Yesterday I shared my favorite books of 2023 and today I’m sharing my favorite audiobooks. Each list holds twelve titles, with no duplications. Please think of these as companion posts: there’s no hierarchy at play here; this is simply a format distinction that allows me to cram more favorites into my year-end wrap-up! (I will say that this year I listened to more backlist titles on audio than I read in print, so if you’re all about the not brand new, you’ll likely prefer this list.)
Choosing favorites is HARD. I share the details of my parameters (and also how I have a missing six weeks from my 2022-2023 reading records, WHAT HOW) in my favorite print books post, but I’ll repeat the essentials here: these are my favorite books, not necessarily the “best” ones I read. This list reflects the reading experiences I most enjoyed or was most struck by, not necessarily the titles the critics deemed the year’s most brilliantly written.
I listened to A LOT of audiobooks in 2023—listening at the rate of slightly more than one book per week—so I had plenty of titles to choose from! I don’t think I listened to a single one that wasn’t good. This list represents the best of the best.
When it comes to memorable audiobook experiences, the titles that stand out are those that either immerse me completely in the story or elevate the reading experience. Did a narrator bring a little something extra to the story, something I couldn’t have gotten from reading in print? In my mind, that is the mark of a truly great audiobook.
For me, an additional mark of a great listening experience—of any good book, for that matter—is that I’m still thinking about the story, even months later. Bonus points to any book that makes me want to walk another mile, fold another load of laundry, or sit in my car in the driveway so I can keep listening.
2023 was once again a great year for audiobooks; these are my very favorites. This list is representative of my listening habits: I love emotionally resonant fiction and tales of complicated families, immersive memoirs and immersive stories with big stakes. You’ll see all that and more below, including a few “wild card” titles that I suspect delighted me precisely because they were off my beaten path.
Now let’s talk favorites—and please, share YOUR favorite audiobooks in the comments section!
All books featured here were chosen because I loooove them. If you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. More info here.
My favorite audiobooks of the year
Skyward
This was such a fun change of pace for me! I raced through the audiobook, narrated by Suzy Jackson, and while my app clearly shows it's 15 1/2 hours long the reading time sped by. This 2018 series opener for the Skyward series introduces us to Spensa, a 16-year-old girl who has long dreamed of following in her father's footsteps as a pilot for the Defiant Defense Force. It's not easy to land a coveted pilot position, but Spensa's way is made much harder because of that same father: years ago, he was branded as a coward during an important battle, and the powers that be fear that if allowed to fly, Spensa will turn coward as well. Despite these obstacles, Spensa manages to clinch a position with Defiant, where she makes friends, excels in the air, and discovers that Defiant's leaders seem to be hiding key information about her father's last battle from the people. I really enjoyed this, and am considering finishing the series: my 13-year-old tells me it's great! 15 hrs 28 mins. More info →
The Rachel Incident
This is the book I can't stop recommending this month! I picked this up on a whim and am so glad I did: the novel reads like a warmer, wittier Sally Rooney, perfect for fans of introspective first-person literary fiction. When the novel begins, Rachel is living in London, happily married and pregnant, when she hears the news that one of her old long-ago college professors is in a coma. (This beginning reminds me of one of my favorite novels, This Must Be the Place.) This discovery prompts her to recall a pivotal year in her early twenties, when she met her best friend James working at the bookstore and their lives soon became enmeshed with those of the professor and his wife. A provocative novel with an enticing plot that thoughtfully interrogates themes of power, class, art, and the queer experience; I adored the Irish accents in Tara Flynn's excellent narration. 9 hrs 22 mins. More info →
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
This was a blast! I'm so glad our What Should I Read Next patreon community gave me the push I needed to finally read this. As You Wish is very much a celebration of The Princess Bride, as I expected. But even more than that, it’s a celebration of the creative process, and what that process specifically looked like in the making of this one particular film. In the particular is found the universal; the universal themes that grabbed me in this story were the challenge to pull off something that many said could never be done (in this case, to adapt William Goldman’s novel to the screen), the timeless struggle of the creator to make something great, and the joy that comes with the stars exactly aligning to bring the right people to the right place at the right time to make something special. Just thinking about this book makes me want to watch the movie again. Full cast narration. 7 hrs 1 min. More info →
