Allison's Staff Picks

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

“A must-read for everyone in the physical and environmental sciences, and a highly-encouraged read for everyone else. This book is a reminder to act small but dream big, to give more than you take, and to choose hope over cynicism. 'For what good is knowing unless it is coupled with caring? Science can give us knowing, but caring comes from... Read more

The Two Doctors Górski

By: Isaac R. Fellman
Narrated by: Helen Laser
Length: 3 hours 41 minutes

“Frankenstein or Jekyll and Hyde, but even darker? Every chapter was a different emotional vibe, but there were magical academia vibes throughout. The emotions are dark but complex- sad, psychotic, judgmental, annoying, desperate, numb. It’s a super interesting, super well-written book, but you have to be in the mood. If you’ve ever worked in... Read more

Falling Back in Love with Being Human

Letters to Lost Souls

By: Kai Cheng Thom
Narrated by: Kai Cheng Thom
Length: 1 hour 34 minutes

“In this highly recommendable collection of poetic letters full of love, pain, sadness, anger, hope and forgiveness, Kai Cheng Tom speaks to her trans* feminine sisters, but also people who have hurt her or have been hostile towards her and others. Read more

All Systems Red

Murderbot Diaries: Book #1

By: Martha Wells
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
Length: 3 hours 17 minutes

“Fabulous character dealing with identity, choices, and autonomy. Sci-fi at its best. Read more

Tomorrow Will Be Different

Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality

By: Sarah McBride
Narrated by: Sarah McBride
Length: 9 hours 18 minutes

“Ooooof this one hurt. This was a hope sandwich. It started with hope and ended with hope, and in the middle was UTTER DEVASTATION. I ugly sobbed and hugged my partner and there was snot everywhere and it was a whole thing. The parts about Trump triumphing over Hillary felt even more prevalent since this past election. It’s a great memoir, but... Read more

The Message

By: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Narrated by: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Length: 5 hours 20 minutes

“An unflinching and deeply personal musing on what nonfiction writing (particularly long-form journalism) can accomplish. What frames do we take with us as we travel in search of truth? How is the past reframed in the service of myth-making? How can it be understood in a fuller way? This book is worth reading for the Israel/Palestine chapter... Read more

One Last Stop

By: Casey McQuiston
Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
Length: 12 hours 10 minutes

“What a magical and creative tale, an addictive read that I did not want to put down. A fun and diverse cast of characters took this story to the next level. With such wide appeal, I know I will be able to put One Last Stop into the hands of almost any customer this summer. Read more

A Canticle for Leibowitz

By: Walter M. Miller Jr.
Narrated by: Tom Weiner
Length: 10 hours 56 minutes

“A post-apocalyptic story about progress, regression, violence, ignorance, and the cycles that humanity seems doomed to repeat. After a worldwide catastrophe, a group of monks collects and preserves scientific relics and writings in a quest to rediscover lost, but fundamental scientific theories. The century-spanning story that follows looks at... Read more

The Poet X

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

“Getting to listen to the author herself read her poetry, which are clearly a testament to the spoken word and the art of slam, is absolutely the best way to devour this novel-in-verse. Acevedo puts everything into her words, and no one else could do them justice the way she does herself. Despite possible age/cultural/religious differences, any... Read more

Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party

How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World

By: Edward Dolnick
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 8 hours 50 minutes

“An absolute fever dream of a book, truly brings into perspective, how lucky the human race is to still be an existence, given the tendencies of the Victorian people. Also dinosaurs, enough said. Read more

Hope for Cynics

The Surprising Science of Human Goodness

By: Jamil Zaki
Narrated by: Jamil Zaki
Length: 7 hours 52 minutes

“For anyone feeling let down by the state of things and in need of a little reassurance about your fellow humans, this read is for you! Learn about hopeful skepticism and build the world you truly want to see. Read more

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love

Love's Academic: Book #1

By: India Holton
Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
Length: 10 hours 19 minutes

“Who knew ornithologists could be so ruthless? This story is quite the adventure of ridiculousness all in the name of ornithology and to some press agent's hope, love. What could possibly make the career and education of ornithology more interesting than a contest to find a rare bird, a love story that just "happens" along the way, and dastardly... Read more

Peace Like a River

By: Leif Enger
Narrated by: Chad Lowe
Length: 11 hours 35 minutes

“An asthmatic eleven-year-old, his younger sister who writes epic Western poetry, and their miraculous father go in search of their outlaw brother, who's hiding out in the Dakota Badlands of the 1960s. A touching father/son story with a sprinkle of a coming-of-age story. It gives This is Us vibes. Read more

A Merry Little Meet Cute

A Novel

A Christmas Notch: Book #1

By: Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
Narrated by: Joy Nash & Sebastian York
Length: 11 hours 5 minutes

“What if a porn star was accidentally cast in a "Hallmark" holiday movie? This question forms the basis of the world created by this writing duo's 3-novel, 2-novella series (this is the first one!). Starring former good-girl celebrities, adult actresses, washed-up boy band members, and a whole cast of other fantastic characters, this sweet and... 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

The Backyard Bird Chronicles

By: Amy Tan
Narrated by: Amy Tan & Evan Sibley
Length: 6 hours 28 minutes

“As a bookseller, I often have customers ask me for something soothing - a calm book they can put on before bed or when they're trying to relax. This fits into that category perfectly. Amy lends her novelist eye to documenting her backyard bird dramas in this intimate, journal-like book. Great for anybody that is into nature, birds, art, etc.... Read more

The Age of Magical Overthinking

Notes on Modern Irrationality

By: Amanda Montell
Narrated by: Amanda Montell
Length: 6 hours 5 minutes

“Exploring our current culture of overthinking and the language surrounding it, these essays are fascinating and enlightening. Peppered with anecdotes and self-evaluation, this is the book Montell was meant to write. Read more