If you haven't yet heard what all the buzz is about, check your calendar. It's May 2021, which means the latest emergence of Brood X cicadas is upon us. If you're living in the Eastern United States, there's a good chance you'll encounter one of the crimson-eyed critters sometime soon, if you haven’t already. And whether you find the brood’s distinctive racket—a mechanical din of whirrs and clicks—nostalgic or maddening, the dulcet sounds of our favorite audiobooks are a timely complement (or antidote) to the sonic swarm.
As we prepare to meet our new neighbors, we've gathered up some best-selling books that debuted in each of the last seven instances of Brood X's emergence—and, for the perfect mate, some suggested contemporary pairings.
2004
Your next listen is [*Loops*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Loops-Audiobook/B094DGVX2C) — If stories that buck tradition in favor of mind-boggling, wholly unique formats still mesmerize you all these years later, don't miss this thoroughly unpredictable Audible Original starring Vivica Fox and Teresa Ruiz.
Your next listen is [Little Fires Everywhere](https://www.audible.com/pd/Little-Fires-Everywhere-Audiobook/B074F38TWD) — Since Brood X's last emergence, a number of releases have explored complex family dynamics and the related internal conflicts, but Celeste Ng's meditation on motherhood and belonging stands out with its brilliant character work and gorgeous prose.
1987
number one fan,Wilkes is definitely not happy about his decision to kill off his heroine.
Your next listen is [*You Love Me*](https://www.audible.com/pd/You-Love-Me-Audiobook/0593394445) — Though the claustrophobic, contained domestic horror of *Misery* is frightening in its own right, what propels the story is the intrigue and drama of a dangerous obsession—a fascinating (and terrifying) angle that writer Caroline Kepnes also wields to great effect in her [You series](https://www.audible.com/series/You-Audiobooks/B019NKJBMK), chillingly narrated by the Tony Award-winning Santino Fontana.
Your next listen is [The Binti series](https://www.audible.com/series/Binti-Audiobooks/B078K3G51F) — If you enjoy both the classic sci-fi elements of Butler's *Dawn* and its central themes of belonging and identity, Nnedi Okorafor's award-winning Binti trilogy is a must-listen. Bonus: the brilliant narration of Robin Miles.
1970
Your next listen is [*Letters From Camp*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Letters-From-Camp-Podcast/B08GQ82C5H) — This hilarious and heartfelt podcast celebrates the tween years, the joyful freedoms of summer camp, and the at times uncomfortable realities of growing up with earnest glee.
patient and emotive.This remarkable work of fiction follows Pecola Breedlove, an 11-year-old Black girl who desires nothing more than for her eyes to turn blue so she might find the same comforts, luxuries, and love that her white, blonde-haired, blue-eyed peers seem to come by so naturally. A heartbreaking meditation on race, beauty, and colorism, this listen remains as poignant and relevant as the day it was published.
Your next listen is [*The Vanishing Half*](https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Vanishing-Half-Audiobook/0525637141) — In this acclaimed listen, writer Brit Bennett echoes Morrison's running commentary on prejudice, colorism, and a narrow standard of beauty that upholds whiteness as the ideal in an extraordinary exploration of sisterhood, connection, and the concept of
passing.
1953
firemanwhose job is not to quell flames, but to set fire to stacks of books and the homes of those who attempt to smuggle them. And when Montag has a change of heart, he's left to face massive repercussions.
Your next listen is [*Station Eleven*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Station-Eleven-Audiobook/B00M27L7TC) — For a contemporary take on *Fahrenheit 451*’s deeper societal message, try Emily St. John Mandel's quiet, reflective novel that seeks to understand civilization, culture, and the arts in the wake of a devastating flu outbreak.
Your next listen is [*Begin Again*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Begin-Again-Audiobook/0593167147) — If you're a fan of Baldwin's work and his focus on race, sexuality, class, and masculinity, check out this nonfic gem on Baldwin's life and career that's part literary analysis, part portrait, and part call for justice.
1936
Your next listen is [*Atomic Habits*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Atomic-Habits-Audiobook/1524779261) — A best seller in the self-dev genre, James Clear's influential audiobook on developing and maintaining better habits has been called
insightful, practical, fresh, and potentially transformativeby listeners.
1919
Your next listen is [*Normal People*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Normal-People-Audiobook/1984843338) — Unlike Woolf's signature winding stream of consciousness, Sally Rooney's breakout hit is primarily constructed of rather straightforward prose; nevertheless, they share thoughtful character work and a story built on interesting individuals whose lives cannot help but intertwine.
1902
Your next listen is [The Only Good Indians](https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Only-Good-Indians-Audiobook/1797105558) — If you're willing to try something a little different with more of a horror slant, you might enjoy this Stephen Graham Jones thriller about a group of Blackfeet Indian men who are stalked by a revenge-seeking supernatural entity years after an ill-fated elk hunt. Or, if revisiting *The Hound of the Baskervilles* leaves you on the hunt for more Holmes, our resident expert [Editor Christina](https://www.audible.com/editorchristina) has [some great suggestions](https://www.audible.com/blog/playlisted/article-sherlock-holmes-universe-explained) for where to go next.