Essays bestsellers

Braiding Sweetgrass

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Length: 16 hours 44 minutes

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

The Anthropocene Reviewed

Essays on a Human-Centered Planet

By: John Green
Narrated by: John Green
Length: 10 hours 42 minutes

“I read this in hardcover but this is worth a listen just capture John Green's tone on all these subjects! Read more

Crying in H Mart

A Memoir

By: Michelle Zauner
Narrated by: Michelle Zauner
Length: 7 hours 22 minutes

“In Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner goes into detail about her mothers cancer, the nights she spent next to her bed, the secrets she learned about her later on, the small yet wonderful moments she remembers with clarity, and of course the raw emotion that goes with losing a mother. I had gotten over halfway through when I fell asleep listening... Read more

Little Weirds

By: Jenny Slate
Narrated by: Jenny Slate
Length: 4 hours 19 minutes

“This dazzling and appropriately titled essay collection from Jenny Slate is everything you might expect from the whip-smart actress/comedian/voice of an anthropomorphic seashell, and probably also a few things you might not. No two vignettes are alike — some are fleeting, some panoramic; there’s effervescence and melancholy and bravery and... Read more

Joyful Recollections of Trauma

By: Paul Scheer
Narrated by: Paul Scheer
Length: 6 hours 37 minutes

From award-winning actor and comedian Paul Scheer, a candid and hilarious memoir-in-essays on coming to terms with childhood trauma and finding the joy in embracing your authentic self, featuring content exclusive to the audio edition, including excerpts from live shows and audio clips from home movies.Paul Scheer has entertained countless fans... Read more

Everything I Know About Love

A Memoir

By: Dolly Alderton
Narrated by: Dolly Alderton
Length: 8 hours 34 minutes

“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... Read more

Leslie F*cking Jones

By: Leslie Jones
Narrated by: Leslie Jones & Chris Rock
Length: 16 hours 32 minutes

“The best thing about the book Leslie F*cking Jones is that it is read by...Leslie F*cking Jones. Her bluntness, humor, and authenticity shine through in this moving memoir that is both witty and poignant. Existing fans and new followers will be carried away by Jones' informal and raucous style, telling stories both heartfelt and hilarious that... Read more

How Far the Light Reaches

A Life in Ten Sea Creatures

By: Sabrina Imbler
Narrated by: Sabrina Imbler
Length: 5 hours 40 minutes

“How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler is badass. I never thought I'd walk away from a collection of essays about weird sea creatures with a more crystal-clear understanding of my own gender identity than I have had in years—but curious readers live to be surprised! In winding personal essay with science writing, Imbler gifts the reader... Read more

Raw Dog

The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs

By: Jamie Loftus
Narrated by: Jamie Loftus
Length: 9 hours 38 minutes

“This book is a freaking wild ride, which I recommend you get on. Yes, there is hot dog information between the unfiltered commentary from the author, who reminds me of a young Anthony Bourdain, while they wander along the road searching for this iconic food. Read more

Happy-Go-Lucky

By: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris
Length: 7 hours 30 minutes

“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. Read more

Kitchen Confidential

Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

By: Anthony Bourdain
Narrated by: Anthony Bourdain
Length: 8 hours 18 minutes

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

These Precious Days

Essays

By: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Ann Patchett
Length: 11 hours 13 minutes

“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... Read more

Quietly Hostile

Essays

By: Samantha Irby
Narrated by: Samantha Irby
Length: 9 hours 31 minutes

“The audiobook is absolutely stellar. Hearing the book in Irby's literal voice is a delightful way to enjoy her authorial voice. Funny, relatable, engaging, and rewarding. Read more

Gathering Moss

A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses

By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Length: 7 hours 46 minutes

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

Bite by Bite

Nourishments and Jamborees

By: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Narrated by: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Length: 5 hours 32 minutes

From the New York Times bestselling author of World of Wonders, a lyrical book of short essays about food, offering a banquet of tastes, smells, memories, associations, and marvelous curiosities from natureIn Bite by Bite, poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil explores the way food and drink evoke our associations and remembrances—a subtext or... Read more

