Essays bestsellers

Crying in H Mart

“I was struck by just how much I loved this book for how it walks through grief not as a way to leave it behind, but as a way to remember its exact shape. I’m grateful for its funny, self-deprecating, and wise observations, and for its difficult beauty.”

Steve Haruch, Parnassus Books

The Anthropocene Reviewed

“A continuation of John Green's podcast of the same name, this audiobook is engaging, intriguing and hard to put down. Read by the author, this book resonated with me on so many levels and left me with food for thought. 5 stars.”

Rebecca, Rediscovered Books

As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our... Read more »

Happy-Go-Lucky

“This was my first experience listening to David Sedaris. It was great. His stories are always smart and funny, sometimes disturbing, but always make me think. Wonderful to hear him tell them authentically.”

Kristine, Buttonwood Books and Toys

Calypso

“If there is a "King of Audiobooks", it has to be David Sedaris. The absolute best way to enjoy the writing of Sedaris is to hear him perform it. Not only is his voice rather odd, immediately putting you in a mood to giggle, but he is such an effortless performer it's impossible not to get caught up in his world. And what a world! In his latest, and indisputably most accomplished, work to date, he takes us on his journey through midlife: the betrayals of the body, the loss, the wear and tear on long relationships. I found myself shedding tears for his heartbreaking regrets and laughing so hard I had to pull my car over at his observances of the absurdities of everyday life.”

Kelly, Fountain Bookstore

Ten Steps to Nanette

“In 2017, at the height of the Me Too movement, Hannah Gadsby changed comedy as we know it with her groundbreaking show, Nanette. As a woman, as a lesbian, as a gender-nonconforming person, as a neuro-atypical person, as a victim of trauma, Gadsby mapped out a way forward for comedy that didn't make herself, and people like her, the butt of the joke. Part memoir, part 'making of,' this book gets at the heart of her journey to self-acceptance and fame. If you laugh-sobbed your way through Nanette like I did (and then went back to the beginning and did it again, and again, and again) then read this book to find out just how she did it and why.”

Rachel, The Book Table

Living at the limits of our ordinary perception, mosses are a common but largely unnoticed element of the natural world. Gathering Moss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites listeners to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses.

Robin Wall Kimmerer's book is not an identification guide,... Read more »

How Far the Light Reaches

“Part memoir, part nature/science writing, this is an amazing book. The author's ability to weave together the wonders of marine biology with stories exploring their own existence and coming of age lets us experience the world in a different light. Original and thought-provoking. Looking for a good audio book to listen to? This is a great choice, read by the author!”

Anne, Newtonville Books

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and the New York Times bestselling author of Talking as Fast as I Can comes an “insightful, honest, funny, and moving collection of captivating stories” (BuzzFeed).

“Graham is fast and furiously funny in her latest collection of essays. . . . Where Graham leads, we will definitely... Read more »

The eagerly anticipated second essay collection from Jessi Klein, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling debut You’ll Grow Out of It.

“Sometimes I think about how much bad news there is to tell my kid, the endlessly long, looping CVS receipt scroll of truly terrible things that have happened, and I want to get under the bed and never...

Shit, Actually

“I would give this book a rating of 10/10 DVD copies of The Fugitive. Absolutely hilarious—I laughed out loud several times. I have watched most of the movies she talked about and am going to watch the one's I haven't immediately!! This is the perfect book for anyone who loves trash talking bad movies, pointing out plot holes, and discussing theories—or really anyone with a sense if humor who loves movies. I listened to the audiobook for this and WOW! Lindy West does an amazing job reading. She brings with her her witting sense of humor and an over-exuberance of nuances and words while reading. I LOVE this book. P.S. She has a terrible taste in movies... HAHA”

Anna Rose, The Well-Read Moose

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey

“I didn’t think it was possible to combine education and humor so effectively in a book about racism, but Ruffin and Lamar proved me wrong. This incredibly well-structured, digestible, challenging, and engaging book opened my eyes to the many ways racism can permeate every interaction in Black people’s lives. The way the sisters play off each other and how Ruffin reflects on Lamar’s experience in contrast to her own make the book especially accessible. A must-read!”

Emily Autenrieth, A Seat at the Table Books

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the host of the podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking—called “a gift” by The New York Times—a raw and humorous essay collection in the spirit of Jenny Lawson and Samantha Irby.

