Bethany's Picks

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

A Novel

By: Shannon Chakraborty
Narrated by: Lameece Issaq & Amin El Gamal
Length: 16 hours 59 minutes

“Conjuring the magic of The Arabian Nights, you can imagine yourself sitting around a campfire on a cool desert evening as Amina al-Sirafi tells of her adventures. And I hope you aren't sensitive because she is brash, brazen, and foul mouthed! A truly singular and compelling voice, Amina reminded me of all the heroic tales I grew up reading. This... Read more

Other Birds

A Novel

By: Sarah Addison Allen
Narrated by: Siiri Scott
Length: 8 hours 51 minutes

From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes a tale of lost souls, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It's called The Dellawisp and it's named after the tiny... Read more

It Came from the Closet

Queer Reflections on Horror

By: Joe Vallese & various authors
Narrated by: various narrators, Graham Halstead, Aven Shore, Aida Reluzco, Mark Sanderlin, Tori Barron, Krystal Hammond, Daniel Henning, Ron Butler, Hope Newhouse, Lindsey Dorcus, André Santana, Joel Froomkin, Mike Cooper, Em Grosland & Vikas Adam
Length: 10 hours 58 minutes

“If, like me, you’re a huge fan of horror movies, you won’t want to miss It Came From the Closet. This collection of essays is broken down by sub-genre and then by movie, which I loved. My favorite essay is Carmen Maria Machado’s Both Ways, which explores the cult classic Jennifer’s Body and poses the question 'Is this queerbaiting or is it a... Read more

From Here to Eternity

Traveling the World to find the Good Death

By: Caitlin Doughty
Narrated by: Caitlin Doughty
Length: 5 hours 37 minutes

The best-selling author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes expands our sense of what it means to treat the dead with "dignity." Fascinated by our pervasive terror of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how other cultures care for their dead. In rural Indonesia, she observes a man clean and dress his grandfather's mummified body.... Read more

The Reformatory

A Novel

By: Tananarive Due
Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Length: 20 hours 51 minutes

“This was hands down my favorite book of the year! Tananarive Due has written a powerful southern horror novel set in Florida during the Jim Crow era. Twelve year old Robbie Stephens is sent to the segregated Gracetown School for Boys for protecting his sister against the advances of the white son of the most powerful man in town. Not only does... Read more

The Book of Accidents

A Novel

By: Chuck Wendig
Narrated by: Xe Sands & George Newbern
Length: 16 hours 48 minutes

“Despite the classically creepy content of a true horror tale, I found myself devouring these pages before going to sleep at night and seeking them out again first thing in the morning, nightmares be damned. Read more

Sistersong

By: Lucy Holland
Narrated by: Robyn Holdaway
Length: 14 hours 17 minutes

Three royal siblings fight to keep the old, wild magic of the land alive and the Saxon invaders from their borders in this "absolutely stunning" novel in ancient Britain and inspired by the folk ballad The Twa Sisters (Hannah Whitten, author of For The Wolf).In the kingdom of Dumnonia, there is old magic to be found in the whisper of the wind,... Read more

Take My Hand

By: Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Narrated by: Lauren J. Daggett
Length: 10 hours 56 minutes

“This novel about sexual sterilization of poor, Black, women in the American South in the early 1970s raises important and timely questions about reproductive choice and explores intersections of class, race and gender. The narrator conveys the heartfelt emotion behind the story beautifully. The characters were well-developed and complex, and the... Read more

Girls Can Kiss Now

Essays

By: Jill Gutowitz
Narrated by: Jill Gutowitz
Length: 7 hours 4 minutes

“Wickedly funny and heartstoppingly vulnerable…every page twinkles with brilliance.” —Refinery29

Perfect for fans of Samantha Irby and Trick Mirror, a hilarious, whip-smart collection of personal essays exploring the intersection of queerness, pop culture, the internet, and identity, introducing one of the most undeniably original new voices... Read more

Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys: Book #1

By: Aiden Thomas
Narrated by: Avi Roque
Length: 13 hours 47 minutes

“"Listening to Cemetery Boys made me smile. A lot. Aiden Thomas presents a story of persistence, mystery, and finding one’s place in the world. Yadriel, a trans, teenage, latinx boy, lives in a family of brujos and brujas. After coming out as trans his family does not know where he fits within their traditions. With the help of his opinionated... Read more

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

By: Zoulfa Katouh
Narrated by: Rasha Zamamiri
Length: 12 hours 16 minutes

A love letter to Syria and its people, As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow is a speculative novel set amid the Syrian Revolution, burning with the fires of hope, love, and possibility. Perfect for fans of The Book Thief and Salt to the Sea.

Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents... Read more

We Carry Their Bones

The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys

By: Erin Kimmerle
Narrated by: Janina Edwards
Length: 8 hours 1 minute

""With We Carry Their Bones, Erin Kimmerle continues to unearth the true story of the Dozier School, a tale more frightening than any fiction. In a corrupt world, her unflinching revelations are as close as we'll come to justice."" –Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer-Prize Winning author of The Nickel Boys and The Underground RailroadForensic... Read more

In the Lives of Puppets

By: TJ Klune
Narrated by: Daniel Henning
Length: 15 hours 22 minutes

“Full disclosure: I’m a huge TJ Klune fan and predisposed to love everything he writes! In The Lives of Puppets has his signature humor, charm, and poignancy. At the center of this retelling of Pinocchio is a most lovable motley crew of one human, Victor, and his robot friends Rambo and Nurse Ratched. Klune often writes of themes around found... Read more

The Bear and the Nightingale

A Novel

Winternight Trilogy: Book #1

By: Katherine Arden
Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
Length: 11 hours 47 minutes

“I lie awake at night thinking about this trilogy! A beautiful and thrilling Russian folklore re-telling. Kathleen Gati's narration is excellent. Read more

The Death of Vivek Oji

A Novel

By: Akwaeke Emezi
Narrated by: Yetide Badaki & Chukwudi Iwuji
Length: 7 hours 38 minutes

“I am fairly new to audiobooks because I've found myself to be incredibly picky when it comes to narration. That being said, I couldn't have picked a better book to listen to. Not only is this a beautiful and important story, but the narrators are nothing short of brilliant. I still think about this one often and highly recommend! Read more

The Darkness Outside Us

By: Eliot Schrefer
Narrated by: James Fouhey
Length: 9 hours 49 minutes

“This is a simply phenomenal sci-fi mystery, with one of the greatest plot twists I have ever read. Queer, provocative, rule-breaking, and full of love. A true joy of a book. It will stay with you. Read more

A River Enchanted

A Novel

Elements of Cadence: Book #1

By: Rebecca Ross
Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
Length: 14 hours 12 minutes

“Exquisitely written with compelling characters and romance . . . I was swept away by the enchanting and magical world Rebecca Ross crafted, and loved every moment of it.” — Sue Lynn Tan, bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon GoddessEnter the isle of Cadence in this novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals—a... Read more

A Taste of Gold and Iron

By: Alexandra Rowland
Narrated by: Casey Jones
Length: 18 hours 19 minutes

“A queer normative world, a subtle but unique magic system, a prince who suffers from anxiety, a stoic “bodyguard” who is very dedicated to his job, and a slow burn love story with yearning. What’s not to love?! Truly a story I keep going back to and enjoy every time Read more

Just Like Home

By: Sarah Gailey
Narrated by: Xe Sands
Length: 10 hours 1 minute

"...it’s compulsively listenable. That’s thanks in part to Sands’ intense narration, whether she’s playing the inscrutable Vera or her wretched mother asking for yet another glass of lemonade." -Vulture

"The audiobook narrated by Xe Sands is a genuinely nail-biting listen." - Buzzfeed

"Gailey wisely unfurls this story at a delightfully... Read more