Top 20 Bookseller-Recommended Audiobooks of All Time

“This “not history, history book” is a remix of Ibram X. Kendi’s adult book, Stamped From the Beginning. In Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, Jason Reynolds tells the narrative of racism throughout time with a young adult audience in mind. From the first racist, to slavery, to modern politics, Reynolds revelations surrounding the history of racism and our current struggles with racism are eye-opening and important. Ultimately, he asks each of us if we’re choosing to be a segregationist, an assimilationist, or an anti-racist. A must-read for both young adults and adults.”

“What an amazingly fun book to listen to. I loved El and her snarky attitude. I loved that she had all this power but refused to give in to the dark side to use it. I loved the world building, both the specific details of the school and the mals that haunted it, and the glimpse of the larger world where magic users have to band together to survive. Anisha Dadia does such a fantastic job narrating I couldn’t wait to plug back in.”

“This book was meant to be heard! Wilson creates a narrative in a world so sarcastic and colorful that I would taste cherry cool-aid long after I stopped reading. Flash to me doubled over in my car laughing or sobbing or both at the same time. I actually started to look forward to my hour-long commute every morning just so I could spend time with these characters... I also might have adopted a sassy southern accent for a good twenty minutes post-listening. I adore this book with all my heart.”

“If what you loved about "Northanger Abbey" was its sly twist on the gothic romance, you're going to love this new setting for an old gem. Set in 1950's Mexico, it follows a capable but callous young woman who agrees to check on a cousin in exchange for tuition for a master's degree, then begins to discover what inspired the cousin's apparent descent into madness. A wealthy and controlling old man, a manipulative new husband? Yes... and also something very unpleasant to do with mushrooms. Think "The Girl With All the Gifts" meets "Stranger Things", with a clever surprise of a romance--not a Sleeping Beauty story--it's Beauty and the Beast, and the Beast is not whom you'd expect!”

“Beautiful novel in verse about loss and grief, told from perspective of two half sisters who learn of each other upon their father's death. Excellent on audio! ”

“Lawson speaks to all of us who are weird, wacky, and unafraid (but, really, often afraid) to share our quirks with the world. Some chapters of this book moved me deeply, where it felt as though she was narrating my own life. Other chapters made me ugly laugh, the type that turns strangers’ heads in public. I’m so happy I was given the opportunity to start 2021 with this book. It set the bar high for hope in the year to come, and for the books that will be read.”

“Even if you've already Ann Patchett's masterful new novel, don't overlook the audio version! Knowing the story and hearing Tom Hanks as Danny are unique experiences -- in fact, listeners can savor Hanks' insightful depiction of the narrator even better knowing the plot. Patchett's work and Hanks' interpretation are a perfect match!”

“Made the mistake of listening to this book before going to sleep and subsequently spent an hour after turning off my phone staring at the shadows at the corners of my room as they morphed into bigfoot. Hauntingly written and beautifully performed.”

“Oh man, what a ride! I guess I’m the right demographic for this book: I love rock and I grew up in the ’70s, so I wanted to like it...instead, I loved it! Yes, it’s sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll, but it’s also got wonderfully complex characters that I cared about even if I didn’t like how they acted. It’s a peek into the formation of a band, how the music is made, the struggles of addiction and clashing personalities, and, ultimately, love. The story is compiled of pieces of interviews with the band and those connected to them—a very effective technique that made the novel’s pages turn even faster. Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & the Six is one of my favorite books of 2019 so far!”

“If you ever found yourself wondering 'where are the women?' in the mythos and antiquity you've been presented, A Thousand Ships is for you. In fact, it's undeniably important for ALL who study Greek history and myth from the single lens we're often given. Impeccably researched, Haynes gives the women of the Trojan War back their agency and their voices in a series of interconnected stories that are near impossible to put down. Calliope's interludes are especially perfect, each of her chapters a necessary perspective that lends more to the original than one might ever imagine.”

“This well-written memoir moved me deeply. The author not only relates the hardships which she endured but also exposes her own character flaws which made her incredible journey even more amazing. The audiobook version which I downloaded from Libro.fm is narrated by Julia Whelan who also narrated "Far from the Tree" (which I loved) and over 100 more audiobooks available at Libro.fm.”

