Earlier this year, I posted my ambitious TBR stack on Instagram. Let’s just say… progress has been selective. I did finish To Kill a Mockingbird (you can read my thoughts here), and I painted a watercolor. So technically that counts as cultural enrichment.
But this month? I entered my audiobook era.
Between scratching my cornea (zero stars, do not recommend), traveling, polishing Run Around for its June 4 launch (yes, it’s on preorder if you’re the planning type), juggling two new outlines, and somehow watching the Olympics like it was my full-time job, sitting down with a physical book just wasn’t happening.
Audiobooks to the rescue.
Here’s what kept me company:
🎧 The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
A historical novel with a thread of magic and a heavy emotional undercurrent.
You all know historical fiction isn’t my natural habitat. And yet I keep wandering back because occasionally a book like this one pulls me deep inside a character’s heart and refuses to let go.
This story explores betrayal and loss from multiple angles — even the antagonist’s perspective had weight. I didn’t necessarily agree with it, but I appreciated seeing the layers.
There are eerie parallels to today’s world (minus the sweetwater), which makes the themes feel especially timely. If you enjoy emotionally immersive stories with moral complexity, this one might be worth a listen.
🎧 The Librarians by Sherry Thomas
This one is set in Austin, Texas, which made it especially fun for me.
The multiple POVs and tightly woven plot made my writer brain sit up straight. It’s intricate. Clever. And yes, it made me briefly consider writing a murder mystery.
Then I remembered I already have enough chickens in the hen house.
The four main characters each guard secrets while working to solve a larger mystery. If you like smart plots, layered reveals, and capable women at the center of the story, this one delivers.
And let’s officially retire the idea that librarians are boring.
🎧 Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My favorite Jenkins Reid novel is still The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but Atmosphere comes very close.
The forbidden love thread is strong here, but what really stood out to me was the humanity of the astronauts. High-stakes space exploration paired with very human vulnerability? That combination worked beautifully.
It made me wish I could go to space camp. Unfortunately, I have aged out of that dream. But this book felt like a small, emotional sneak peek into that world.
If you enjoy ambitious settings with deeply personal stakes, this one is worth the hype.
🎧 The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
This one didn’t fully land for me.
The unreliable narrators were almost too cold and calculating for my taste. I need at least one person in a story to root for, and that was difficult here.
That said, I absolutely respect the craftsmanship. The plotting is tight. The details are sharp. And if you enjoy twisty, morally gray characters who keep you guessing, you may love this one.
There’s also a sequel, The Perfect Divorce, which is generating plenty of buzz. I won’t be continuing, but thriller fans might want to check it out.
That’s my March listening life.
If you’ve read or watched something wonderful lately, send me an email. I’m always looking to refill the creative well. 📚✨
And if you’re more productive than I am and actually making your way through your TBR pile… teach me your ways.
Until next time…
P.S. If you missed any of my previous What to Read segments and are always looking for more reading ideas, you can find them all in my monthly reading archive here. 📚✨