April 2026: Listen & Learn
April's Year in Reading challenge is a bit different. Audiobooks! (Or books that read like podcasts!)
We've still got quite a collection on CD, perfect for getting chores done around the house. Be sure to check out our digital audiobook catalog on the Libby app as well.
Is this a cry for help?
Author(s):
Austin, Emily (Emily R.)
Naudus, Natalie,
Description:
Darcy's life turned out better than she could have ever imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife Joy runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake. But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Aus
The house of my mother : a daughter's quest for freedom
Author(s):
Description:
From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
364.15554 Fra
The shadow
Author(s):
Patterson, James, 1947-
Sitts, Brian,
Description:
Only two people know Lamont Cranston's secret identity as the Shadow, a vigilante of justice: his greatest love, Margo Lane, and his fiercest enemy, Shiwan Khan. Then Khan ambushes the couple, who find the slimmest chance of survival. . . in the uncertain future.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Pat
Eleventh hour
Author(s):
Description:
When Odyssey High's resident mean girl, Valerie Swanson, offers Jules Kendall a chance to get even with a musical rival, Jules reluctantly agrees. She knows Valerie is trouble--but she's desperate enough to take the risk. As Jules resorts to bigger and bolder lies to cover her tracks, she begins to wonder: Has her ambition finally gone too far? And is it too late to turn back? Meanwhile, Mr. Whittaker sends Morrie and Suzu Rydell on a secret mission--one designed to teach valuable lessons. But the siblings have secrets of their own. And over at Whit's End, Renee Carter wrestles with one of life's oldest and hardest questions: Why would a good God allow bad things to happen? The clock ticks toward midnight as the folks in Odyssey face the monumental decisions and consequences of the Eleventh Hour.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
J 791.44 Ele
The girl from Devil's Lake
Author(s):
Jance, Judith A.
Huber, Hillary,
Description:
Sheriff Joanna Brady's holiday is interrupted when a body is found in the Arizona desert. She soon sees that this murder is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. She uncovers unlikely connections between cases of mysterious deaths and missing persons, having long since gone cold, from as far away as Devil's Lake, North Dakota. Now she must chase down every dangerous lead.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Jan
Ghosts of Hiroshima
Author(s):
Pellegrino, Charles R.
Sheen, Martin,
Description:
No one recognized the flashes of bright light that filled the sky. The blast wave that followed seemed to strike with no sound at all. In that silence came the dawn of atomic death for two hundred thousand souls in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Based on years of forensic archaeology combined with interviews of more than two hundred survivors and their families, this is a immediate account of ordinary human beings thrust into extraordinary events, during which our modern civilization entered a nuclear adolescence.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
940.54252 Pel
Welcome to Night Vale : a novel
Author(s):
Fink, Joseph (Fiction writer)
Bittner, Dan,
Description:
Handed a message by a mysterious man, a young pawn shop owner embarks on a psychologically dangerous mystery that entangles her in the life of the local PTA treasurer, who helplessly watches her son's growing obsession with his absent father.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Fin
Positive obsession : the life and times of Octavia E. Butler
Author(s):
Morris, Susana M., 1980-
Murray, Karen,
Description:
Octavia E. Butler was a trailblazer as the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction. This book places her amidst the cultural, social, and historical moments that impacted her personally and intellectually, and shaped the ideas central to her writing: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women's liberation, queer rights, and Reaganomics.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
B But
A wolf called Fire
Author(s):
Parry, Rosanne
Heyborne, Kirby,
Description:
Warm is the smallest wolf pup, the one his father calls the heart of the pack. But all he sees are his bigger brothers and sisters winning the wrestling matches. When enemy wolves scatter the pack, Warm leads the pups to safety and must defend and feed them on his own. This book is inspired by Wolf 8, a real Yellowstone wolf, smallest of his pack, who became its patriarch.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
J FIC Par
Cabinet of curiosities : a historical tour of the unbelievable, the unsettling, and the bizarre
Author(s):
Mahnke, Aaron
Marks, Harry C.,
Description:
"The new book based on the long-running hit podcast by Aaron Mahnke, which has translated into over 120-million downloads to date, and a monthly average of over 2 million listeners. The podcast, Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities, has delighted millions of listeners for years with tales of the wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history. Now, in Cabinet of Curiosities the book, learn the fascinating story of the invention of the croissant in a country that was not France, and relive the adventures of a dog that stowed away and went to war, only to help capture a German spy. Along the way, readers will pass through the American state of Franklin, watch Abraham Lincoln's son be rescued by his assassin's brother, and learn how too many crash landings inspired one pilot to leave the airline industry and trek for the stars. For the first time ever, Aaron has gathered scores of his favorites in print, and curated them into a beautiful, topical collection for devoted followers and new fans alike"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
030 Mah
Meditations for Black women : 75 mindful reflections to help you stay grounded & find inner peace
Author(s):
Description:
A collection of 75 mindful reflections tailored uniquely to the experiences of Black women. These reflections are designed to inspire, support, and ground Black women, helping them navigate their unique everyday challenges. Each meditation is accompanied by a powerful quote from an influential Black woman, adding an extra layer of inspiration and contemplation.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
305.48896 Ade
Fourth wing
Author(s):
Yarros, Rebecca
Hamilton, Teddy,
Description:
