Get Your Free Audiobook
-
Juliet Takes a Breath
- A Gabby Rivera Novel
- Narrated by: Lillian Claire
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Categories: LGBTQ+, Literature & Fiction
Non-member price: $28.94
People who bought this also bought...
-
Cassandra Speaks
- When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes
- By: Elizabeth Lesser
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elizabeth Lesser believes that if women’s voices had been equally heard and respected throughout history, humankind would have followed different hero myths and guiding stories - stories that value caretaking, champion compassion, and elevate communication over vengeance and violence. Cassandra Speaks is about the stories we tell and how those stories become the culture. It’s about the stories we still blindly cling to, and the ones that cling to us: the origin tales, the guiding myths, the religious parables, the literature and films and fairy tales passed down....
-
-
Life changing, profound and so important
- By Kristen Paes on 08-11-2020
-
Burnout
- The Secret to Solving the Stress Cycle
- By: Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoski
- Narrated by: Emily Nagoski
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The gap between what it's really like to be a woman and what people expect women to be is a primary cause of burnout, because we exhaust ourselves trying to close the space between the two. How can you 'love your body' when everything around you tells you you're inadequate? How do you 'lean in' at work when you're already giving 110 percent and aren't recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a world that is constantly telling you you're too fat, too needy, too noisy and too selfish?
-
-
A refreshing discussion about Burnout for women.
- By Anonymous User on 24-10-2020
-
Chain of Iron
- The Last Hours, Book 2
- By: Cassandra Clare
- Narrated by: Finty Williams
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend, Lucie Herondale, and James’ charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade. But the truth is far grimmer.
-
-
OMG
- By Jasmin on 07-03-2021
-
Pleasure Activism
- The Politics of Feeling Good (Emergent Strategy)
- By: Adrienne Maree Brown
- Narrated by: Adrienne Maree Brown
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Author and editor Adrienne Maree Brown finds the answer in something she calls “pleasure activism,” a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. Drawing on the black feminist tradition, she challenges us to rethink the ground rules of activism.
-
Hunger
- A Memoir of (My) Body
- By: Roxane Gay
- Narrated by: Roxane Gay
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
'I ate and ate and ate in the hopes that if I made myself big, my body would be safe. I buried the girl I was because she ran into all kinds of trouble. I tried to erase every memory of her, but she is still there, somewhere.... I was trapped in my body, one that I barely recognized or understood, but at least I was safe.'
-
-
THANK YOU
- By Amazon Customer on 11-07-2017
-
The Gift
- 12 Lessons to Save Your Life
- By: Edith Eger, Esmé Schwall Weigand - contributor
- Narrated by: Tovah Feldshuh
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the end, it's not what happens to us that matters most - it's what we choose to do with it. We all face suffering - sadness, loss, despair, fear, anxiety, failure. But we also have a choice; to give in and give up in the face of trauma or difficulties or to live every moment as a gift. Celebrated therapist and Holocaust survivor Dr Edith Eger provides a hands-on guide that gently encourages us to change the imprisoning thoughts and destructive behaviours that may be holding us back.
-
-
Beyond Fantastic.
- By edna John on 17-09-2020
-
Cassandra Speaks
- When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes
- By: Elizabeth Lesser
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elizabeth Lesser believes that if women’s voices had been equally heard and respected throughout history, humankind would have followed different hero myths and guiding stories - stories that value caretaking, champion compassion, and elevate communication over vengeance and violence. Cassandra Speaks is about the stories we tell and how those stories become the culture. It’s about the stories we still blindly cling to, and the ones that cling to us: the origin tales, the guiding myths, the religious parables, the literature and films and fairy tales passed down....
-
-
Life changing, profound and so important
- By Kristen Paes on 08-11-2020
-
Burnout
- The Secret to Solving the Stress Cycle
- By: Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoski
- Narrated by: Emily Nagoski
- Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The gap between what it's really like to be a woman and what people expect women to be is a primary cause of burnout, because we exhaust ourselves trying to close the space between the two. How can you 'love your body' when everything around you tells you you're inadequate? How do you 'lean in' at work when you're already giving 110 percent and aren't recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a world that is constantly telling you you're too fat, too needy, too noisy and too selfish?
-
-
A refreshing discussion about Burnout for women.
