Full disclosure? I was late to the audiobook game. It wasn’t until I recently found myself juggling a 16-year-old, a newborn, chronic migraines, and two book deadlines that it hit me: Reading actual words on actual pages requires pausing. With my Audible faves, I can go about my day—whether it's cleaning, driving, or stress-trimming my hair with kitchen scissors—while getting lost in propulsive, immersive storytelling. Here are my go-to escapist listens. —Tia Williams, author of Audre & Bash Are Just Friends
Troy McEady is my favorite pop culture podcaster. In his latest pod, he and Dara Laine Sussman explore vintage fashion and entertainment magazines, which gives me such a nostalgia high—in my former life, I was beauty editor at Elle, Glamour, Essence, and others. I miss print magazines!
Jones is one of the most captivating horror novelists of our time. And this one—about a group of Blackfeet friends haunted by a harrowing incident from their past—is moving, funny, sharp as hell, and utterly terrifying.
From the sharp-eared colloquial dialogue, to Janie’s surprisingly modern journey toward self-acceptance, this novel has influenced every novel I’ve written. And hearing none other than the Ruby Dee narrate Hurston’s story? Exquisite. Transportive. Mesmerizing.
I love celeb memoirs, especially when they’re narrated by the actual celeb. And as a '90s-loving Gen X'er, I adored Skye’s recollections of her tempestuous relationships with the likes of Anthony Kiedis, Adam Yauch, and Jenny Shimizu.
For Old Hollywood obsessives, this podcast is our bible. I simply refuse to do household chores without Karina Longworth regaling me with stories of Tinseltown’s saucy, seedy past. Her Mid-Atlantic-tinged voice is hypnotizing, and her research is impeccable.
Tia Williams, an award-winning and bestselling writer, has been referred to as “a writer’s writer with a fashionista twist.”
