What's better than a beach read? These perfect summer listens

How she gets the phone numbers of rich and powerful men remains unknown, but she makes good use of them with her seductive voice luring them into conversations and mining information she’ll share with the next mogul. The less they know about Miranda, the more they have to know. They want to see her, and sometimes they get close—and then, well, you’ll have to listen. Based on a true story peppered with names like Sting, Billy Joel, and Eric Clapton, and featuring an all-star cast led by Rachel Brosnahan, this is a compulsive listen you might finish in one fell swoop.

This Audible Original will resonate for many with its underlying theme of gaining influence by spreading fear. It’s about three blacklisted filmmakers who wanted to make a film that supported labor and feminist rights, but FBI special agent Jack Bergin, played by Jon Hamm, isn’t buying it. The Bureau is convinced it’s a film to recruit new members for the Communist party, and Bergin is determined to shut down the production. Hamm leads an impressive cast of stars including David Strathairn, John Slattery, Kate Mara, Giancarlo Esposito, and more in this episodic, explosive story. If you like riveting, you’ve found your listen.

Jenny Han works her unique magic in this summertime tale, now a limited series on Prime Video. This summer is like no other for Belly, who’s been visiting the beach house of her mother’s best friend, Susannah, for years. Belly has had sometimes complicated relationships with Susannah’s sons, Jeremiah and Conrad, from brother-like figures to crushes. This audiobook takes you along on vacations at the beach in a rambling house packed with personalities, quirks, and fun, too. But one summer there’s a shift as Belly turns 16 and sees everything and everybody through another gaze. There’s a little bit of Belly in all of us from summers past.

Everything seems to be in perfect order for this couple: the cute son, the big house, his big job, her perfect shop in town. Marissa and Mathew Bishop have it all—well, almost. Marissa commits an indiscretion and off they go to see therapist Avery Chambers, a maverick in the field who lost her license to controversy. The plot thickens and thickens, and bestselling authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen don’t disappoint as they take you on another one of their rides through what seems like the good life, until it becomes, well, life.

Ariadne Hui, a.k.a. Ari, prides herself on always being on her perfectly planned A-game—she’s gifted, laser-focused, and, in her father’s eyes, the “perfect” daughter as she lives out his dream. She walks into her living room after one tough day and finds her roommate’s handsome cousin sitting there. But he’s not just any ole cousin, he’s famous, and though the whole world claims him, she gets to be on his arm. And that’s when the fun begins, or does it? Suddenly, the hyper-achiever is thrown off her game as there are some truths to uncover.

This is probably the sweetest romance title of the summer. One of its central characters is an ice cream parlor called Scoops, in a town called Eternity Springs (also sweet). Owner Dana Delaney is very busy and understaffed when a handsome out-of-towner arrives and offers to help. Little does she know that he spotted her first and is on an assignment to find romantic proposal sites for a client. He happens to be a top sports agent with the right name, Cal Buchanan. Not only will he score free ice cream but he’s hoping Dana can help with the scouting. What happens next? And who melts first, the ice cream or someone’s heart?

Dr. Virginia Edwards, performed by Kerry Washington, is looking for Agent Scott Thomas (Laurence Fishburne). She suspects that recent worldwide natural disasters will only get worse and are signs of something big to come. Dr. Edwards is also pregnant, and she reveals to him that she thinks she’s Mary—as in the Virgin Mary. Could Agent Thomas be Doubting Thomas? Edwards is beginning to wonder if he is, along with what fresh clues Jonah and David have and how they made their way here in this heart-pounding supernatural thriller.

Carmen Rita Wong knows that something isn’t right in her family; she could tell when she looked in the mirror. Her mother, Lupe, the master of secrets, keeps them all to herself and uses them to manipulate others. Wong’s story begins in Harlem, then shifts to a town in New Hampshire where she and her brother are the “others” in their white community. There she begins to lose her China-Latina culture, including her Spanish. Wong decides one day that it’s time for the truth and she searches high and low. When you listen to her twisty story unfold, just go with the flow of her incredible journey to the truth.

