Because so many readers are always on the hunt for not just good reads but good listens, I thought it would be fun to share an assortment of what I’ve been enjoying lately in that format.
When it comes to a great listening experience, I’m looking for a great story, well told. I generally prefer fiction and memoir on audio—perhaps that’s no surprise given today’s list! The proliferation of books prominently featuring fine arts is entirely a coincidence, but one I certainly enjoyed and was delighted to notice.
I’ve been on a roll with audiobooks lately. My theory is that since I’ve consciously maintained a nice list of audiobooks I might want to listen to next, I don’t get stuck in that dreaded “between books” space. Instead, when I finish one book I’m ready to queue up another listen immediately. I hope today’s post helps us all fill our audio TBRs!
I haven’t LOVED every single title I’ve read in this format, yet I haven’t listened to a book that hasn’t been worthwhile in some way. And while I’ve listened to many short selections (I do love a good six-hour story, I’m all ears for your recs in comments!), I’m proud of myself for trying several ten, twelve, and even sixteen hour audiobooks recently!
I track my audiobooks in my book journal along with all my other reads. I’m especially grateful for these regular reading roundups here on the blog because they give me a reason to transcribe my bookmarked quotes and other listening notes into my journal—thanks for providing that nudge!
I hope this assortment introduces you to your next audiobook read. You know I’d love to hear YOUR favorites in comments!
Recent audiobook listening experiences I recommend
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The Latecomer
I started reading this in print back in the spring, but it wasn't until I picked up the audio version narrated by Julia Whelan—at her urging—that the story really grabbed me. This is the decades-long story of a wealthy Brooklyn family and their triplets—the smart one, the weird one, and the girl—conceived with the help of IVF. For a bevy of reasons this family never quite gelled, and the siblings carry not a trace of affection for each other. Everything changes when the triplets reach college age, and their mother, yearning for some semblance of familial love, decides to thaw the fourth and only remaining embryo and have another child. The arrival of that child—the latecomer—blows up the whole family. Julia called Korelitz's follow-up to The Plot "the definition of a brilliant slow build," and I so enjoyed watching her patiently set up the explosive reveal at a Martha's Vineyard birthday celebration that takes place in September 2001. An unexpected bonus was the thread of modern art that runs through the book: I googled so many artists and works along the way! 16 hrs 19 mins. More info →
No Land to Light On
This contemporary novel follows Sama and Hadi, Syrian refugees who fall in love at school in Boston and who then get separated under the worst possible circumstances. This is about their struggle to be reunited, which is all but impossible due to the implementation of the very real executive order issues on January 27, 2017. The story unfolds in alternating narratives from each partner's perspective, as well as texts, newspaper clippings, voice mails, and office memos. It's an emotional journey that unfolds over a short span of time yet manages to feel sweeping. I enjoyed this on audio, as narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi, Ali Andre Ali, and Suehyla El-Attar. This is our flight pick for our October MMD Book Club selection The Arsonists' City Narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi, Ali Andre Ali, Suehyla El-Attar. 6 hrs 10 mins. More info →
A Woman of Intelligence
I've been meaning to read Tanabe's latest since it was published last summer; this is the first of her novels I've listened to on audio. Katharina Edgeworth leads an enviable life: her surgeon husband is handsome and rich, her Fifth Avenue apartment is luxe, her two young boys are darling. But she longs to return to her exciting work at the United Nations, where she served as a translator before she quit to make her new husband happy. Then one day an FBI agent appears, asking her to serve her country by insinuating herself into the life of an ex-boyfriend who he alleges is a Russian spy. Rina is desperate to escape her gilded cage—and so she says yes. I wasn't particularly interested in the character's internal struggle but enjoyed the depictions of the early Cold War climate of the mid-1950s. This was easy to follow on audio, as narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. 13 hrs 15 mins. More info →
Stories from the Tenants Downstairs