- By Anonymous User on 24-10-2020
-
Chain of Iron
- The Last Hours, Book 2
- By: Cassandra Clare
- Narrated by: Finty Williams
- Length: 23 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend, Lucie Herondale, and James’ charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade. But the truth is far grimmer.
-
-
OMG
- By Jasmin on 07-03-2021
-
Pleasure Activism
- The Politics of Feeling Good (Emergent Strategy)
- By: Adrienne Maree Brown
- Narrated by: Adrienne Maree Brown
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Author and editor Adrienne Maree Brown finds the answer in something she calls “pleasure activism,” a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. Drawing on the black feminist tradition, she challenges us to rethink the ground rules of activism.
-
Hunger
- A Memoir of (My) Body
- By: Roxane Gay
- Narrated by: Roxane Gay
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
'I ate and ate and ate in the hopes that if I made myself big, my body would be safe. I buried the girl I was because she ran into all kinds of trouble. I tried to erase every memory of her, but she is still there, somewhere.... I was trapped in my body, one that I barely recognized or understood, but at least I was safe.'
-
-
THANK YOU
- By Amazon Customer on 11-07-2017
-
The Gift
- 12 Lessons to Save Your Life
- By: Edith Eger, Esmé Schwall Weigand - contributor
- Narrated by: Tovah Feldshuh
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the end, it's not what happens to us that matters most - it's what we choose to do with it. We all face suffering - sadness, loss, despair, fear, anxiety, failure. But we also have a choice; to give in and give up in the face of trauma or difficulties or to live every moment as a gift. Celebrated therapist and Holocaust survivor Dr Edith Eger provides a hands-on guide that gently encourages us to change the imprisoning thoughts and destructive behaviours that may be holding us back.
-
-
Beyond Fantastic.
- By edna John on 17-09-2020
-
The Betrayals
- Bridget Collins, Book 2
- By: Bridget Collins
- Narrated by: Bridget Collins, Sam Woolf, Sarah Ovens
- Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains, the best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious contest. Léo Martin was once a student there but lost his passion for the grand jeu following a violent tragedy. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning with his political career in tatters. Montverre has changed since he studied there, even allowing a woman, Claire Dryden, to serve in the grand jeu’s highest office of Magister Ludi.
-
-
ok
- By Ashleigh on 27-01-2021
-
Sum: Tales from the Afterlives
- By: David Eagleman
- Narrated by: Gillian Anderson, Emily Blunt, Nick Cave, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this astounding book, David Eagleman entertains forty fictional possibilities of life beyond death. With wit and humanity he asks the key questions about existence, hope, technology and love. These stories are full of big ideas and bold imagination.This audiobook assembles a stellar cast of readers who bring the scenarios of SUM brilliantly alive.
-
-
I could listen to these again and again
- By Floss on 04-11-2020
-
Written in the Stars
- A Novel
- By: Alexandria Bellefleur
- Narrated by: Lauren Sweet
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After a disastrous blind date, Darcy Lowell is desperate to stop her well-meaning brother from playing matchmaker ever again. Love - and the inevitable heartbreak - is the last thing she wants. So she fibs and says her latest set up was a success. Darcy doesn’t expect her lie to bite her in the ass. Elle Jones, one of the astrologers behind the popular Twitter account Oh My Stars, dreams of finding her soul mate.
-
-
Refreshing read
- By melissa on 16-01-2021
-
Fingersmith
- By: Sarah Waters
- Narrated by: Juanita McMahon
- Length: 23 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London 1862: Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves - fingersmiths - under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her 'family'. But from the moment she draws breath, Sue's fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.
-
-
loved it
- By Sam on 02-07-2020
-
Untamed
- Stop Pleasing, Start Living
- By: Glennon Doyle
- Narrated by: Glennon Doyle
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her discontent. Then, while speaking at a conference, she looked at a woman across the room and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There. She. Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high but soon she realised they had come to her from within. This was the voice she had buried beneath decades of numbing addictions and social conditioning. Glennon decided to let go of the world’s expectations of her and reclaim her true untamed self.
-
-
Every woman and her daughter should read this
- By Anonymous User on 18-04-2020
-
The Paying Guests
- By: Sarah Waters
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 21 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frances had been picturing her lodgers in purely mercenary terms - as something like two great waddling shillings. But this, she thought, was what it really meant to have paying guests: this odd, unintimate proximity, this rather peeled-back moment, where the only thing between herself and a naked Mrs Barber was a few feet of kitchen and a thin scullery door. An image sprang into her head: that round flesh, crimsoning in the heat.
