Josh's Recs

Original Sins

The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of AmericanRacism

By: Eve L. Ewing
Narrated by: Robin Miles & Eve L. Ewing
Length: 12 hours 14 minutes

“I think everyone who grew up in the American school system should read this book. Both a look at the history of (mis)education to marginalized people to the continuing disenfranchisement of many students in America, I learned a lot from reading this. I will never look at schools or the United States in the same way. An excellent and... Read more

Prequel

An American Fight Against Fascism

By: Rachel Maddow
Narrated by: Rachel Maddow
Length: 13 hours 9 minutes

“This eye opening true history of the Nazi plot to overthrow American Democracy in the 1930s and 1940s reads like a page-turning spy thriller novel! Tracking the historical strain of American far right politics that longs for an authoritarian ruler, Maddow draws astonishingly relevant parallels to our current political moment in America.... Read more

Soldiers and Kings

Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling

By: Jason De León
Narrated by: Jason De León
Length: 9 hours 57 minutes

“This was a riveting read on the complex issues of migration and human smuggling. As the author points out, there is a difference between human trafficking and smuggling and this book, gives a human face to those smugglers. These guides, are often driven by poverty and desperation, to make a life for themselves, similar to their clients. The... Read more

The Mercy of Gods

Captive's War: Book #1

By: James S.A. Corey
Narrated by: Jefferson Mays
Length: 14 hours 54 minutes

“The thrilling academic breakthroughs, tense rivalries, and workplace crushes of the scientists on Anjiin suddenly seem petty when the Carryx, terrifying and powerful insectoid aliens, invade and nearly wipe out humanity. But when the scientist team, reunited on the Carryx home planet in a puzzling captivity, are forced to resume similar... Read more

The Serviceberry

By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Length: 1 hour 56 minutes

“Perfect for fans of Kimmerer’s previous work and those looking to dip their toes in for the first time, this is a short book with a lasting impact! From a single plant the concepts of abundance, gratitude, and reciprocity in a world built on scarcity burst forth: framed as limitless vessels for change, alongside community as a source of strength.... Read more

The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science

The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science: Book #1

By: Kate McKinnon
Narrated by: Kate McKinnon & Emily Lynne
Length: 4 hours 54 minutes

“Kate McKinnon (Weird Barbie, SNL) brings her delightfully offbeat sense of humor to her first children's novel! I could almost hear her voice when I was reading it. Part Mysterious Benedict Society, part Wednesday Addams, but with kid mad scientists who have to solve a mystery to save their town. It's a gross, strange, action packed good time! Read more

The Universe in Verse

15 Portals to Wonder through Science & Poetry

By: Maria Popova
Narrated by: Maria Popova & Lili Taylor
Length: 1 hour 28 minutes

“Fifteen short essays on science and nature, intended to inspire a sense of awe and wonder, are each paired with the work of a brilliant poet and a beautiful illustration. Popova's extraordinary collection is a poignant, beautiful little gift book perfect for reminding us of how strange and wild it is that we get to exist and perceive this most... Read more

Millie Fleur's Poison Garden

By: Christy Mandin
Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
Length: 28 minutes

“This adorably quirky picture book features a Wednesday-Addams-like Millie Fleur settling in a new neighborhood with her family, and growing a big garden of delightfully strange and macabre plants in the yard. When the local HOA garden group finds out, they try to put a stop to it, but Millie rallies her school mates to help save her strange and... Read more

We Are the ARK

Returning Our Gardens to Their True Nature Through Acts of Restorative Kindness

By: Mary Reynolds
Narrated by: Jane Copland
Length: 4 hours 20 minutes

“Mary Reynolds is most well known for her dramatic outsider win at the 2002 Chelsea Flower Show (the olympics of the landscape design world), the story of which is immortalized in the 2016 film Dare To Be Wild. We Are The ARK is her manifesto, an inspiring call for us to transform our relationship to any land that may be in our care. Reynolds'... Read more

Moonbound

A Novel

By: Robin Sloan
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Length: 10 hours 40 minutes