Nora McInerny does not dance like no one is watching. In fact, she dances like everyone is watching, which is to say, she does not dance at all. A... Read more »

Everything I Know About Love

“Everything I Know About Love was a joy to read and relatable to me as a young woman in her early 20's. Dolly Alderton gives a transparent, brutally honest look at herself at the various stages of her 30 years of life. She accurately depicts the hedonistic nature of being young, somewhat clueless, and attempting to navigate through life's complexities. Mixed with that famous (and charming) British wit, this memoir is unequivocally a masterpiece.”

Jennifer, Changing Hands

An intimate and electrifying collection of essays from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Delights  

In these gorgeously written and timely pieces, prize-winning poet and author Ross Gay considers the joy we incite when we care for each other, especially during life’s inevitable hardships. Throughout Inciting Joy, he explores... Read more »

*2018 "12 best books to give this holiday season" TODAY Show

*Best Books of 2018* Rolling Stone

"A Best Book of 2017" NPR, Buzzfeed, Paste Magazine, Esquire, Chicago Tribune, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, CBC, Stereogum, National Post, Entropy, Heavy, Book Riot, Chicago Review of Books, The Los Angeles Review, Michigan Daily

*American Booksellers Association...

Weird but Normal

“Weird but Normal by Mia Mercado is a hilarious and thought-provoking look at the weird aspects of every day life that we all experience. When authors narrate their own memoirs, it adds an additional dimension to the story to hear it literally in their own words and voice. Mercado reminds us that it's okay to be ourselves, even if we are a little bit weird.”

Tina, Leaves Book and Tea Shop

These Precious Days

“I loved absolutely everything about this book and did not want it to end. Ann Patchett's narration is magical and I believe is best way to experience her writing. Though these are essays, they are expertly arranged and together feel like a memoir. Patchett talks about everything from life and death to bookstores and book covers and you immediately want to gift this book to everyone. I could not recommend it highly enough!”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

Little Weirds

“Little Weirds, a collection of essays by actress and comedian Jenny Slate, is pure magic—a joyous, thoughtful, and deeply gorgeous peek into the soul of an extremely bright and unique individual. Jenny’s mastery of the English language, the way she arranges words to tell a story, the vulnerability with which she does it, and the purity of her heart is so astounding at times that reading a paragraph once or twice is simply not enough. Little Weirds cuts deeply into what it means to be a woman here on this earth. It is about friendship and growth and learning to love ourselves in all of our tender and wild strangeness.”

Jenna Schenk, BookTowne

Presenting the essential writings of black lesbian poet and feminist writer Audre Lorde, Sister Outsider celebrates an influential voice in twentieth-century literature. In this charged collection of fifteen essays and speeches, Lorde takes on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class, and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action... Read more »

On Animals

“Listening to the audiobook was like listening to a podcast on animals, episodic and entertaining. New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean writes about animals in such a loving way. The personalities of each creature shines through. Highly recommend if you love creatures big and small.”

Sofia, Phoenix Books

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

“There are many ways to craft a humorous essay. One of the most straightforward is to harness the clarity to tell it exactly like it is. You know, through the warped lens of personality. Samantha Irby sees all, and she sees it through wickedly potent bifocals.”

Eleanor, Main Street Books Davidson

If you enjoyed Bitter is the New Black, then you’ll love Broken (in the best possible way).

“I accidentally didn't heed my friends adamant recommendations to read Jenny Lawson. I generally just prefer fiction. But let me tell you something! I'm a true convert now. I busted out in belly laughs. I held my breath in sorrow. I nodded "YES!" in unity. I'm now a proud, full fledged, card carrying member of the 'Jenny Lawson is My Imaginary Bestie Club.'”

Miranda, A Little Bookish

Yearbook

“So funny. I couldn’t stop listening until I had heard all of his anecdotes. Loved it.”

Lisa, Pixie Hollow

A new rip-roaring essay collection from the smart, edgy, hilarious, unabashedly raunchy, and bestselling Samantha Irby.

Irby is forty, and increasingly uncomfortable in her own skin despite what Inspirational Instagram Infographics have promised her. She has left her job as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic, has published successful books and... Read more »

The Book of Delights

“Ross Gay's Book of Delights is my lifeline to joy (delights!) during my commute. I may plan to chip away at work tasks, or read the newspaper, or scroll through Facebook, but Ross' voice calls to me and I click on The Book of Delights. Only one entry soothes my soul, but I usually can't stop at just one...”

