If you’re anything like me, you don’t see any appeal into listening to a book. Why listen to a book when you could hold the real thing in your hands? Well, there is something to listening to an audiobook that allows you to tap into you to tap into the right side of your brain.
You might find yourself asking, when do I find the time to listen to an audiobook? This is a completely valid question. I initially started listening to an audiobook in my car on my drive to work. Granted, I don’t have a long commute so it was taking me forever to get through a single audiobook. To add listening time, I started listening while I was in the shower or cooking dinner. I found a few titles that I wanted to keep listening to and as a result, I started analyzing my time so I could listening to these titles. One of my new favorite times to listen to an audiobook is when I am at the gym getting my cardio in (or when I’m walking my dog). Its simply another time where I am already listening to something on my phone, so instead of watching another episode on Netflix, I chose to open the Libby app (which you may be able to get for FREE with your library card #shamelesslibraryplug) and listen to my book.
So where should you get started? I highly recommend checking with your local public library to see if they offer Overdrive/Libby, RB Digital, or Hoopla to their card holders. Audiobooks are fantastic, but they are a seriously expensive investment if you purchase them.
1. The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Cheslea Sedoti
The first audiobook I listened to by myself was The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti. Yes, this is a YA title, but I love YA books. They are captivating and aren’t usually super long audiobooks. The narrator for this title is Jessica Almasy and I really enjoyed listening to her voice. The story was also really interesting – former queen bee went missing and the town has given up looking for her.
2. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
There’s a good reason why this book was chosen as the next book for Oprah’s Book Club. The storyline is fantastic and character-driven. I didn’t really know what to expect because I didn’t read the book’s summary, I just checked out the audiobook and was instantly hooked. The audiobook is read by Sean Crisden(Roy) and Eisa Davis (Celestial) and to say they did a great job is an understatement. This was a title I probably would not have picked up the book, but the audiobook was very enjoyable.
3. The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
Alright, so this story is very compelling and it has you on the edge of your seat (especially with the audiobook version). I do warn you that this book is very, very detailed and the prologue gets intense really fast. Kathleen Early is the go-to narrator for Karin Slaughter’s books (so if you enjoy her voice with this title, you probably will enjoy the others too) and her voice is smooth and relaxing. This story is a complete psychological suspense but it is worth the twenty hours of recording.
4. The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
After listening to The Good Daughter, I personally needed a nice feel-good story to pick me back up. This story is very close to being a Kate Middleton fanfic minus the fact the main character, Bex Porter, is from Iowa. The audiobook is narrated by Christine Lakin and I found her recording to be very good. I loved her intonation and the changes her voice made throughout the story to be fantastic – having to do both British and American accents in the same breath cannot be easy. This is a happily-ever-after story, so totally avoid it if you aren’t one for mushy love stories. The characters in this story are very amusing and some of them feel like they have become your best friends by the time you get to the end.
5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
So this was my actual first official audiobook as my husband and I listened to it while we were in the midst of an 8 hour one way road trip. This story is narrated by the one and only Wil Wheaton which automatically makes this book even better. Its already a great story with so many amazing pop culture references, but Wheaton adds a level of awesome to this story. Its okay if you don’t understand the reference, just listen to it anyway.
6. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
I personally enjoy listening to audiobooks with different accents. It not only helps me better visualize the story, but it also allows me to hear an accent that I don’t get to hear in my everyday life. Well back to this book, if you enjoy the thrill of a good psychological suspense, then you will like this story. There is something about listening to this thriller that you can’t really get from reading words on a page. I felt like I was dropped in the lives of these characters and then I was observing what was going on rather than trying to read faster so I can figure out if I guessed correctly. This title is narrated by Helen Duff who has done other titles by Jewell. The way this story twisted and turned, definitely kept me on my toes.
7. Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
Alright, there is something about hearing a non-fiction book versus reading words that just makes things seem more tangible. This book is written and narrated by Michael Hyatt. I found his voice to be very enjoyable and motivating. As I progressed through this book, I found myself actually partaking the program, making goals in a way that will help my have my best year ever. Hyatt also gave examples of some of his program’s participants and how they went from what seemed like a large struggle to achieving their goals. When I finished this book, I felt like I was better prepared to achieve more of my goals.
8. The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
I was lucky enough to join the Audiobook Sync summer program in 2017. This was the first title that was released and it sounded fantastic. I downloaded the title and was on my way. This book is spooky and creepy – which is exactly what the author was going for. The narrators are Charlotte Perry and Christian Coulson and they do a fantastic job and getting the spookiness of the story across to listeners. If you enjoy supernatural mysteries (along with YA) then you might really like this story. Its based in the UK so there are some varied accents to bring the story more alive.
9. Past Perfect by Danielle Steel
This was my first ever Danielle Steel book. I grew up always seeing my mom read her works and I never thought I would find her stories to be my cup of tea. Well I was intrigued by this story since it occurs in two time periods, one being the early 1900s (which I am a big fan of). So I thought I would give her stuff a try with an audiobook first. I wasn’t disappointed. I wasn’t fully in awe, but it was a cute story that did have me wanting to listen to it as often as I could. This title is read by Jim Fragione who has done quite a bit of work and does a great job at reading this story.
10. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
This wouldn’t be a complete list without any mention of Harry Potter. I am a millennial after all. I was first introduced to the wizarding world of Harry Potter when I was nine and my teacher read us the first book out loud to the class for thirty or so minutes every day. There is something special about hearing the story, rather than reading it or watching it. I know my mind wanders as if I was a fellow Hogwarts student. If you any of the Harry Potter books, I highly recommend you give the audiobooks a try. You might imagine something completely new. Jim Dale narrates all of the series and does an amazing job.
What do you think of this list?
Are there any audiobook that you really enjoyed?
Share them with us!