Before I Let Go
I've often heard this 2022 novel described as a romance but it read more like a family drama with a strong (open door) love story component. However you want to categorize it, Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem's dual narration sucked me right in on audio! Yasmen and Josiah met and married young and have always been #couplegoals to their friends. But several years ago, after Si's beloved aunt died and their third child is delivered stillborn, they plunged into grief and Yas struggled with clinical depression. They divorced in the aftermath of their terrible losses, but now that they've found some measure of stability as coparents and as business partners, circumstances (mainly in the form of Si's attractive new love interest) have Yas questioning if they might have a shot after all. This was such a good (and emotional) ride on audio: I loved the Atlanta locale, all the restaurant details, and the emotional promise of two thirtysomethings finding a second chance at true love. I burned through this story because I needed to hear them get their happy ending. 13 hrs 45 mins. More info →
The Ensemble
I so enjoyed revisiting this 2018 Summer Reading Guide selection, this time on audio as narrated by Rebecca Lowman. In the 1990s, four promising young musicians decide to forego the usual soloist paths and bind their professional (and personal) lives together to form a string quartet. Jana is driven, Henry a prodigy, Daniel a success through dogged determination, and Brit a bit of a wild card. With the feel of a dysfunctional family novel, the characters aren't always likable but always ring true, and Gabel nails a wide range of human emotions—joy and pain, envy and fear, frustration and near-despair—as she portrays the group's turbulent eighteen years together. This utterly believable and emotionally compelling submersion into the competitive world of classical music was perfect for this family drama fan, and was even better than I remembered on my re-read. 11 hrs 37 mins. More info →
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?
This January 2022 release was a delight on audio! It felt like hanging out with friends I look forward to spending time with. Blackburn's debut is based on her own experience as a Nigerian woman whose mother desperately wants her to find love and happiness—which means, of course, that she must find a husband. Yinka is 31, a British-Nigerian woman in possession of a degree from Oxford, a good job, and loads of friends, and yet she can't help but be bothered by her aunties' fervent prayers that she find romance. Driven by this insecurity, she tells a little white lie, which soon enough lands her in a heap of trouble with those who love her most. I enjoyed cheering Yinka on as she attempts to put things to rights and find love, happiness, and—most crucially—self-acceptance. Narrated by Ronke Adékoluejo. 11 hrs 17 mins. More info →
Wrong Place Wrong Time
When I first shared this 2022 time travel mystery in March Quick Lit I said it may end up on my best of the year list and will certainly be one of my most enjoyable reading experiences—and here we are! I've been recommending this brain bender all year long. In the opening pages, a British woman watches in horror from her window as her 18-year-old son stabs a man on the street. A horrific scene ensues, the police take him away, she spends the evening at the station in shock and agony. But then Jen wakes up the next morning, only to find that it’s not the next morning at all, but the day before the crime occurred. When she wakes up the next morning, it’s the day before that. Jen seems to be living her life backward, and—with the help of a physicist friend-of-a-friend—determines that the only way to break out of the time loop is to “undo” whatever event put her son on the path to murder. To do that she has to go far, far back in time, getting to the roots of her most important relationships. Narrated by Lesley Sharp. 10 hrs 7 mins. More info →
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Another book I find myself recommending all the time, and one that's representing the 2023 MMD Minimalist Summer Reading Guide. This first spirited installment of a planned trilogy tells the tale of a renegade pirate captain who happens to be a middle-aged mother simply trying to enjoy her retirement. But after a former crewmate’s daughter is kidnapped, Amina reluctantly accepts one last job and pulls her long-retired crew together again to help. The historical fantasy unfolds on the high seas of the twelfth-century Indian Ocean and bursts with period detail and magical adventures. From the book’s touching dedication to the detailed author’s note and acknowledgments, I found this imaginative tale and irresistible protagonist unique, exciting, and just plain fun. The audio narration by Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal is superb and also incredibly thoughtful; listen to the very end and you'll see what I mean. 16 hrs 59 mins. More info →
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma
