The podcast for cultivating whimsy, comfort and meaning in a world of doomscrolling. In Curiouser and Curiouser, host Leonie Dams (The Book Leo) talks about every curious thing she's currently overthinking - leading you down a little rabbit hole of internet culture, feminism, philosophy, and whimsical living. If this podcast was a cup of tea, it would contain notes of sharp cultural analysis and a big splash of magic and imagination.
confidence & self-love tips that have ACTUALLY helped me
a little bonus episode! today i'm sharing the list of confidence tips that have actually helped me, that i mentioned in episode 2 about confidence culture!
8 Apr 2026
solo dating: how to have fun alone & love your own company
today my friend nina and i, two seasoned solo daters, answer your questions about going out on fun outings by yourself! how to conquer the awkwardness, the potential judgement and the boredom? we share it all in today's episode!
nina's youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NinaCatharina_
1 Apr 2026
i can't stop doomscrolling through anti-doomscroll videos
help! i keep using technology to escape technology!
articles mentioned:
https://open.substack.com/pub/theunmoored/p/theyre-on-my-phone-telling-me-i-really?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
https://www.cosmo.ph/lifestyle/watching-decluttering-organizing-videos-explanation-a4462-20201113
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10516449/
18 Mar 2026
imagination is the antidote to your nihilism and nostalgia-bait
it seems like the solution to our discontentment with the present is looking back to the past, nostalgia-bait and general nihilism. but who are we leaving behind when we escape into memories? how can we rekindle our imagination, to look forward again?
sources:
the ultimate hidden truth of the world - david graeber, prefaced by rebecca solnit
the new age of sexism - laura bates
empire of AI - karen hao
Science fiction blockbuster movies – A problem or a path to urban greenery?
a solarpunk manifesto
https://missolivialouise.tumblr.com/post/94374063675/heres-a-thing-ive-had-around-in-my-head-for-a
dead zones of the imagination - david graeber
11 Mar 2026
i will remain joyful out of spite !!!
today we discuss a topic i've been pondering a lot the past year; joy as a means instead of an end! books and articles mentioned:ursula leguin - the ones who walk away from omelasemily henry - beach readhttps://www.filosofie.nl/filosoof-peter-venmans-de-zin-van-het-leven-is-zin-hebben-in-het-leven-frivoliteit/wendy cope - the orangebeautiful world where are you - sally rooneyfjodr dostojevski - crime and punishmentalduous huxley - brave new worldflorence given - women living deliciouslyaudre lorde - uses of the erotichttps://brightblackhoney.substack.com/p/joy-is-a-strategy-why-white-leftistsalbert camus - the myth of sisyphus
4 Mar 2026
online spaces where the internet is still FUN
today we respond to the notion that 'the internet isn't fun anymore' and look at some online spaces that use the internet in a joyful way, without being stuck in algorithms and ads. hopefully it will help us answer the question: how can we make the internet fun again?
mentioned websites:
https://archive.org/
https://archiveofourown.org/
https://neocities.org/browse
https://cloudhiker.net/explore
https://theuselessweb.com/
https://www.ravelry.com/account/loginhttps://visdeurbel.nl/
https://www.window-swap.com/
books mentioned:
empire of AI - karen hao
the age of extraction - tim wu
25 Feb 2026
love analog hobby's, hate the analog trend
finally i have an excuse to talk about all my hobbiesarticles on physical versus digital mediahttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11943480/pdf/life-15-00345.pdfhttps://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fedu0000830https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9871942/
18 Feb 2026
the art of doing nothing
today i am joined by Leora Aileen to discuss the philosophy and science of doing nothing
books and people mentioned:
vita contemplativa - byung chul han
women artists: the creative process - bell hooks
de openbaring van de onbenutte tijd - lieke knijnenburg
the brain at rest - joseph jebelli
nina's youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NinaCatharina_/videos
quirine's substack: https://quirinebrouwer.substack.com/p/all-my-friends-and-i-talk-about-is
11 Feb 2026
how to live a life of beauty, NOT overconsumption
today we chat about finding the beauty and luxury of life without falling into overconsumption. what are some things you want to learn to see the beauty in, that go against the mainstream beauty standards?
essays mentioned:
women artists - bell hooks
beauty laid bare - bell hookson knitting and killing my mortal enemies - this is going somewhere
🦋 Curiouser and curiouser instagram - https://www.instagram.com/curiouserandcuriouserpod/🐞 My personal instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thebookleo/💫 My book channel - https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookLeo
4 Feb 2026
don't be the main character, be a better side character
let's get together pondering at the pond to discuss individuality, our responsibility to others and how we are always both main characters and side characters at the same time
sources
i got a lot of my information on Levinas from my philosophy class notes, but if you're interested in reading more, here is an apprehensive overview: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/levinas/
museum exhibit: https://www.radius-cca.org/nl/exhibitions/de-politieke-grenzen-voorbij-hoofdstuk-2-we-zijn-allemaal-holobiontshttps://panarchy.org/koestler/holon.1969.htmlcheck out alma heikkila's art: https://www.almaheikkila.net/
28 Jan 2026
confidence tips aren't actually helping you
hello lovelies! today we chat about confidence culture and the whole confidenc industry, and how it convinces women that all their problems are due to their individual lack of gutsiness.sources:unbound - kasia urbaniaktomorrow sex will be good again - katherine angelWhat is “confidence culture” and how does it harm women? - Shani Orgad, Rosalind Gill https://www.lse.ac.uk/research/research-for-the-world/society/what-is-confidence-culture-and-how-does-it-harm-womenConfidence culture and the remaking of feminism - Shani Orgad, Rosalind Gill https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316464812_Confidence_culture_and_the_remaking_of_feminismWanting Bad Things - Andrea Long Chu, Anastasia Berg https://thepointmag.com/dialogue/wanting-bad-things-andrea-long-chu-responds-amia-srinivasan/
21 Jan 2026
'you don't owe anyone anything' & the friendship crisis
welcome to the first episode of curiouser and curiouser! today we get curious about the friendship crisis, how much boundaries is too much boundaries and the online lie of healing as an individualistic actsources:
Niamh Duffy, ‘I’ve protected my peace so much, I’ve accidentally made myself boring’
Maisa, ‘you’re a bitch and that’s why we lack community’
Tristan Harris on the Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=675d_6WGPbo
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/style/friend-ai-subway-ads-new-york.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.3086https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14675803/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4290532/
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