James Baldwin was there. So were Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, Carson McCullers, and other cultural icons. Fire Island, a thin strip of beach rich in queer history, is impeccably chronicled in this book by the poet and scholar Jack Parlett. With its tremendous influence on arts and culture, Fire Island, as Parlett tells it, is no ordinary day at the beach with its hedonism and creativity on steroids. He tells the island’s story through the lens of those who know all about it and contributed to what makes it, to this day, a special place in the world.

David Sedaris gets a hold of the pandemic in this hilarious collection of personal essays. Like most of us, he had a little too much time on his hands, especially since he wasn’t able to tour during the lockdown. He has time to ponder and wonder—what’s life like for sex workers and acupuncturists these days? Having recently lost his father, he has to cope with no longer being someone’s son. He takes up walking through the empty city streets; at home, he vacuums twice a day. When he straightens his own teeth (an offer to do the same for a stranger is rebuffed) he ventures out into the world. Sedaris is the perfect storm of hilarity and poignant observations.

Go on a journey with Smokey Robinson in his own words and music, and learn the stories and players behind them. Growing up he was surrounded by some of the greatest—he walked into a room and heard a little girl singing “Amazing Grace” with all her heart; her name was Aretha. He tells us about his family, neighborhood, and “customs” like good old-fashioned house parties with food, drink, and a price of admission as low as 25 cents. If you’re into classic beach music, this listen is the ideal companion to a day at the beach.

If you’re a monarchist, you will like this listen a lot. If you’re not a monarchist, you will like this listen a lot. Tina Brown delivers, as only she can, the truth, the grit, and the dish about the Royal Family. We learn the inner workings of The Firm and why some make it and some don’t. We learn about the princes and their complicated relationship and how each has been affected by the loss of their doting mother whom they deeply loved. If you’re considering becoming a royal, this is a good primer on what to expect and if you can handle it.

In Thank You for Listening, author and A-list narrator Julia Whelan gives us a peek at a narrator's life. Sewanee Chester knows that her acting days are behind her but she's found great success narrating, and it helps her care for her ailing mother. A famous romance author has a wish—she wants Sewanee to narrate what will be her last novel, and she wants her to do it with Brock McNight, the hottest, most secretive voice in the industry. They forge a connection that wakes up her romantic dreams but realities surface. Will she take the risk and go for it?

The well-heeled Upper East Side of Manhattan is loaded, and not just with money. There's plenty of drama too. Cassie, the adopted daughter of the Quinn family, is struggling with her younger brother's trial for sexual assault. She is also an unreliable narrator, adding another layer to an already multi-layered story. Three-quarters into the book, Cassie's shocking secret is revealed. You might miss the clues, which makes this listen all the more appealing. Marin Ireland's narration keeps you on your listening toes from the very beginning to the very end.

Elliot has it all: a successful career as a TV writer and an adoring boyfriend. He also lives with cerebral palsy, which doesn't get in the way of his achievements. But he struggles, not with his disability but with his demons; Elliot does a lot of self-medicating with alcohol and he's a serial cheater. He decides it's time to change his ways and, of course, it's no easy feat. Ryan O'Connell narrates his own novel, infusing great wit and laugh-out-loud commentary. While we're laughing we gain much-needed insight into life as a person with a disabilities.

If your perfect beach listen involves thrilling twists and shocking crimes—without sacrificing top-notch writing and reporting—look no further than the newest release from nonfiction master Patrick Radden Keefe (Empire of Pain, Say Nothing). True to its title, this collection of investigative portraits is focused on notorious villains, rascals, and imps, from the playfully unorthodox (Anthony Bourdain) to the downright criminal (El Chapo, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev). The bite-size format and conversation-starter topics make Rogues an ideal summer companion, made even better by Keefe’s stellar narration.

Viola Davis says she wrote this extraordinary memoir "for anyone who is searching for a way to understand and overcome a complicated past, let go of shame, and find acceptance." As a child, she was chased home every day by a pack of boys who called her names and threatened her because they found her dark and ugly. She ran fast with shoes a couple of sizes too small and holes in their soles. If they can see her now. Viola Davis is a knockout! She’s one of the best in the business, delivering seamlessly powerful performances. At 53, she started doing the work on her scars from the past. Her therapist pointed out that the little girl from Central Falls, Rhode Island, was the hero. Viola let her in, and here she is, folks—one beautiful, whole woman.