I love a book with staying power: I read this back in the spring and find that my thoughts still turn to it often. Though I was previously unfamiliar with Dederer's work, I queued this up pre-release because I was interested in the topic: how can we reconcile our love for art with the sometimes troubling biographies of its creators? Gone are the days when fans knew little about the real people who created the art they consumed; Dederer writes of how things are different in the internet era: "Biography used to be something you sought out, yearned for, actively pursued. Now it falls on your head all day long." She frames her case from the jarring (and somewhat graphic) opening: she has long loved the films of Roman Polanski—Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby, The Pianist—yet Polanski committed objectively terrible crimes. What is the fan to make of this? How can the fan think about their relationship to art made by always imperfect and sometimes monstrous people? I found this a thoughtful and thought-provoking treatment, which covered questions I knew I wanted to hear more about and also topics I didn't expect to enter the conversation, like capitalism. (So fascinating!) Dederer narrates her own audiobook; I appreciated her conversational style. 8 hrs 14 mins. More info →
Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain
Will and I listened to this together on our way to the beach, while we were actively planning our upcoming trip to Spain. That was perfect timing to listen to this real-time account of the Brat Pack actor's 500-mile walk across Spain on the Camino de Santiago with his 19-year-old son Sam. He details the pair's reasons for embarking on the trip, their long, hot days spent walking 20+ miles a day in the hot summer sun, the fellow walkers they meet along the way, the food they eat, the coffee they drink, the inns they sleep in, what they talk about along the way. We rarely listen to audiobooks together and enjoyed this one so much. The narration was especially good: the elder McCarthy reads the majority but son Sam frequently adds his own voice, which made for a wonderful listening experience. 6 hrs 43 mins. More info →
Little Monsters
I think it's fair to call this a juicy, big-hearted family novel, set in the summer of 2016 in New England. Fearing his fast-approaching 70th birthday, the brilliant patriarch who heads this blue blood family decides to go off his bipolar disorder meds, certain this will lead to a big breakthrough in his oceanography research. He adores his two adult children, though the siblings are polar opposites who don't understand each other and don't get along. Into this dramatic family milieu strolls an outsider who is related by blood to the Gardner clan but doesn't want to reveal her connection until she gets to know them and can decide if she wants to be part of their lives. Long-held secrets and scandalous revelations keep trickling out all summer long, until everything comes to a head at the patriarch's 70th birthday gala. I love a good family drama, and also appreciated the themes of arts, politics, midlife reassessment, and reinvention in this debut. The audiobook boasts a full cast narration. 11 hrs 17 mins. More info →
How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told
I happened to read a handful of very good marital distress memoirs this year; this is my favorite, which I imagine is in no small part because of the exceptional audio version. As the title indicates, this is not the tale of a marriage's dissolution but its unlikely continuation. The story begins when the author's wife turns to him after dinner one ordinary night and says she wants a divorce. He is stunned. Key's voice is frank and funny, even as he relates, almost in real time, how he learned of his wife Lauren's affair with a family friend and the chaos this revelation brought to his family, including the couple's three young daughters. Early on, Key takes a close friend's advice to fight for his wife, and proceeds to interrogate his own role in their problems, the past unaddressed traumas that continue to fuel present hurts, and what his Christian faith means to his life and relationship now. I'm sure my jaw dropped a time or two while listening, including when Lauren showed up to voice her own chapter in which she shares her side of what happened. I'm glad I opted for the audio: Key's humor added levity to tough moments, and his Southern accent was a nice surprise and fitting for a story that unfolds mostly in Savannah. 8 hrs 43 mins. More info →
What are your favorite audiobooks of the year? What did you love to listen to this year?
P.S. My favorite audiobooks of 2022, my favorite audiobooks and listening experiences of 2021, my favorite listening experiences of 2020, and my favorite audiobooks of 2019. New to audiobooks? Try these 7 ways to discover your audiobook style.
89 comments
Added several of these to my TBR, Anne! Thank you!!
I wonder, with what you do, do you feel more pressure to read new releases? Do you choose what you will read next based on what you want to read, or do you feel more obligations toward certain books?
Fun fact, my husband is thanked in the acknowledgements of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi! I still haven’t read it, though. Maybe I should give the audio a try!
