"As a podcaster, getting lost in a story or learning something new in audio format feels second nature to me, and I am almost always listening to something on Audible. Since I provide commentary in the pop culture space, I listen to a lot of celebrity memoirs and nonfiction books as research prior to covering related topics on the show, and some of my favorite audiobooks are from authors I’ve had the opportunity to interview, like Elise Loehnen or Hannah Summerhill and Yseult Mukantabana. I recently recorded my own audiobook, One in a Millennial, and my appreciation for this format now that I know what’s involved has increased exponentially. During the recording sessions, I found myself thinking about my favorite audiobooks for inspiration. I love when authors read their own books and I can hear the emotion and sincerity in their voices, and Jessica Simpson’s Open Book singlehandedly influenced me to keep the first takes when I read aloud some of the tougher passages in my book. I also love how audio comes to life for a series I’ve already read when there’s a creative use of a narrator, like how Lola Tung reads Jenny Han’s coming-of-age classics, or finding comfort in the voice of a familiar creator or podcaster and getting lost in their storytelling in long-form, like Danny Pellegrino." —Kate Kennedy, author of One in a Millennial and host of Be There in Five
Add Kate's list to your Library Collections.
To me, this book is the brain-exploding emoji in verbal form. One thing I love about audio is that it allows me to return to books that are layered and complicated and revisit them when I’m multitasking or traveling to reinforce their themes, and Elise’s brilliant work about what it means to be a “good woman” and how the patriarchy lands in our consciousness is one I anticipate I’ll be coming back to for years to come.
I had the chance to interview the authors on my podcast, and this audiobook will always stand out to me because it’s an artful use of two narrators. Having two authors write and then speak from their POV in an alternating format was really different and entertaining, and it felt like being in conversation with friends, tackling difficult topics in a safe space.
This audiobook will always be memorable for me because I laughed and cried along with Jessica as she was so generous with the details of her experiences, and her narration really brought it to life. I loved how she didn’t shy away from laughing, crying, and everything in between; it was the most authentic audiobook experience I’ve ever had. When a very famous person I most certainly do not know at all is able to make me feel like they are spending time with me 1:1 through their vulnerable narration, it is always a poignant listening experience.
When you have a favorite podcaster, sometimes you wish their episodes would never end, and listening to Danny’s books is like indulging in the extra-long versions of his show that I always wish existed. I love it when podcasters narrate their audiobooks because you get to spend time with a familiar voice telling their stories in a new way, and Danny’s are a delightful, funny, and heartwarming experience from wing to wing. He’s such a good storyteller and an astute pop cultural commentator, and I find that I’ll catch references in the audio version of his books that I missed when I was reading them.
I beelined to this audiobook after I finished the season 2 finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty and was pleasantly surprised to hear the actress who plays Belly (Lola Tung) narrated the audiobooks. It made for a seamless transition from the show to the book, and what a thrill it was to hear how it ends from Belly herself without having to wait until they film and air the third season. I think using the actors as narrators for the books the TV series are based on is a really creative way to engage the TV audience with a different format of the story, and I ended up listening to the entire trilogy during late-night feedings the summer I turned into a mom.
About Kate
Kate Kennedy is a Chicago-based millennial multihyphenate, author, entrepreneur, and pop culture commentator best known for hosting her weekly pop culture podcast Be There in Five. Kennedy has a marketing degree from the Pamplin School of Business at Virginia Tech, and prior to starting Be There in Five was an Ogilvy Award-nominated market researcher-turned-accidental entrepreneur. Kate's life changed when she decided to put “turn off your curling iron” on her doormat so she wouldn’t burn her apartment down. Her "remindoormats" captured the zeitgeist, selling thousands and were featured in Glamour, Good Housekeeping, RealSimple, HuffPost, BuzzFeed, Self, and Martha Stewart. Be There in Five is now a full-time gig and has led her to sold-out live shows across the country. Kate's career and commentary have been featured in People, HuffPost, The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and The Washington Post.