The frequent comparisons to Gloria Naylor’s The Women of Brewster Place convinced me to give this debut collection of eight interconnected short stories a try. Banneker Terrace stand at the corner of 129th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and it houses "a little bit of everybody." Rents are rising steeply, and gentrification is on everyone's minds. One by one, we hear from eight tenants, all of whom are Black, each dealing with their own struggle. My favorite story is "Ms. Dallas" (3C), voiced by a paraeducator increasingly exasperated with her job in a failing school, followed closely by "Federation for the Like-Minded" (2E), voiced by elderly Mr. Murray who just wants to play sidewalk chess in piece but the neighborhood police have other ideas, and he's not especially appreciative of the crusade launched by the building's busybodies to "assist" him. Readers should know content warnings abound: some stories are absolutely brutal, all are laden with compassion. I'm so glad I listened on audio: the full cast narration featuring Bahni Turpin, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Dominic Hoffman and more was outstanding and brought Fofana's Black English Vernacular narrative to vivid life. 6 hrs 4 mins. More info →
Remarkably Bright Creatures
I added this to my list after several MMD Book Clubbers called it their "best book of summer so far" in our July event by the same name; I opted for audio because Marin Ireland is a favorite narrator. The tone and style remind me of J. Ryan Stradal, with a notable addition: the story is told in part by an aging octopus named Marcellus, who muses on the human condition from his tank at the aquarium. Marcellus is not long for this world, but before he goes he is determined to assist in solving two early mysteries pertaining to the humans he's grown fond of. I enjoyed this and it worked well on audio; Michael Urie joins Marin Ireland to narrate. 11 hrs 16 mins. More info →
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
Daniel Silva has become a late summer tradition for me: in his new Gabriel Allon spy novel (#22 in the series!), all's fair in love and forgery: the retired Israeli intelligence officer emerges from a blissful retirement to investigate the suspicious sale of a newly discovered and extraordinarily valuable painting by an Old Master—or so it seems. Allon soon finds himself in the midst of a deadly game of cat and mouse, as he races to prove the existence of a Ponzi scheme in which forged art is the ultimate collateral. This wasn't my favorite on audio, though the art crime setting made it enjoyable. I've been told I should skip the newer Allons for now and go back to the beginning of the series: I just might do that next. Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, 10 hrs 16 mins. More info →
Becoming Duchess Goldblatt
After finishing the new Daniel Silva, I had no idea what to listen to next. So I popped over to our What Should I Read Next patreon community and asked for recommendations... which led me to this book, which had been halfheartedly lingering on my TBR for a while. I had been under the mistaken impression it was a comedy work, but nope, that was completely wrong. I plunged in, as advised, knowing little but definitely intrigued by the inclusion of Lyle Lovett as a narrator. (All I will say is: he plays himself.) Forgive me if you already know this, but this is a memoir, written by an anonymous author, who explains how and why she came to operate the pseudonymous Twitter account @DuchessGoldblat. I LOVED it. (I was surprised at the many intersecting themes between this and another recent read, This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch.) You'll definitely see this on my Best of the Year list come December. Narrated by Gabra Zackman, J. Smith-Cameron, and Lyle Lovett, 5 hrs 31 mins. More info →
The Violin Conspiracy
I'm doing an event at Bookmarks NC with Brendan Slocumb next month, and read this book to prepare: I'm so glad I got the nudge to do so! The story begins with a bang: Ray McMillian may be the most talented young musician in the world. Two weeks before the most important competition of his life, he opens his violin case after getting off a flight and discovers his $10 million dollar Stradivarius is gone—replaced by a white Chuck Taylor and a ransom note. I was hooked! Slocumb then takes us back in time to show us how Ray, a young Black man from North Carolina who doesn't have the family wealth or privilege so many of his classical music peers do, fell in love with both music and his great-great grandfather's fiddle, and came to devote his life to winning the Tschaikovsky Competition—and how he came to own a $10 million Strad! We also experience many painful and heart-pounding instances of the racism Ray experiences as a Black man moving through a space that's predominantly white—and how his Blackness is used against him by those who wish to claim his violin as their own. I loved this, and JD Jackson's narration was the icing on the cake. 12 hrs 4 mins. More info →
What have you been listening to lately? Please share your titles and fill up our audiobook TBR lists in the comments section!
P.S. 15 MORE celebrity memoirs read by their authors and 15 super short audiobooks you can finish in four hours or less.
