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The first book by Yomi Adegoke, known for her bestseller “Slay in Your Lane” in 2018, tells the story of a couple obsessed with Instagram whose lives are turned upside down when a list of alleged sexual predators is anonymously published online. Ola, a feminist and journalist for Womxxxn, a women’s magazine, wakes up hungover after a night out at a private club in Soho, London with her fiancé Michael, whom she met at a networking event for up-and-coming Black Britons. While browsing a publicly accessible spreadsheet known as “the list,” Ola discovers that Michael, a podcaster who recently landed his dream job at a lifestyle startup, has been accused of harassment, threatening behavior, and assault at a Christmas party.

Sheila Atim and Arinzé Kene skillfully tell this story, which is currently being adapted for television, from the alternating viewpoints of our two main characters. Prior to this highly publicized scandal, the couple had presented themselves as the ideal #BlackLove couple and gained a small amount of fame as a result. Michael is taken aback by the accusations and maintains his innocence. With only a month until their wedding, Ola – torn between her feminist beliefs and her love for Michael – challenges him to prove his innocence. As the countdown to their wedding continues, Adegoke offers a sharp and unsettling portrayal of the impact of social media, the rush to judgment online, and the blurred lines between guilt and innocence.

The List can be accessed through 4th Estate at 11 hours and 41 minutes.

Further listening

Thunderclap

Laura Cumming, released by Penguin Audio, has a duration of 7 hours and 39 minutes.

The art critic for The Observer reads a brilliant combination of memoir and biography about her father, Scottish artist James Cumming, and 17th-century Dutch artist Carel Fabritius, who died at the young age of 32 in a gunpowder explosion.

A Slice of Fried Gold

Nick Frost from Blink Publishing completed 10 hours and 4 minutes.

The star of Spaced reflects on a lifetime of fixation with food, kitchens, and cooking in this touching and humorous autobiography. Narrated by the writer.

Source: theguardian.com