Our 2024 Staff Picks

James

A Novel

By: Percival Everett
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 7 hours 48 minutes

“LOVED this book. SO good. The narration was wonderful and the story shoots to classic status in my mind. If we teach Mark Twain/Huck Finn in school, James should be taught right along with it. The retelling of Huck Finn from the slave Jim's perspective, this book is so impactful and felt much more true to the life and times. If you're... Read more

Parable of the Sower

Earthseed: Book #1

By: Octavia E. Butler
Narrated by: Lynne Thigpen
Length: 12 hours 2 minutes

“Octavia E. Butler was a prolific sci-fi futuristic author, the Parable trilogy takes readers on a realistic view of 2024. Everything that you read is playing out in REAL LIFE. She was asked how she came to write this type of work and her response was if you look at history it will show you where we're going. Read more

This Could Be Us

Skyland

By: Kennedy Ryan
Narrated by: Ines del Castillo, Jakobi Diem & Kennedy Ryan
Length: 12 hours 20 minutes

“No one writes characters of depth like Kennedy Ryan. And not just her leads, who tell this story in dual narrator, it's also every one of their teen and tween kids, their sibs and the people they lean on. You come into Soledad's story and you get invested in her, cheering for her through unexpected turns of events, bad or good. You see the work... Read more

How to Say Babylon

A Memoir

By: Safiya Sinclair
Narrated by: Safiya Sinclair
Length: 16 hours 46 minutes

“A poetic memoir of growing up Rastafari in Jamaica. A gripping story of growing up under a fundamentalist father who tried to mold her into the perfect Rasta daughter but who eventually rebelled and broke free. The writing is wonderful, melodious - it’s so clear it’s a poet who’s writing. The author’s many years of reciting poetry shines thru in... Read more

The City and Its Uncertain Walls

A Novel

By: Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Brian Nishii
Length: 17 hours 26 minutes

“As Murakami explains, with this book - he dusted off an older short story that had been sitting around since the start of his career. Murakami completists may recognize it. Initially, he only meant to do some slight tweaking of the story. Instead, he ended up significantly expanding it.As indicated by the book title, the story involves a... Read more

Wicked

The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Wicked Years: Book #1

By: Gregory Maguire
Narrated by: John McDonough
Length: 19 hours 44 minutes

“Incredible story - read it before you see the movie!! The book is even better. Read more

Anita de Monte Laughs Last

Reese's Book Club Pick (A Novel)

By: Xochitl Gonzalez
Narrated by: Jessica Pimentel, Jonathan Gregg & Stacy Gonzalez
Length: 13 hours 36 minutes

“Xochitl Gonzalez does it again! I was completely blown away by Anita de Monte Laughs Last - I learned that this incredible book is based on a real-life Cuban American artist who everyone should know about! I loved the dual timelines telling Anita's story alternating with Raquel's. An art history student in the 1990s, Raquel is a Latinx woman... Read more

The Message

By: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Narrated by: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Length: 5 hours 20 minutes

“This book absolutely blew me away and is a must read for every writer and really for anyone who wants their eyes opened. Read more

Ruthless Vows

Letters of Enchantment: Book #2

By: Rebecca Ross
Narrated by: Alex Wingfield & Rebecca Norfolk
Length: 14 hours 6 minutes

"This captivating production will leave listeners wanting more" —AudioFile on Divine Rivals

The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.

Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the... Read more

Orbital

By: Samantha Harvey
Narrated by: Sarah Naudi
Length: 5 hours 6 minutes

“This beautifully written novel follows six astronauts as they orbit the Earth over 24 hours. Orbital is a love letter to our planet in all its beauty and terror. Orbital is also a book about connections – connections between humanity and Earth, and the connections we have with each other. Read more

Funny Story

By: Emily Henry
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 11 hours 22 minutes

“My favorite Emily Henry yet! This audiobook was beautifully done - I laughed, I cried, I swooned, sometimes all at once. Seemingly total opposites, Miles and Daphne are both down on their luck when they begrudgingly agree to be roommates. Their love story was unconventional but their evolution from friends to lovers was so relatable with all the... Read more

Survival Is a Promise

The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde

By: Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Narrated by: Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Length: 17 hours 41 minutes

“Learning more about Audrey Lorde by way of Alexis Pauline Gumbs is possibly the best combo of both. Read more

A Magical Girl Retires

A Novel

By: Park Seolyeon
Narrated by: Shannon Tyo
Length: 2 hours 55 minutes

“This audiobook was incredibly easy to listen to and entertaining the entire time. Typically when you hear of magical girls, you imagine a fantasy-like world, but this story had such a refreshing take. A Magical Girl Retires is the first book I’ve read that so perfectly executed magical realism, mixing the two aspects together so seamlessly that... Read more

On Freedom

By: Timothy Snyder
Narrated by: Timothy Snyder
Length: 10 hours 48 minutes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “visionary” (The Guardian) exploration of freedom—what it is, how it’s been misunderstood, and why it’s our only chance for survival—by the acclaimed Yale historian and author of On Tyranny

“[Snyder’s] deep political and philosophical examination of how to . . . create and sustain freedom provides a hopeful view for... Read more

Curvy Girl Summer

Curve: Book #1

By: Danielle Allen
Narrated by: Wesleigh Siobhan
Length: 12 hours 42 minutes

“AHMAD IS SUCH A HOT MMC OMFG!!! This book started off with a bang (literally) and had some of the funniest banter I’ve read between love interests. I listened to the audio book of this one and LOVED the narrator, she made this such a fun book to listen to! Aaliyah is determined to find a boyfriend before her 30th birthday, leading to a string of... Read more

Post-traumatic

By: Chantal V. Johnson
Narrated by: Tiffany Smith
Length: 8 hours 18 minutes

In this “deeply original” (Elif Batuman) and “violently funny” (Myriam Gurba) story, a young lawyer finally confronts her dark past so she can live in a more peaceful future. To the outside observer, Vivian is a success story—a dedicated lawyer who advocates for mentally ill patients at a New York City psychiatric hospital. Privately, Vivian... Read more

Every Memory Deserves Respect

EMDR, the Proven Trauma Therapy with the Power to Heal

By: Michael Baldwin & Deborah Korn
Narrated by: Xe Sands & Sean Pratt
Length: 5 hours 2 minutes

An introduction to EMDR, a proven trauma therapy with the power to heal, cowritten by a world-renowned therapist and a patient who experienced transformative relief through EMDR therapy.
 
Trauma is a part of life. 

You or someone you care about has probably experienced trauma, whether “big-T” trauma, such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse... Read more

Before I Let Go

Skyland: Book #1

By: Kennedy Ryan
Narrated by: Wesleigh Siobhan & Jakobi Diem
Length: 13 hours 45 minutes

“Gorgeous writing, perfect narrator performance - go into this ready to feel EVERYTHING. Read more

Small Rain

A Novel

By: Garth Greenwell
Narrated by: Garth Greenwell
Length: 9 hours 55 minutes

“Such deeply touching narration by the author. I love this audiobook. I could relate to so many parts about what a person goes through after becoming ill and the recovery process. Highly recommend. Read more

Nightbitch

A Novel

By: Rachel Yoder
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 8 hours 52 minutes

“It seems like a lot of my favorite novels lately are about feminism and the anxieties of motherhood (weird, perhaps, for someone who doesn't have--or want--kids . . . or maybe this is exactly why I'm drawn to them). There's The Need by Helen Phillips, a cerebral, surreal venture into the all-consuming nature of motherhood, both suffocating and... Read more