Bookloft Top 10 of 2019

The Dutch House

A Novel

By: Ann Patchett
Narrated by: Tom Hanks
Length: 9 hours 52 minutes

“I love Ann Patchett. The Dutch House is the story of brother and sister Danny and Maeve and how after losing their mother and then their father, they are cast out of the only home they know. It is then that Danny and Maeve realize they only have each other to rely on. Their relationship is complex and intriguing. Danny and Maeve are each... 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

Educated

A Memoir

By: Tara Westover
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 12 hours 9 minutes

“Raised by Mormon fundamentalists, mistrustful of the medical community while having never stepped foot in a classroom setting, Tara Westover's memoir, "Educated" is excruciatingly painful at times. From witnessing devastating destruction deep in the woods of Idaho to enduring an abusive bi-polar brother to becoming ostracized by her survivalist... Read more

Becoming

By: Michelle Obama
Narrated by: Michelle Obama
Length: 19 hours 1 minute

“I adore our former president and I miss him. Yet I cannot help but be ecstatic that Michelle is coming out with a book about her own life so that I can learn more about this powerful, intelligent, and singularly awesome woman. Barack would be the first to say that his wife is a superstar, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Becoming to read... Read more

There There

A novel

By: Tommy Orange
Narrated by: Darrell Dennis, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Alma Cuervo & Kyla Garcia
Length: 7 hours 59 minutes

“A stunning debut novel by an original voice. Twelve characters of Native American descent, interrelated by birth or chance, struggle with the competing forces of cultural history and modern urban existence. Their stories build separately before colliding powerfully in the book’s final pages at The Big Oakland Powwow. I was riveted. Read more

Where the Crawdads Sing

By: Delia Owens
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 12 hours 11 minutes

“Everyone that Kya has ever known has abandoned her. From the time that she was a young child she is left behind. After the student truancy officers track her down and get her to school the children laugh at her so she retreats to the only place that she feels normal - the marshland of North Carolina. She perseveres when she has every strike... Read more

Circe

By: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
Length: 12 hours 8 minutes

“This remarkable journey into mythology brings the ancient gods directly and viscerally into the present. Circe is a perfect mashup of elegant language, glorious storytelling, and exquisitely modern sensibilities. Miller's telling left me awed and moved by Circe and her story, all while wishing I could invite her over for a glass of wine on the... Read more

The Overstory

By: Richard Powers
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
Length: 22 hours 58 minutes

“Do you love trees? Probably not as much as Richard Powers does! This books weaves together the converging stories of nine characters, but they really function as a means to probe the perspective of the trees themselves. With lyrical prose and amazing stories of naturalist history, this is an epic of environmental literature. Read more

Blowout

Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth

By: Rachel Maddow
Narrated by: Rachel Maddow
Length: 15 hours 32 minutes

2021 GRAMMY® Winner for Best Spoken Word Album

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Big Oil and Gas Versus Democracy—Winner Take All

“A rollickingly well-written book, filled with fascinating, exciting, and alarming stories about the impact of the oil and gas industry on the world today.”—The New York Times Book Review

In 2010, the words “earthquake... Read more

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

A Novel

By: Ocean Vuong
Narrated by: Ocean Vuong
Length: 7 hours 18 minutes

“A rare poignant visceral reading experience, tackling themes of war, immigration, identity, sexuality, violence, and carving out your place in the world. More poetic than narrative. Deeply Affecting! Absolutely Brilliant! Stunning! Read more