Page 1 Books Staff Picks!

Martyr!

A novel

By: Kaveh Akbar
Narrated by: Arian Moayed
Length: 10 hours 39 minutes

“I honestly have a hard time verbalizing exactly what I love about this novel, except to say that I am writing this staff pick months after reading it because it's still on my mind. Cyrus Shams was a baby when his mother's plane was shot down over the Persian Gulf. Following her death, Cyrus and his father move to Indiana; his father dies as... Read more

Carmilla - Unabridged

By: Sheridan Le Fanu
Narrated by: Sara Nichols
Length: 3 hours 9 minutes

“Loved this melodramatic, gothic, gift of a novella as a queer person, loved it as a horror fan, loved it as a classics enjoyer. Yay! Lesbian vampire! She did it first. Read more

Howards End

By: E. M. Forster
Narrated by: Steven Crossley
Length: 11 hours 51 minutes

“An eternally clever and nuanced novel about sisterhood, houses, and Beethoven's Fifth. Also, a cautionary tale about standing under too-full bookshelves. Read more

All The Beauty in the World

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me

By: Patrick Bringley
Narrated by: Patrick Bringley
Length: 6 hours 3 minutes

“A truly lovely book that captures the sort of reverence and passion I feel for art museums. If you know me, you know that taking me to any art museum is bound to result in a whole day spent there. Bringley's memoir and his musings here are entertaining, moving, and resonate deeply. Read more

The Language of the Night

Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy

By: Ursula K. Le Guin
Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan & Michael Crouch
Length: TBA

“Delightful, refreshing, composed of words most warm and ever-welcoming. As a lover of all things Le Guin, even I expected this collection to be a rather dense, academic read (she is, after all, a brilliant mind, and essays on writing by such an author...I was excited for the challenge). I feel very humbled, by her humility. My surprise feels a... Read more

Grey Dog

By: Elliott Gish
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
Length: 10 hours 52 minutes

“Grey Dog, a diary-style narrative, offers a gripping exploration of one woman's descent into madness and subsequent liberation, akin to a blend of A24's Midsommar and M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. Gish's adept characterizations and captivating prose make it a must-read, leaving me in breathless anticipation for her future works. Read more

Matrix

A Novel

By: Lauren Groff
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
Length: 8 hours 51 minutes

“I love Lauren Groff's books, and this one is my favorite. You will fall in love with this feminist tale of the strong and resourceful Marie making her way and building a community as a medieval nun. I read it first in paper, then listened to the audiobook with my daughter (she loved it too). Highly recommended. Read more

James

A Novel

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

“Lovely with gentle humor, at least that's the way I see it. Read more

The Song of Achilles

A Novel

By: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Frazer Douglas
Length: 11 hours 14 minutes

“Beautifully heartbreaking, like grieving the living. Please - listen and enjoy <3 Read more

Devotions

The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver

By: Mary Oliver
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
Length: 6 hours 19 minutes

“Reading any collection of beautiful poetry in a short period of time is immersive, dare I say life-altering. Reading Devotions is somehow more intimate than even that. Oliver’s way of viewing the world is so crystal-clear, so inviting. Every poem is like taking a step outside and breathing in a lungful of crisp, clean, cold air. Her way of... Read more

On Beauty

By: Zadie Smith
Narrated by: Peter Francis James
Length: 18 hours 48 minutes

“"All is fair in love and...academia." On Beauty is an unflinching, harsh, full-bodied approach to family, politics, and academia. In this novel, a microcosm of opinionated, muddled, chaotic people unravels; their high-and-mighty ideals are called into question. Smith's novel is a challenging read; while scrutinizing the Belseys and the Kipps,... Read more

This Is How You Lose The Time War

By: Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell & Emily Woo Zeller
Length: 4 hours 15 minutes

“This book was beautifully written in love letter style. While it was slightly confusing for the first few chapters once I sunk into the plot I couldn't stop until it was finished. It was beautifully complex while still simple. 10/10 recommend. Read more

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

By: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris
Length: 6 hours 18 minutes

“I will read everything this man ever writes. Read more

Transitional

In One Way or Another, We All Transition

By: Munroe Bergdorf
Narrated by: Mia Juul
Length: 4 hours 17 minutes

“Munroe ❤️ This book is gorgeous. Bergdorf's honesty and vulnerability in telling her story made me feel like a trusted confidante. She delivers her personal experiences with the edge of an activist showing her audience how all the dots connect, how her experience is not unique because the path she had to walk was formed by institutionalized... Read more

Let's Talk About Hard Things

A Guide for Difficult Conversations

By: Anna Sale
Narrated by: Anna Sale
Length: 8 hours 3 minutes

“Let’s Talk About Hard Things by Anna Sale, host of the Death, Sex and Money Podcast, is an in depth look at how to talk about difficult topics with those closest to young and also complete strangers. Sale takes an empathetic and thoughtful approach to some of life’s most personal, difficult, yet universal conversations. The conversations... Read more

What I Ate in One Year

(and related thoughts)

By: Stanley Tucci
Narrated by: Stanley Tucci
Length: 7 hours 46 minutes

“This was the first of Stanley Tucci’s books that I’ve read. I highly recommend the audio version as Stanley’s narration makes the book. While food is the focus, this book is about much more than food. It’s about family, friends, life, death, and how cooking together and communing around a table of food is one of life’s greatest pleasures.  Read more

Private Rites

A Novel

By: Julia Armfield
Narrated by: Hannah van der Westhuysen
Length: 8 hours 28 minutes

“"What comes next?" The sort of novel that will rattle your bones, your ideals, and your sense of self; the sort of novel that sedates and seduces you, only allowing you to realize you've been caught dreaming in its web when it's far, far too late. Read more

Parable of the Sower

Earthseed: Book #1

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

“A definite classic! This acclaimed post-apocalyptic novel of hope and terror from an award-winning author pairs well with 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale. Read more

Butter Honey Pig Bread

By: Francesca Ekwuyasi
Narrated by: Amaka Umeh
Length: 12 hours 10 minutes

“Moving, intimate, hopeful, beautifully shaped and molded from many perspectives across intersecting timelines. This tale of sisterhood, forgiveness (for others and for oneself) feels like sitting quietly on a warm porch with your loved ones on a perfect summer day. Read more

The Sweetness of Water (Oprah’s Book Club)

A Novel

By: Nathan Harris
Narrated by: William DeMeritt
Length: 12 hours 7 minutes

“"Sometimes, just sometimes, hope was enough." The inhabitants of Old Ox, a Georgia town undergoing Reconstruction, feel painfully and impossibly real; they will bemuse, inspire, and challenge you. Read more