Kimi's 2021 Favorites

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

An Oprah’s Book Club Novel

By: Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Karen Chilton & Prentice Onayemi
Length: 29 hours 48 minutes

“Jeffers is an award-winning poet and Du Bois scholar from her days at Bard College, and she harnesses the power of poetry, deeply researched history, and compelling narrative to craft a multi-generational saga of a Southern Black family. POWERFUL! Read more

Songs in Ursa Major

A novel

By: Emma Brodie
Narrated by: Kristen Sieh
Length: 10 hours 45 minutes

“This was a very enjoyable listen! What impressed me most was that it surprised me. I know nothing about Joni Mitchell or James Taylor, the two musicians this book is rumored to be based on and I'm not a huge fan of the music scene but I had been hearing a lot about this book and decided to give it a try. It was well crafted and thoughtful and I... Read more

The Rose Code

A Novel

By: Kate Quinn
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Length: 16 hours 1 minute

“While many WWII stories have been told in triplicate, Kate Quinn presents a new angle on the Bletchley Park/code breaker part of the war. She gives us three magnificent main characters who must navigate the turbulent waters not only of the war, but of a new puzzle to solve shortly before the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth... Read more

Sparks Like Stars

A Novel

By: Nadia Hashimi
Narrated by: Mozhan Marno
Length: 12 hours 2 minutes

“Suspenseful…emotionally compelling. I found myself eagerly following in a way I hadn’t remembered for a long time, impatient for the next twist and turn of the story."—NPRAn Afghan American woman returns to Kabul to learn the truth about her family and the tragedy that destroyed their lives in this brilliant and compelling novel from the... Read more

The Arsonists' City

By: Hala Alyan
Narrated by: Leila Buck
Length: 19 hours 34 minutes

A rich family story, a personal look at the legacy of war in the Middle East, and an indelible rendering of how we hold on to the people and places we call home.
The Nasr family is spread across the globe—Beirut, Brooklyn, Austin, the California desert. A Syrian mother, a Lebanese father, and three American children: all have lived a life of... Read more

Taste

My Life Through Food

By: Stanley Tucci
Narrated by: Stanley Tucci
Length: 6 hours 50 minutes

“Stanley Tucci brings the listener on a sumptuous and mouth-watering tour through his life, guided by his tastebuds and family traditions. As a reader from an Italian American family, many of Tucci's stories were a mirror to my own childhood and extended family, making this audiobook a complete joy. Tucci's epic travels, movie adventures, and... Read more

Finding Freedom

A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch

By: Erin French
Narrated by: Erin French
Length: 9 hours 35 minutes

“Erin French's memoir is so impressive, highly engrossing, and also so tough to read. She brings us through her life, all the highest peaks and deepest valleys and emphasizes the tremendous effort she has made to come back from each low point. I often listened to French's narration with bated breath, shocked at how much she has overcome in such a... Read more

The Queens of Animation

The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History

By: Nathalia Holt
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Length: 11 hours 37 minutes

From the bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, the untold, "richly detailed" story of the women of Walt Disney Studios, who shaped the iconic films that have enthralled generations (Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures).

From Snow White to Moana, from Pinocchio to Frozen, the animated films of Walt... Read more

The Widows of Malabar Hill

Perveen Mistry Mysteries: Book #1

By: Sujata Massey
Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
Length: 14 hours 34 minutes

“I loved this novel! Sujata Massey is a strong, confident storyteller and this captivating mystery, set in 1920s Bombay, features superb world-building, a riveting plot, and great characters. Perveen Mistry is a richly written protagonist: By turns confident and conflicted, she strives to do the right thing and is more than capable of getting... Read more

How High We Go in the Dark

A Novel

By: Sequoia Nagamatsu
Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Brian Nishii, Keisuke Hoashi, MacLeod Andrews, Jeanne Sakata, Greg Watanabe, Kurt Kanazawa, Matthew Bridges, Kotaro Watanabe, Brianna Ishibashi, Joe Knezevich, Micky Shiloah, Stephanie Komure & Jason Culp
Length: 9 hours 20 minutes

