Some of the best books can make you feel free — free from your daily grind, free to imagine a new reality, free to explore different facets of your identity. This month, the Code Switch team is highlighting books that take a look at what it means to be free. So on this week’s episode, we spoke to the authors of the team’s favorite reads: essays, historical fiction, a memoir, and a contemporary romance. ‘Cause we are nothing if not eclectic.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray: “Belle Da Costa Greene built the Morgan Library into a world-renowned institution, but she did it while passing as a white woman. This tells the story of how passing both freed and fettered her.” –Karen Grigsby Bates, senior correspondent

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Berkley Books

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Berkley Books

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang: “This romance novel follows a heroine with autism spectrum disorder who finds love in the most unexpected way. It breaks free of stigma around autism and celebrates the freedom that love can bring.” -Alyssa Jeong Perry, producer

The Book Of Delights by Ross Gay

Algonquin Books

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Algonquin Books

The Book Of Delights by Ross Gay: “For one year, poet Ross Gay set the practice of writing a daily essay on delight. In these delights, there’s a freedom to be softer in a world trying to make you hard.” -Christina Cala, producer

A House Of My Own, by Sandra Cisneros

Vintage

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Vintage

A House Of My Own: Stories From My Life by Sandra Cisneros: “As a child, the novelist Sandra Cisneros fantasized about having her own house, one where she had the peace and quiet she needed to think and write. She reflects on how hard she fought for that kind of freedom, and why artists like her need that independence.” -Natalie Escobar, assistant editor