Hijab Butch Blues

A Memoir

By: Lamya H
Narrated by: Ashraf Shirazi
Length: 7 hours 32 minutes

“This memoir absolutely blew me away. Structured around stories from the Qur'an, Lamya H beautifully explores the intersections between faith, identity, culture, and belonging. I learned so much while reading this book, and really valued Lamya's unique perspective on queerness and religion. Incredibly raw and honest, this is a memoir I will be... Read more

The View from the Cheap Seats

Selected Nonfiction

By: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
Length: 15 hours 29 minutes

“I must be one of the few people to love Neil Gaiman most for his nonfiction. Over the years, I've scoured the shelves and online for his speeches, his introductions, his forewords, even his tweets and blog posts, so this book is a thing of wonder. Filled to bursting with his humor, wisdom, and hope, all articulated in the thoughtful, generous... Read more

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century

Unabridged Selections

By: Alice Wong
Narrated by: Alejandra Ospina & Alice Wong
Length: 8 hours 1 minute

“Containing dozens of personal stories, this is an absolute must-read for anyone looking to learn about the breadth, diversity, and history of disabled experience(s) from disabled folks themselves. Read more

All We Can Save

Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis

By: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katharine K. Wilkinson
Narrated by: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Katharine K. Wilkinson, Cristela Alonzo, Sophia Bush, Kimberly Drew, America Ferrera, Jane Fonda, Ilana Glazer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Janet Mock, Bahni Turpin & Alfre Woodard
Length: 15 hours 5 minutes

Provocative and illuminating essays from women at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage, and solutions to lead humanity forward.
 
There is a renaissance blooming in the climate movement: leadership that is more characteristically feminine and more faithfully feminist, rooted in compassion, connection,... Read more

Broken (in the best possible way)

By: Jenny Lawson
Narrated by: Jenny Lawson
Length: 8 hours 18 minutes

“San Antonio author Jenny Lawson's newest collection was worth the wait! We have giggled over her previous book, FURIOUSLY HAPPY, many times here at the store. Now, we have BROKEN (IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY). Her hilarious, meandering life stories had me laughing in every chapter. Not only does she make comedy out of her (#relatable) social... Read more

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This

(But I'm Going to Anyway)

By: Chelsea Devantez
Narrated by: Chelsea Devantez
Length: 8 hours 54 minutes

"It’s f*cking great!!! Raw, intimate, hilarious, actually inspiring.” –Jon Stewart

A dynamic memoir-in-essays by comedian, screenwriter, and podcaster Chelsea Devantez, detailing her tumultuous upbringing and uproarious career path into Hollywood, featuring a bonus chapter exclusive to the audio edition.

There are things Chelsea Devantez probably... Read more

Shit, Actually

The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

By: Lindy West
Narrated by: Lindy West
Length: 7 hours 16 minutes

“It might be that Lindy West talks during movies, but you wouldn't shush her. She's better than the movie. This audiobook is read by the author and she is hilarious. Smart, funny, irreverent and feminist. I'll take that with a bowl of popcorn. PS. I really, really want West's Hermione-lead HP remake. Read more

Wow, No Thank You.

Essays (Lambda Literary Award)

By: Samantha Irby
Narrated by: Samantha Irby
Length: 10 hours 3 minutes

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

Opinions

A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business

By: Roxane Gay
Narrated by: Roxane Gay
Length: 9 hours 58 minutes

From beloved and bestselling author Roxane Gay, “a strikingly fresh cultural critic” (Washington Post) comes an exhilarating collection of her essays on culture, politics, and everything in between. Since the publication of the groundbreaking Bad Feminist and Hunger, Roxane Gay has continued to tackle big issues embroiling... Read more

Calypso

By: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris
Length: 6 hours 38 minutes

“We, your concerned booksellers, want to make sure you are in tip-top reading shape before David Sedaris visits Main Street Books. Much like a runner must train for a marathon, you must exercise your sense of humor, so as not to pull something in David's presence. Tune up your funny bone with Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, When You Are Engulfed... Read more

Freedom is a Constant Struggle

Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement

By: Angela Y. Davis
Narrated by: Angela Y. Davis & Coleen Marlo
Length: 5 hours 47 minutes