“In a post-apocalyptic far-future, where the animals speak and the sky is shrouded, there are no children, save one—a boy meant for more, who must choose between a story written for him, and writing his own. This is pure, old-school adventure, a legend crossing roads and forests, wizards and spaceships, robots, beavers, and scholars, a narrator... Read more

If We're Being Honest

A Novel

By: Cat Shook
Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
Length: 11 hours 8 minutes

“Shock, awe and an undercurrent of hilarity at a family funeral starts off this highly original novel by Cat Shook. Even serious topics are treated with a light enough hand to make their point while still entertaining. Strong characters, surprises at every turn and intriguing family dynamics make this one a great choice. Just wait for the... Read more

Tropic of Cancer

By: Henry Miller
Narrated by: Campbell Scott
Length: 10 hours 3 minutes

“Another one read initially as a teenager, it was given to me by my older brother as if it was some kind of dangerous and sacred object. Famous for its candid sexuality and the 1960’s free speech trials it aroused (ha!), Tropic is the semi-autobiographical tale of Miller living as a nomadic-bohemian-expatriate in Paris in the early 1930’s. The... Read more

Sapiens

A Brief History of Humankind

By: Yuval Noah Harari
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
Length: 15 hours 17 minutes

“Harari's brilliant cross-discipline synthesis of humanity's last 100,000 year story arc is sweeping and brilliant. I would almost use a phrase usually reserved for beach read thrillers-it's a page-turner. Rarely does a book stir up conversation in academic circles while still being so accessible to a general audience. That a history book has... Read more

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

Wayfarers: Book #1

By: Becky Chambers
Narrated by: Rachel Dulude
Length: 14 hours 23 minutes

“How to be human? What better way to learn than from exploring the diverse species of the universe in this gem from Becky Chambers. I stand by my assertion that this book should be required reading for high schoolers. Learn how to work with all kinds of people and understand that there are many ways to lead, many ways to care, many ways to be yet... Read more

Babel

Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Chris Lew Kum Hoi & Billie Fulford-Brown
Length: 21 hours 45 minutes

“This is such an intelligent and well written book I feel like I received a whole education on translation and languages alone and while it was a little murky at times, when one reads this, it than becomes obvious why all the background information is so important. To be honest, while I thought the story line and characters were engaging, I was... Read more

Remarkably Bright Creatures

A Novel

By: Shelby Van Pelt
Narrated by: Marin Ireland & Michael Urie
Length: 11 hours 16 minutes

“A heartfelt story about challenging assumptions and healing from trauma with a fun cast of characters set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Tova is a kind-hearted, stubborn, and ultimately courageous heroine whose friendship with an octopus (one of the story's narrators!) helps to awaken a new chapter of life with connection, love, and... Read more

Demon Copperhead

A Novel

By: Barbara Kingsolver
Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
Length: 21 hours 2 minutes

“Demon Copperhead is one of my favorite books of 2022. Demon is a boy growing up in Appalachia, struggling to survive poverty, neglect and the opioid crisis. I listened to the audiobook from Libro.fm, and Kingsolver's beautiful writing is expertly brought to life by narrator Charlie Thurston. Read more

Hell Put to Shame

The 1921 Murder Farm Massacre and the Horror of America's Second Slavery

By: Earl Swift
Narrated by: Mark Deakins
Length: 12 hours 22 minutes

“This book was so well researched and written. Truly an awful story, but a book everyone should read to face the realities of our history that wasn't that long ago, really. Read more

Now Is Not the Time to Panic

A Novel

By: Kevin Wilson
Narrated by: Ginnifer Goodwin & Kevin Wilson
Length: 6 hours 12 minutes

“Wow! My first Kevin Wilson book! I am still stunned. A coming of age told with humor. So original, relatable and current. I will never forget:‘The edge is a shanty town filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives and the law is skinny with hunger for us.' I listened on Libro.fm and it was so well produced! Read more

The Wager

A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

By: David Grann
Narrated by: Dion Graham & David Grann
Length: 8 hours 28 minutes

“I loved this nautical true story of mutiny on the high seas. The men lived by such a strict code. What IS to be done when the captain loses the confidence and respect of some of his crew? In a culture and atmosphere where your RANK determines whether your account of events is to be read, let alone believed, it makes for a very interesting... Read more