-
-
Sarah Waters does it again...
- By Diana on 07-10-2014
-
The Night Raven
- Crow Investigations, Book 1
- By: Sarah Painter
- Narrated by: Kate Rawson
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lydia has always known she has no power, especially next to her infamous and more-than-slightly dodgy family. Which is why she carved her own life as a private investigator far away from London. When a professional snafu forces her home, the head of the family calls in a favour, and Lydia finds herself investigating the disappearance of her cousin, Maddie.
-
-
Why matching a narrator to a story is so crucial
- By Leith on 13-09-2019
-
Terra Nullius
- By: Claire G. Coleman
- Narrated by: Mark Coles Smith, Tamala Shelton
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jacky was running. There was no thought in his head, only an intense drive to run. There was no sense he was getting anywhere, no plan, no destination, no future. All he had was a sense of what was behind, what he was running from. Jacky was running. The Natives of the Colony are restless. The Settlers are eager to have a nation of peace, and to bring the savages into line. Families are torn apart, reeducation is enforced. This rich land will provide for all.
-
-
A slow start to a much needed story
- By Freddie Muleman on 06-05-2019
-
Care Work
- Dreaming Disability Justice
- By: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- Narrated by: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this collection of essays, Lambda Literary Award-winning writer and longtime activist and performance artist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha explores the politics and realities of disability justice, a movement that centers the lives and leadership of sick and disabled queer, trans, Black, and brown people, with knowledge and gifts for all. Care Work is a mapping of access as radical love, a celebration of the work that sick and disabled queer/people of color are doing to find each other and to build power and community.
-
-
Thank you for the crip knowledge
- By Anonymous User on 30-09-2020
-
The Once and Future Witches
- By: Alix E. Harrow
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box. But when the three Eastwood sisters join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement.
-
-
a story about brave women and never giving up
- By Cliente Amazon on 02-11-2020
-
Boyfriend Material
- By: Alexis Hall
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Luc O'Donnell is tangentially - and reluctantly - famous. His rock-star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next 20 years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything. To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and someone who has never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. He’s perfect boyfriend material.
-
-
Super funny, super voice
- By Greta on 01-04-2021
-
The Henna Wars
- By: Adiba Jaigirdar
- Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nishat doesn't want to lose her family, but she also doesn't want to hide who she is, and it only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life. Flávia is beautiful and charismatic, and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat decide to showcase their talent as henna artists. In a fight to prove who is the best, their lives become more tangled - but Nishat can't quite get rid of her crush, especially since Flávia seems to like her back.
Publisher's Summary
Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn't sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that's going to help her figure out this whole "Puerto Rican lesbian" thing. She's interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women's bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff. Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle? With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about Juliet Takes a Breath
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 25-04-2018
Decent
Listen to this and tell me a non hispanic with a horrible accent and pronunciation reading this book doesn't irk you. The book emphasizes racism yet they thought it ok for a person who is probably white to read this. Wonder what the author thinks.
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Terra's Mom
- 29-04-2018
Made me feel young!
What a delight. I went on an
Adventure with Juliet and was taken back to my youth, when the world opened up to me in new ways. I'm nearly an old lady now, an old white straight lady at that, but this book gave me a chance to open my horizons, feel affirmed and excited. I applaud Gabby Rivera for the place she is claiming in this world. Gabby, I offer you my gratitude! This is leading me on a treasure hunt for other great books. No matter who you are, read this book!!! Also - great narrator.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Cristal H.
- 04-06-2017
So necessary.
Would you listen to Juliet Takes a Breath again? Why?
Yes, because it's so layered, and poses so many questions, that I think a re-listen would include even more discoveries.
What other book might you compare Juliet Takes a Breath to and why?
None. This book is unlike any I’ve ever read before. "Juliet Takes a Breath," by Gabby Rivera, is a revelation, and it is revolutionary. It’s a novel that poses so many questions, and it makes you think, and rethink. Most of the questions aren’t answered, but that’s okay, because I believe that’s the point. In "Juliet Takes a Breath," Juliet explores the world and who she is, and the reader is forced to do the same.
Any additional comments?
