Alex’s Favorites

The Water Dancer (Oprah's Book Club)

A Novel

By: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Narrated by: Joe Morton
Length: 14 hours 14 minutes

“Ta-Nehisi Coates understands something big and he understands it better than anyone else right now. The Water Dancer led me on a journey up and down the landscape of American slavery with a narrative that feels like The Book of Exodus meets, well, Ta-Nehisi Coates. Over 400 pages I have cried, I have laughed, I have been educated, and I have... Read more

Educated

A Memoir

By: Tara Westover
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 12 hours 9 minutes

“This well-written memoir moved me deeply. The author not only relates the hardships which she endured but also exposes her own character flaws which made her incredible journey even more amazing. The audiobook version which I downloaded from Libro.fm is narrated by Julia Whelan who also narrated "Far from the Tree" (which I loved) and over 100... Read more

Clap When You Land

By: Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo & Melania-Luisa Marte
Length: 5 hours 32 minutes

“This gorgeous book is written in verse following the stories of Camina and Yahaira after a plane traveling between NYC and DR crashes, killing their fathers. ⁣The poetry gives melodic voice to the emotions each girl feels, and the tensions each experience as their respective worlds break open. I was struck by the nuance, the prescience, and the... 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

Wintering

The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

By: Katherine May
Narrated by: Rebecca Lee
Length: 6 hours 53 minutes

“Listening to Wintering during these COVID-19 times was a balm to this reader's soul. A beautiful meditation on the benefit of rest and healing during the inevitable and necessary barren times of our lives. I loved how Katherine May wove literature, mythology, and science together with personal memoir. This is one that I know I will return to again. Read more

Mirrorland

By: Carole Johnstone
Narrated by: Katie Leung
Length: 11 hours 38 minutes

“This amazing debut novel opens with 11 year old twin girls cold, scared and alone late at night at a Scottish harbor in Edinburgh. All they will say are their first names and that they are waiting for a pirate ship. Twenty years later one of the twins, Catriona, is back in Scotland, for the first time in over 10 years. She is there because her... Read more

The Hilarious World of Depression

By: John Moe
Narrated by: John Moe
Length: 9 hours 49 minutes

“This book made me laugh and cry immediately after I started reading. John Moe took a hard topic and made it so much easier — taking the world of mental health and illness and making it easy to understand and connect with. It’s a great read, and everyone should have the pleasure of reading it. Read more

Mythos

By: author
Narrated by: Stephen Fry
Length: 15 hours 24 minutes

“I'm really enjoying listening to Stephen Fry's narration of his book Mythos. Told with a wink and a nod, he brings the classical mythologies alive with great zest. Weaving the many personalities and stories into a whole tapestry of delight. Wonderful fun for making that walk longer. Read more

Suggested Reading

By: Dave Connis
Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
Length: 7 hours 57 minutes

“Suggested Reading by Dave Connis is a quick teen read that surprisingly tackles more serious questions that expected. While the crux of the book centers around censorship, the author digs more deeply into how books affect us, who is responsible for deciding what can shape us, and how to grapple with less-than-altruistic motivations for worthy... Read more

Firekeeper's Daughter

By: Angeline Boulley
Narrated by: Isabella Star LaBlanc
Length: 14 hours 13 minutes

“Daunis Fontaine, a bi-racial Ojibwe-Italian-American girl has just graduated high school and has deferred enrollment at the University of Michigan to attend the local state school. She plans to spend more time with her best friend Lily, her ailing Grandmother, and her mom who was recently rocked by the sudden death of her brother, Daunis’... Read more

The Four Winds

A Novel

By: Kristin Hannah
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 15 hours 2 minutes

“I devoured Kristin Hannah’s masterful work of historical fiction, narrated by one of the best audiobook narrators working today, Julia Whelan. I found myself desperately rooting for the Martinelli family as they face a persistent series of crises during the Great Depression & the Dust Bowl. This is character driven storytelling at its best —... Read more

Of Women and Salt

A Novel

By: Gabriela Garcia
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Length: 7 hours 7 minutes

“Of Women and Salt traces five generations of American immigrants in a moving story of mothers and daughters, secrets and omissions, heartache, and addiction. Gabriela Garcia's debut novel is beautiful. Read more

Devolution

A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre

By: Max Brooks
Narrated by: Judy Greer, Max Brooks, Jeff Daniels, Nathan Fillion, Mira Furlan, Terry Gross, Kimberly Guerrero, Kate Mulgrew, Kai Ryssdal & Steven Weber
Length: 9 hours 49 minutes

“When I heard Brooks y’all about his research process, how he describes his process, and why Devolution despite it being about a “Bigfoot” attack had so much relevance, I was sold. And, as my instincts predicted, I was totally hooked, and fast! Then I realized that Brooks writes about these futuristic horror-ish survival adventures, in a way that... Read more

Women Don't Owe You Pretty

By: Florence Given
Narrated by: Florence Given
Length: 3 hours 29 minutes

“Florence Given's voice is that of the honest best friend everyone needs! There's so much I want to gush about! I'll start by saying that it is an amazing introduction to feminism. Given clearly describes the unfair experiences women go through, with or without their conscious awareness. She addresses issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community and... Read more

Why Fish Don't Exist

A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life

By: Lulu Miller
Narrated by: Lulu Miller
Length: 4 hours 55 minutes

“This is a book that is going to stay with me for a long time. Miller, motivated by her relationship with her father, and a lifelong search for meaning, closely examines David Starr Jordan, the larger-than-life father of American Ichthyology and founding president of Stanford University. If you ever wondered how fish identification and eugenics... Read more