Staff Picks 2021

Introduction

The audiobooks which feature as Staff Picks in 2021 will be added here. A short summary of these selections may be found on the linked blog posts. For more information and a list of Staff Picks in previous years, have a look at the main Staff Picks page.

If you prefer to download m4b files, all our staff picks have been converted to this format, which can be downloaded from the respective catalog pages.

Suggestions for future Staff Picks on the LibriVox home page are always welcome. Please post your suggestions in this thread. Bonus points if they fit the current monthly theme.

LibriVox Staff Picks 2021

We're still in the throes of COVID-19, but hopefully, this year's picks will take you out of the house a bit and bring some relief for your stressed mind.

January 2021: Silver Linings

Happy New Year 2021! With 2020 finally over, we can start to make new plans for the coming year, which will hopefully be much better… Let’s look into a brighter tomorrow!

Fiction

The Peril Finders by George Manville Fenn, read by a group of LibriVoxers

The Charwoman's Daughter by James Stephens, read by Michele Fry

The Great Impersonation by E. Phillips Oppenheim, read by Tom Weiss

Preferred Risk by Frederik Pohl, read by Nick Bulka

Marthas Kinder by Bertha von Suttner, read in German by Eva

Non-Fiction

All Things Are Possible by Lev Shestov, read by Expatriate

The Hope of the Gospel by George MacDonald, read by Jordan

In the Fourth Year by H. G. Wells, read by John Schuurman

Drama

The Enterprise of the Mayflower, by Amice MacDonell, play

Poetry

All That Matters by Edgar A. Guest, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 19693 times in January 2021.

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February 2021: History in Black and White

February marks Black History Month in the US, and together with the Black Lives Matter movement, LibriVox has risen to put out more books by African Americans. Delve into a truly black part of world history.

Fiction

The Strength of Gideon and Other Stories by Paul Laurence Dunbar, read by Kirks Voice

The Homesteader by Oscar Micheaux, read by a group of LibriVoxers

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson, read by James K. White

Violets and Other Tales by Allice Dunbar Nelson, read by James K. White

Hagar's Daughter by Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins,read by a group of LibriVoxers

Non-Fiction

On Being Nebro in America by J. Saunders Redding, read by Kevin S.

Report on Civil Disorders by the Kerner Commission, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation 1838 - 1839 by Fanny Kemble, read by James K. White

Drama

Eunuchus - The Eunuch, by Terence, play

Poetry

Os Escravos by Antonio Frederico de Castro Alves, read in Portuguese by Leni

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 2813 times in February 2021.

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March 2021: Into the Future

With the vaccinations for COVID-19 starting up all over the world, we may look into the future a bit more optimistically! Let’s take a glimpse into what may lie ahead of mankind...

Fiction

The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, read by Maire Rhode

L'Eve Future by Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, read in French by Isad

El Anacronopete by Enrique Gaspar y Rimbau, read in Spanish by Epachuko

Star Ship by Poul William Anderson, read by Paul Harvey

Arqtiq, a Study of the Marvels at the North Pole by Anna Adolph,read by Chuck W.

Non-Fiction

The Fourth Dimension by Charles H. Hinto, read by Peter Yearsley

Mars and its Canals by Percival Lowell, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation read by a group of LibriVoxers

Drama

La Vida es Sueno, by Calderon de la Barca, play; read by Kendal Rigans

Poetry

In the Net of the Stars by F.S. Flint, read by Nemo

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 20934 times in March 2021.

