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With commutes, road trips and errands, audiobooks are great for book lovers—although, when given the time, we’d all prefer a physical book in our hands, the crisp swish of pages, the aroma of wood, vanilla and glue, the sanctity of reading words from the hearts of trees. So each month, SheReads editorial director Lauren Wise curates a list of binge-worthy audiobooks, new and old. An added bonus: as the She Writes Press and SparkPress associate publisher, she also highlights the indie author audiobooks you should listen to now. 

My Summer Darlings by May Cobb

Best friends Jen, Kittie and Cynthia live in the same quiet town where they grew up together. Their East Texas town is almost the same as it was they were children, and the only excitement they get is drinking together in the afternoons, talking about the latest mischief of their teenage children, and gossiping about other women in town. When the mysterious and handsome Will Harding moves in to one of the nicest houses around, each of the women are instantly captivated and drawn to him. But getting closer to Will begins to threaten their relationships with each other and their families. When Will suddenly disappears, they desperately search for answers and discover an unsettling secret.

Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
Narrated by the poet himself, Ocean Vuong’s second poetry collection is a beautiful and intimate audiobook. After the recent loss of his mother, the poet writes about the loss and finding a way past the pain. He also writes about love, meaning, restoration and remembrance in his poems. He does all this is new, imaginative ways that will stay with you and will make you want to listen to this collection again and again.

You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation by Julissa ArceIn You Sounds like a White Girl, Julissa Arce denounces the idea that assimilation leads to belonging. The author recounts her own experience when, as a young immigrant girl, she picked up on the pressure and expectation that she assimilate to white American culture. She worked hard to get rid for her accent, and when her high school crush told her that she “sounded like a white girl,” she took it as a compliment. But assimilation only lead to unfulfilled promises. In her book, she unpacks the lies within the assimilation narrative to show that what assimilation actually does is leave people of color without power and without community.

The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat by Matt SiegelA funny, entertaining and fascinating look at the history of the foods we love, this audiobook is a must-listen for foodies and history buffs alike. The author reveals the surprising origins of some foods, discusses how certain foods have been connected to myths and legends throughout history, and looks into how some dishes may have changed history. It becomes clear that that food is intertwined with not just history, but with the cultural, scientific, and even sexual realities of human life.