NPR : Books We Love in 2024

Liars

A Novel

By: Sarah Manguso
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
Length: 6 hours 7 minutes

“Searing exploration of a marriage unraveling under the weight of ambition, neglect, and self-deception. The novel follows Jane, an aspiring writer whose marriage to filmmaker John Bridges devolves into a toxic cycle of emotional labor and unfulfilled promises. Read more

Everything We Never Had

By: Randy Ribay
Narrated by: Ramón de Ocampo, Jesse Inocalla, Manny Jacinto & JB Tadena
Length: 6 hours 41 minutes

“A beautiful and engaging story of four generations of Filipino-American men and how their fathers influenced each generation after them. Each son experiences generational trauma, misunderstandings, and ultimately, sympathy for how their fathers shaped them. I loved this audiobook! Read more

The Burning Earth

A History

By: Sunil Amrith
Narrated by: Esh Alladi
Length: 11 hours 36 minutes

One of Literary Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2024



In this magisterial book, historian Sunil Amrith twins the stories of environment and Empire, of genocide and eco-cide, of an extraordinary expansion of human freedom and its planetary costs. Drawing on an extraordinarily rich diversity of primary sources, he reckons with the ruins of... Read more

Unshrinking

How to Face Fatphobia

By: Kate Manne
Narrated by: Kate Manne
Length: 6 hours 38 minutes

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • The definitive takedown of fatphobia, drawing on personal experience as well as rigorous research to expose how size discrimination harms everyone, and how to combat it—from the acclaimed author of Down Girl and Entitled

“An elegant, fierce, and profound argument for fighting fat oppression in ourselves, our... 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 Storm We Made

A Novel

By: Vanessa Chan
Narrated by: Samantha Tan
Length: 10 hours 52 minutes

“Stunning. Horrifying. Raw. Gritty. Luscious. The WWII novel you haven't seen before. Read more

There's Always This Year

On Basketball and Ascension

By: Hanif Abdurraqib
Narrated by: Hanif Abdurraqib
Length: 8 hours 40 minutes

“A native son of Columbus reflects on the era of Ohio basketball that produced legends like Lebron James but left countless others behind in this brilliant and beautiful book. Like most of Abdurraqib's writing, it is ostensibly about one thing--in this case, basketball--but truthfully is about so much more. It is a profound, lyrical, and... Read more

Smoke and Ashes

Opium's Hidden Histories

By: Amitav Ghosh
Narrated by: Ranjit Madgavkar
Length: 12 hours 34 minutes

When Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels the Ibis Trilogy, he was startled to learn how the lives of the nineteenth-century sailors and soldiers he wrote about were dictated not only by the currents of the Indian Ocean but also by the precious commodity carried in enormous quantities on those currents: opium. Most... Read more

The Truth According to Ember

By: Danica Nava
Narrated by: Siena East
Length: 9 hours 7 minutes

“STOP I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! This book was a TRUE ROM COM!!! Ember was such a complex fmc and while some of her actions were frustrating, she was so funny, endearing, and hard working. I was rooting for her from page 1. While this book overall was hilarious, I loved the emotional undertone when this book highlighted family, especially... Read more

The Women

A Novel

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Julia Whelan & Kristin Hannah
Length: 14 hours 56 minutes

“Kristin Hannah’s new book is here, and I have to tell you, I think it may be her best. In The Women, Hannah tells the story of the invisible veterans of the Vietnam War - the women who served as nurses, Red Cross workers and USO entertainers. Seen through the eyes of 21 year old nurse Frankie McGrath, readers will discover how the fighting... Read more

Women's Hotel

A Novel

Women’s Hotel: Book #1

By: Daniel M. Lavery
Narrated by: Mara Wilson
Length: 8 hours 41 minutes

National BestsellerONE OF FALL'S MOST ANTICIPATED READS—New York Times, Vulture, BookPage, Kirkus Reviews, and moreFrom the New York Times bestselling author and advice columnist, a poignant and funny debut novel about the residents of a women’s hotel in 1960s New York City.The Biedermeier might be several rungs lower on the ladder than the... Read more

We Solve Murders

A Novel

By: Richard Osman
Narrated by: Nicola Walker
Length: 10 hours 31 minutes

“We Solve Murders looks to be the beginning of another great series by the author of the Thursday Murder Club books. Murder and mayhem written with wit, wisdom and a bit of love thrown in for good measure. Highly entertaining and the narration is sublime. Read more

Wandering Stars

A novel

By: Tommy Orange
Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett, MacLeod Andrews, Alma Cuervo, Curtis Michael Holland, Calvin Joyal, Phil Ava, Emmanuel Chumaceiro, Christian Young & Charley Flyte
Length: 9 hours 37 minutes

“Wandering Stars is an epic tale grounded in truth and elevated by Tommy Orange’s phenomenal storytelling. He brings a gruesome slice of US history to life and gives voice to a generation of Native people who live its legacy. Read more

Swift River

A Read with Jenna Pick

By: Essie Chambers
Narrated by: Shayna Small, Janina Edwards & Robin Miles
Length: 10 hours 17 minutes

“Diamond is such a raw and worthy character, I loved every minute of her. Read more

Sociopath

A Memoir

By: Patric Gagne
Narrated by: Patric Gagne
Length: 11 hours 6 minutes

“I picked this audiobook on a whim, but I got so into it that the next day I was telling all my coworkers about Patric Gagne's life. She reads it herself and does a great job, which really makes the audiobook version special. If you're neurodivergent, this book will make you feel less alone. Otherwise, it's a captivating memoir that'll expand... Read more

Slow Productivity

The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

By: Cal Newport
Narrated by: Cal Newport
Length: 6 hours 17 minutes

A New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and IndieBound bestseller


"Brilliant and timely" — Oliver Burkeman


~ Do Fewer Things. Work at a Natural Pace. Obsess over Quality. ~

From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding... Read more

Rental House

A Novel

By: Weike Wang
Narrated by: Jen Zhao
Length: 5 hours 47 minutes

“A fantastic novel about interracial marriage, immigration, and family. This is a great character study with solid pacing thoroughly fleshed out characters. It also makes many thought provoking points about class and education. Highly recommend! Read more

Rebel Girl

My Life as a Feminist Punk

By: Kathleen Hanna
Narrated by: Kathleen Hanna
Length: 9 hours 46 minutes

An electric, searing memoir by the original rebel girl and legendary front woman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre.Hey girlfriend I got a proposition goes something like this: Dare ya to do what you want Kathleen Hanna’s band Bikini Kill embodied the punk scene of the 90s, and today her personal yet feminist lyrics on anthems like “Rebel Girl” and... Read more

My Black Country

A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future

By: Alice Randall
Narrated by: Alice Randall
Length: 11 hours 10 minutes

Alice Randall, award-winning professor, songwriter, and author presents “a celebration of all things country music” (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her search for the first family of Black country music.

Country music had brought Alice Randall and her activist mother together and even gave Randall a singular distinction in American music history:... Read more

The Mighty Red

A Novel

By: Louise Erdrich
Narrated by: Marin Ireland
Length: 11 hours 26 minutes

“A fantastic read! Set over the course of 2008 and 2009, The Mighty Red is a novel rich with characters and sense of place. At its core, it is a book about choices and the repercussions of those choices over time. I'll go out on a limb and say this is Erdrich's best novel yet! The narrator was pitch perfect, too. Read more