Our Top Twenty Titles You Should Read Right Now

Since we’re a little more than halfway through the year, now is a good time to check some MUST READS off your list! There’s still plenty of summer left to catch up, so dig into these titles. Every one of them has been on the New York Times Best Seller list with rave reviews!

The Guardians  


John Grisham is famous for his suspenseful legal thrillers… only this one takes a turn! The wrong man is arrested and incarcerated after the murder of a young lawyer. A small nonprofit that takes on innocence cases tries to help exonerate the accused man, but powerful, ruthless people try to stop those efforts. You’ll love this seriously satisfying story, as only the great John Grisham can tell it! Listen to The Guardians here!

The Giver of Stars


Set in Depression-Era America, author Jojo Moyes tells the breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond. This team of women set out to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelts new traveling library. It explores women’s friendships, true love and personal strength. Based on a true story, The Giver of Stars is compelling and a beautiful, epic tale that is funny, heartbreaking, and richly rewarding.  Start enjoying this wonderful story here!

Talking to Strangers


Malcom Gladwell is a gifted, intelligent writer who explores how we interact with people we don’t know… and why it often goes wrong. Gladwell argues that something is very wrong with the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people we don’t know. And because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we invite conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world. The audiobook edition of Talking to Strangers was an instant number-one best seller… you’ll hear the voices of the people he interviews, which really bring the stories to life. Start listening here!

 A Very Stable Genius


As one review stated: “This taut and terrifying book is among the most closely observed accounts of Donald J. Trump’s shambolic tenure in office to date.”  Written by Pulitzer prize winners Phillip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, A Very Stable Genius offers an insider narrative of the Trump presidency. The authors have deep and unmatched sources throughout Washington. From scores of interviews with some of the most senior members of this administration, the 45th president is revealed up close. It’s one of the most effective, well-researched books on Trump to date… and a must read. Start enjoying it here!

Becoming


A touching memoir by former first lady Michelle Obama, Becoming was a not only a New York Times bestseller, it also won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album.  This is a deeply personal account from a woman who consistently defied expectations and shares the experiences that shaped her… from her childhood in the south side of Chicago, to balancing the demands of work and motherhood.  Obama writes with wit and honesty… and the result is inspiring, eloquent, and hopeful. Download Becoming here!

Where the Crawdads Sing


In this heart breaking, coming-of-age story, author Delia Owens takes us to a quiet town in North Carolina where a handsome young man is found dead… and the town immediately suspects local “Marsh Girl” Kya Clark. Kya, a young girl who was abandoned by her family at a very young age, literally had to raise herself. The author offers insightful observations on society, relationships, love, prejudice, racism and sexism, intermingled with a fast paced and gripping story.  … We think you’re going to love it.  Download it here!

Golden in Death 


This is a real thriller! Homicide detective Eve Dallas is called to the murder scene of pediatrician Dr. Kent Abner. Suddenly Eve realizes that he died from a toxin released from a gift he received, a cheap trinket in the form of a golden egg. Once the hazmat team has cleared them, Dallas and her team get to work to track down the origin and why a revered doctor and family man was so viciously targeted. J.D. Robb keeps you guessing in this riveting story, the 50th book in his immensely popular series. Get it here!

American Dirt  


Stephen King called it “Extraordinary”.  You will, too!  This heart-stopping story of survival, danger, and love centers around Lydia, who runs a bookstore in Acapulco. Her son, Luca, is the love of her life, and her husband is a talented journalist. One day a charming man named Javier enters the shop and finds a few books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the head of the new drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When a tell-all profile of Javier is published by Lydia’s husband, none of their lives will ever be the same. Author Jeanine Cummins will have your heart racing in fear!  Download this gripping tale here! 

Open Book


Jessica Simpson is America’s Sweetheart, preacher’s daughter, pop phenomenon, and a reality TV pioneer. In her down-to-earth memoir, the billion-dollar fashion mogul takes you on a remarkable journey as she examines her life that has been blessed with a compassion to help others but also burdened her with an almost crippling need to please. In Open Book, Jessica Simpson uses her voice, heart, soul, and humor to share things she’s never shared before. We think you’ll find it inspiring and entertaining!  Hear Jessica’s amazing story here.

Untamed


Best-selling author, activist, and speaker Glennon Doyle has written a memoir that offers a piercing examination of the restrictive expectation’s women are issued from birth. Doyle shows how hustling to meet those expectations leaves women feeling dissatisfied and lost. It’s the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts. Untamed is emotionally, spiritually, and physically liberating… and a galvanizing wake-up call. Start listening here!