“I think I've already found my favorite release for 2022! This dystopian multi perspective scifi book is expertly woven. We jump through time and from character to character experiencing a terrifying pandemic and end of days. Though reading about a pandemic in midst of pandemic seems daunting, Nagamatsu managed to create a heartfelt and... 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

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

By: Malinda Lo
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 12 hours 25 minutes

“This coming of age story about a young woman growing up queer in 1950s Chinatown, San Francisco, was brilliant. I loved the rich historical detail, believable characters, exploration of intersectional identities, romance, and sense of place, made even stronger by the excellent narration. Best book I've read in quite some time and highly... Read more

Beautiful World, Where Are You

A Novel

By: Sally Rooney
Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
Length: 10 hours 3 minutes

“'Humanity on the cusp of extinction [&] here I am writing another email about sex & friendship. What else is there to live for?' A mastery of capacious dialogue; this page-turner satisfies with 21st century romance & unanswered questions that will linger in any hopeful, nihilistic heart. Read more

Apples Never Fall

By: Liane Moriarty
Narrated by: Caroline Lee
Length: 18 hours 3 minutes

“If you like competition and a little family drama this book is for you! When their mother goes missing, the 4 Delaney children are forced to except their father may not have been the loving husband they thought he was. Or perhaps could their mother have gone crazy! Read more

Mary Jane

A Novel

By: Jessica Anya Blau
Narrated by: Caitlin Kinnunen
Length: 9 hours 44 minutes

“This book was so stinking cute and was even better in audiobook format (Caitlin Kinnunen for the win!). I think the story was completely elevated by Broadway's Caitlin Kinnunen who's young but silky voice was perfectly able to capture the naiveté of Mary Jane and the roughness of Jimmy's singing voice. In general, the singing interludes of the... Read more

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

By: Dawnie Walton
Narrated by: Janina Edwards, Bahni Turpin, James Langton, André De Shields, Dennis Boutsikaris, Steve West, Gabra Zackman & full cast
Length: 13 hours 16 minutes

“If you read the first twenty pages of this book and think, like I did "this seems exactly the same as Daisy Jones and the Six KEEP GOING. The way the stories are setup is similar, but Opal and Nev have a unique story that demands to be heard. Walton combines oral music history, intense relationship dynamics, and strong character development to... Read more

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

A Novel

By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrated by: Alma Cuervo, Julia Whelan & Robin Miles
Length: 12 hours 10 minutes

“This was a very entertaining read. Reid always does a great job getting you to immediately invest in the characters. This book was a fun ride through the golden era of Hollywood. I could've listened to another hour. The narration alternates between readers, and kept the book feeling fresh and new the whole way through. Read more

While We Were Dating

By: Jasmine Guillory
Narrated by: Janina Edwards
Length: 10 hours 21 minutes

An instant New York Times bestseller!

One of TIME Magazine's 100 Must-Reads of 2021!

Two people realize that it’s no longer an act when they veer off-script in this sizzling romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory.

Ben Stephens has never bothered with serious relationships. He has plenty of casual dates to keep him... Read more

Act Your Age, Eve Brown

A Novel

By: Talia Hibbert
Narrated by: Ione Butler
Length: 10 hours 51 minutes

“If you want an instant mood lifter, these books are for you! Hibbert writes a romance that is both cute and fun and STEAMY. Over the course of three books, she follows three sisters and their love lives. The Brown family is delightfully erratic. The sisters each have their own unique personalities and life troubles though were born into a... Read more

Honey Girl

A Novel

By: Morgan Rogers
Narrated by: York Whitaker
Length: 10 hours 11 minutes

“As beautiful and golden and syrupy-sweet as its namesake, Honey Girl is a romance that explores how we can be desperately lonely even when we're surrounded by people who love us. Read more