101 comments
So many really interesting, and different, choices here! The Violin Conspiracy is really intriguing… I recently listened to The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, and it was fabulous, of course, and I just finished Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams on audio (also really good). I am currently listening to Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, but I’ve barely started this one.
The Daniel Silva books keep popping up, and with 22 to date the series would last a long time! Do they need to be read in order the way I think the Louise Penny books do? I’m sure you discussed this before, but I cannot remember…
Happy Reading!
I personally think the Dan Silva books are to be read in order. We learn so much of the history of the main characters and quite a few continue to pop up in all the books. We also learn a lot about art and art restoration. I really love this series.
I agree about reading them in order. I have listened to all 22 and it is helpful to have the history of the other books. If you haven’t started the series yet, it makes sense to start at the beginning.
I have to say that I found Cloud Cuckoo Land very difficult to listen to on audio. And I read most of my books on audio! I didn’t like the book much because I had a hard time tracking characters’ names and time periods. A friend who read the book in paper version (and loved it) said she couldn’t imagine trying to listen to it. So, if you are having trouble following CCL on audio, try reading a print copy!
Oh I am SO excited that you decided to read Becoming Duchess Goldblatt on my (and maybe others’) recommendation and that you loved it! Isn’t it delightful?! You’ve made my day and I’m not even out of bed yet!
Remarkably Bright Creatures is already on my Libby holds list and I will check out some of the others!
I’m happy to make your day. Thanks for making several walks such a delight—and Lyle, oh my goodness! I adored it.
I’ll be doing a Patreon review soon, and asking patrons to vote on a future audiobook!
You had me at Lyle. I just got it from the library!
I just listened to it too based on this recommendation and it was amazing. Not something I would have even heard of otherwise. Definitely 5 star!
I just downloaded The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (a new-to-me author) to try over a solo road trip this weekend and ended up loving it – it’s so fun. Samara McLaren is the narrator, and she’s fantastic. And when Jessica Townsend comes out with a new entry in her (middle grade) Nevermoor series, I always listen before reading in print because narrator Gemma Whelan is just that brilliant.
I loved Mrs Benton’s Beetle.
Yes! I’m almost finished with this one. It is great on audio.
I just finished the audiobook of Dave Grohl’s memoir, The Storyteller. It was excellent and very funny. If you are looking for a rockstar story with a big heart, this is it!
A few of these are on my TBR so I may need to listen to them instead of reading physical copies. I just recently listened to Malibu Riding and loved it. I now get the Julia Whelan thing!
I am not a big audiobook fan (I have trouble concentrating on them) but have started listening to make my walks more entertaining. I loved The Violin Conspiracy – the narration was fabulous and the story was so engaging. On the (much) lighter side, I’ve just finished Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez and loved it – the story has all the feels, besides the romance it does tackle the serious topic of abusive relationships and the narration by Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber was top notch. I’ll have to try some of the others on your list.
If you listen to them at higher speed it is easier to concentrate on them. I worked my way up and now I listen to most books at 1.75.
I was going to say this same thing. I have trouble concentrating on audiobooks and podcasts unless I am listening at a higher speed. I also creep my way up, starting slower, and bumping up the speed once I’ve gotten used to the narration (it’s less noticeable than if you start at a higher speed.)
Thanks for the tip – I’ll try it!
The Colony by Audrey Magee, narrated by Stephen Hogan. It is brilliant! The story is set on a small island off the coast of Ireland. Only a few hardy folk live there year round. One summer a painter from London comes to stay for the season. Also, a language scholar from France, who has spent several summers there, returns to complete his study concerning the fate of the Irish language. Hogan moves smoothly between the Irish, English, and accented Irish voices. The story is set in the 1970s and the plot line is interrupted by reports of Protestant and Catholic violence. This story will grip you for a long time!
Ooh, I read the physical book of this and loved it but now I am intrigued about the audio version. Thanks for the recommendation!
If you’re a fan of police procedurals then the D.C. Smith series by Peter Grainger is marvelous. I’m sorry I don’t know the name of the narrator but he is perfect. I also recently enjoyed Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner and Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland on audio. (The latter was recommended by your good friends at Strong Sense of Place.)
