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Audiobooks offer a great alternative to reading a book especially now that we have to be super intentional about how we allocate our time. Being read to reminds me of the days my mom would tuck me in and lull me to sleep with her southern and endearing voice reading my favorite books. Don't get me wrong, I love cracking open a book and enjoying the unique smell of the pages and the structure of the spine but lately, audiobooks have become a creative way to avoid the unnerving news cycle.
Whether you're listening during a road trip, during a workout, or during a self-care session, audiobooks allow you to simply listen and give your eyes a break. Throw on your headphones or turn your speakers up as you listen to these gems we have rounded up.
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'No One Is Coming to Save Us: A Novel' by Stephanie Powell Watts
Audiobooks
No One is Coming to Save Us is a great novel telling the story of a Black family and their varying takes on the American Dream. This fictional story reimagines The Great Gatsby in the Black south.
'I Almost Forgot About You' by Terry McMillan
Audiobooks
We don't deserve Terry McMillan – she's a literary gift to multiple generations. In this novel, she pens a story about a woman who has it all but still feels stuck. Terry takes you along the journey as Georgia finds herself and love.
'Becoming' by Michelle Obama
Audiobooks
Do we really need to tell you that Michelle Obama's Becoming is a must-have? In case you need a push, the memoir of the greatest First Lady of the United States won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2020. Her ability to be so candid about her life living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue makes her even more charming.
'The Proposal' by Jasmine Guillory
Audiobooks
The Proposal– two words that weigh heavy on the hearts of so many women takes on a unique tale written by Jasmine Guillory. This New York Times Best Seller is a story about how a public proposal goes wrong. If you love romance, you'll love this audiobook.
'What We Lose' by Zinzi Clemmons
Audiobooks
Zinzi Clemmons' debut novel was deemed Novel of the Year by Vogue. It chronicles the the peaks and valleys of race, family and sex. The protaganist's life unfolds as she navigates how the life of her mother intersects with her own story of motherhood.
'White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism' by Robin Diangelo
Audiobooks
Anti-racism has become a hot topic since the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Geroge Floyd. We are sure you've seen this title on every 'How Not to Be Racist' list floating around social media. In the foreword by Michael Eric Dyson, he says the author is wise and withering. In the book, Robin says, "We live in a society that turns race over to people of color. They have a race, and we're just people. And so we see ourselves as outside of race."
'The Book of Night Women' by Marlon James
Audiobooks
Stories of women during slavery can be daunting, but Marlon James composed an empowering story of women who plan a slave revolt. It has trials and triumphs that don't play into the typical storyline of good and evil. The story is full of drama, violence, secrets and intense emotion.
'Queenie' by Candice Carty-Williams
Audiobooks
If Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah and Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary had a baby, it would be Queenie. It's a funny, inspirational and wise tale about Queenie, a name given to her in hopes she would rule the world. Like many of us, she struggles with self-worth in all areas of her life. She finds herself exploring her definition of being a modern woman.
'This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America' by Morgan Jerkins
Audiobooks
We can all relate in someway to the subtitle, "Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America." Take a listen to Morgan Jerkins' linked essays as she recounts being a black woman today. Morgan has earned her stripes as a raw, penetrative writer and her stories of our existence in this world is both chilling and affirming.
'Naughty & Nasty' by Sabrina B. Scales
Audiobooks
We just had to add an African-American erotica option to the roundup. This audiobook includes two novellas – one naughty and one nasty. It will definitely leave you wanting more.
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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