Welcome back to the Weekly Sound Off, where the Audible Editors share the news and listens that have caught our eyes and ears.
One battle after another
Elite tennis athletes fought for more than just a chance to win at the Madrid Open recently, when an overwhelming amount of pollen on the court and an extraordinarily contagious stomach virus swept through the tournament and greatly impacted athletes’ health. The sneeze- and vomit-inducing events affected several players’ performances, including Coco Gauff, who described it as the worst pain she had ever felt on a tennis court. We wish all the competitors good health as they recover, but can’t help but serve some audiobooks about tennis and virology.
Recommended listening:
Reckoning with the manosphere
Since its release on Netflix earlier this spring, Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere documentary has sparked intense debate, with reactions ranging from praise for exposing toxic ideologies to criticism that his signature "polite style" was ineffective against media-savvy influencers. Theroux isn't the only one taking a close look at masculinity lately. Currently, two contemporary art exhibitions in the Netherlands address the "masculinity crisis," as does journalist Jordan Ritter Conn’s narrative nonfiction audiobook, American Men. As the author explained in our recent interview, he wanted to speak "to the complicated ways in which we inherit ideas about who we are as men and what it's like to exist in our bodies." Here are three other books that excavate ways to navigate the "new masculinity."
Recommended listening:
Making hearts soar
From cheating scandals to fertility issues to tender, loving moments—this is a taste of the drama that unfolds between nesting pairs of bald eagles, and folks have been eating it up on livestream cameras as if it were the season’s hottest soap opera. Brought back from the brink of extinction, the bald eagle and its resilience resonates with many viewers. In fact, even this year’s buzziest memoir about divorce is framed through the author’s devotion to observing co-parenting ospreys. Our fine-feathered friends have a lot to teach us about human nature, as these spectacular bird memoirs remind us. Tune in to the action, no binoculars needed.
Recommended listening:
Infrasound is haunting you
If you’re feeling creeped out and you can’t tell why, it might be because of “infrasound.” Humans can’t hear sound waves below 20 hertz, but scientists have discovered that our bodies still have a negative reaction to the frequencies. These inaudible sound waves stress us out because they are usually coupled with life-threatening natural occurrences like earthquakes, landslides, and stampeding animals. But human-caused noise pollution like heavy machinery, busy roads, and air conditioners also produce infrasound. Scientists theorize that haunted houses or cursed places might just be polluted by these frequencies, even though they’re inaudible to the human ear. So, the next time you’re feeling mysteriously unsettled, maybe you can soothe yourself with some sound therapy. Or maybe it’s more than that…
Recommended listening
What's on your mind?
Today marks the official start of Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observation dedicated to eliminating stigma and illuminating paths toward resources and care. Whether you’re coping with instability, stress, or trauma, looking for ways to manage emotional dysregulation, or just trying to stay afloat when it feels like the water is rising higher than ever, set some time aside to focus on your well-being this May. And should you need a listen to accompany you through the good days and the bad, don’t miss this collection of stories from creators who understand that it’s okay not to be okay—a welcome reminder that whatever you’re facing, you’re never facing it alone. Be well and take care.
Also of note:
🎧 Audible’s Patty K. Rivera talks to bestselling author Alex Aster about her dazzling adult romantasy debut, Starside.
🧶 A cardigan worn by Ryan Gosling’s character in the adaptation of Project Hail Mary has been stealing hearts—so we’re grabbing our knitting needles.
🗓️ May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We’re celebrating with listens that span the breadth of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander storytelling.
✈️ It's been reported that Laura Dern will be replacing Helena Bonham Carter in the next season of The White Lotus—so we’re revisiting some of the vacation thrillers we paired with season 3.