As war grows more deadly, Violet Sorrengail joins the elite Navarre: the dragon riders. But she'll need to keep her wits because once you enter the Basgiath War College, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Yar
Sunrise on the reaping
Author(s):
Collins, Suzanne
White, Jefferson
Description:
When Haymitch Abernathy's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's shuttled to the Capitol with the three other tributes: a friend who's nearly a sister to him, an oddsmaker, and a stuck-up girl. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight, and have that fight reverberate far beyond the arena.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
YA FIC Col
Children of blood and bone
Author(s):
Description:
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
YA FIC Ade
Stuff they don't want you to know
Author(s):
Description:
Ben Bowlin, Matthew Frederick, and Noel Brown discern conspiracy fact from fiction regarding "stuff" the government doesn't want you to know. Conspiracies didn't always seem so clear and present. It used to be that people with tin-foil hats who were convinced of secret messages coming through the radio were easily disregarded as kooks and looney tunes. But these days, conspiracies feel alive and well. From internet rumors to lying politicians to the tinderbox that is social media, it's become clear that a vast swath of people believe really bonkers things. Ben, Matt, and Noel break down the wildest conspiracy theories: from chemtrails and biological testing to the secrets of lobbying and why the Kennedy assassination is of perennial interest. Written in smart, witty, and conversational style, this book is vital in helping to understand the unexplainable and use truth as a powerful weapon against ignorance, misinformation, and lies.--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
001.98 Bow
The elders' quest
Author(s):
Hunter, Erin
Rich, Katie Anvil,
Description:
In ShadowClan, Tawnypelt senses peril as construction threatens the Moonpool, but she can't get any cat, especially her son, TigerStar, to listen. Frustrated with the younger cats who don't respect her, she decides to take matters into her own paws.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
J FIC Hun
Before she disappeared : a novel
Author(s):
Gardner, Lisa
Huber, Hillary,
Description:
Frankie Elkin is an average middle-aged woman, a recovering alcoholic with more regrets than belongings. But she spends her life doing what no one else will, searching for missing people the world has stopped looking for. When the police have given up, when the public no longer remembers, when the media has never paid attention, Frankie starts looking. A new case brings her to Mattapan, a Boston neighborhood with a rough reputation. She is searching for Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her high school months earlier. Resistance from the Boston PD and the victim's wary family tells Frankie she's on her own, and she soon learns she's asking questions someone doesn't want answered. But Frankie will stop at nothing to discover the truth, even if it means the next person to go missing could be her.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Gar
Vagabond : a memoir
Author(s):
Description:
Tim Curry shares his life story, from Rocky Horror fame to voice acting and surviving a stroke. This memoir celebrates his iconic roles, personal struggles, and enduring impact on entertainment.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
791.43028 Cur
Stuff they don't want you to know
Author(s):
Description:
Ben Bowlin, Matthew Frederick, and Noel Brown discern conspiracy fact from fiction regarding "stuff" the government doesn't want you to know. Conspiracies didn't always seem so clear and present. It used to be that people with tin-foil hats who were convinced of secret messages coming through the radio were easily disregarded as kooks and looney tunes. But these days, conspiracies feel alive and well. From internet rumors to lying politicians to the tinderbox that is social media, it's become clear that a vast swath of people believe really bonkers things. Ben, Matt, and Noel break down the wildest conspiracy theories: from chemtrails and biological testing to the secrets of lobbying and why the Kennedy assassination is of perennial interest. Written in smart, witty, and conversational style, this book is vital in helping to understand the unexplainable and use truth as a powerful weapon against ignorance, misinformation, and lies.--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
001.98 Bow
All the way to the river : love, loss, and liberation
Author(s):
Gilbert, Elizabeth, 1969-
Description:
In 2000, Elizabeth Gilbert met Rayya. They became friends, then best friends, then inseparable. When tragedy entered their lives, the truth was finally laid bare: The two were in love. They were also a pair of addicts, on a collision course toward catastrophe.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
813.54 Gil
Give me butterflies : a novel
Author(s):
Meadows, Jillian
Clarke, Jason,
Description:
Entomologist Millie loves her job as a museum curator and dreams of a larger role in her department. So when a director position opens, nothing will distract her, not even her grumpy coworker, Finn. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. Stuck with him, she finds it's one thing when a job is on the line, but another when it's her heart.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Mea
Lady Midnight
Author(s):
Clare, Cassandra
Baccarin, Morena,
Description:
It's been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn't lead her in treacherous directions.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
YA FIC Cla
Sawbones : the horrifying, hilarious road to modern medicine
Author(s):
McElroy, Sydnee
Smirl, Teylor,
Description:
For thousands of years, people have done things that sound strange to us and a means to cure their ills. Sydnee and Justin McElroy break down the weird and wonderful way we got to modern healthcare--and some of the terrifying detours along the way. Every week, Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin amaze, amuse, and gross out (depending on the week) avid listeners to their podcast, Sawbones. This journey through thousands of years of medical mishaps and miracles is hilarious and educational. While you may never even consider applying some of the weird cures, you will almost certainly face some questionable medical advice in your everyday life and be better able to figure out if this is a miracle cure or a scam.--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
610.9 McE 2020
