What podcasts should be playing on your drive home from work? Give these a listen

Podcast preferences are personal, kind of like your favorite ice cream flavor.

Me, I love coffee ice cream. I can regale you with its deliciousness, insist coffee is much more flavorful than vanilla or chocolate but I can’t make you adore it like I do.

That’s OK. I can enjoy my coffee ice cream and you, your chocolate or Rum Raisin or whatever.

Podcasts aren’t that different. Our tastes are our own. And the nice thing about podcasts and say, not always films or television serials, is that even if you share your life with someone, we often listen to podcasts on our own. Maybe we’re commuting to work or running errands, whatever it is, podcast listening is often a solitary endeavor, and that means, you do you, and I’ll do me.

That said, who doesn’t love a recommendation or two, even if you end up disagreeing.

So here it goes:

If you're into true crime ... Murder on the Space Coast

You knew I’d start with this one, right?

The podcast, having just wrapped its sixth season in the fall, is written and hosted by FLORIDA TODAY Engagement Editor John A. Torres and produced by Multimedia Editor Rob Landers. John takes you deep into a variety of cases from wrongful convictions to unsolved murders and in the latest season, an opioid-pushing doctor. All the cases are based right here in Brevard County.

While you can listen out of order, I'd still start with Season 1: the murder case against Gary Bennett. It was a gruesome murder scene and Gary is a troubled guy. But did he murder his neighbor Helen Nardi with the scissors and ice pick? Listen to the podcast and see what you think.

If you're a woman of a certain age … Wiser Than Me by Julia Louis-Dreyfus

This podcast was recommended to me by our now-retired former Food & Dining Reporter Suzy Leonard, and it is so good. I recommend it to almost every woman I meet. “Elaine” from Seinfeld is a great interviewer, able to pull out such wisdom and insight from her guests. And her guests are the real deal: Jane Fonda, Carol Burnett, Fran Lebowitz, Ruth Reichl, Billie Jean King. My favorite interview so far was with writer Isabel Allende.

Allende reflects on this amazing morning “dialogue” she has with her deceased mother. It sounds crazy but it's not. It's moving and uplifting and I know you'll love it.

If you love all things space ... Are We There Yet?

This weekly space exploration podcast by our local NPR journalist Brendan Byrne gets good guests, covers a variety of topics and is a fun 28-minute listen. I guarantee you’ll learn something you’ll want to share over dinner.

Whether he’s talking about space food or Starship, asteroid dust or growing plants in space, Byrne has a nice conversational approach and being on the Space Coast, you’ll definitely be familiar with some of his guests and topics.

If you need a good cry … All There Is with Anderson Cooper

As CNN personality Anderson Cooper cleans out his late mother’s belongings, he embarks on a discussion of grief. It’s personal and raw. Throughout the series, he talks to varied guests – each with their own story of grief and loss.

That sounds like a downer and you will cry. But you’ll also come away with a greater appreciation of life.

My favorite episode was Cooper’s discussion with Laurie Anderson about the death of her husband, rocker Lou Reed.

If you want a funny lesson in football ... New Heights by Jason and Travis Kelce

This recommendation comes from my colleague, Trending Reporter Michelle Spitzer, who wanted me to make clear she was a fan well before Taylor Swift came into the picture.

Michelle says: "The brothers’ banter is hysterical! They talk about football in a way non-football fans can understand, but also in a way football fans appreciate. They also talk about other topics, which are funny and interesting."

Finally, don't forget to check out two other podcasts produced by members of our FLORIDA TODAY team. There's Sports Editor Tim Walters' podcast about Florida sports, called "The *State* of Florida Sports," and our Tallahassee political reporters give you the inside scoop on Florida podcasts in Inside Florida Politics podcast, produced by Rob Landers.

Happy Listening!

Executive Editor Mara Bellaby can be reached at mbellaby@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Podcast recommendations for driving in Brevard, Florida