Left Bank's Favorite Audiobooks of 2018

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

Montague Siblings: Book #1

By: Mackenzi Lee
Narrated by: Christian Coulson
Length: 10 hours 47 minutes

“The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is told by Henry “Monty” Montague, a young lord from Britain who has more than a secret or two. Henry has been struggling with the fact that he is in love with his best friend, Percy, who has secrets of his own to hide. Together, along with Henry’s sister, Felicity, they start their grand tour of Europe... Read more

The Mother of Black Hollywood

A Memoir

By: Jenifer Lewis
Narrated by: Jenifer Lewis
Length: 10 hours 47 minutes

AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award Winner The "Mega Diva" and legendary star of Black-ish looks back on her memorable journey to fame and the unforgettable life lessons she learned along the way.Jenifer Lewis keeps it real in this provocative and touching memoir by a mid-western girl with a dream whose journey from poverty to Hollywood will... Read more

I'll Be Gone in the Dark

One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer

By: Michelle McNamara
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Gillian Flynn & Patton Oswalt
Length: 10 hours 7 minutes

“An overwhelmingly obsessed Michelle McNamara dissects the decades old trail of tragedy, trauma and ongoing taunts by the elusive East Area Rapist in her investigative crime thriller “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” published posthumously after her unexpected demise. Dubbed the “Golden State Killer” by McNamara herself, his crime spree started with 50... Read more

The Poet X

By: Elizabeth Acevedo
Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo
Length: 3 hours 30 minutes

“The Poet X is written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo. It is a novel made up of poems by a teenager, Xiomara Batista, growing up in Harlem. Acevedo's narration is wonderful and brings the story to life. Xiomara's dad is MIA even though he lives at home; her mother is extremely religious and pushes her faith onto her daughter; her twin brother... Read more

The Prey of Gods

By: Nicky Drayden
Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
Length: 12 hours 26 minutes

“If you think you know what you're getting into, you're wrong. Prey of Gods is where Afrofuturism, reality tv drama, queer coming age stories, & African folklore intersect. 1 of the top 3 most original & exciting things I've listened to this year. Read more

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl

A Memoir

By: Carrie Brownstein
Narrated by: Carrie Brownstein
Length: 7 hours 4 minutes

“For music lovers, for fans of Sleater-Kinney or Portlandia, or for anyone who loves a great memoir. Brownstein dives into childhood, rebellion, dating, touring, and much more. She has a way of getting to the raw, hidden truth of each of these, exposing her heart to the reader in a way that will expose some of your own hidden truths. Also,... Read more

On the Other Side of Freedom

The Case for Hope

By: DeRay Mckesson
Narrated by: DeRay Mckesson
Length: 3 hours 43 minutes

"On the Other Side of Freedom reveals the mind and motivations of a young man who has risen to the fore of millennial activism through study, discipline, and conviction. His belief in a world that can be made better, one act at a time, powers his narratives and opens up a view on the costs, consequences, and rewards of leading a... Read more

So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know

By: Retta
Narrated by: Retta
Length: 6 hours 55 minutes

“Parks and Recreation star Retta delves into her life as a comedian, family member, and ultimate fangirl, starting at how she missed the opportunity of a lifetime due to lack of confidence and ending at the drive-thru of KFC. We get all the important details of her infamous live-tweeting sessions, her classy/not so classy moments at award shows,... Read more

Children of Blood and Bone

Legacy of Orisha: Book #1

By: Tomi Adeyemi
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Length: 17 hours 44 minutes

“A sprawling fantasy teeming with deep and meaningful magic. One of the things I like most about this debut is that it raises very real and important issues of our time through multiple character's perspectives. No character is one-dimensional, and every character must learn from failure and introspection to become who they were meant to be. Read more

The Recovering

Intoxication and Its Aftermath

By: Leslie Jamison
Narrated by: Leslie Jamison
Length: 16 hours 6 minutes

“I've loved everything Leslie Jamison's written, but best of all so far is The Recovering, a memoir/history/criticism-hybrid that takes addiction and recovery as its subject. Every time I sat down with this book, I felt like I was in the company of my smartest friend, someone who knew all the right words for life's greatest pleasures and pains.... Read more

Red Clocks

A Novel

By: Leni Zumas
Narrated by: Karissa Vacker
Length: 9 hours 5 minutes

“Red Clocks by Leni Zumas is a dystopian novel that hits close to home. What if Roe v Wade was overturned and only married couples were allowed to adopt? This is the state of affairs when we are introduced to a cast of characters known only by their primary roles: The Biographer, The Mender, The Wife and The Daughter. Each of these women is... Read more

Calypso

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

“If there is a "King of Audiobooks", it has to be David Sedaris. The absolute best way to enjoy the writing of Sedaris is to hear him perform it. Not only is his voice rather odd, immediately putting you in a mood to giggle, but he is such an effortless performer it's impossible not to get caught up in his world. And what a world! In his latest,... Read more

Jade City

The Green Bone Saga: Book #1

By: Fonda Lee
Narrated by: Andrew Kishino
Length: 19 hours 6 minutes

“A slow burn with frequent bursts of action. For fans of mafia dramas and martial arts action. The Green Bone culture & mythology are unique & captivating. This book and its characters got better and better as the story progressed. Lee writes like a watchmaker, and this book ticks away like a finely-tuned machine. Read more

The Power

By: Naomi Alderman
Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
Length: 12 hours 5 minutes

In this stunning bestseller praised as "our era's Handmaid's Tale," a fierce new power has emerged—and only women have it (Washington Post). 

In The Power, the world is a recognizable place: there's a rich Nigerian boy who lounges around the family pool; a foster kid whose religious parents hide their true nature; an ambitious American... Read more

The Map of Salt and Stars

By: Zeyn Joukhadar
Narrated by: Lara Sawalha
Length: 12 hours 17 minutes

“Scheherazade's The Thousand and One Nights meets Alan Gratz's Refugee in this important debut novel. A 12th century fable about an apprentice mapmaker is interwoven with a modern-day Syrian refugee searching for home. The plot follows both girls through the Middle East, encountering tremendous dangers and immense kindness. A must-read for adults... Read more

Heavy

An American Memoir

By: Kiese Laymon
Narrated by: Kiese Laymon
Length: 6 hours 17 minutes

“"I wanted to write a lie," Kiese Laymon says in the opening pages of his brutal, beautiful memoir, Heavy. The book is written in the second person, addressed to his mother, with whom Laymon shares a turbulent, intimate relationship. She feeds his mind with books, but critiques the way Laymon feeds his body as he struggles with his weight. She is... Read more

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

Who Is Vera Kelly?

The Vera Kelly Series: Book #1

By: Rosalie Knecht
Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
Length: 6 hours 49 minutes

“This book gives an amazing new twist to spy fiction! Absolutely captivating and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Vera is such a unique character living so much of her life in secrecy. This book has been on so many anticipated lists, and now I see exactly why. Read more

Rosewater

The Wormwood Trilogy: Book #1

By: Tade Thompson
Narrated by: Bayo Gbadamosi
Length: 13 hours 37 minutes

“I'm recommended books everywhere I go and I spend my life in indie bookshops all over the world and this one had come up in various conversations. I didn't read the blurb so I was going in virtually blind. I'd classify this as a slow burner but when it gets going it REALLY gets going. The poetry was what hooked me at first. There are a couple of... Read more