The Splendid and the Vile


In The Splendid and The Vile, Erik Larson has written a captivating non-fiction book about Winston Churchill that reads like fiction! This is fascinating look at Churchill’s great leadership and his eccentric family during the terrible months starting in May 1940 when German bombs fell. His storytelling takes us out of the political dysfunction we’re currently experiencing and gives us a positive portrayal of a significant historical time. It’s a gripping, powerful, and exciting account… download it and start listening now!

Little Fires Everywhere


This is a collection of four stories written by the master storyteller himself!  Stephen King introduces the characters in each of these novellas vividly, and each story is uniquely satisfying, pulling you into frightening and intriguing places. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of ChuckRat, and the title story If It Bleeds, vary in tone and structure, and each provides the gripping, exciting tale of darkness King is so famous for. You’ll not be disappointed… start listening now!

If It Bleeds


This is a collection of four stories written by the master storyteller himself!  Stephen King introduces the characters in each of these novellas vividly, and each story is uniquely satisfying, pulling you into frightening and intriguing places. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of ChuckRat, and the title story If It Bleeds, vary in tone and structure, and each provides the gripping, exciting tale of darkness King is so famous for. You’ll not be disappointed… start listening now!

Fortitude


In this tough-love leadership book from a Navy SEAL and rising star in Republican politics, Dan Crenshaw has written a no-nonsense advice book for a society desperately in need of tough love. With meditations on perseverance, failure, and finding much-needed heroes, Fortitude is the antidote for a prevailing “safety culture” of trigger warnings and safe spaces. Interspersed with lessons and advice, Crenshaw navigated his obstacles with a sense of humor and an even greater sense that, no matter what anyone else around us says or does, we are in control of our own destiny.  Download his inspiring book now!

More Myself


Alicia Keys is one of the most celebrated musicians in the world,  yet she has dealt with her share of heartache – the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection. In this part autobiography, part narrative documentary, Alicia candidly recounts behind-the-scenes stories of her life that will inspire you and possibly bring tears to your eyes. Download More Myself here.

Camino Winds


Who doesn’t need a little escapism right now?  If you’re a John Grisham fan, you’ll love to escape with Camino Winds. Published in April 2020, the story finds an assortment of mystery and crime authors who have gathered at a bookstore on a Florida island. Some of them felons themselves, they discover one of their colleagues has been murdered during the fury of a massive hurricane—the perfect crime scene. Since officials are preoccupied with the aftermath of the storm, the authors set out to solve the mystery themselves. It’s a cat-and-mouse story that you’ll find hard to put down… Get Camino Winds here!

Educated


This book has won so many awards, we can’t list them all here! This is an incredible memoir by Tara Westover, who was born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho.  She was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom because her family was so isolated, no one ensured she and her siblings received an education. When one of her brothers got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University.  It’s a beautiful, amazing story about the struggle for self-invention, family loyalty, the grief of severing close ties, and the power of education.  Download it here! 

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism


This bestseller provides a methodical way to have the difficult conversations about race we need to have. Author Robin DiAngelo explores the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged. By examining perspectives of people of color, DiAngelo explains why white people tend to be come upset when challenged on their racial views… hence her term ‘White Fragility’.  She examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively. Readers have found this book to be honest, insightful, invaluable, and a “stirring call to consciousness”.  Start listening here!

How To Be An Antiracist


Some say racism is all about ignorance and hatred. But in this compelling book by Ibram X. Kendi, he explains that racism is actually structural. Kendi uses history, science, and ethics to describe different forms of racism, and shares experiences and events in his own life that personalize his views. This book, a New York Times bestseller, has been described as boldly articulate, sincere, and polished. How To Be An Antiracist offers an approach to understanding and uprooting racism and inequality in society… and in ourselves.  Enjoy it now!

The Room Where It Happened


This highly anticipated book by John Bolton chronicles his time in the White House as Donald Trumps’ national security advisor. Bolton provides a comprehensive and weighty account of the administration, showing a president addicted to chaos, who embraced America’s enemies and spurned our friends, who was mainly concerned with getting re-elected above all else.  Bolton brings a first-hand knowledge of events, and no matter if you like him or hate him, his revelations of his 453 days in the White House are compelling.  Download it here!

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