I love, love, love this series and have fingers crossed that there will be more!
I also listened to Portrait of an Unknown Woman. I found it somewhat difficult to follow. The story was great but I think better if read
Loved Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan.
Absolutely agree! Great listen and fun story.
I have this on hold at the library – really looking forward to it!
Yes to Mrs. Benson’s Beetle!! So good, such a beautiful story of unlikely female friendship.
I just finished the Giver of Stars, read by Julia Whelean. The story is good but the storytelling via Julia’s reader talents— is everything. Highly recommend.
Re audiobooks, I am currently listening a CD-audiobook of the Kate Quinn novel “The Rose Code” in the car, and to an e-audiobook of the nonfiction “Land of Wondrous Cold,” about Antarctica, on Hoopla.
I just finished Brandi Carlisle’s memoir Broken Horses, and I really loved it. I’ve been listening to her music for years and to hear the back story of some of my favorite songs makes me listen to them with new ears and tears in my eyes. Something special about the audiobook is that in between chapters she sings her songs. But aside even from that, she is a great writer and her book is so raw and honest and full of humility.
I always enjoy your book selections, but can you tell me where you got your flamingo notebook?
Do you prefer audiobooks with a single reader or full cast?
Just finished this morning, Silver Sparrow, by Tayari Jones. The narrators were new to me but so, so good. I loved this story so much! All based in and around Atlanta, where I have lived before. Violin Conspiracy keeps popping up everywhere so I guess I know my next book.
I just finished listening to Lessons in Chemistry. Oh, how I loved this book, and really enjoyed the narrator. I’m beginning Viola Davis reading her Finding Me- I think it’s going to be top notch!
I just finished Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance yesterday which was awesome. Other recent audio favorites of mine include My Lady Jane, Two Nights in Lisbon and The Jane Austen Society! Just added more to my list, thank you for the wonderful suggestions! Now I’m off to go clean and listen!! 😁
I really enjoyed My Lady Jane. So fun! It is one of my top ten of the year .
I just finished listening to Stanley Tucci’s new memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food and it was excellent! As he does the narration, it’s like getting to spend a few hours hanging out with him and he’s a fascinating person. He also includes recipes that are delightful to listen to and sound possible to do.
I loved this one too! I ended up picking up the print version for the recipes!
This might sound silly, but I’ve been listening to the Harry Potter books. I’m finishing the 6th as we speak. I’m in school and work full time and needed something that I love, that’s familiar to listen to on my commutes and Harry Potter it was. Jim Dale the narrator is amazing! I would listen to him read the nutrition labels of food!
Not silly at all! I worked my way through the audio books during COVID. It was so lovely to hear Mr. Dale tell these stories to me again and to find parts I had forgotten that didn’t make the films.
Jim Dale really does an amazing job bringing these books to life! Much better than the movies!!!
I just finished re-listening to them as well. They are delightful and Jam Dale has ruined me for all other narrators. You might like Remarkably Bright Creatures from the above list. I found it *almost* as well done!
Thank you for the recommendation! I will look into it.
I have been slowly making my way back through the audiobooks after rewatching the movies. The library holds are still pretty long for the series so it may be a while before I even get Chamber of Secrets! Very few can bring a book to life as well as Mr. Dale does.
I recently finished Britt-Marie Was Here, a backlist of Fredrik Backman, on audio. His novel, A Man Called Ove, got me to realize that some audiobooks are for me and I listened to that book nonstop on a beach vacation several years ago.
It’s an older book but I just finished ENDURANCE: SHACKLETON’S INCREDIBLE VOYAGE on audio. It’s been a popular read since they found the ship and it was a gripping listen. I’ve also recently listened to THE ANTHROPOCENE REVIEWED narrated by the author, John Green. I did have to ramp up the speed on this one as the narration is slower than usual, but I really enjoyed it.
