2020 Top Reads by Inklings Staff

Pilgrim's Wilderness

A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier

By: Tom Kizzia
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
Length: 10 hours 13 minutes

Into the Wild meets Helter Skelter in this riveting true story of a modern-day homesteading family in the deepest reaches of the Alaskan wilderness – and of the chilling secrets of its maniacal, spellbinding patriarch.
 
When Papa Pilgrim appeared in the Alaska frontier outpost of McCarthy with his wife and fifteen children in tow, his new... Read more

Greenlights

By: Matthew McConaughey
Narrated by: Matthew McConaughey
Length: 6 hours 42 minutes

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the life-changing memoir that has inspired millions of readers through the Academy Award®–winning actor’s unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN

“McConaughey’s book invites... Read more

Small World

A Novel

By: Jonathan Evison
Narrated by: William DeMeritt
Length: 15 hours 59 minutes

A New York Times Editors' Choice! 

One of Booklist’s “Top 10 Historical Fiction Novels of 2022”

One of the Los Angeles Times's “10 Books to Add to Your Reading List”

One of Book Culture's Most Anticipated Reads

“A bighearted, widescreen American tale.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Masterpiece . . . The quintessential great American... Read more

The Pull of the Stars

A Novel

By: Emma Donoghue
Narrated by: Emma Lowe
Length: 9 hours 6 minutes

“Listening to this novel about the 1918 influenza pandemic during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic was a bit of a surreal experience yet so powerful and insightful. Donoghue condenses these characters' lifetimes into just three days, and I found myself thinking about and missing them long after I had finished the book. Bonus: The actor reading it... Read more

The House in the Cerulean Sea

By: TJ Klune
Narrated by: Daniel Henning
Length: 12 hours 12 minutes

“Go ahead and kick me right in the feels why don’t you? Heartwarming, uproarious, uplifting. I loved every minute, and I completely and utterly fell in love with every single one of the kids. I'm torn between desperately wanting a sequel, and hoping nothing more is ever written because of how perfect this gem is. This is the book that swoops in... Read more

Tsarina

A Novel

By: Ellen Alpsten
Narrated by: Anna Krippa
Length: 18 hours 33 minutes

“Ellen Alpsten’s debut is a riveting, delicious escape into the world of Catherine the I, Tsarina of Russia. My head is swimming with the sights and sounds of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Alpsten’s fascinating account reveals the unforgettable woman who went toe to toe with her husband, Peter the Great. Exactly the kind of book I needed to read... Read more

Unbreak Me

By: Michelle Hazen
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
Length: 11 hours

“I often avoid books that deal with political and social issues, I read to escape the real world not to face it, I have the morning news for that... That being said, Michelle Hazen did an amazing job at bringing social issues to the front without making me feel like I was reading portion of the news. This was AMAZING! The narrator did a fantastic... Read more

Beach Read

By: Emily Henry
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 10 hours 12 minutes

“Two vastly different authors, one summer in close proximity, and a challenge issued to write in each other’s style, and do it better. Is that the set up for a perfect romance? Yes. The answer is absolutely, positively, 100% yes. Equal parts witty banter, real-world issues, and incredible character dynamics, this should be the go to for anyone... Read more

Akata Witch

Nsibidi Scripts: Book #1

By: Nnedi Okorafor
Narrated by: Yetide Badaki
Length: 8 hours 49 minutes

Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she has albinism. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent" with latent mystical power. Soon she's part of a... Read more

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

By: V. E. Schwab
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 17 hours 9 minutes

“Schwab has a masterpiece on her hands with this title. I loved it from the beginning, and that love grew until the very end. Addie needed to find a way to escape the life she is supposed to live as a woman in France, 1714. “No matter how desperate or dire, never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” As the sun sets, she is praying to any god... Read more

Mistborn

The Final Empire

The Mistborn Saga: Book #1

By: Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
Length: 24 hours 39 minutes

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned... Read more

The Last Wish

Introducing the Witcher

The Witcher: Book #1

By: Andrzej Sapkowski
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Length: 10 hours 17 minutes

Geralt the Witcher—revered and hated—holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in this collection of adventures, the first chapter in Andrzej Sapkowski’s groundbreaking epic fantasy series that inspired the hit Netflix show and the blockbuster video games.

Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a... Read more

Texas Destiny

By: Lorraine Heath
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
Length: 8 hours 58 minutes

He’s fallen for a woman…​Anxious to meet her soon-to-be-husband, Dallas Leigh for the first time, mail-order bride Amelia Carson is en route to Fort Worth, Texas. When she steps off the train and locks eyes with her betrothed, she immediately feels drawn to him. But the cowboy standing before her isn’t Dallas. Instead, Dallas’ brother Houston... Read more

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue

Uptown Girls

By: Joanna Shupe
Narrated by: Justine Eyre
Length: 9 hours 41 minutes

Silver-tongued lawyer.
Keeper of secrets.
Breaker of hearts.He can solve any problem . . .In serving the wealthy power brokers of New York society, Frank Tripp has finally gained the respectability and security his own upbringing lacked. There’s no issue he cannot fix . . . except for one: the beautiful and reckless daughter of an important client... Read more

Black Sun

Between Earth and Sky: Book #1

By: Rebecca Roanhorse
Narrated by: Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, Kaipo Schwab & Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Length: 12 hours 46 minutes

“This is a whirlwind of a first installment and I am equally psyched and disappointed that I have to wait for the others to come out. I am a huge huge fan of the audio edition of this book, it is so beautifully done with a full cast and the image of each character is so complete and vivid. A total dream to listen to; I found myself just sitting... Read more

The Dutch House

A Novel

By: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Tom Hanks
Length: 9 hours 52 minutes

“The Dutch House is an engrossing story that spans over 50 years. It is about a house and the memories that it holds. The story revolves around Danny and Maeve, a brother and sister who love each other deeply - more than any other person including Danny's wife. They share a sad childhood in which their Mother disappears with very little... Read more

The Midnight Library

A Novel

By: Matt Haig
Narrated by: Carey Mulligan
Length: 8 hours 50 minutes

The #1 New York Times bestselling WORLDWIDE phenomenon

Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction | A Good Morning America Book Club Pick | Independent (London) Ten Best Books of the Year

"A feel-good book guaranteed to lift your spirits."—The Washington Post

The dazzling reader-favorite about the choices that go into a life well... Read more

Circe

By: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
Length: 12 hours 8 minutes

“Beautifully composed and deeply compelling, Circe is hands-down one of the best novels of 2018. As she did in Song of Achilles, Miller recreates the ancient and enchanting world of Greek mythology, this time focusing on ocean nymph Circe. Cast out of her home and exiled to the island of Aiaia, Circe turns not only to her enchantments, but also... Read more

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

By: Alix E. Harrow
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Length: 12 hours 20 minutes

“This is the type of book that you can totally immerse yourself in, and when you reemerge, the world will feel like it has more magic and possibility than it did before. It is best read on a wet and dreary day, with lots of blankets around and a kettle full of tea. When you are finished, you will remember it like an old friend, as if you took an... Read more

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

A Novel

By: Neil Gaiman
Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
Length: 6 hours 21 minutes

“In fitting fashion, I first read The Ocean at the End of the Lane several years ago and only just revisited it to find that my memories of it were totally different than what I was listening to. Neil Gaiman perfectly captures the trials of being young; the terrible and sometimes absurdist powerlessness of being a small person in a big person's... Read more