The Best Books We Read in 2023

Chain Gang All Stars: A Read with Jenna Pick

National Book Award Finalist

By: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Narrated by: Shayna Small, Aaron Goodson, Michael Crouch & Lee Osorio
Length: 13 hours 38 minutes

“Imagine a world very like ours, the prison systems have been privatized (capitalism) and prisoners are offered small perks to fight on television. This is gritty and uncomfortable to read (violence), but so necessary. This is about our country, its values, our values, and whose lives are valued more and whose lives are valued less. So very well... Read more

Rivermouth

A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration

By: Alejandra Oliva
Narrated by: Angela Juarez
Length: 9 hours 9 minutes

In this powerful and deeply felt polemic memoir, Alejandra Oliva, a Mexican-American translator and immigrant justice activist, offers a chronological document of her experience interpreting at the US-Mexico border, and of the people she has encountered along the way. Tracing her family's long and fluid relationship to the border, each... Read more

Stories from The Tenants Downstairs

By: Sidik Fofana
Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Nile Bullock, Sidik Fofana, Dominic Hoffman, DePre Owens, André Santana, Bahni Turpin & Jade Wheeler
Length: 6 hours 4 minutes

“Probably one of my favorite listens (audio book) from this year. 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

“A new favorite. Great for sophisticated teens who want a book with more substance. Read more

The World Record Book of Racist Stories

By: Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Narrated by: Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Length: 4 hours 53 minutes

A new collection of hilarious, intergenerational anecdotes full of absurd detail about everyday experiences of racism from the New York Times bestselling authors of You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, comedian Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey.

Families may not always see eye to eye; we get on each other’s nerves, have different... Read more

The Fraud

A Novel

By: Zadie Smith
Narrated by: Zadie Smith
Length: 12 hours 24 minutes

“I am in awe of Smith's talent. This book will make you laugh, shock you, get your ire up, and inform you. Mrs. Touchet, whose voice is unique and unforgettable, is merely one of the complex characters Smith brings to life in this book. Zadie Smith is also incredible at narration! This audio book is the whole package. Read more

Day

A Novel

By: Michael Cunningham
Narrated by: Julianne Moore
Length: 6 hours 37 minutes

NATIONAL BESTELLER • An “exquisite” (The Boston Globe) exploration of love and loss, the struggles and limitations of family life—and how we all must learn to live together and apart—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Hours

“The only problem with Michael Cunningham’s prose is that it ruins you for mere mortals’ work. He is the most... Read more

The Identity Trap

A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time

By: Yascha Mounk
Narrated by: JD Jackson
Length: 11 hours 1 minute

Named a Best Book of the Year by The Economist, Financial Times, Inc., Prospect Magazine, and The Conversation

“The most comprehensive and reasonable story of this shift that has yet been attempted . . . Mounk has told the story of the Great Awokening better than any other writer who has attempted to make sense of it.” —The Washington Post

“An... Read more

Tom Lake

A Novel

By: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Meryl Streep
Length: 11 hours 22 minutes

“Once again, Patchett does her thing. Expertly read. Read more

How to Know a Person

The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen

By: David Brooks
Narrated by: David Brooks
Length: 7 hours 27 minutes

“Brooks went from zero to hero in my mind. His deep research and obvious self-reflection glows in this book. I not only have new terminology to grapple with people who don't listen, but also used his story telling inquiry for richer conversations with my family. Read more

King: A Life

By: Jonathan Eig
Narrated by: Dion Graham
Length: 20 hours 45 minutes

Winner of the 2024 Audie Award for Best Nonfiction Narrator!

This program is narrated by Dion Graham, narrator of over 300 audiobooks and an AudioFile Golden Voice. Dion has won multiple Earphones and Audie Awards.

"Dion Graham superbly narrates this riveting audiobook, emulating the majestic cadence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, speeches. He... Read more

House Gone Quiet

Stories

By: Kelsey Norris
Narrated by: James Fouhey, Jade Wheeler, Machelle Williams & Kimberly Woods
Length: 6 hours 17 minutes

Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence | Named a Best Book of 2023 by Library Journal and Debutiful

An eerie, irresistible debut story collection about the bonds and bounds of community and what it means to call a place home, “perfect for readers of Margaret Atwood and Carmen Maria Machado” (Booklist).

“A writer to watch if there ever... Read more

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

A Novel

By: Marisa Crane
Narrated by: Bailey Carr
Length: 8 hours 29 minutes

Dept. of Speculation meets Black Mirror in this lyrical, speculative debut about a queer mother raising her daughter in an unjust surveillance stateIn a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third,... Read more

Vampires of El Norte

By: Isabel Cañas
Narrated by: Jose Nateras & Krysta Gonzales
Length: 12 hours 1 minute

“Vampires of El Norte is a thrilling supernatural gothic Western set during the Mexican-American War that is a perfect follow-up to The Hacienda. It is just the perfect blend of adventure, horror, and romance to keep you turning the pages well after lights-out. Read more

Still Life: A GMA Book Club Pick

A Novel

By: Sarah Winman
Narrated by: Sarah Winman
Length: 14 hours 54 minutes

“I want to crawl inside this book and live there. I adored all of these strange, funny characters, (including the Shakespeare-quoting parrot) and the rich descriptions of Florence made me feel like I was right there in the piazza. Read more

Bookshops & Bonedust

Legends & Lattes

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

“Bookshops & Bonedust is centered around a bookstore, so obviously this bookseller loved the discussions about how to pick the right book for a customer. The author narrates the audiobook and he has excellent expression and vocal variety. Listening to this cozy fantasy novel made me happy. Read more