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April 2021: In Short

Life seems to pick up speed again, leaving less time to read. Short Works to the rescue! Take a time-out – a brief one. ;-)

Fiction

Contes de la Becasse by Guy de Maupassant, read in French by a group of LibriVoxers

Trolley Folly by Henry W. Phillips, read by Tom Penn

Call to Arms by Xun Lu, read in Chinese by Jing Li

Sasha by Eleksandr Kuprin, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Tradiciones Peruanas by Ricardo Palma, read in Spanish by a group of LibriVoxers

Non-Fiction

Flowers of Freethought by George W. Foote, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Women, Children, Love and Marriage by Catherine G. Hartley, read by a group of LibriVoxers

On Nothing and Kindred Subjects by Hilaire Belloc, read by Ray Clare

Drama

Stille Existenzen, by Jeanne Marni, one-act plays, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Poetry

A Father of Women and Other Poems by Alice Meynell, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 16216 times in April 2021.

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May 2021: Celebrating: Moms

In May, many countries celebrate Mother’s Day, and after the last 12+ months, an extra big “Thank you mom!” is in order. Let’s have a look at what the world owes to moms – and mother figures.

Fiction

Mother by Kathleen Norris, read by Megan Kunkel

Regiment of Women by Clemence Dane, read by a group of LibriVoxers

Memorias de Martha by Julia Lopes de Almeida, read in Portuguese by Rachel Moraes

The Mother's Recompense by Edith Wharton, read by annie70

My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard by Elizabeth Cooper, read by MaryAnn Spiegel

Non-Fiction

Proeve over de opvoeding by Betje Wolff, read in Dutch by Edith van der Have-Raats

My Mother and I by Elizabeth Stern, read by a Sue Anderson

The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux, read by Ann Boulais

Drama

Sweet Lavender, by Arthur Wing Pinero, play

Poetry

Mother and Daughter by Agusta Webster, read by Newgatenovelist

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 3477 times in May 2021.

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June 2021: Celebrating: Dads

In June, many countries celebrate Father’s Day and they indeed deserve a big “Thank you!” Let’s have a look at what the world owes to dads – and other father figures.

Fiction

The Wooden Horse by Hugh Walpole, read by David Wales

The Abysmal Brute by Jack London, read by Warren Kati

His Family by Ernest Poole, read by James E. Carson

Nell and Her Grandfather by anonymous, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre by Johanna Spyri, read in German by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Non-Fiction

Voltaire and the French Enlightenment by Will Durant, read by Pam Nagami

Relativity: The Special and General Theroy by Albert Einstein, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The Boy's Book of Famous Soldiers by J. Walker McSpadden, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Drama

If I had a Father, by George MacDonald, play

Poetry

Flowers from the Garden of St. Francis by St. Francis of Assisi, read by Dave7

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 15523 times in June 2021.

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July 2021: The World's Favourites

There are stories that have been told and retold so often, they have become universal and known throughout the world. Let’s delve into the world’s collective memory.

Fiction

The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Russian Fairy Tales by Alexander Afanasyev, read in Russian by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howeard Pyle, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, read by Rebecca

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Laurie Anne Walden

Non-Fiction

Das Evangelium nach Matthäus by Martin Luther, read in German by Christian Al Kadi

Über Psychoanalyse by Sigmund Freud, read in German by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The Kama Sutra by Mallanaga Vatsyayama, read by Mark F. Smith

Drama

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, dramatic reading

Poetry

Sonnets by William Shakespeare, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 39555 times in July 2021.

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August 2021: Happy Libriversary!

On August 9, LibriVox celebrates 16 years of audiobooks. Since our last anniversary we have completed more than 1450 new projects, wow!

Fiction

More Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

We by Alexander Afanasyev, read by mleigh

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

A Stolen Name by Nicholas Carter, read by Nancy Gorgen

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, read by kayray

Non-Fiction

The Bubonic Plague by Rai Bahadur a Mitra, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

За македонцките работи (On Macedonian Matters) by Krste Petkov Misirkov, read in Macedonian by Ana Naumoska

Dialogo dei Massimi Sistemi by Galileo Galilei, read in Italian by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Drama

Madame Pepita by Gregorio Martinez Sierra, play with a full cast

Poetry

Prairieblummen by Nicolas Gonner, Beckesch Klos, and Jean-Baptiste Nau, read in Luxemburgish by Kitty and Catharmaiden

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 13718 times in August 2021.

