Books About Books

The Enchanted Hour

The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction

By: Meghan Cox Gurdon
Narrated by: Meghan Cox Gurdon
Length: 7 hours 54 minutes

A Wall Street Journal writer’s conversation-changing look at how reading aloud makes adults and children smarter, happier, healthier, more successful and more closely attached, even as technology pulls in the other direction.A miraculous alchemy occurs when one person reads to another, transforming the simple stuff of a book, a voice, and a bit... Read more

The Bookshop

A History of the American Bookstore

By: Evan Friss
Narrated by: Jay Myers
Length: 10 hours 15 minutes

“A wonderful book for all book—and bookSHOP—lovers! It charts the history of the independent bookshop (and explaining why 'shop' is preferred to 'store'), from Ben Franklin's eclectic early shop to traveling stores-on-wheels to current 'big indies' like Parnassus Books, along with the stories of the dedicated, dogged, book-fanatic folks who run... Read more

How to Protect Bookstores and Why

The Present and Future of Bookselling

By: Danny Caine
Narrated by: Danny Caine
Length: 6 hours 47 minutes

“This is a book for lovers, patrons and others who value bookstores and all that they bring to their communities when it comes to inspiration, ideas and neighborly gathering spots! Through a dozen bookstore case studies, the author, who narrates this audio book, makes pretty clear that bookstores need our protection to survive, and provides a... Read more

How to Resist Amazon and Why

The Fight for Local Economics, Data Privacy, Fair Labor, Independent Bookstores, and a People-Powered Future!

By: Danny Caine
Narrated by: Danny Caine
Length: 3 hours 39 minutes

“Léamh/éisteacht riachtanach le tuiscint a fháil ar a uafásaí is atá an siopa ar líne is mó ar domhan – cén fáth gur ina choinne, agus conas tabhairt faoi sin le go mairfidh gnónna beaga áitiúla. Read more

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

A Novel

By: Michiko Aoyama
Narrated by: Hanako Footman, Susan Momoko Hingley, Kenichiro Thomson, Winson Ting & Shiro Kawai
Length: 7 hours 18 minutes

“Man... I love cozy contemporary Japanese fiction. What sets What You Are Looking For Is in the Library apart, though, is how each featured character really takes it upon themself to better their own life. The catalyst might be the (almost supernaturally) accurate book recommendations from their local librarian, Komachi, but each protagonist... Read more

Well-Read Black Girl

Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves

By: Glory Edim
Narrated by: Glory Edim
Length: 5 hours 6 minutes

An inspiring collection of essays by black women writers, curated by the founder of the popular book club Well-Read Black Girl, on the importance of recognizing ourselves in literature.

Remember that moment when you first encountered a character who seemed to be written just for you? That feeling of belonging remains with readers the rest of... Read more

Before and After the Book Deal

A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book

By: Courtney Maum
Narrated by: Courtney Maum
Length: 10 hours 35 minutes

“Even better than answering the questions a writer is afraid to ask, this book more importantly answers the questions a writer may not know to ask. Filled with anecdotal examples (both negative and positive), humor, and a lot of common sense advice, this book covers everything an aspiring writer might need to know, including how to deal with... Read more

Once Upon a Tome

The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller

By: Oliver Darkshire
Narrated by: Oliver Darkshire
Length: 5 hours 40 minutes

“This anecdotal bookselling memoir from Sotheran's Oliver Darkshire is exactly what I needed this week. I actually finished the print copy, and immediately checked out the audiobook and began listening the same day (narrated by the author!) just to hear Oliver tell me his stories himself. Super relaxing, amusing, and just the right amount of... Read more

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops

By: Shaun Bythell
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Length: 2 hours

“I’d like to think I’m the perfect customer, but honestly, I’m probably a mix of Expert and Loiterer. I do love to talk about book marketing and Emily Dickinson… and sometimes I just find myself in a bookstore to be surrounded by books. This quick 2hr listen had me laughing all the way through. I devoured it in a day, to and from work, and... Read more

A People’s Guide to Publishing

Build a Successful, Sustainable, Meaningful Book Business from the Ground Up

By: Joe Biel
Narrated by: David Stifel
Length: 11 hours 36 minutes

A comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide to book publishing written by a successful book publisherSo, you want to publish books.Publishing is an incredibly rewarding yet endlessly complicated profession. This comprehensive and empowering book serves as a resource and reality check for anyone considering launching a press or publishing a single... Read more