“A must read on the interconnection of all liberation struggles that has only become more relevant since its publication in 2016. Angela Davis is one of the most steadfast voices of our time, and her background as a public speaker makes for excellent narration. Read more

Ten Steps to Nanette

A Memoir Situation

By: Hannah Gadsby
Narrated by: Hannah Gadsby
Length: 13 hours 47 minutes

“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... Read more

Music and Mind

Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness

By: Renée Fleming
Narrated by: Gina Daniels, Carin Gilfry, Patty Nieman, Cary Hite, Vikas Adam & Renée Fleming
Length: 22 hours 19 minutes

"This book inspires us all to immerse ourselves in the vast potential of music and other creative arts to heal our wounds, sharpen our minds, enliven our bodies, and restore our broken connections.” —Bessel van der Kolk, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score

World-renowned soprano and arts/health advocate Renée Fleming... Read more

The Best of Me

By: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris
Length: 13 hours 8 minutes

“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... Read more

All Creatures Great and Small

The Warm and Joyful Memoirs of the World's Most Beloved Animal Doctor

All Creatures Great and Small

By: James Herriot
Narrated by: Nicholas Ralph
Length: 15 hours 22 minutes

“The classic memoir of a young veterinarian who arrives in the remote Yorkshire Dales region in a changing era, post-WWI. Beautiful descriptions of farming life, workplace hi-jinx, small village society, and of course lovable, memorable animals. Read by the actor who plays James Herriot in the new adaptation on Masterpiece. I might be imagining... Read more

A Walk in the Woods

Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

By: Bill Bryson
Narrated by: Rob McQuay
Length: 9 hours 43 minutes

The Appalachian Trail trail stretches from Georgia to Maine and covers some of the most breathtaking terrain in America–majestic mountains, silent forests, sparking lakes. If you’re going to take a hike, it’s probably the place to go. And Bill Bryson is surely the most entertaining guide you’ll find. He introduces us to the history and... Read more

I'm Just a Person

By: Tig Notaro
Narrated by: Tig Notaro
Length: 5 hours 15 minutes

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... Read more

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us

By: Hanif Abdurraqib
Narrated by: Hanif Abdurraqib
Length: 8 hours 37 minutes

*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... Read more

Yearbook

By: Seth Rogen
Narrated by: Seth Rogen & Full Cast
Length: 6 hours 13 minutes

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

Sucker Punch

By: Scaachi Koul
Length: TBA

Read more

The Witches Are Coming

By: Lindy West
Narrated by: Lindy West
Length: 6 hours 27 minutes

“Lindy West is hilarious and timely in this must-listen audio book! It is more enjoyable because Lindy reads it herself, so the jokes are perfectly timed and hearing her words in her own voice works very well for this book. Round up all your fellow witches and gather your coven, the witches are coming for the patriarchy! Read more

Theft by Finding

Diaries (1977-2002)

By: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris
Length: 13 hours 51 minutes

One of the most anticipated books of 2017: Boston Globe, New York Times Book Review, New York's "Vulture", The Week, Bustle, BookRiot
An NPR Best Book of 2017An AV Club Favorite Book of 2017A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2017A Goodreads Choice Awards nominee

David Sedaris tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making.

For... Read more

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life

Essays

By: Samantha Irby
Narrated by: Samantha Irby
Length: 9 hours 16 minutes

“If you think you’re 'just not an audiobook person,' I dare you to listen to any of Sam Irby’s essay collections and not fall in love with hearing an author read their work to you. Irby’s wit and humor will have you laughing to the point of tears! Read more

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey

Crazy Stories about Racism

By: Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Narrated by: Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Length: 5 hours 21 minutes

“Behold! One of my favorite books AND one of the funniest books I’ve ever read! Ruffin and Lamar have such a phenomenal knack for storytelling! Are these tales hilarious? Yes! Are they also exasperating and ridiculous (and in a few instances downright horrifying)? Also yes! (Truly, the sheer AUDACITY of the people who feature in these stories is... Read more

The Book of Delights

By: Ross Gay
Narrated by: Ross Gay
Length: 5 hours

“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... Read more

On Freedom

Four Songs of Care and Constraint

By: Maggie Nelson
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Length: 10 hours 5 minutes

An expansive, exhilarating work of criticism by one of the most significant writers of our day.

