ECB Staff Faves for Summer 2019

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

A Novel

By: Ocean Vuong
Narrated by: Ocean Vuong
Length: 7 hours 18 minutes

“Alright 2019, this is the novel to beat. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is the rare novel that makes you experience reading in a slightly different way and shows you that, no matter how many books you’ve read, something new and uniquely beautiful can still be found. The novel takes the form of a letter written by the main character, Little Dog,... Read more

Good Omens

By: Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
Length: 12 hours 32 minutes

Season 2 of Good Omens coming soon!“Reads like the Book of Revelation, rewritten by Monty Python.” — San Francisco ChronicleThe classic novel of angels, demons, and Armageddon from the internationally bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, now a Prime original series starring Michael Sheen and David Tennant.According to The Nice... Read more

We're Going to Need More Wine

Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True

By: Gabrielle Union
Narrated by: Gabrielle Union
Length: 7 hours 48 minutes

“Gabrielle Union is smart, funny, articulate and honest. She's also an excellent reader.I loved hearing her takes on growing up in a mostly white town, her experiences in Hollywood, about being in the room where it happens (or not, as the case may be). And, about owning her faults. I would love to sit down and have a glass of wine (or two) with her. Read more

Barracoon

The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"

By: Zora Neale Hurston
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 3 hours 49 minutes

“Barracoon would be a significant document were it only about Cudjo (Kossola) Lewis, the last survivor of the last recorded slave ship to the US. His memories, recounted orally, preserve a trans-atlantic history that has long-been suppressed. But Barracoon is also a story about Zora Neale Hurston, the Harlem Renaissance, and the reclamation of... Read more

The Mother of Black Hollywood

A Memoir

By: Jenifer Lewis
Narrated by: Jenifer Lewis
Length: 10 hours 47 minutes

AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award Winner The "Mega Diva" and legendary star of Black-ish looks back on her memorable journey to fame and the unforgettable life lessons she learned along the way.Jenifer Lewis keeps it real in this provocative and touching memoir by a mid-western girl with a dream whose journey from poverty to Hollywood will... Read more

Tangerine

By: Christine Mangan
Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik & Erin Mallon
Length: 9 hours 28 minutes

“Tangerine is a tightly woven psychological thriller set in 1950s Morocco. Are the characters, Alice and Lucy, best friends or lovers? Are they obsessed, depressed, or have either, or both, crossed the line into madness? I'm still trying to figure out the answers! Fans of Hitchcock will like this book. The two audio book readers were spot on for... Read more

The Binding

A Novel

By: Bridget Collins
Narrated by: Carl Prekopp
Length: 15 hours 29 minutes

“Imagine a world in which the wealthy learn not just from the work of naturalists and thinkers, but from their lives, and not just in memoir form, but as a complete, immediate experience of everything each author remembers. Imagine that, to create such books, the authors must give up those memories. Imagine that you are the child of good, honest... Read more

Nocturna

Nocturna: Book #1

By: Maya Motayne
Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
Length: 14 hours 47 minutes

“Maya Motayne’s Nocturna is the epic fantasy that you’ve been waiting for. With the sneaky cleverness of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval, and the moral grayness of Marissa Meyer’s Renegades, this Latin-inspired tale provides just the right amount of magic,adventure and beautiful world-building, as heir-to-the-throne Alfie and face-shifter Finn race to... Read more

Let Me Hear a Rhyme

By: Tiffany D. Jackson
Narrated by: Korey Jackson, Nile Bullock, Adenrele Ojo & Adam Lazarre-White
Length: 9 hours 31 minutes

“I listened to this book on audio during my commute & read chapters while at home and enjoyed it in BOTH formats. The story of 3 friends trying to get a record deal for their murdered best friend & brother was strained in parts but the desire to see the outcome & my enjoyment of the characters carried me through. Read more

The Sentence is Death

A Novel

A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery: Book #2

By: Anthony Horowitz
Narrated by: Rory Kinnear
Length: 8 hours 35 minutes

“Another fine mystery from Mr. Horowitz! The second installment of the modern day Sherlock & Watson duo is just as delightful as the first. Follow Mr Horowitz as he tries to outsmart, or even catch up to, the dazzling Hawthorne. Full of authenticity and warmth this mystery will have you guessing right up until the final pages! Read more