Yellowface

A Novel

By: R. F. Kuang
Narrated by: Helen Laser
Length: 8 hours 39 minutes

“I love R.F. Kuang's writing. She approaches challenging topics with wit, humor, and bravery. This book is a great example of her ability to shine a light on uncomfortable truths. Brilliant! Read more

Avid Reader

A Life

By: Robert Gottlieb
Narrated by: Robert Gottlieb
Length: 12 hours 52 minutes

A spirited and revealing memoir by the most celebrated editor of his time

After editing The Columbia Review, staging plays at Cambridge, and a stint in the greeting-card department of Macy's, Robert Gottlieb stumbled into a job at Simon and Schuster. By the time he left to run Alfred A. Knopf a dozen years later, he was the editor in chief,... Read more

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

A Novel

By: Balli Kaur Jaswal
Narrated by: Meera Syal
Length: 10 hours 34 minutes

“Full of fun and Drama! The women in Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women shake up their community with their racy story writing - and solve a mystery! This book is full of surprises. I loved it. A delight! The narration of the audiobook was well done and greatly added to the story. Read more

Bookshops & Bonedust

Legends & Lattes

By: Travis Baldree
Narrated by: Travis Baldree
Length: 8 hours 1 minute

“Lightning in a bottle really can happen twice. Travis Baldree’s prequel to the perfectly cozy Legends & Lattes is a sensational love letter to storytelling, bookstores, and the beautiful, inherent wackiness that is Dungeons & Dragons. Where else would you find a scholarly homunculus that loves interior design and bodice-ripper romance... Read more

What We Talk About When We Talk About Books

The History and Future of Reading

By: Leah Price
Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
Length: 5 hours 35 minutes

“ What We Talk About When We Talk About Books healed some real cracks in my relationship with reading, and reinforced my love and optimism for the written word. Book historian Leah Price guides you through all the myths, melodrama, and baggage modern culture is carrying around about books. Through a humorous and curiosity-filled tour of book... Read more

The Midnight Library

A GMA Book Club Pick (A Novel)

By: Matt Haig
Narrated by: Carey Mulligan
Length: 8 hours 50 minutes

“At the end of this book, I cried with life-affirming joy. At the end of this book, you will know with certainty that it is good to be alive, and you will know that you make a difference. Nora Seed is so full of regret and sadness that she wants to end her life. She discovers that between life and death there is the Midnight Library and each... Read more

Confessions of a Bookseller

By: Shaun Bythell
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Length: 9 hours 6 minutes

This book is the next best thing to visiting your favorite bookstore—bookshop cat not included.Go behind the scenes at The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, with owner Shaun Bythell. Inside a Georgian townhouse with a stone façade on the Wigtown highroad, jammed with more than 100,000 books and one portly shop cat, Shaun manages the daily ups and... Read more

The Diary of a Bookseller

By: Shaun Bythell
Narrated by: Robin Laing
Length: 9 hours 42 minutes

“When you enter The Book Shop in Wigtown, Scotland, you enter Shaun Bythell’s world. You’ll recognize his colorful staff and quirky customers immediately and fall in love with them instantly. The Diary of a Bookseller was written for book buyers, booksellers, and book lovers everywhere (you must be one of them!). While books and The Book Shop... Read more

On Browsing

By: Jason Guriel
Narrated by: Tom Lute
Length: 3 hours 4 minutes

A defense of the dying art of losing an afternoon—and gaining new appreciation—amidst the bins and shelves of bricks-and-mortar shops.Written during the pandemic, when the world was marooned at home and consigned to scrolling screens, On Browsing’s essays chronicle what we’ve lost through online shopping, streaming, and the relentless... Read more

Remainders of the Day

More Diaries from The Bookshop, Wigtown

By: Shaun Bythell
Narrated by: Peter Kenny
Length: 10 hours 10 minutes

New from the author of Confessions of a Bookseller and Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, another hilariously grumpy year behind the counter at The Bookshop. Though diaries of daily life, Shaun Bythell has created an endearing and cozy world for booklovers, a warm and welcome memoir of a life in books.The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland,... Read more