This Cozy Fall Playlist Is Perfect For Waking Up On A Lazy Sunday

The Best Spotify Audiobooks For Moms

Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance by Francesca T. Royster

Francesca T. Royster details her experience being a Black, Queer mom in Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance in a riveting way. Along with her wife Annie, Francesca adopts a little Black girl and they begin navigating what it means to choose your family. From detailing the long adoption process to understanding what it means to be a mother, Francesca examines how her experiences have allowed her to be open to something other than the traditional nuclear family.

Narrated by Sarah Palmero.

Chouette by Claire Oshetsky

Tiny knew from the moment she was pregnant with Chouette that she'd be different. She felt it throughout her pregnancy and stands correct in her assumptions when her daughter is born. She works overtime to make sure Chouette wants for nothing, but it seems like her efforts are in vain.

Convinced that she'd rather learn how to care for a child whose nature is to be free and wild, Tiny doubles down on her stance to love her unconditionally. Confronted by the knowledge her husband is trying to find a way to make Chouette as normal as possible, Tiny's love and devotion to her daughter are relentlessly tested.

Narrated by Julia Whelan.

More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhoodby Majka Burhardt

Majka Burhardt was known for going on rock and ice climbing expeditions with her husband, but her pregnancy caused her to slow down in ways she was unwilling to. Knowing that things will be different from here on out, Majka starts the process of grieving the life she had before entering motherhood.

Although she eventually goes back to work, she constantly feels torn between being there for her twins and what she used to choose without a second thought. Also, she and her husband Peter struggle to find a sense of balance with the addition of children.

It's an honest and raw look at one mother's journey as she works to understand how to navigate being a wife, mom, and working woman. Narrated by Majka Burhardt.

Honey, Baby, Mine by Laura Dern, Diane Lad and Reese Witherspoon

Laura Dern and her mother Diane Ladd peel back the layers of life, love, and more in Honey, Baby, Mine by having honest conversations. Stemming from an illness that plagued Diane's lungs, their conversations were born on the long walks that were meant to help her focus on other things. Daring to approach their conversations with open hearts and cover things that most mothers and daughters stray away from. The more Laura and her mother Diana share, the more their already close bond strengthens.

Honey, Baby, Mine is a recollection of those conversations and memories. Narrated by Laura Dern and Diane Ladd.

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin

Although Interesting Facts About Space isn't completely about motherhood, it's an excellent listen for moms who want a break from things that talk about everything that comes with it.

Enid has an obsession with anything related to space and can share many facts about it. It's part of what moves her and keeps her going. Unfortunately, other areas of her life are all over the place. She spends most of her time listening to true crime podcasts and swiping right on dating apps that end in fruitless relationships.

Her relationship with her family is shaky at best, but she decides to be more intentional about her interactions with her half-sisters after their dad dies. It's around this time she unintentionally begins an affair and becomes paranoid that someone with violent motives is following her.

She eventually beings to realize that she has to deal with the one person she hasn't been honest with — herself.

Narrated by Natalie Naudus.

Down Came The Rain by Brooke Shields

Down Came The Rain is Brooke Shields' recollection of her postpartum experience and the depression that followed. She didn't expect to feel pure love and intense sadness after having her daughter, but those feelings came anyway. What makes this audiobook special is that Brooke speaks with clarity about how postpartum can be overlooked and implies that she hopes her story will make other moms feel less alone if they're struggling.

Narrated by Brooke Shields.

The Manicurist's Daughter by Susan Lieu

Susan Lieu takes listeners behind the scenes as she works to understand her family and how her future fits into the bigger picture. She talks about their escape from the ongoing Vietnam war in the 1980s and the way her own mother helped them transition successfully in California. Things were going well until Susan's mom unexpectedly died during a cosmetic procedure and the family forbid conversations about her.

It leads Susan down a long path of discovering how far people will go to change themselves and how no justice was brought against the surgeon who had a negative reputation with Vietnamese immigrants. Determined to find answers to her burning questions, Susan does everything she can to uncover secrets about the past. What she finds is unlike anythign she was prepared to discover.

Narrated by Susan Lieu.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere is a chilling look at two mothers who have made choices that directly affect themselves and their children. One one side of the coin, Elena Richardson lives in the picturesque Shaker Heights with her devoted husband and their three children. She's as "by the book" as anyone can be and she relishes in the life it's afforded her.

Then there's the free-spirited Mia Warren who strikes up an uneasy friendship with Elena and even becomes her tenant along with her daughter Pearl. Somehow, Elena's children are charmed by Mia and Pearl, wanting to spend as much time with them in their own ways. It sounds perfect until it's revealed that Mia has a complicated and elusive past that even Pearl isn't 100% aware of.

Things reach a head when Mia learns that Elena's friends are trying to adopt her co-workers daughter that she felt she was unable to care for. This custody battle forces those in close proximity to deal with their internal biases about race and socioeconomic status. As Elena works to bring Mia down, her own carefully coordinated life begins to unravel and it affects her family in irreversible ways.

Narrated by Jennifer Lim.

Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman

Journalist Pamela Druckerman gives birth in Paris and secret wonders how French parents are able to get their children to behave so well. She can't help but notice the glaring difference between children in France compared to the children in America as if someone has drawn an invisible line that separates the two. What she learns over time surprises her like the fact no one tells French mothers who they're supposed to model their lives after in order to be 'successful mothers.'

She learns that the French actually let their children exist as if instead of expecting them to hit every single benchmark that's expected of American children. Coupled with her notebook and curiosity, Pamela begins to investigate what helps French parents rear their children the way they do. She eventually comes to term with her own feelings about raising her child and relinquishes the idea that being a mom or child are supposed to be perfect.

Narrated by Abby Craden.

Our criteria for adding songs to this playlist was fairly simple: they feature lyrics emphasizing confidence, independence, and ambition, and they make us feel empowered whenever we listen. Womanhood is a complicated and complex thing, and with songs that span decades, generations, and genres, this playlist starts to scratch at the surface of empowered female experiences. So put in your headphones and prepare to dance around your room because these 56 picks are too good to sit still!

B+C's Favorite Female Empowerment Songs

1. Single Ladies - Beyoncé
2. Wannabe - Spice Girls
3. Rare - Selena Gomez
4. Paper Planes - M.I.A.
5. Swan Song - Saweetie, NIKI
6. S.L.U.T. - Bea Miller
7. Breadwinner - Kacey Musgraves
8. You Signed Up For This - Maisie Peters
9. Sit Still, Look Pretty - Daya
10. Most Girls - Hailee Steinfeld
11. 7 Rings - Ariana Grande
12. Truth Hurts - Lizzo
13. YES MOM - Tessa Violet
14. no tears left to cry - Ariana Grande
15. Respect - Aretha Franklin
16. Infinite - Lyn Lapid
17. You Should See Me In A Crown - Billie Eilish
18. Miss Movin’ On - Fifth Harmony
19. Umbrella - Rhianna
20. Miss Independent - Kelly Clarkson
21. Run The World (Girls) - Beyoncé
22. I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
23. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
24. Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
25. Salute - Little Mix
26. BO$ - Fifth Harmony
27. Confident - Demi Lovato
28. Sorry Not Sorry - Demi Lovato
29. Me Too - Meghan Trainor
30. Woman Like Me - Little Mix, Nicki Minaj
31. Formation - Beyoncé
32. Fancy - Iggy Azalea and Charlie XCX
33. Survivor - Destiny's Child
34. Fall In Line - Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato
35. Good As Hell - Lizzo
36. Stronger - Britney Spears
37. Dancing On My Own - Robyn
38. Strut - The Cheetah Girls
39. Work It - Missy Elliott
40. Best Friend - Saweetie feat. Doja Cat
41. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
42. Just Dance - Lady Gaga/Born This Way
43. Midnight Sky - Miley Cyrus
44. Go! - Santigold
45. Bad Girls - M.I.A.
46. Heads Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
47. Kill V. Maim - Grimes
48. Django Jane - Janelle Monae
49. Titanium - Sia
50. Bulletproof - La Roux
51. The Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
52. The Man - Taylor Swift
53. Fighter - Chrsitina Aguilara
54. Work B**ch - Britney Spears
55. Independent Women - Destiny's Child
56. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson

Listen To Our Female Empowerment Playlist Here

Keiko Agena has a complicated relationship with 'Gilmore Girls' character Lane Kim.

“I think what [the role] was for people was different than what it was for me,” she tells Juliet Litman on an episode of the Dear Felicity rewatch podcast (via People). “In a weird way, I feel like I want to honor the experience that people had from the show, and what it meant to them, especially young Asian people, because I get that comment a lot, about what it was like for them to see someone like that on screen.”

And it's no surprise that as much as Gilmore Girls viewers love Lane, Keiko "[loves] her too. I can tell, when I meet someone who knows Gilmore Girls or who loves Lane, it's like, I recognize that love. I see that you love that person."

But it's possible to hold two conflicting emotions at the same time, and although Lane Kim was an incredibly special role at the time, there are some things Keiko would do differently today. “The best thing is to have a Korean American writer [and a] Korean American actor,” she says. “I don't think that that role, cast that way, would happen today. But at that time, in 2000, it was such a different time that I definitely know I wouldn't have said no or pulled myself out of that situation at that time...Now it's just a mix of just having gratitude for having gone through that experience and having that experience.”

Keiko Agena also keeps in touch with two very special 'Gilmore Girls' costars!

And one aspect of Gilmore Girls that Keiko Agena is thankful for is her relationship with the Gilmore Girls cast! And there are two costars in particular she frequently keeps in contact with: John Cabrera (who played Brian) and Sean Gunn (who starred as Kirk).

“There is this kind of lovely nostalgia for that time, and yet also we have years since then,” she says. “I [have] gone to both of their weddings. Our friendship is part Gilmore Girls and appreciation for that crazy time, and then part just like a million other things that are just like friends.”

I was totally surprised to learn she keeps in contact with John and Sean (supposedly) more regularly than Alexis Bledel, but it makes sense when you remember Keiko, John, and Sean are all around the same age — and Alexis is 7 years younger. Hopefully we get another Gilmore Girls reunion to see our favorite television BFF's reunite!