Searching for Sylvie Lee

A Novel

By: Jean Kwok
Narrated by: Angela Lin, Samantha Quan & Caroline McLaughlin
Length: 12 hours 9 minutes

“Searching For Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok was a sublime listening experience. The expert narration added to the suspense of the novel and had me listening way past my bedtime! Searching For Sylvie Lee tells the story of a missing sister and the devastating ramifications of secrets kept long ago. How well do we truly know our loved ones? Their... Read more

Vacationland

True Stories from Painful Beaches

By: John Hodgman
Narrated by: John Hodgman
Length: 5 hours 23 minutes

“If you're already a fan of John Hodgman, then you know what to expect from Vacationland: wit that veers from gentle to biting, poignancy and hilarity, clear-eyed self-examination, peevishness and compassion. If you're new to his work, then you're in for a treat. Hodgman's newest book, based on material from his comedy tour of the same name, is... Read more

Educated

A Memoir

By: Tara Westover
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 12 hours 9 minutes

“Tara Westover is barely 30; could she really write a necessary and timely memoir already? Absolutely. Raised largely 'off the grid' in rural Idaho - without school, doctor visits, a birth certificate, or even a family consensus on the date of her birth - Tara nevertheless decides she wants to go to college. This is a story in two parts: First,... Read more

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee

Native America from 1890 to the Present

By: David Treuer
Narrated by: Tanis Parenteau
Length: 17 hours 44 minutes

FINALIST FOR THE 2019 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Named a best book of 2019 by The New York Times, TIME, The Washington Post, NPR, Hudson Booksellers, The New York Public Library, The Dallas Morning News, and Library Journal.

"Chapter after chapter, it's like one... Read more

There There

A novel

By: Tommy Orange
Narrated by: Darrell Dennis, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Alma Cuervo & Kyla Garcia
Length: 7 hours 59 minutes

“Heartbreaking and necessary, this book is raw, powerful, and storytelling at its finest. It's a woven tapestry of the urban Indian experience as few outside these communities have seen it. Vignettes follow 12 people through time and space as they make their way to the Big Oakland Powwow. Each person has their own struggles with identity, life, ... Read more

If You Come Softly

Twentieth Anniversary Edition

By: Jacqueline Woodson
Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Guy Lockard & Jacqueline Woodson
Length: 3 hours 42 minutes

“Told in two voices, this is a teen love story filled with quiet innocence, careful wording, and strong questions. When a young Black boy and Jewish girl meet at school, emotions blossom and these star-crossed lovers will show the world that more comes from love than hate. This beautiful cover matches the narration in tone, timeless. Read more

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told

An Oral History

By: Megan Mullally & Nick Offerman
Narrated by: Nick Offerman & Megan Mullally
Length: 6 hours 38 minutes

Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman reveal the full story behind their epic romance--presented in a series of intimate conversations between the couple.

The year: 2000. The setting: Los Angeles. A gorgeous virtuoso of an actress agreed to star in a random play, and a basement-dwelling scenic carpenter said he would assay a supporting role in the... Read more

Furious Hours

Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

By: Casey Cep
Narrated by: Hillary Huber
Length: 11 hours 15 minutes

“In Cold Blood and To Kill a Mockingbird kept me up reading all night as a teen, and I can now add Furious Hours to the list of couldn’t-put-it-down tomes. I was enthralled, educated, and awestruck by Casey Cep’s well-researched and masterfully written true-crime account of a rural minister, his lawyer, and his killer. Thankfully, Cep discovered... Read more

Sadie

A Novel

By: Courtney Summers
Narrated by: Dan Bittner, Fred Berman, Gabra Zackman & Rebecca Soler
Length: 8 hours 26 minutes

“Engrossing, thrilling and original. The story alternates between a podcast format and Sadie’s voice. Sadie is a compelling protagonist - strong, determined and on a mission. Fantastic listen! Read more

The Name of the Wind

Kingkiller Chronicle: Book #1

By: Patrick Rothfuss
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
Length: 27 hours 55 minutes

“The Name of the Wind is a very straightforward book which you absolutely should not take at face value just because of its upfront nature. Rothfuss builds a slow burn fantasy narrative meant to keep you warm throughout dark nights of literary pursuits, rather than a showy bonfire that burns through all its material in order to hook you. Kvothe,... Read more