Cheryl, Book Passage

When Chef Anthony Bourdain wrote "Don't Eat Before You Read This" in The New Yorker, he spared no one's appetite, revealing what goes on behind the kitchen door. In Kitchen Confidential, he expanded the appetizer into a deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet that lays out his twenty-five years of sex, drugs, and haute cuisine.

From his... Read more »

Intimations

“Zadie Smith’s slim but concentrated Intimations is just what I needed during a pandemic. Our current collective American reality is validated in her intelligent voice, and it’s comforting. She talks about the power writers have to create their own worlds. She talks about suffering—how it defies class and privilege—and how she experiences her own privilege. She talks about “the virus,” and about the virus of racism—how we’re willing to make societal changes to mitigate the spread of one, but not the other. And at the end, a love letter/gratitude list. Listen to the audiobook if you want to hear Zadie Smith sing (literally!).”

Mary, Raven Book Store

The Best of Me

“As if there is anything greater than a new David Sedaris, it's listening to David Sedaris read the new David Sedaris. This self-edited collection of essays from his prolific 25-year career is exactly what we need to boost the morale of 2020 and remind ourselves what a crazy world we've always lived in when viewed through Sedaris's keen observational eye and told with his unique & irreverent voice. The Best of Me is perfect for both long-time fans or those reading Sedaris for the first time and the audio read by the author means no nuance is left behind.”

Jessica, Literally Speaking

Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman shares his humorous fulminations on life, manliness, meat, and much more in his first book.

Growing a perfect moustache, grilling red meat, wooing a woman—who better to deliver this tutelage than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known as Parks and Recreation’s Ron Swanson?  Combining... Read more »

The Collected Schizophrenias

“The Collected Schizophrenias is a heartbreaking and honest collection about chronic mental illness and its effects on Wang. Through personal narrative and scientific research, Wang has created a collection of essays that are challenging in the sense that they confront you with the reality of a misunderstood condition. Her mission is not to scare, shock, or make the reader feel sorry for her, but to create an environment where mental illness is better understood and destigmatized within our culture. An eye-opening collection of essays from a truly exceptional writer.”

Katie Kucek, Brazos Bookstore

World Travel

“There are not words for how much I miss the voice of Anthony Bourdain. A new collection of his writings put together with Laurie Woolever (his assistant for 10 years) details his favorite places on earth and with notes on how to visit them. As we prepare to travel as safely as possible again, it's comforting to have Bourdain as my companion if only in the brief and beautiful, irreverent and never-to-be-matched words he has left behind. ”

Kelly, Fountain Bookstore

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Ali Wong’s heartfelt and hilarious letters to her daughters (the two she put to work while they were still in utero) cover everything they need to know in life, like the unpleasant details of dating, how to be a working mom in a male-dominated profession, and how she trapped their dad.

“Knife-sharp . . . a genuine... Read more »

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
Finalist for the Audie Award in Humor

There’s no right way to keep a diary, but if there’s an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mas­tered it.
 
If it’s navel-gazing you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observations turn outward: a fight... Read more »

In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world.

Reflecting on the importance of black feminism, intersectionality, and prison abolitionism for today's... Read more »

If you enjoyed Know My Name, then you’ll love Finding Freedom.

“Erin French's memoir is so impressive, highly engrossing, and also so tough to read. She brings us through her life, all the highest peaks and deepest valleys and emphasizes the tremendous effort she has made to come back from each low point. I often listened to French's narration with bated breath, shocked at how much she has overcome in such a relatively short period of time. French's personal story also made me think about our country as a whole and how bad it is at mental health and believing women. It just deeply affronted me that a story like French's is even possible in the 21st century; we have so far to go. Though moments of this book are tough, French's resilience is truly inspiring. You can't help cry for her when things go wrong and root for her when she fights her way back. This memoir, like many that are narrated by their own authors, is in its best form with the audiobook edition. French's voice is raw and truthful and makes you feel this story down to your bones. I highly recommend this to everyone. A story of resilience, Finding Freedom leaves you with much needed hope and light despite it's occasional darkness and an underdog to root for through it all.”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

As a 6'2" dreadlocked black man, Tyler Merritt knows what it feels like to be stereotyped as threatening, which can have dangerous consequences. But he also knows that proximity to people who are different from ourselves can be a cure for racism. 

