2022 Staff Picks

Things We Found When the Water Went Down

By: Tegan Nia Swanson
Narrated by: Ann Richardson
Length: 6 hours 31 minutes

In this dark and ethereal debut novel, a young woman tries to make sense of strange artifacts and unsettling memories in an effort to find her mother—missing since being accused of murder



When brutish miner Hugo Mitchum is found murdered on the frozen shore of a North Country lake, the local officials and town gossips of Beau Caelais are quick to... Read more

Dark Carnivals

Modern Horror and the Origins of American Empire

By: W. Scott Poole
Narrated by: Enrique McGavin
Length: 14 hours 16 minutes

The panoramic story of how the horror genre transformed into one of the most incisive critiques of unchecked American imperial power



The American empire emerged from the shadows of World War II. As the nation's influence swept the globe with near impunity, a host of evil forces followed—from racism, exploitation, and military invasion to killer... Read more

Butts

A Backstory

By: Heather Radke
Narrated by: Emily Tremaine
Length: 8 hours 13 minutes

“What a surprising and incredible book! Heather Radke delves into humans' complex and often strange relationships with butts from the perspective of eugenics and racism, fashion and pop culture, music and workout videos. Mindful of society's scrutiny of women's bodies, Radke brings a unique insight by sharing her personal experiences with her own... Read more

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

Zachary Ying

By: Xiran Jay Zhao
Narrated by: Eric Yang
Length: 8 hours 48 minutes

“When the first emperor of China possesses Zachary's video game device and demands his help, he doesn't expect the whirlwind adventure through China that follows. For fans of Percy Jackson! Read more

Signal Fires

A novel

By: Dani Shapiro
Narrated by: Dani Shapiro
Length: 7 hours 30 minutes

“Signal Fires can be warnings to observers that danger is approaching, stay away and conversely, they can be urgent requests for help and demands to be seen. Symbolism abounds in this story of a young family, laying down roots in a suburban neighborhood. I found myself brought to tears frequently and yet not once did I consider putting this book... Read more

Dinosaurs

By: Lydia Millet
Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
Length: 6 hours 7 minutes

“I love Lydia Millet! I will read everything she writes. Her stories leave me slightly to extremely off kilter. This one, about kindness, purpose and family, is a treat, a favorite small gift...It was a joy to listen to. Read more

Stay True

A Memoir (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

By: Hua Hsu
Narrated by: Hua Hsu
Length: 5 hours 28 minutes

“Heartbreakingly honest, this look at friendship and grief is beautifully written and full of love. Hsu perfectly captures what it's like to be in college and navigate relationships in your early twenties. Read more

Lucy by the Sea

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Strout
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
Length: 8 hours 19 minutes

“Kimberly Farr's reading of Strout's writing is like chocolate and peanut butter, one voice enhances the other. I have never read Elizabeth Strout but I now fully understand why she is so beloved and celebrated. Her writing is exquisite without being pretentious, and her characters are so full and realized. Lucy's navigation of the pandemic was a... Read more

Ghost Eaters

A Novel

By: Clay McLeod Chapman
Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
Length: 9 hours 20 minutes

“Do you want to get Haunted? 'Ghost' is a drug that haunts a person instead of a place. Lost a loved one? Take 'Ghost' and you can see them again. The problem is that you can't take just one. This is a story of addiction, revenants, and imagery so grotesque that your skin crawls. This book is INTENSE and I recommend it to all horror fans! Read more

The Enigma of Room 622

A Novel

By: Joël Dicker
Narrated by: Chris Harper
Length: 15 hours 59 minutes

A Wall Street Journal ""Best Mystery of 2022""A September 2022 Amazon Best of the Month Pick“Dicker salutes Agatha Christie even as he drops the reader through one trapdoor into another, so that by the end, we doubt we’ve ever read another novel quite like it. (We haven’t.) Fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley will hug this book in between chapters;... Read more

