elrod has a series of books on how to transform your life by overcoming challenges—most significantly, Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Change Your Life (Before 8AM).
36. Joe Ledger Series by Jonathan Maberry
Jonathan Maberry is the author of the Joe Ledger Series, which follows detective Joe Ledger. Each book is a bio-terrorism thriller where Joe has to combat plagues, zombies, monsters, and more.
Music
37. Dance Music
Our readers love to get amped up for work by listening to some dance tunes. When you’re not sure what to pick, go for a classic like “One More Time” from Daft Punk or “Pump Up the Jam” from Technotronic.
38. World Music
Readers also recommend turning on some world music for your commute, venturing outside the U.S. and English-speaking artists. Try out this world music playlist from Spotify to get started.
39. 90s R&B
Enjoy some throwbacks by listening to 90s R&B hits to get you in a good mood for the day of work ahead (or to unwind when going back home). Explore your favorite old hits from artists like Mary J. Blige, TLC, Mariah Carey, D’Angelo, Ginuwine, and Boyz II Men.
40. Beyoncé
Who better to source motivation from than the queen herself? Beyoncé’s significant catalog, from Destiny’s Child to present day Cowboy Carter, provides plenty of hits for relaxing or getting fired up for your commute to and from work.
41. Mariah the Scientist
Mariah the Scientist is a young singer-songwriter known for singing about love and mixing sounds and genres. Her easy-listening voice is a soothing respite from thinking about the grind.
42. Paramore
Rock band Paramore is sure to wake you up each morning on your way to work. Led by Hayley Williams, the Grammy-winning band has been around since the early aughts and has six albums of tunes.
43. The Pretty Wild
Looking for something a little different? Sisters Jyl and Jules make up the metal band The Pretty Wild, hailing from Las Vegas. Embracing some intense metal may just help you lower your stress levels.
44. Maverick City Music
One reader gets motivated by Maverick City Music, a worship music group from Atlanta led by Norman Gyamfi and Jonathan Jay. Check out Maverick City when you’re looking for some inspiring contemporary Christian.
45. DeathbyRomy
Romy Flores is a singer-songwriter from L.A. who goes by the name DeathbyRomy. She blends genres to form a kind of dark pop and sings about somewhat morbid themes on her rock-inspired tunes.
46. 2000s Pop
The 2000s were a dynamic time for pop music, starting in the middle of Britney Spears’ era and giving us hits from Pink, Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas, and Lady Gaga. Revisiting some of your favorite 2000s pop tunes from this period can be a comfort after a bad day at the office.