I loved loved loved Remarkably Bright Creatures on audio! For years I avoided audio books because I can’t get them sped up fast enough to suit my speed-reading tendencies, and I only listened to nonfiction because someone reading a story aloud to me just felt odd. I’m over that now, and sometimes I even slow it down to 1.5! I listened to Julia Whelan’s Thank You For Listening at normal speed because I wanted to hear her words in her lovely narration just as it was intended, and it was a wonderful experience. I also enjoyed the following on audio this past month: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (incredibly brave and vulnerable), I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys, Everyone Fights by Kim and Penn Holderness (the audio is a must on this one), and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister (I’m super tired of domestic thrillers, but I liked the time travel aspect here).
I second Peter Grainger’s British detective series about D C Smith , narrated by the superb Gildart Jackson. Also, the Kings Lake Investigation series by Grainger and narrated by Jackson. A great follow up to DC Smith series
Thank you for including the narrator’s name! I couldn’t remember. He is amazing!
Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary is the best audiobook I’ve listened to all year! Ray Porter is the narrator and does a superb job. I actually looked forward to getting in my car so that I could continue with the story.
Yes, yes, yes to this one. I don’t usually read sci-fi but my husband and I listened to this on a vacation trip this summer and loved it!
I love Ray Porter. He made both The Martian and Project Hail Mary so easy to follow. The sounds he created for PHM were so endearing (I won’t give away any more details but if you have listened, you know what I am referring to) I am in the middle of a recent book that he narrated, the Appollo Murders, and I am loving it. Certainly partly because of his voice.
My favourite audio book and narrator? The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by Julia Whelan. I stayed up many times into the wee hours of the morning doing puzzles and listening to it.
So glad to have some choices on hold. Thanks!
My recent favorite audiobooks:
-David Sedaris Happy-Go-Lucky and his second diary installment which is co-read by Tracey Ullman
– The Sentence, Louise Erdrich
-Linda Holmes rom-coms
-The Anthropocene Reviewed, written and read by John Green
-A Swim In the Pond in the Rain, by George Saunders – I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this one so I recommend giving it a try even if you’re not sure about it.
I just finished listening to “The Reading List” by Sara Nisha Adams. It was recommended by a friend and I started listening to it right away on Libby. A fiction book about the importance of libraries, community, and how powerful reading can be. The narrator for one of the main characters (Mr. Patel) was perfect. This is my favorite audiobook of the summer so far!
I’m new to audiobooks and The Reading List was my first. I loved it so much and now audiobooks have become an important part of my reading life.
I’m currently listening to “The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot” and it is FANTASTIC! The narrators are terrific, and the book is charming, funny and poignant. If you haven’t given it a listen, I heartily recommend it!
Run, Rose, Run is co-written by James Patterson and Dolly Parton. It is read by Dolly and Kelsey Ballerini, among others. It is delightful!
I’m listening to The 100 Years of Lenni and Margo – it is FANTASTIC!!!!! The accents of the two narrators is making the story so much richer!!!
I usually get BOTH the audio AND the Kindle version of a book. I listen in the car / on walks and read at home. The book gets finished faster but I also appreciate learning how certain words / names are spelled and pronounced.
I am currently enjoying the police procedural series Kincaid & James by Deborah Crombie on audio with narrator Michael Deehy. The first few are free on Audible Plus, as a Canadian Audible subscriber.
I went through the whole Crombie series during the winter and loved it! Most I got through Libby, a few from Chirp at a reasonable price, and used a couple of Audible credits too. As soon as I was close to finishing one book I started looking for the next one, it was great! It’s been a long time since I’ve blown through a whole series, it was wonderful. Looking forward to the new installment as well😊
Thank you for these recommendations! I’ve been tearing through audiobooks recently, many of your recommendations! I walk the dog while my kids are in dance classes and it’s been so fun to enjoy the sunshine and get wrapped up in audiobooks. Here are some of my favorites.
– Finding Me by Viola Davis (finished in two days, listened nonstop)
– Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver (the essays toward the end about her mother was so moving, I listened twice)
– The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (loved the narrator!)
– The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (wonderful narration and story)
– Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo (fantastic narration)
– The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (incredible book and narration)
– Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (fantastic book! god in ruins is wonderful to read after this one)
Thank you for the great reading list. I added most of them to mine!