I loved nearly everything about this book, the prose in particular. It has humor and melancholy, and it’s insightful analysis is mostly balanced by an entertaining plot. The writing is beautiful and engaging, intelligent and down-to-earth. This wasn’t a perfect read for me, because there were some moments when I lost interest, though they were few and far between. Sometimes the pace just let up and I had to rewind and reset.
“This world is yours to reinvent.”
In this book, Juliet falls in love with a book because it is a refuge from her neighborhood and her contradictions, but then when she meets the author and her friends, she learns that we’re all a host of contradictions and differences that we most reconcile within and amongst ourselves. I love this novel for tackling intersectionality and the challenges women face regarding unity and empowerment.
The characters in this novel are vibrant and to say they’re multi-faceted is an understatement. There are lessons to be learned here, but as I stated, it’s not clear cut, at all. I loved Juliet’s story and what she goes through, even if her growing pains sometimes made my heart ache.
More books like this need to exist, books with depth and passion. ALL women should read this book. (Men too, but they’re not what this is about.) I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a book that features great writing, is layered, awesome, engaging, and honest. Get to reading!
“I live for myself, all of my selves.”
29 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- CustomerWho601
- 23-05-2019
Fantastic listen
I've loved the author's work at Autostraddle for a while, but I was still surprised by the strength and beauty of this novel. I would highly recommend it for anyone who loves a great coming-of-age story, but it's an absolute must-read for those of us who are, were, or care about queer brown kids.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Betzy
- 08-11-2018
Amazing story, bad accent
The story was very interesting, captivating, and had a great sense of curiosity; showed growth. But the reading of it left something to be desired, the voice for Juliet had a really bad accent. Neither the Puerto Rican Spanish sounded good nor the fake Bronx accent. The white girl voices were fine. It is still worth the listen though!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sheila S
- 25-04-2018
Wordy, repetitive YA novel
I couldn't get past the slow pace. Some interesting observations were buried under a mountain of words.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Melanie M.
- 09-12-2017
Amazing
Finally a book that tells our story. It made me feel like a queer brown teenager again. Thank you Gabby Rivera!
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gina Wilson
- 05-02-2021
Truth Does Not Have To Be Vulgar
I appreciate the authenticity of this book but I am tired of the narrative that lesbianism is rooted in vulgarity and rudeness. I enjoyed the heroism of the story but as someone who isn't in-you-face, this was a bit much for me.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 12-12-2018
A joyful celebration of Latina culture
Most books about social justice are heavy, morose, and somewhat hard to read. Juliette Takes a Breath is quite literally a breath of fresh air!! I really loved the Spanish phrases woven into the text since I've studied Spanish for five years and really love the language. I also enjoyed Juliette's coming-out story. Her mom was on a journey and needed time to process, but it wasn't the sour ending so often present in the literature. I also enjoyed that Juliette identifies as having an invisible disability. I, too, have a disability and enjoyed the representation. This book contains passages that will make you laugh out loud, including a whole paragraph about smelly people on public busses! It also reckons with the fact that even the best feminists often have blind spots. I would very much recommend this book to anyone who identifies as an intersectional feminist!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Irenda Yamaris
- 21-04-2018
I LOOOVED IT!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT, I LAUGHED, CRIED, TOOK A DEEP BREATH!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joyfull
- 09-07-2020
Awesome
I love this book. It’s gorgeous. Inspirational, brave, insightful, warm, funny, educational, well written, well narrated. I keep buying as gifts for others. It’s in the young adult section but I reckon everyone, especially white feminists should read it. I can’t wait for her next one. She’s the best. Her first novel, I so hope she keeps on writing.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Lorraine
- 28-02-2021
just lovely
easy to listen to and right on point for any young person struggling to be themselves. a pleasure to listen to.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 21-02-2021
Breathtaking
Beautifully performed, poetic, rich in lessons and learning for everyone. Juliet is a character you will fall madly in love with and whose journey of self discovery will assist you on yours.
Thank you Gabby Rivera for writing this book.
16 Best Audiobooks by Aboriginal Authors
Across genres, there’s no shortage of brilliant titles from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers of Australia.



25 Best Celebrity Audiobooks
It’s always a pleasant surprise to pick up a familiar story and find an unexpected famous friend in the narrator’s booth.



Best Audiobooks of 2020
We've crunched the numbers, heard from our listeners and gotten expert opinions to round up the best listens of 2020.


