Stanley's Recommendations

Braiding Sweetgrass

Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Length: 16 hours 44 minutes

As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our... Read more

Lincoln in the Bardo

A Novel

By: George Saunders
Narrated by: George Saunders, Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Carrie Brownstein, Don Cheadle, Lena Dunham, Bill Hader, Kirby Heyborne, Keegan-Michael Key, Julianne Moore, Megan Mullally, Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller & Various
Length: 7 hours 24 minutes

“Saunders' first novel has a steep entry curve. It's not a novel that reveals itself quickly and easily, but if you give it your attention, if you burrow deep into the book, you'll be eminently rewarded. There is a richness and depth of humanity here. There is the strange and wonderful. There is love and grief and mystery all brought together in... Read more

The Book of Longings

A Novel

By: Sue Monk Kidd
Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò & Sue Monk Kidd
Length: 13 hours 22 minutes

“I absolutely could not put this book down. Sue Monk Kidd has written a narrative that not only centers on women who are missing from or largely ignored in scriptural accounts, but it focuses on their voices, stories, and hardships — their everyday lives and bigger-than-everyday longings. As Kidd is writing Ana’s story, Ana herself is writing the... Read more

Convenience Store Woman

By: Sayaka Murata
Narrated by: Nancy Wu
Length: 3 hours 21 minutes

“Keiko loves rules. Having worked a part-time job in a Japanese convenience store for 18 years, she loves having a corporate script to recite, sales goals to reach, and a list of tasks to complete. What she doesn't love - or even understand - are the more complicated rules of society at large. She doesn't want a husband, or children, or a real... Read more

The Silver Arrow

By: Lev Grossman
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Length: 3 hours 51 minutes

“This is a great book for a family read aloud. Loved the narrator for the audiobook. Read more

Klara and the Sun

A Novel

By: Kazuo Ishiguro
Narrated by: Sura Siu
Length: 10 hours 16 minutes

“Klara and the Sun is a parable, a warning, a neatly-crafted story that fits into an Artificial Friend-sized box, which—make no mistake—is not to say that it’s ordinary. Ishiguro explores the ethics of creating artificial intelligence that’s indistinguishable from humans, at least ideally. But Klara and her owner, Josie, are kindred spirits... Read more

The Accidental Apprentice

Wilderlore

By: Amanda Foody
Narrated by: Steve West
Length: 6 hours 42 minutes

A New York Times bestseller!

A boy who accidentally bonds with a magical Beast must set off on an adventure in the mysterious Woods in this “wholesome, delightful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), and cheeky middle grade fantasy debut—perfect for fans of Nevermoor and How to Train Your Dragon.

The last thing Barclay Thorne ever wanted was an... Read more

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice

By: Shunryu Suzuki
Narrated by: Peter Coyote
Length: 2 hours 57 minutes

In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.So begins this most beloved of all American Zen works. In a single stroke, the simple sentence cuts through the pervasive tendency students have of getting so close to Zen as to completely miss what it's all about. In the years since its original publication,... Read more

Lost & Found

A Memoir

By: Kathryn Schulz
Narrated by: Kathryn Schulz
Length: 7 hours 26 minutes

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A “profound and beautiful” (Marilynne Robinson) account of joy and sorrow from one of the great writers of our time, The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

“I will stake my reputation on you being blown away by Lost & Found.”—Anne Lamott, author of Dusk, Night, Dawn... Read more

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

A novel

By: Gabrielle Zevin
Narrated by: Jennifer Kim & Julian Cihi
Length: 13 hours 51 minutes

“Looking for something a bit different? Here’s a character driven story about two young people who become creative partners in the 1990s designing video games. They develop a tumultuous but strong friendship and see plenty of success, heartache, and tragedy along the way. Read more

The Dharma Bums

By: Jack Kerouac
Narrated by: Ethan Hawke
Length: 7 hours 16 minutes

“ This book is one of those works where it's even better read aloud, the rhythm of the words lending itself well to the narrative. You feel the rhythm of the train cars that Smith hitches rides on, you feel the pulse of the parties where they drink and discuss philosophy until dawn, and you're struck especially by the poetry, which hits much... Read more

The Enchanted April

By: Elizabeth von Arnim
Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
Length: 8 hours 14 minutes

A recipe for happiness: four women, one medieval Italian castle, plenty of wisteria, and solitude as neededFour very diverse women, all seeking revitalization from the dreary February rains of 1920s London, rent the small medieval castle of San Salvatore, nestled high above the bay of Portofino, Italy. Arriving at San Salvatore, they find it... Read more

Old Path White Clouds

Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha

By: Thich Nhat Hanh
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
Length: 16 hours 39 minutes

Old Path White Clouds presents the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha. Drawn directly from twenty-four Pali, Sanskrit, and Chinese sources, and retold by Thich Nhat Hanh in his inimitably beautiful style, this book traces the Buddha’s life slowly and gently over the course of eighty years, partly through the eyes of Svasti, the buffalo boy,... Read more

Calypso

By: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris
Length: 6 hours 38 minutes

“Calypso by David Sedaris is laugh out loud hysterical in true Sedaris fashion. Listening to him read and deliver his stories is like listening to a stand-up comedian. This collection is fairly personal and many stories involve his family and their adventures in his North Carolinian beach house, aptly name the “Sea Section”. Sedaris manages to... Read more

A Closed and Common Orbit

Wayfarers: Book #2

By: Becky Chambers
Narrated by: Rachel Dulude
Length: 11 hours 29 minutes

“Becky Chambers has built a dazzling and expansive science fiction universe and seems determined to introduce readers to every corner. The AI Sidra and young Jane provide swapping viewpoints between a bustling, multi-species city sprawling over a moon and a sterile factory among miles and miles of junkyard on a planet with extremely skewed... Read more

Running with Sherman

The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero

By: Christopher McDougall
Narrated by: Christopher McDougall
Length: 12 hours 12 minutes

“You will fall in love with this determined donkey and cheer for Sherman all along the way. Read more

The Splendid and the Vile

A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

By: Erik Larson
Narrated by: John Lee & Erik Larson
Length: 17 hours 48 minutes

“An excellent account of the darkest hour through the intimate details of the Churchill family, and accounts and diaries of staff and English, German and American leaders and soldiers. Larson expertly shows Churchill's highs and lows and how his oration skills, charisma and spirit buoyed society at the exact right time. Excellent for WWII buffs... Read more

The Starless Sea

A Novel

By: Erin Morgenstern
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman & Various
Length: 18 hours 36 minutes

“What an amazing written and performed tale of love, mystery, and magic. This homage to books and storytelling is like nothing I’ve read... ever. Morgenstern has achieved a wondrous feat that defies measure. Read more

Logical Family

A Memoir

By: Armistead Maupin
Narrated by: Armistead Maupin
Length: 8 hours 26 minutes

“Armistead Maupin's new memoir, Logical Family, tells the story of his life with the same humor and grace that have made his Tales of the City series so beloved. Fans will delight in reading about the inspirations for Barbary Lane and its inhabitants, but readers who are brand new to Maupin will also fall in love. His story is that of a young boy... Read more