Happy Wednesday! We got back from Santa Barbara last night (this post was supposed to go live yesterday but I just didn’t get to it in time, haha! Sorry!) Jumping right back into the thick of things this week and trying to knock out my to-do list!
One of my favorite things to do is put on a great audiobook to listen to while getting stuff done around the house. I was in desperate need of some new audiobook recommendations, so I asked you all on instagram and as always, you delivered! Rounding up your top 25 most popular reccos below. If you love a good audiobook and have been in search of new titles, look no further! This post is for you. 🙌🏼
Where to purchase? If you’d like to support local bookstores, consider purchasing these titles through LibroFM! Of course, you can also find them all on Audible!
Non-Fiction/Memoirs:
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci: Foodies and Stanley Tucci lovers RAVED about this book, which was the #1 most recommended pick!
A Very Punchable Face by SNL’s Colin Jost: My of you recommended this memoir, saying it was very funny and engaging!
Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime: Been out there for a while now, but more than one of you described this book as “hands down the best audiobook out there, period.”
Going There: Katie Couric’s memoir that she narrates. One reader said, “it feels like she’s spilling all her secrets to you!”
Greenlight: Matthew McConoghey’s memoir, which he narrates. I’m not surprised that it was one of your most popular submissions!
Cultish: The social science of cult and cult-like influence. Several recommended this one! I actually started listening to this one a while ago. The subject matter is interesting, but I find it a pretty boring and have a hard time paying attention, so maybe not for someone with a short attention span like me, haha! (I have a hard time listening to non-fiction that isn’t a “story” like a memoir.)
Jessica Simpson’s memoir: Fans of Jessica loved this book (which she narrates herself). It’s real, raw, heartwarming–all the emotions. I will say a lot of reviews say her narrating is cringey though, so I think maybe you have to be a true fan to love it?
Molly Shannon’s book: “A candid, hilarious, and heartbreaking memoir of resilience and redemption by comedic genius Molly Shannon!”
Whisky in a Teacup: Reese Witherspoon’s memoir, which I absolutely ADORED. She shares the life lessons she learned growing up in the south. It is so cute, funny, and the perfect light, happy listen!
Rob Lowe’s “Stories I tell my friends:” he narrates it and many of you said it was the most entertaining audiobook you’ve read in a long time!
Yearbook by Seth Rogen: “a collection of true stories that Seth Rogen desperately hopes are just funny at worst, and life-changingly amazing at best.”
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl: For all the music fans out there!
Becoming by Michelle Obama: I almost didn’t include this title because it’s such a given 😂 but just in case anyone out there hadn’t listened to it yet–it’s phenomenal. And SO much better than the paperback version because Michelle narrates it herself!
Fiction:
The Dutch House: I can attest that The Dutch House was a wonderful read. It’s unlike any other book I’ve ever read, and I wouldn’t call it a page-turner, but I was very sad when it was over. Ann Pachett’s character development is incredible. Of course, the #1 factor that set it apart, aside from the great story, is that Tom Hanks narrates!
Daisy Jones and the Six: This is always the first audiobook I recommend to even the audiobook skeptics. With so many voice actors, it feels like you’re listening in to an episode of “Behind the Music.” One of my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid books. I read it first, and listened to it all over again–a totally different experience!
Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: My #1 favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book. I think you have to be living under a rock to not have heard of this book by now, but I can attest that it’s a very good audio listen! A wild plot twist, old Hollywood glamour–what’s not to love?
The Maid: A murder-mystery about a Maid in a fancy Manhattan hotel. “It feels like you’re actually in the main character’s brain while she narrates!” said one reader.
A Flicker in the Dark: Described as, “Haunting, lyrical and utterly compelling! These are just a few of the words of praise one could use to describe A Flicker in the Dark.” Many of you raved about this one!
The Alice Network: One of my all-time favorite books–(WWII historical fiction, shocker) many of you recommended listening to this one due to the fabulous British and Scottish accents!
Where’d You Go Bernadette? Not new, but a classic that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet. I will definitely be listening to this one as you all mentioned it has many different voices, making it easy to follow and engaging to listen to. The plot revolves around an agoraphobic architect and mother named Bernadette Fox, who goes missing prior to a family trip to Antarctica.
Good Girl’s Guide to murder: Many suggested this thriller, noting that it gives off major Serial vibes. (As in the famed NPR podcast!)
Olga Dies Dreaming: Many of you recommended this one due to the three different narrators that make it easy to follow the different characters. About a wedding planner grappling with her social ambitions, absent mother, and Puerto Rican roots, all in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
The Midnight Library: A story about second chances and all the different ways life COULD go. You loved this one because the narrator has a great British accent! (I will admit, I didn’t get the hype over this book, but most people I know loved it.)
Project Hail Mary Many of you recommended this interstellar adventure and the #1 selling science-based audiobook!
The Boys in the Boat: A very famous book about an underdog Olympic team’s triumph in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. What makes the audiobook so special is that it’s narrated by Edward Herrmann, the actor who played Richard Gilmore!
One Italian Summer: A love story, but a different kind, about the love between a mom and daughter, with the backdrop of the Amalfi Coast. Get this–speaking of Gilmore Girls–is narrated by Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore!) SIGN ME UP. I actually JUST finished this book on my Santa Barbara trip, but now I want to download the audio version to listen to all over again. The perfect summer read!