So often deployed as a jingoistic, even menacing rallying cry, or limited by a focus on passing moments of liberation, the rhetoric of freedom both rouses and repels. Does it remain key to our autonomy, justice, and well-being, or is freedom's long... Read more

Dear Girls

Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life

By: Ali Wong
Narrated by: Ali Wong & Justin Hakuta
Length: 6 hours 20 minutes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Heartfelt and hilarious essays from the Emmy and Golden Globe Award–winning actress, star of the Netflix original series Beef, and two-time member of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year list
 
“A collection of letters to her baby girls that are barn-burning reflections on being a working mom, marriage, sex,... Read more

A Short History of Nearly Everything

By: Bill Bryson
Narrated by: Richard Matthews
Length: 18 hours 16 minutes

One of the world’s most beloved and bestselling writers takes his ultimate journey -- into the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer.

In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail -- well, most of it. In In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to... Read more

Make It Scream, Make It Burn

Essays

By: Leslie Jamison
Narrated by: Leslie Jamison
Length: 9 hours 3 minutes

“Jamison's skills as a journalist and essayist, very much in the tradition of Didion and New Journalism, have earned her much praise, and I can only heap onto the pile. The essay, "Maximum Exposure," about the outsider photographer Annie Appel, is a masterpiece in particular. Layered like an onion, it explores the relationship between... Read more

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think

By: Brianna Wiest
Narrated by: Abby Craden
Length: 10 hours 45 minutes

Over the past few years, Brianna Wiest has gained renown for her deeply moving, philosophical writing. This new compilation of her published work features pieces on why you should pursue purpose over passion, embrace negative thinking, see the wisdom in daily routine, and become aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see... Read more

Strong Female Character

By: Fern Brady
Narrated by: Fern Brady
Length: 6 hours 43 minutes

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Witty, dry, and gimlet-eyed, this is a necessary corrective in a world where Autistic women are all either written off as quiet and docile, or erased entirely.” —Devon Price, Ph.D., author of Unmasking Autism

Scottish comedian Fern Brady was told she couldn't be autistic because she'd had loads of boyfriends and is... Read more

The Wreckage of My Presence

Essays

By: Casey Wilson
Narrated by: Casey Wilson
Length: 6 hours 28 minutes

""Magnificent."" —People MagazineThe instant New York Times bestseller: Laugh-out-loud, deeply insightful, and emotion-filled essays from multitalented actress, comedian, podcaster, and writer Casey Wilson.Casey Wilson has a lot on her mind and she isn’t afraid to share. In this dazzling collection, each essay skillfully constructed and brimming... Read more

Congratulations, The Best Is Over!

Essays

By: R. Eric Thomas
Narrated by: R. Eric Thomas
Length: 6 hours 39 minutes

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The beloved author of Here for It returns with a collection of “funny and compulsively readable” (Vogue), “hilarious and incisive” (Time) essays about what happens after happily ever after.

“How is it possible that I liked this book even more than his last one? Phenomenal.”—Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of... Read more

World of Wonders

In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments

By: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Narrated by: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Length: 3 hours 30 minutes

Barnes & Noble 2020 Book of the Year
A Kirkus Prize Finalist for Nonfiction
A Southern Book Prize Finalist
An NPR Best Book of 2020
An Esquire Best Book of 2020
A BookPage Best Book of 2020
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2020
A Wall Street Journal Holiday Gift Pick for 2020
An Indie Next Pick, September 2019
A Publishers Weekly "Big Indie... Read more

Dirtbag, Massachusetts

A Confessional

By: Isaac Fitzgerald
Narrated by: Isaac Fitzgerald
Length: 7 hours 11 minutes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

Winner of the New England Book Award for Nonfiction

"The best of what memoir can accomplish . . . pulling no punches on the path to truth, but it always finds the capacity for grace and joy." —Esquire, "Best Memoirs of the Year"

A TIME Best Book of the Season * A Rolling Stone Top Culture Pick *... Read more