Brilliant Books' 2019 Winter Staff Favorites
Each of these titles is personally recommended by one of our Brilliant Booksellers. The list features both newly published and older books and draws from a wide array of writers, styles, and genres; for favorites only available in print, check out our website!
The Old Drift
A Novel
By Namwali Serpell
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh, Richard E. Grant & Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Length: 24 hours 59 minutes
“A dazzling debut, establishing Namwali Serpell as a writer on the world stage.”—Salman Rushdie, The New York Times Book Review
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Dwight Garner, The New York Times • The New York Times Book Review • Time • NPR • The Atlantic • BuzzFeed • Tordotcom • Kirkus Reviews • BookPage
WINNER OF: The Arthur C. Clarke... Read more »
Fox 8
A Story
By George Saunders
Narrated by: George Saunders
Length: 37 minutes
Fox 8
“Another charming, inventive, and bizarre short story from a master of the form, Fox 8 will pinch your heart and make you cackle with laughter. With gorgeous illustrations by Chelsea Cardinal, this is an Aesop’s fable for the modern era. As with all of George Saunders’s other work, Fox 8 will leave you feeling like you’ve ridden a roller coaster through the entire range of human emotions—and isn’t that what literature is for?”
Jessica, Bookshop Santa Cruz
A Wild Sheep Chase
A Novel
By Haruki Murakami
Narrated by: Rupert Degas
Length: 9 hours 37 minutes
Quirky and utterly captivating, A Wild Sheep Chase is Murakami at his astounding best.
An advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend and casually appropriates the image for an advertisement. What he doesn’t realize is that included in the scene is a mutant sheep with a star on its back, and in using this photo he has unwittingly... Read more »
Sometimes I Lie
A Novel
By Alice Feeney
Narrated by: Stephanie Racine
Length: 9 hours 26 minutes
Sometimes I Lie
“Alice Feeney’s debut, “Sometimes I Lie” is a wickedly woven web of family deception sure to tantalize thriller fans far and wide. Meet Amber Reynolds, a lying, no-longer loved by her husband woman clinging to life after a mysterious car crash leaves her in a coma. A silently screaming Amber tries to piece together her memories from a childhood diary, the week leading up to her accident and from visitors to her hospital room unaware they are being watched. Will Amber figure out her unexpected predicament and find the perpetrator responsible for her paralyzed state? Or, will the clock continue to slowly tick towards her untimely demise?”
Kristin, McLean & Eakin Booksellers
Someone Like Me
By M. R. Carey
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 17 hours 10 minutes
A naïve divorced mother of two faces the darkest parts of herself in this heart-stopping thriller from the author of USA Today bestseller, The Girl With All the Gifts.
Liz Kendall wouldn't hurt a fly. Even when times get tough, she's devoted to bringing up her two kids in a loving home.
But there's another side to Liz -- one that's dark and... Read more »
The Current
A Novel
By Tim Johnston
Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Length: 14 hours 27 minutes
The Current
“Tim Johnston’s brand of storytelling is a curious hybrid of conventional crime fiction and observation of human nature that demands attention. In The Current, Johnston goes beyond the sensational and asks relevant questions when tragedy strikes, addressing real topics that come with the loss of a loved one and the questions that follow a horrific crime. As with Johnston’s previous novel, Descent, his latest concludes with a wallop you will not see coming.”
Javier Ramirez, The Book Table
Cræft
An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Crafts
By Alexander Langlands
Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
Length: 10 hours 59 minutes
In the midst of a seemingly endless supply of mass-manufactured products, we find ourselves nostalgic for products bearing the mark of authenticity—hand-made furniture, artisan breads, craft beers, and other goods produced by human hands. What often goes unnoticed is the transformation of our understanding of craft—or rather, craeft—in the wake... Read more »
This Is Marketing
You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See
By Seth Godin & Ken Blanchard
Narrated by: Seth Godin
Length: 7 hours 1 minutes
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller
Instant New York Times Bestseller
A game-changing approach to marketing, sales, and advertising.
Seth Godin has taught and inspired millions of entrepreneurs, marketers, leaders, and fans from all walks of life, via his blog, online courses, lectures, and bestselling books. He is the inventor of countless ideas... Read more »