Loyalty Staff's 2021 Faves!

Act Your Age, Eve Brown

“I've never met a Talia Hibbert book I haven't absolutely loved and Act Your Age, Eve Brown is no different. Hibbert is a master at her craft, flawlessly weaving humor with romance that's perfectly matched by Ione Butler's performance as she brings the characters to life. If you're looking for a romance to listen to that will make you laugh the whole way through, look no further.”

Dany, Rediscovered Books

The Ex Hex

“The Ex Hex is a laugh-out-loud rom-com. But remember vodka and magic don’t mix.”

Kimm, Gilbert and Ivy

Amari and the Night Brothers

“Amari and the Night Brothers is a contemporary children's Sci-Fi/Fantasy in the vein of Men in Black and Supernatural. Monsters, magic, and supernatural beings living amongst us, but not everyone can see them (or even knows that they are there). Amari (and her missing older brother Quinton) can and have to balance living in the modern world and the one full of supernatural beings (and unsavory events). Fast paced, relatable, and a fun listen!”

Rebecca, Rediscovered Books

Black Buck

“Perhaps I have a different perspective on this book because I have a younger brother who is a Black, 20-something man in sales, but this book presents an evocative, honest, complex portrait of being a BIPOC person in a white-dominant workplace (albeit one that is high-powered, sales-driven, and New York City-based). This is a book that allows a reader to be seen if this is their experience, but also for a reader to learn about a different reality if this is not their own. Black Buck is a tightly woven, contemporary debut from an author to watch.”

BrocheAroe Fabian, River Dog Book Co.

Such a Fun Age

“A racial comedy of manners for the digital age, Such a Fun Age is a hilarious and cringe-inducing look at white people trying to do the right thing: badly, and for all the wrong reasons. Nicole Lewis's reading is a dazzling feat: expertly code-switching between the voice Emira uses with her friends, to the voice she uses with her boss, Alix, to the voice her boss's suburban black friend, Tamara, uses with Alix, to the voice Tamara uses with Emira. I don't think I would have enjoyed this book half as much without this effortlessly nuanced narration.”

Rachel, The Book Table

The Prophets

“This was quite the stunning debut - I loved the meta quality of the narration and the overall lyrical writing style. A powerful and commanding story! ”

Lauren, Curious Iguana

What is a Victorian lady's formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humor and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry--it's elemental.

Lady Violet is keeping secrets. First, she founded a clandestine sanctuary for... Read more »

Northern Spy

“This emotionally rich espionage story set in present-day Ireland looks at a country divided, the invisibility of motherhood, and the bonds of family that can supersede all else. It is the story of two sisters, one a paramedic and one a BBC news service employee. When one sister is apparently part of an IRA attack, the other refuses to believe it and sets out to prove her sister’s innocence. I read this in one sitting — compelling is not a strong enough adjective for this thrilling novel!”

Mary Lee Delafield, Warwick's

Harlem Shuffle

“A wonderful evocation of a time and place, which is not to say it doesn't have the tension of a crime thriller. It's fun to ride along with Ray, who may be more than a little bent, but will likely become your favorite furniture salesman, nevertheless.”

Robin, Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West

Velvet Was the Night

“A slow-moving crime noir set against the political backdrop of 1970’s Mexico City. The lives of a secretary and a hit man converge when an art student goes missing. Gisela Chipe did an excellent job maintaining the atmosphere throughout the narration. Utterly intriguing and cinematic.”

Sofie, Phoenix Books

"Narrator Jeanette Illidge delivers a resonating performance of this YA fantasy...this immersive story is hard to pause." - AudioFile Magazine

Westworld meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this stunning fantasy adventure from debut author Charlotte Nicole Davis.

Aster, the protector
Violet, the favorite
Tansy, the medic
Mallow, the fighter
Clementine, the...

"This audiobook is essential listening. Narrators Therese Plummer and Emily Shaffer shine as Lo and Bea Denham, two teenage sisters whose lives are upended when their parents are killed in a car accident." -- AudioFile Magazine

From Courtney Summers, the New York Times bestselling author of the 2019 Edgar Award Winner and breakout hit Sadie,...

If you enjoyed There There, then you’ll love Firekeeper's Daughter.

“Firekeeper's Daughter is a wonder! We so rarely hear YA through an Indigenous people's voice and this book does it so very well. Main character Daunis Lorenzo Fontaine lives a fine line between her white French Canadian mother and her Ojibwe father in a complicated family dynamic. She is smart, hockey talented, driven, and tenacious as she navigates the murder of her best friend Lily, rampant drug culture, and the journey to find herself. Angeline Boulley seamlessly incorporates the Ojbiwe language and lifeways that both inform and educate the reader in this amazing story that will stay with me long after I have moved onto other books. A MUST-read (or listen)!”

Rebecca, Rediscovered Books

"Ashley C. Ford brings listeners into her life in this outstanding coming-of-age story...Listeners will cheer as Ford attends college and weep as she visits her father in prison, and when he is finally released." -- AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner

This program is read by the author, and includes a bonus conversation between the author...

My Monticello

“A dynamic, and timely, debut by a new voice in fiction, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson. This collection is comprised of five short stories and one novella all set in the state of Virginia. As you read these stories, you will experience, and feel, the gamut of human emotion as the voices and themes in each are different. The author explores race, identity, and an imagining of the future in the novella "My Monticello". Thought-provoking.”

Melanie, Bookstore1Sarasota

Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly... Read more »

Long Way Down

“One of the best parts of listening to this audiobook was getting to hear Jason Reynolds breathe further life into the heartbreaking words he wrote. I don't doubt the emotion would have been evident in the text, but as he said in the interview at the end of the audio, only he knew the right beats in order to make sure his message wasn't lost. I highly recommend listening if you get a chance. ”

Dany, Rediscovered Books

How the Word Is Passed

“Smith has crafted a resource, narrative and detailed explanation into how we teach the legacy of slavery. He recounts visits from everywhere from NYC to the Whitney Plantation, integrating stories of people and visitors today. This book is lays a beautiful written foundation for interrogating the history we've been taught. Particularly phenomenal as an audiobook, Smith's skills as a poet and writer shine bright!”

Eliza, Wellesley Books

“Hear the dark liquor of her laughter rippling behind her sentences” in this magnetic memoir as it explores a journalist’s obsession with pop culture and the difficulty of navigating relationships as a Black woman through fanfiction, feminism, and Southern mores (Saeed Jones). 

A Roxane Gay Audacious Bookclub November Pick
Named "Most Anticipated... Read more »

Heart Principle, The

“Anna, an autistic violinist whose perfectionism is keeping her from making music, decides to seek out a one-night stand after her longtime boyfriend calls for an open relationship. Quan is a motorcycle-riding cancer survivor looking to make his post-surgery sexual debut no-strings-attached. Things don’t go as planned, but Anna and Quan keep meeting up, falling further for each other with each passing day. Just as things start heating up, Anna is pulled into a family crisis that she knows she can’t handle. Helen Hoang expertly explores neurodiversity, difficult family relationships, and impossible decisions with a super sexy love story that tenderly handles sexual hangups and insecurities. I loved every minute and can’t wait to read more!”

Mary, Raven Book Store