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September 2021: Cops and Robbers

These days, summer is on the way out and we’re on the way back to work. Every day, criminals and detectives work against each other on different sides of the law. Let’s look at both sides!

Fiction

Falsches Geld by Arthur Zapp, read in German by Friedrich

4 Max Carrados Detective Stories by Ernest Bramah, read by Andy Minter

Anthony Trent, Master Criminal by Wyndham Martyn, read by Anna Simon

Les Confidences d'Arsene Lupin by Maurice Leblanc, read in French by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow by Anna Katharine Green, read by Richard Kilmer

Non-Fiction

Crime, Its Causes and Remedies by Cesare Lombroso, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Criminal Investigation Vol. 1 by Hans Gross, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The Fall River Tragedy by Edwin Porter, read by Lynne T.

Drama

Alias Miss Sherlock by Arthur Lewis Tubbs, play with a full cast

Poetry

Das Nibelungenlied by Karl Simrock, read in German by Christian Al-Kadi

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 16435 times in September 2021.

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October 2021: Nobel Laureates

The winners of the 2021 Nobel Prizes will be announced this month. What a great opportunity to look back at winners from the prize’s early years.

Fiction

A Happy Boy by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, read by Mary Ann

Pierre and Luce by Romain Rolland, read by Roger Melin

Die Waffen Nieder! by Berta von Suttner, read in German by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Wampir by Wladyslaw Reymont, read in Polish by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Jenny by Sigrid Undset, read by Expatriate

Non-Fiction

20 Years at Hull House by Jane Addams, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The New Freedom by Woodrow Wilson, read by Ben Adams

An Introduction to Metaphysics by Hanri Bergson, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Drama

The Great Galeoto by José Echegaray y Eizaguirre, play with a full cast

Poetry

Odi Barbare by Giosue Carducci, read in Italian by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 3735 times in October 2021.

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November 2021: Wrongfully Imprisoned

In the darkening days of November, we shine a light at those who had to suffer unjust accusations. Let’s look at people who were wronged by the law (or others)...

Fiction

Le Comte de Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, read by Jc Guan

The Spanish Brothers by Deborah Alcock, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The Last Rebel by Joseph A. Altsheler, read by David G.

Clementina by A.E.W. Mason, read by Jacquerie

Caleb Williams by William Godwin, read by Bev. J. Stevens

Non-Fiction

My Experiences in a Lunatic Asylum by Herman Merivale, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Mob Rule in New Orleans by Ida B. Wells, read by Holly Jenson

Jailed for Freedom by Doris Stevens, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Drama

The Witch of Edmonton by Thomas Dekker, play with a full cast

Poetry

The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde, read by John Gonzales

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 29321 times in November 2021.

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December 2021: The World’s Heroes and Heroines

Two years of the Corona pandemic, and never before have we needed heroes and heroines more than now. Let’s take a look at some classic heroes and their deeds.

Fiction

The Heroic Life and Exploits of Siegfried the Dragon Slayer by anonymous, read by Phil Schempf

The Hero by W. Somerset Maugham, read by OCTL7

Historia de Simbad el Marino by anonymous, read in Spanish by Kendal Rigans

The Northern Spy by J. Thomas Warren, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

The Counterpane Fairy by Katharine Pyle, read by Lynne T.

Non-Fiction

The Red Battle Flyer by Manfred von Richthofen, read by Tom Weiss

Across Mongolian Plains by Roy Chapman Andrews, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Heroines of Service by Mary Parkman, read by a group of LibriVox volunteers

Drama

Ion by Thomas Noon Talfourd, play with a full cast

Poetry

Elves and Heroes by Donald Mackenzie, read by Matthew Reece

Note: The books from this selection were downloaded 8247 times in December 2021.

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