All the new audiobooks out this July from Scribd Audio. Listen to a workout to whip your inner self into shape, a thrilling crime novel, and more.
F**ked at Birth by Dale Maharidge
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dale Maharidge has written extensively about America’s long history of economic depression, poverty, and class divides. For his latest book, Maharidge drove across the country to investigate the impact the pandemic had on the most economically vulnerable Americans. F**cked at Birth is also a reminder that even those who weren’t born into poverty aren’t immune to the effects of one bad year.
Shop Till You Drop by Elaine Viets
The first book in author Elaine Viets’ Dead-End Job Mystery series is a humorous cozy set in the chic environs of Fort Lauderdale. Protagonist Helen Hawthorne, already dodging her own past, finds herself in the midst of a series of crimes — including a murder — while selling clothes to snobby women in a high-end boutique. Fun and fast-paced.
Puppies by Maurizio de Giovanni
In the fourth book of Maurizio de Giovanni’s series starring the Bastards of Pizzofalcone, crimes against its most vulnerable citizens have caught the attention of its toughest group of policemen. Babies, puppies, and other defenseless folk have been the targets of inhumane treatment, and it’s up to the Bastards to get to the bottom of it. De Giovanni’s mastery of the hardboiled genre reveals a softer side as his characters seek vengeance for crimes against Naple’s defenseless.
Pressure Makes Diamonds by Valerie Graves
Valerie Graves started life in the projects of Pontiac, Michigan. Her own strength and determination kept her on her path to greatness, eventually overcoming the odds of race and socioeconomic depression to become a star in the world of advertising. It was no small feat to climb the ladder normally reserved for white men, and despite her travails, her memoir is one of hope and optimism for the world she believes we can still create.
Picnic in the Ruins by Todd Robert Petersen
Who has the right to historical artifacts, historical narratives, and even land? It’s a common question in the Western states, where Native land and objects of import have long been at the center of bloody battles. This thrilling, quirky novel grapples with that question through the adventures of an outspoken anthropology student who stumbles across a botched burglary. With an eclectic, captivating cast of characters, this twisty mystery takes readers on a wild ride across Utah and Arizona.
The Full Spirit Workout by Kate Eckman
Body, mind, and spirit are all valued components of our human existence. We go to the gym to keep our bodies fit and to school to keep our minds sharp. But what about your spirit? How do we keep that part of us not only alive and well, but in its best shape? Kate Eckman has developed a program to help everyone from athletes to CEOs train themselves to go above and beyond to accomplish goals, one “rep” at a time. It’s like a workout for your inner self.
Adios Muchachos by Daniel Chavarria
Some might say that Alicia is a professional cyclist, given her success riding through the streets of Havana. But her goals are much different, as she uses her voluptuous figure to lure in men willing to support her and her mother, Margarita. When she finally finds an appropriately rich suitor, they hatch a plan together to get out of Cuba. This is a light-hearted, sexy caper that won an Edgar Award.
Native Believer by Ali Eteraz
When a Muslim American gets fired because of his religion — despite the fact that he’s not religious at all — all hell breaks loose in his life. Ali Eteraz’s debut novel is a darkly funny, thought-provoking look at identity in the post-9/11 world and the Kafkaesque absurdities of what it means “to belong” in America. With what Library Journal calls a “bang-up surprise” ending, this one’s not to be missed.
Intelligence for Dummies by Glenn O’Brien
Most of us will never be as cool as Glenn O’Brien (a former editor at Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine) but, wow, does it feel cool to bask in his reflection through the pages of Intelligence for Dummies. This collection of essays on everything from music and fashion to art and politics showcases O’Brien’s dry wit, sharp cultural insight, and friendships with ’80s celebrities like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Debbie Harry.
Autumn, All The Cats Return by Phillippe Georget
In the sequel to Summertime, All the Cats Are Bored, Inspector Sebag is back to work, this time hunting the killer of a French Algerian cop. This book delivers a history lesson wrapped in a mystery as the war in Algeria — and its secrets — surface, along with another dead body.
Inside V by Paula Priamos
Accused of a crime he says he didn’t commit, Ava’s husband Grant disappears on vacation, just before he’s set to start his prison sentence. Ava, known as “V,” is forced to dive deep as she searches for him and faces her own demons along the way. Ava’s strong voice brings this thriller to life as she’s forced to explore her own faults and deceptions to get to the truth.
The Shame by Makenna Goodman
Alma’s life in rural Vermont as a wife and mother of two small children has become almost unbearably heavy, causing her to drive to New York suddenly, in the dark of night. The novel is a moody, reflective look at the effects of capitalism on motherhood, and the lives we think we want.
The Night Lake by Liz Tichenor
For Liz Tichenor, an Episcopal priest, the suicide of her alcoholic mother, followed by the death of her newborn baby, was the darkest period of her life and a test of her beliefs. This memoir from Tichenor explores those struggles with her faith, her family, and her sobriety as she navigates this trying period.
The Barn at the End of the World by Mary Rose O’Reilley
The act of seeking spirituality has never had as many comedic moments as that of Mary Rose O’Reilley, whose journey leads her to tend sheep for a year. From Catholicism to Buddhism to the almost religious experience of leading large animals through their own life’s struggles, O’Reilley’s biography is a guide to learning to live consciously in a world that stands still for no woman.
Murder Between the Covers by Elaine Viets
In the second installment of the Dead-End Jobs Mystery series, Helen Hawthorne is no better off than before. Still dodging her ex-husband, this time she’s working at a bookstore with the world’s worst owner. When the owner is murdered, Helen must prove that the main suspect, her friend, is innocent. Comedic mishaps and a cast of colorful friends and neighbors makes this another light-hearted win for fans of cozy mysteries.
In Winter’s Kitchen by Beth Dooley
Eating locally and sustainably is undeniably the ideal way to live. But outside of the rich, temperate fields of California where the slow food movement in America took hold, there is a greater challenge. In places like Minnesota where the earth is hard and frozen for half the year, farmers still have to feed their communities all year long. In Winter’s Kitchen explores the foods, chapter by chapter, that sustain those communities, and the local food scenes that are thriving, even when it snows.
