Hidden Gem Audiobooks
Do you ever adore a book but wonder why it’s not getting more love? Every so often this happens to me. I pick up a book, adore it, and then check the web for book reviews. Sometimes, there isn’t as much bookish chatter as I expect. So today, I’m highlighting two books that definitely deserve more love. But first, let’s jump into bookish goods.
Bookish Goods
Bookshelf Cups Bookmarks by CuppaSeriously
Scary season is almost upon us! Here is the perfectly themed bookmark to celebrate. $4
New Releases
COME BY HERE: A MEMOIR IN ESSAYS FROM GEORGIA’S GEECHEE COAST BY NEESHA POWELL-INGABIRE
In her debut memoir, journalist Neesha Powell-Ingabire examines her life growing up in Brunswick, Georgia. As a Black, queer, and disabled kid, she always felt on the edge. Now, she uses her unique perspective to inform her writing and her activism.
A Little Less Broken: How an Autism Diagnosis Finally Made Me Whole by Marian Schembari
For years, Marian Schembari thought she was broken. But then, at 34, she learned she was autistic. Suddenly, everything clicked: she wasn’t broken at all. Her brain just works differently. Schembari shares her thoughts on her journey to diagnosis and how better understanding herself helped her feel whole.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom, Performed by the Author
In this essay collection, Kai Cheng Thom writes letters to people in her life. Whether it’s to ex-boyfriends or fellow trans women, Thom writes each letter with care. In one letter, she writes to J.K. Rowling, showing compassion while also asking what causes her to spread hate and misinformation. In one letter addressed to those who have hurt her, she repeats the phrase, “I forgive you” over and over again. On the audiobook, Thom performs each “I forgive you” differently, adding layers of meaning to ideas of forgiveness when you’ve experienced harm. At the end of each letter, Thom gives readers an action item, inspiring her readers to explore how they view their relationship with those around them.
Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell about Fear by Erica Berry, Performed by Lessa Lamb
Sometimes the very concept of a book catches my eye and I have to read it ASAP. That’s what happened with Wolfish, a book where Erica Berry delves into societal ideas around wolves. What do wolves symbolize to human civilization? How has that perception impacted society today? These are just a couple of the big questions that Berry examines. Lessa Lamb (yes, her real name) deftly performs the audio edition, making the listening experience fly by, even in sections that I imagine might be a little dry to read in print. I loved every second of Lamb’s performance.
That’s it for this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra
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