“One Two Three is the story of a town destroyed by the pollution of the town’s river by a chemical plant. A plant that still has not admitted or taken responsibility for the deaths, cancers and birth defects that are higher in Bourne than anywhere else in the country. One would think this would be a very depressing read but Laurie Frankel has written a story that is funny, quirky, totally original and extremely compelling. The main characters are Nora, whose husband worked at the plant and died of cancer, and her now 16-year-old triplets Mab, Monday and Mirabel. Frankel’s portrayal of these characters is what made this book one of the best books I have read. I was amazed at how she was able to turn what should be a total downer into a sweet, funny and charming story about sisters and family and determination. The voices of the triplets, which were absolutely perfect, and their story will stay with me for a long, long time.”

“The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett definitely lives up to the glowing reviews it has been receiving. The story reveals an interesting perspective on this history of race in the United States, while also telling a universal story of difficult decisions that change the course of life forever. Bennett doesn't offer pretty bows to tie up her narrative, but a realistic portrait of what we will sacrifice on behalf of our futures.”

“An incredibly unique story, Luster inserts the reader into the head of the novel's protagonist, a young Black woman having an affair with an older white man in an open marriage. Things get complicated when she sneaks into her lover's house and is caught by the wife who then invites her to stay for their anniversary party. Luster is a brilliant mash-up (kind of) of Such a Fun Age and The Roxy Letters, but with added layers. Raven Leilani's writing is going to stick with me for a long time!”

“A bold retelling of the Circe episode from Homer's Odyssey that not only captures the interlocking pieces of Greek mythology, but also gives each god, titan, and Grecian a pulsing complexity. Both Circe the book and the character are quiet, sensual and--at times--freewheeling, adventurous, and devastating. Perdita Week's performance here is multi-layered and captivating. The voices she chooses to portray each character captures the unfolding drama and humor beautify.”

“Brilliant and brave, Carmen Maria Machado's memoir does not shy away from pain, but examines it with a scientist's precision and a poet's imagination. Machado examines how relationships can become toxic from personal understanding. This book reads like a collection of cohesive essays where each chapter is a new lens. This book will change your understanding of memoir. Read by the author, which is especially special and important for this book.”

“I can’t help but laugh as I recollect this novel. Darkly funny and richly suspenseful, it follows a white family and a Black couple in a remote New York house as a series of unfathomable events occur around them. Alam comments on our modern obsession with information, as we compulsively scroll our feeds and pat our pockets in panic to ensure our phones’ presence. Without information, are humans really capable of anything? This book is a study of privileged people, what they do when they must prove their capabilities, what they do when they are frightened. Leave the World Behind is superb—its unanswered questions perfect for book discussions.”

“Le swoon. I feel so healed. This book is pure and wonderful and and hilarious and utterly charming. Talia Hibbert has made a fake-dating trope convert out of me - her execution was just that perfect. Dani Brown is the career-focused nerd so many women have been told not to be and I felt so seen in her struggles to balance her needs in a relationship. Zafir Ansari is one of the kindest souls and his mental health and grief struggles were all too relatable. Add a dash of smash the patriarchy, all the sarcasm, and a hint of steam and I do believe you have a perfect concoction to escape the 2020 madness.”

“Although you can read Jacqueline Woodson’s newest novel over the course of one evening, there is nothing breezy about the richness of its story, nothing short about the depth of its characters, nothing quick about the way this book stays with you after you finish reading. Told through five distinct voices, Red at the Bone tracks an African-American family through time and place as an unexpected pregnancy upends and reshapes family and class expectations as well as individual trajectories. Ultimately, the novel is about legacy in every sense of the word. And since Woodson’s writing packs the emotional punch of an epic in a novella number of pages, the legacy of her book is to be read over and over and over again.”

“Tracy Deonn expertly takes Arthurian myth and weaves them into the modern day in Legendborn with magic, secret societies, and high stakes action. Whether you are familiar with those myths or not doesn't even matter. Either way you'll quickly be captivated by her writing, world building, and compelling characters - all paired with an excellent narrator. But this isn't just an addictingly good fantasy. It's also a commentary on the systemic racism in this country, and how colonial practices directly influence oppression faced by Black people in the United States today. The end result is a must listen that will leave you hungry for the story to continue and rooting for Bree to come out on top. ”