I’m currently reading Everything Sad is Untrue, by Daniel Nayeri, narrated by the author. It’s a true story about a young Iranian refuge and his family. I can’t stop listening!,,,,
I’m not always a big memoir fan, but thoroughly enjoyed (especially hearing in their own voices) those by Dave Grohl and Viola Davis. I adored The Patron Saint of Second Chances on audio and just started listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures & already loving it! Thanks for all of the great suggestions for my TBR!
I thoroughly enjoyed This Time Tomorrow, by Emma Straub and narrated by Marie Ireland, and loved the full cast narration of Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. They were my top listens of the summer. Top listen of the year was Murmur of Bees by Segovia. Such a great book!
Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer, by Frederik Backman. I think I’ll be telling as many people as possible to listen to this hour-long audiobook. I can’t think of anyone who should not read this book. A hanky will be helpful.
I started listening to audiobooks regularly in the summer of 2020, and these have stuck with me: Up From Slavery, by Booker T. Washington, Chronicles by Bob Dylan, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. Excellent listens.
I listened to Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr on a long road trip – all nearly 15 hours of it. The main reader is Marin Ireland (excellent as always!). I think I enjoyed listening to this book more than I would have reading it because it helped me keep track of the many different characters & timelines.
Ooo loved Remarkably Bright Creatures and Violin Conspiracy on audible. Am flagging Women of Intelligence in my library cue for audible now.
I think Amor Towles book entitled A Gentleman in Moscow was so amazing as an audiobook! The reader was able to do so many incredible accents that I knew which character was speaking just because of the reader. He was amazing!
I’ve read the Violin Conspiracy is amazing on audio. I recently listened to The Younger Wife and enjoyed its audio. I also liked The Truth About Ben and June on audio, and of course, Thank you for Listening with Julia Whelan. I’m reading The Last House on State Street, but I sampled the audio and I knew immediately it was Shayna Small. LOVE her on audio.
I mostly listen to Audiobooks nowadays BUT some of the standout ones have been: The Jane Austen Society and The Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland and No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson. The One by Erik Larson is Audio only and is meant to be listened to on a cold atmospheric evening. Sitting next to a crackling fire while the wind whistles through the trees would be perfect.
Audiobooks have been my jam lately; I’ve struggled with them for years, but turns out that high quality earbuds help, as do my awesome Bluetooth hearing aids! Now I listen alllllll the time, even in quiet moments at work. I’m going through The Hunger Games trilogy right now; this is a reread for the umpteeth time but I had never tried listening, and I love the narrator. Also started the Bridgerton series. I’m really loving middle grade and YA on audio. I also listened to Crazy Rich Asians the other week and was so engrossed I flew through it.
I loved The Violin Conspiracy! So glad you put it on your list.
I adored The Henna Artist on audio. Excellent narration, I felt like I was there. And I really appreciated hearing correct pronunciation of names and other words. I also loved Hamnet on audio.
Loving all these recommendations!
As I look over my reading journal (thank you Anne!), I see that most of my reading this year has been on audio. Most have been awesome! A few favorites have been Anthony Horowitz’s series on Hawthorne which start with The Word is Murder (also loved his Magpie Murder on audio). Firekeeper’s Daughter was excellent and such a great way to learn to pronounce the words and names of the tribe. And my top book of the year so far is Once Upon a Wardrobe. Loved this story about a young girl who befriends CS Lewis and his brother to ask questions about Narnia on behalf of her sick brother. Beautiful!
I really enjoyed The Word is Murder as well as both of the Magpie Murder books. I’ve always loved British television and Horowitz’s take on the industry have been pretty funny.
Once Upon a Wardrobe sounds lovely – I will definitely put that on my TBL list.
Oh, and Anne. Will might like The Greatest Beer Run Ever which is about to be come a movie. It details the story of a New York man who decided to take beers over to the neighborhood boys fighting in Viet Nam so they knew that the neighborhood was thinking of them.
I also loved remarkably bright creatures on audio.
I have listened to over 60 audiobooks so far this year.
I listened to all of the Outlander series. I enjoyed the Veronica Speedwell books by Deanna Raybourn.