That is so cool…stardom! Why is he acknowledged? Is he a secret pirate?
Wouldn’t that be fun! No, he’s a history professor and helped with the historical background research!
What?! That is amazing!
I too have added several to my list.
I am currently listening to The Covenant of Water and it is an amazing audio. The author correctly pronounces the names and adds accents to conversations. It would be an entirely different experience to just read it!
Me too! I am listening to Covenant of Water and enjoying hearing the author read it! However, it is my second favorite of the year – the first was listening to Meryl Streep read Tom Lake!
Me too!! Meryl reading Tom Lake was a joy to the ears. I think it is my all time favorite audio. I read Tom Lake and then reread it through the audio version. Meryl’s reading caused me to pay attention to details I’d missed in my reading.
Karen, I completely agree! I originally started reading the physical book but then switched to audio for the pronunciations. I loved listening to it! It was my most enjoyable (by Anne’s definition yesterday) read of 2023.
I too liked the audio of The Covenant of Water.
Thank you for this list! The audiobook standouts for me this year were Tom Lake, the Thursday Murder Club series and All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir.
Ditto on Tom Lake and the Thursday Murder Club series.
THURSDAY MURDER CLUB! YES!!!
All My Rage is such a powerful book
Upon your recommendation (you and Edie!) I checked out All My Rage and I can’t stop. It’s so compelling and the characters are so likable!! After a couple of ‘just okay’ audiobooks, it’s so so good. Last night I wrapped Christmas gifts with my earbuds in – a task that’s usually drudgery but now I’m enthusiastic about! Thank you!
I LOVED The narator for the first two Thursday Murder CLub books, but DO NOT like the new one who came in. SO much so that I haven’t finished listening to the new book yet and I had bought an advance copy!
I’ve been wanting to try Brandon Sanderson for years! The Way of Kings is on my shelf, but the size is intimidating. Is this book a better starting place?
I hadn’t read Sanderson before Anne recommended Skyward earlier this year – I’ve now listened to the first two books in the series so far and really enjoyed them. The Skyward books are YA so they aren’t excessively long or complicated (as sci fi goes).
If you want to dip your toe in the Sanderson pool, try Tress of the Emerald Sea. It’s loosely inspired by The Princess Bride (in an interview he said his wife asked – what if Buttercup went after Wesley instead of sitting around?). I found it so delightful!
I’ve read several Brandon Sanderson and highly recommend dipping your toes in his fantasy style books by starting with the Mistborn series. The first book is The Final Empire. If you enjoy that book I can guarantee that you’ll love the rest of the series and also The Way of Kings.
I can’t choose a favorite, but I just listened to Open Throat and found it very moving. And under 2 hours! For those of you trying to reach year-end reading goals, check it out!
Remarkably Bright Creatures on audio was divine. Marcellus’ voice was perfectly snarky and delightful.
I agree! I read it in print first and then listened to the audiobook, and the voice of Marcellus was perfect!
I typically prefer print over audio, but got the audio version of Beth Moore’s “All My Knotted Up Life”. You could hear her joy, pain, and every other emotion as she narrated her touching memoir.
I listened to Remarkably Bright Creatures and the narrators were what made that book extra special! Otherwise I have trouble sticking to the format, I find myself dozing off rather quickly and have to back up…Enjoying Winter Solstice now, read by Jilly Bond.
Oh, yes Remarkably Bright Creatures was so much better as an audio book. The narrator doing the octopus was fabulous!
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women!
I read All the Living and the Dead: A Personal Investigation Into the Death Trade by Hayley Campbell in January and it has not been knocked off yet for my favorite of the year. Campbell is an excellent storyteller and she lets you in to so many interesting professions with people that truly take care in providing dignity in their trade. Some of it is also funny (like Mary Roach), but also there are obviously many solemn moments (CW for infant death and pregnancy loss). This is one that will stick with you!
I’ve heard wonderful things about this book!
Tom Lake (which was one of your favs yesterday) but Meryl Streep is divine doing the audio.
I couldn’t agree more. Meryl Streep performs the audio and that is an absolute truism. I could picture every scene. I’ve been recommending it nonstop to my friends.