A Girlhood

A Letter to My Transgender Daughter

By: Carolyn Hays
Narrated by: Erin Bennett
Length: 10 hours 27 minutes

A parent’s love letter to a daughter who has always known exactly who she is.One ordinary day, a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on the Hays family’s door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child. It was this knock, this threat, that began the family’s journey out of... Read more

Babel

Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of The Oxford Translators' Revolution

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Chris Lew Kum Hoi & Billie Fulford-Brown
Length: 21 hours 45 minutes

“Without a doubt one of the best, most important books of the year, this dark academia historical fantasy takes us from the soaring heights of magical schools, ivory towers, and the life of the mind to the bottom of its rotten foundations: colonialism, white supremacy, exploitation, complicity - all while keeping its reader spellbound in wonder,... Read more

The Drowned Woods

By: Emily Lloyd-Jones
Narrated by: Moira Quirk
Length: 10 hours 15 minutes

“I loved The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods is even better! A well-written story with well developed characters and excellent worldbuilding. The narrator of the audiobook, Moira Quirk, does an amazing job and transports you straight into Mer's world. Read more

Thank You For Listening

A Novel

By: Julia Whelan
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 11 hours 15 minutes

“Not only is Thank You For Listening a love letter to the romance genre, it is a love letter specifically to romance audiobooks. Julia Whelan is a delight as both a writer and a narrator, bringing us a compelling story about love, loss, and self acceptance. Read more

Wrong Place Wrong Time

A Novel

By: Gillian McAllister
Narrated by: Lesley Sharp
Length: 10 hours 7 minutes

“I went into this totally blind, and boy am I glad I did because of I had read a blurb I may never have started it. As it turns out I was hooked from the beginning when Jen witnesses her teen aged son commit a murder outside their house, so once I realized what was happening in the story it was way too late to stop listening. This is a thriller... Read more

The Book Eaters

By: Sunyi Dean
Narrated by: Katie Erich
Length: 13 hours 27 minutes

“How far will a mother go to protect a son that is hungering for more than books? Sunyi Dean’s work of fantasy is frighteningly real. Think Hannibal Lecter: sit back, grab ‘a nice dry Chianti,’ and get ready to devour this debut masterpiece. Read more

Wake the Bones

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Kilcoyne
Narrated by: Bailey Carr
Length: 9 hours 15 minutes

“Atmospheric and distressing, I enjoyed this unsettling account of a young woman tied to her farm through sinister magic. The narrator does an incredible job giving life to all the characters, imbuing them with the fear and joy and sadness they experience. The story feels bleak, but there is a steadfastness and determination to the characters... Read more

What Moves the Dead

Sworn Soldier: Book #1

By: T. Kingfisher
Narrated by: Avi Roque
Length: 5 hours 25 minutes

“This was one of the best retellings of The Fall of The House of Usher I’ve ever read. Between the representation and the absolutely witty humor and excellently horrifying descriptions. This was an absolute joy to read. Also, half way through the book I learn that Avi Roque narrates the audiobook and I will listen to anything he narrates, because... Read more

Legends & Lattes

A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes

Legends & Lattes

By: Travis Baldree
Narrated by: Travis Baldree
Length: 7 hours 18 minutes

“This low stakes fantasy is a perfect read for cozy season or just anytime plans are canceled so you can stay in and read. Come for the exploration of starting a new business (when no one knows what your product is, no one's heard of a latte!?) and stay for the heartwarming characters who become family by the end. Read more

Razzmatazz

A Novel

By: Christopher Moore
Narrated by: Johnny Heller
Length: 9 hours 58 minutes

New York Times Bestseller“Smart and funny and all sorts of raunchy in the best way.” — San Francisco ChronicleRepeat New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore returns to the mean streets of San Francisco in this outrageous follow-up to his madcap novel Noir.San Francisco, 1947. Bartender Sammy “Two Toes” Tiffin and the rest of the... Read more