I really enjoyed Things you Save in a fire, The Girl in his Shawdow and the sequel. Love Remarkably Bright Creatures, What the Wind knows, The Bridgerton Series, Miss Benson’s Beetle, Truly Devious series, A Good Girls Guide to Murder, State of Terror, Where the Rhythm Takes You. I loved the Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Party of your World, and Defy the night.
Part of Your World was so good that I’m listening to it again.
The Dictionary of Lost Words was the perfect audio book, and story. The narrator enlivened this story with all the accents. 🙌
Wrong Place Wrong Time was excellent as well.
Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron was great on audio! So many great ideas, I will be adding a number of these to my audio TBR list.
I just finished listening to The Bodyguard by Katherine Center, and it was just right for the moment! It’s a romance that’s well-written with plenty of fun and serious moments. I intend to be a completist for Center’s books–they aren’t heavy, but I end up thinking about them after I’ve finished. Thanks for this post–audio books make my life so much better!
After listening The Reading List, I checked out the one book on the list I had not read, A Suitable Boy. It is a full-cast BBC radio play with music and sound effects. It really gives you the flavor of Indian culture in 1951.
Oh, I wish audio was available for A Suitable Boy! I read the hardcover book quite a few years ago. Halfway through I needed hand surgery and that tome was a struggle to hold! Worth every ounce. I loved it!
Really enjoyed Remarkably Bright Creatures on audio. Currently listening to Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and it is wonderful. Interestingly I just finished the audio of Portrait of a Thief, which I realize now has similar themes and characters to Tomorrow in many ways…. and did not enjoy Portrait.
Loved Last Summer at the Golden Hotel and Great Kitchens of the Midwest!
I too have been on an audio book kick. I would recommend Far From the Tree by Robin Benway, a YA novel narrated by Julia Whelan; Seasonal Work:Stories, written and narrated by Laura Lippman; and These Precious Days:Essays by Ann Patchett (author also narrates). Also Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan, but I think my sister got that recommendation already from Mrs Darcy list. I just put The Latecomer on my hold list at local library so anxious to get that!!!
I recently finished listening to The Latecomer after hearing the WSIRN interview with Julia Whelan. It was excellent! Am now listening to The Unseen World by Liz Moore. It is such an interesting plot. If you like stories with academia as a backdrop you will enjoy the story.
The Unseen World seems to be free on Audible, at least for those with memberships. I just added it to my library.
ONE ITALIAN SUMMER by Rebecca Serle, read by Lauren Graham! Felt like I was swept away to Italy.
I listened to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek on a drive from North Carolina to Florida. I enjoyed it so much, I plan on either reading or listening to the sequel.
A few I have loved recently;
The Measure by, Nikki Erlick
Unlikely Animals by, Annie Hartnett
The Swimmers by, Julie Otsuka
These Precious Days: Essays by, Ann Patchett
I know this is an older book but I listened to Kate Morton’s book The Forgotten Garden and was absolutely entranced by it! I also just finished Jedadiah Jenkins book To Shake The Sleeping Self. I thought it was such a raw and beautiful book about self exploration into his life’s meaning. Highly recommend
A light mystery,The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
YA historical fiction-Between Shades of Gray-Ruth Sepetys
History-The Splendid and the Vile-Erik Larson
Just delightful-Perestroika in Paris-Jane Smiley
I just finished The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and am now listening to the sequel, The Man Who Died Twice. I loved the comedy as well as the mystery aspects of the books. I’m also enjoying Minnie Driver’s Managing Expectations.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, narrated by Lesley Manville, and its sequel, The Man Who Died Twice, are absolutely delightful on audio. I can’t wait for the third installment, due September 20. I listened on libro.fm.
A couple of summer standouts not mentioned before were Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger and Mr. Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson.
And, yes, I concur with the previous recommendations for The Man Who Died Twice, by Richard Osman. I really want to be Joyce’s next door neighbor!
Thanks to a recent WSIRN guest, I am currently listening to the first in Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series, Storm Front.
Daniel Silva’s very first book, The Unlikely Spy, was not part of the Gabriel Allon series, but I think it is his best book. It is set in WWII and is about codebreakers at Bletchley Park. One of the best spy books I have read and as excellent in audiobook as the text version. I exclusively listen to the Allon series and The Order, Book 20, is my favorite of the series.
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