I guess something’s wrong with me. I forced myself to stick with the audiobook of Tom Lake for a few hours, but found myself waiting for something, ANYTHING to happen. Nothing ever happened, and I found myself dreading to “plug back in.” I finally DNFed it — (which provided such a joyful sense of relief!) — upon which I lucked into the next installment of a cozy mystery series I enjoy. Meryl Streep’s reading was part of the problem for me, adding to the “nothing ever happens” vibe. Might not have been the time in my life to read it; also, I need at least a BIT of plot… not just character studies. I LOVED Patchett’s The Dutch House.
I totally agree. My least favorite Patchett book, snd i have loved her other books .
The Making of Another Major Motion Picture and Tom Lake were both outstanding on audio! There were others I loved that were a little more niche (A Court of Silver Flames, for example, or the Red Rising trilogy) but I think these two will be a hit with most MMD readers.
Two of your favorite reads were two of my favorite audios this year. All My Knotted Up Life read by Beth Moore was so very very good. And Tom Lake read by Meryl Streep. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed them as much if I had read them, they were so good as audio books.
This is a great list, Anne! My favorite audiobooks this year were Tom Lake, Remarkably Bright Creatures and Warrior Girl, Unearthed.
Project Hail Mary is my favorite so far. I think if you liked the audio of The Martian, you’ll like this from the same author. Great listen.
Hi, Anne:
I loved The Marlow Murder Club and Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood. I did these in audio because Nicolette McKenzie did an outstanding job on the voices! If you like the Thursday Murder Club mysteries, you will love this one as well!
My favorite audiobooks this year were Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb and All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore.
I haven’t read as much this year – death in the family and surgery – but I have listened to a number of audiobooks. These ones stand out for me, as books that grabbed my attention and kept me listening! Listed in chronological order:
The Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese; author and narrator
The Silo Saga science fiction trilogy – Wool, Shift and Dust – by Hugh Howey; Narrated by Eduardo Ballerini (first two books); Tom Gerard Reynolds (third book). Want to watch the TV series, and I prefer to read the books first.
The Fourth Wing – science fiction by Rebecca Yarros; Narrated by Rebecca Soler (open door warning for sexual content)
Desert Star – mystery by Michael Connelly; Narrated by Titus Welliver & Christine Lakin; a favourite author of mine; and yes, I’ve watched all seasons of Bosch/Bosch: Legacy and The Lincoln Lawyer.
The first six Cormoran Strike mystery novels by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling); Narrated by Robert Glenister – flew through those! Watching the TV series now. Have the most recent audiobook on hold at the library.
Skyward – Brandon Sanderson; narrated by Suzy Jackson; bought the remaining three audiobooks in the series shortly after I started. Knew I would want to finish the series!
*Tim Gerard Reynolds* for Silo Saga narrator
Robert Glenister is amazing! I read the fifth or sixth book on paper, and while I appreciated getting some of the spellings down, I missed his Strike voice, and especially Shanker.
I just re-read the Skyward series (and it’s companion Skyward Flight) to prepare for the 4th book that came out a couple of weeks ago, and I loved it even more the second time through. DEFINITELY pick up the rest of the series – it gets even better, in my opinion, and I think I loved the last book the most!
UGH, *its not, it’s – I promise I know basic grammar! 🙂
I see so many books on this list that I read based on your recommendation that I had forgotten about! I’d like to add a plug, not that she needs it, for Barbra Streisand’s memoir but n audio. It’s loooooong but I’m loving to her very thoughtful and conversational narration. It’s also so fun to learn more about her personal life and process.
Also Thursday Murder Club forever.
I’m probably a lone dissenter here but I just didn’t like Meryl Streep’s narration of Tom Lake. To me, she just sounded condescending, and it was a big turn-off. I got about half way through and will finish it as a print book.
I read about 1/3 of the book (visually, not audio version) and thought it was a giant snooze. I’m debating if I should listen but… I just dont know that I even care enough to try!
Have to agree. I listened to Tom Lake, but didn’t find it all that compelling. Didn’t make my best of 2023 list.
You’re not alone.
Wholeheartedly agree about The Rachel Incident! That book along with The Art Thief by Michael Finkel, were my favorite audiobooks of the year.