Tyler Merritt's video "Before You Call the Cops" has been viewed millions of times. He's appeared on... Read more »

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • "A must-read…Phoebe Robinson discusses race and feminism in such a funny, real, and specific way, it penetrates your brain and stays with you." –Ilana Glazer, co-creator and co-star of Broad City

A hilarious and timely essay collection about race, gender, and pop culture from upcoming comedy superstar and 2 Dope... Read more »

A new collection of hilarious, intergenerational anecdotes full of absurd detail about everyday experiences of racism from the New York Times bestselling authors of You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, comedian Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey.

Families may not always see eye to eye; we get on each other’s nerves, have different... Read more »

A much-anticipated, hilarious new essay collection from #1 New York Times bestselling unabashed fan-favorite Samantha Irby invites us to share in the gory particulars of her real life, all that festers behind the glitter and glam.

“America’s most talented comic writer.” —The New Republic

“Stay-up-all-night, miss-your-subway-stop,... Read more »

A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY TIME , NPR, INSTYLE, AND GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

“A sensational new book [that] tries to figure out whether it’s possible to live an ethical life in a capitalist society. . . . The results are enthralling.” —Associated Press 

A timely and arresting new look at affluence by the New York... Read more »

One of America’s most original comedic voices delivers a darkly funny, wryly observed, and emotionally raw account of her year of death, cancer, and epiphany.

In the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C. diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and then she...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Tarana Burke and Dr. Brené Brown bring together a dynamic group of Black writers, organizers, artists, academics, and cultural figures to discuss the topics the two have dedicated their lives to understanding and teaching: vulnerability and shame resilience.

Contributions by Kiese Laymon, Imani Perry, Laverne Cox,... Read more »

The Witches Are Coming

“ I struggle to write a review of Lindy West's work without resorting to simplistic three syllable sentences like "she's awesome," or, "she's the best." Maybe it's because she makes it look so very easy. She says everything I'm always thinking: about feminism, about politics, about our image-obsessed culture. And she does it with irrefutable logic, dazzling sentences, and an utterly fierce and funny sensibility. She's...(sigh) perfect.”

Rachel, The Book Table

GRAMMY NOMINEE

Audie Award, Humor, 2015

Amy Poehler is hosting a dinner party and you're invited! Welcome to the audiobook edition of Amy Poehler's Yes Please. The guest list is star-studded with vocal appearances from Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Michael Schur, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and even Amy's parents - Yes Please is the ultimate...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • #1 Indie Next Pick • Winner of the PEN New England Award

“Enchanting…A book filled with so much love…Long before Oregon, Rinker Buck has convinced us that the best way to see America is from the seat of a covered wagon.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Amazing…A real nonfiction thriller.” —Ian Frazier, The New York... Read more »

Late Migrations

“Margaret Renkl feels the lives and struggles of each creature that enters her yard as keenly as she feels the paths followed by her mother, grandmother, her people. Learning to accept the sometimes harsh, always lush natural world may crack open a window to acceptance of our own losses. In Late Migrations, we welcome new life, mourn its passing, and honor it along the way.”

Kat Baird, The Book Bin (Corvallis)

From a spectrum of talented authors, a collection of essays on food, and its entwinement with our emotions and our lives.

Of all the essentials for survival: oxygen, water, sleep, and food, only food is a vast treasure trove of memory and of sensory experience. Food is a portal to culture, to times past, to disgust, to comfort, to love: no matter... Read more »

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Featured on Today • From the creator of Elle’s “Eric Reads the News,” a heartfelt and hilarious memoir-in-essays about growing up seeing the world differently, finding unexpected hope, and experiencing every awkward, extraordinary stumble along the way.

“Pop culture–obsessed, Sedaris-level... Read more »

“[A]nother hilarious essay collection from Phoebe Robinson.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Strikes the perfect balance of brutally honest and laugh out loud funny. I didn’t want it to end.”
—Mindy Kaling, New York Times bestselling author of Why Not Me?

With sharp, timely insight, pitch-perfect pop culture references, and her always unforgettable... Read more »