Other favorites that I listened to this year are:
-A Knock at Midnight by Brittany K. Barnett
-Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
-Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
This is from 2015, but I am so enjoying Candice Bergen’s A Fine Romance, her memoir about marriage to Louis Malle, life in France, her famous family, Murphy Brown, but most of all, a love letter to her daughter Chloe. It’s read by the author and her voice is just sooo good, I am soo entertained. She is frank and funny and human.
I have read Tom Lake, but would like to do it again on audio.
Bergen’s memoir was spectacular.
Wholeheartedly agree about The Rachel Incident . My other too audiobook of the year was The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. Eduardo Ballerini was the perfect narrator for this book.
My favorites were Tom Lake read by Meryl Streep and Demon Cooperhead.
I absolutely loved Wrong Place, Wrong Time! One of the best books I have read (listened to) in a long time. I’m glad a read the audio format, as I think it helped me to understand the time line more easily.
Tom Lake was by far my favorite audio book of the year. But also The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, Strange Sally Diamond and A Prayer for Owen Meany.
Yes!!! I just finished Strange Sally Diamond and loved it. Especially appreciated the Irish narrator’s accent (I studied in Ireland for a semester and am constantly looking for Irish audiobook narrators).
Kamala Harris’s audiobook “The Truths We Hold”, written before she became V.P., really impressed me (and I’m Canadian!)
My other favourite audio memoir is the very short “Trombone Shorty” by Troy Andrews.
In terms of fiction, my favourite audiobook is the collection of short stories “Old Babes in the Woods” by Margaret Atwood. There is a cast of narrators but Atwood does one story herself which was her interview with George Orwell using the services of a medium. It showcases Atwood’s quirky sense of humour.
One of the best audiobooks for me this year was Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. I loved everything about this book and it was great on audio! I found myself doing extra chores and making extra dishes for dinner so I could keep listening!
I agree, Michelle! I can’t stop recommending it!
I really enjoyed this one, too!
I loved Mary Jane too!! Great narrator and story of growing up during a time I well remember.
Many of my favorites have already been mentioned (Tom Lake! Demon Copperhead! The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store! Thursday Murder Club!), but I few others I thought were fantastic on audio were You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide, and Happiness Falls. (Happiness Falls features some bits by Thomas Pruyn, whom you shouldn’t Google if you haven’t read it yet, because his inclusion is borderline spoilery, but it made me tear up when Angie Kim spoke about getting him involved.)
I’m thinking about making The Rachel Incident my next pick for book club.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi was fantastic on audio. And bonus…Amin El Gamal, one of the narrators, is an old friend of mine! It was such a fun surprise to hear his voice through my earbuds.
Anyone else have this enormous reading issue: every time a new book comes out in one of my favourite series, I feel compelled to listen to all the previous books again. 😄 The two main ‘problems’ are the Thursday Murder Club series and the DC Smith series. Excellent narration in both!
A surprise favourite was What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, which was a recommendation from MMD. Each chapter is one character’s story and has a different narrator. I loved it on audio and I’m feeling excited to read it again in print.
I’m giving the Harrison Scott key a listen, I’d never heard of him. Im
Confused about his use of the word ‘pagan’ throughout the book in reference to friends and exes and such. Im starting to think he means ‘anyone who isn’t Christian’ and kinda seems to be a slur? though I really hope not? Maybe it’s a joke? I can usually tell 🙂 Can anyone enlighten me? Pagan is a pretty specific word that to me has always meant someone not just interested in Celtic pre Christian ideas and traditions but who practices the modern version of those rites/rituals/philosophy/religion. His writing is funny and moving and I’d like to keep going but it’s jarring.
I did that one on audio and definitely thought he was joking when he referred to people as pagan. (It was my first book by him, though, and I didn’t even love the book as much as most people did. I think infidelity stories just aren’t my jam.)
My favorite audio book this year were Rememberings by Sinead O’Connor and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. (I know this isn’t Celeste Ng’s most current book, but I listened on a college tour road trip and loved the book and the memory of this trip.) Also, I loved that Sinead O’Connor narrated her memoir. Listening to her Irish accent and getting her sense of humor were the key reasons I loved this book in audio format.
The Ensemble has been on my ‘maybe’ TBR for years, but your plug for it on audio has just pushed on to my priority list.
And I’m going to try The Rachel Incident as I’m a sucker for an Irish accent (and author). Also your description of Caroline O’Donoghue as a ‘warmer, wittier Sally Rooney’ sounds perfect for me.
I’m also going to take the recommendation of so many posters to try Tom Lake on audio. It’s also been on my ‘maybe’ TBR, and Meryl Streep is a good reason to ‘read’ this on audio.
I loved Covenant of Water, and I chose it on audio because I loved Cutting for Stone on audio. But I think this was a mistake (although would I really have read such a hefty book on paper?) because I found the narration SO SLOW that I was listening to it 1.75 – 2.x speed just so I didn’t get lulled to sleep ;-). This really messes with the accents — particularly the attempts on British and Irish accents, which were a bit cringy at the best of times. But I digress.
I loved a lot of the same audios others have posted! Here are a few new ones that were light and fun.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting
None of This Is True
I loved Vera on audio, and just finished Iona in print. Both of these were fun, charming books!
My favorite audiobook of 2023 was Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center. I laughed, I cried and then it all came together at the end. I learned a lot about faceblindness of the character, Sadie. I also did some additional research.
Oh my, I found the most amazing narrator and story. It’s an old book but so wonderful! Watership Down, written by Richard Adams and narrated by an utter master, Peter Capaldi.
I’m so glad you loved As You Wish. It’s the book I recommend when someone is new to audio books. I found myself smiling and laughing the whole way through. It just made me feel so good and happy, and don’t we all need that right now?
As You Wish was terrific! Really enjoyed that.
I have listened to Round Here and Over Yonder by Trae Crowder and Corey Ryan Forester, which was hilarious. I am currently listening to My Name is Barbra by Barbara Streisand, but it’s 48 hours long. Make sure to make time for that one, if you want to hear her life story. So far very interesting.
My favorite audio books for this year are:
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin
Dark Ride by Lou Berney
Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
My favorite audiobook of the year is The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. It’s 31 hours long and read by the author. I plan to re-read it in print in 2024.
Runner-up is The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. I read this in October and it was perfect for a fall spooky dark academia read, especially hearing the voice of the suspect.
I was so sure you would include Tom Lake by Ann Patchett on your audiobook list!! That was my favorite audiobook especially because of Meryl Streep reading it in Audible- phenomenal!!! My other favorite this year was Kristin Lavensdatter- brilliant book! The author won a Nobel prize for it! My book club read it throughout the year and I caught up within the last 4 months of 2023!
I enjoyed the Tom Lake audio but I loved the print even more!
My favorites on audio were Milkman and the 1619 Project.
I started with audio books for the first time this year, as a retired librarian I love holding my books but realized I could get more reading done if I added audio. My favorites so far have been The Violin Conspiracy, Tom Lake, Covenant of Water — I hated The Last Chairlift am annoyed I used a credit to get it, but I had liked Irving’s previous works but doubt I will ever pick up another one.
If you used Audible, you can return a book even if you’ve read it and get your credit back. You have to return it within a year of using the credit for it.
I loved listening to Meryl Streep read Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
I just finished Wrong Place Wrong Time on your recommendation and loved it! It’s perfect on audio, and a fast twisty ride with engaging characters. Thank you.
A favorite audio for me was A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. Its a philosophical fantasy with feel good characters. You’d need to be good with LGBTQ characters – no romance involved. About a ‘tea-monk’ and a human-like robot who become friends.
I loved Braiding Sweetgrass on audio, read by the author, Robin Wall Kimmerer. I could listen to her all day!
My surprise favorite was Beth Moore’s My Knotted Up Life! She reads it, and her memoir is moving, funny, sad and amazingly authentic.
My favorite audiobook was The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. It was perfect for my 12-hour drive from the mountains of NC to Florida. The narrator was excellent. She made each character sound different. At the end of the book there was an interview with the author and narrator that was so interesting. The story was about a difficult period in our history, the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and was at times quite tragic. I was thankful that I had listened to it rather than read it.
Thanks for all of these recommendations! I’m listening to Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and am blown away – it’s so good.