Audiobooks You Won’t Want to Pause

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Audiobooks are such a great way to get more reading in. I know there is the argument that audiobooks are not real reading from some people. I do understand it’s not reading with your eyes, and I do think if you can read (no disabilities, etc.) you should challenge yourself to read actual books or eBooks sometimes.

I have MS and I’m always looking for ways to improve brain health so reading an actual book is a very good thing to do to stimulate the brain. However, that said listening to great book stimulates other parts of the brain and you are still taking in the information which is great for memory and knowledge. I absolutely count audiobooks in my reading count for the year.

Audiobooks can also help people get in reading that don’t have good reading comprehension, have learning disabilities, have gone blind or have trouble seeing, have arthritis and have a hard time holding a book. My diagnosis of MS a few years ago has made me more aware and more compassionate for the ones who struggle with many things not seen by the eye. One of my biggest struggles is stiffness and my hands have been greatly affected by this. Holding a book for long periods of time can be exhausting at times.

I am in my empty nest era so the list I’m about to share with you is more for adults, I do have a couple of family friendly ones here. I will put them at the end. It’s not that the rest of the books are inappropriate, (although there is some language) but most wouldn’t interest kids, and some are about crimes that wouldn’t be good for young ears. I will do a more family list in the future for those summer vacation trips!

My husband and I love to listen to audiobooks together (if you can find a good one and get your husband hooked, it is a great couple thing to do together if you are looking for a low energy hobby).

Good Audiobooks to Listen to

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

This is such a great audiobook for a road trip. It has multiple readers which makes it sound like you are watching a full- blown theater production. The voices are wonderful with every part and makes the story come alive. They are also traveling along the Lincoln Highway in the book, so it feels like the perfect road trip book. This is a story of regrets, redemption, friendship, and family. This is one of the only books I listened to and turned around and listened to it again (second time with my husband and son). They loved it too! Don’t miss this one on audio!

Catch me if you Can by Frank W Abagnale

If you have seen this movie, you haven’t seen anything. The book is SO much better and it has so many more stories about the con life of Frank Abagnale. The reader is great for this book and sounds just like a con man. The things this man pulled off was incredible and the storytelling has you so mesmerized you don’t want to stop listening. I will warn you that some people say these stories are not all true he tells, of course he denies this, so I don’t know but it is must listen regardless.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Contemporary Fiction

I read this book this past summer in my pool. I think this book is perfect for the summertime. Sometimes you know right away when a book is going to stick with you but sometimes you don’t realize it will stay with you until it’s over and you find yourself thinking about the book so much. This was one of those times. This book doesn’t have some dynamic twist (although there are a few surprises) or majorly action packed. It is slow, steady, and masterful at sharing a good story. It truly reminds me of the days of summer. I really enjoyed this one. It is narrated by Meryl Streep and I think she was the perfect choice for this book.

I’ve Got Your Number: A Novel by Sophia Kinsella

Romance

Speaking of funny. I also listened to this one and the audio is wonderful! I laughed so hard, this was my first Sophie Kinsella. If you are looking for an escape this is a fun one. This whole book takes place with an abandoned phone in a trash can.

Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her “happily ever after” begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill, but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

This is another one that has the perfect narration. The reader who is Poppy is bubbling and funny and sounds just like what you picture. She made the audio so much fun!

Dublin Murder Squad Series by Tanya French

This series is one of the first series my husband and I started listening to. It is riveting and we loved every one. Our favorite is Faithful Place, it has a special place in our hearts. We just loved that one. The picture above is the first one In the Woods. This does involve the murder of a child so be warned. If you have triggers you may want to read the description of each one, so you know what you are getting into. Tana French is an amazing author; she truly has the gift of an amazing storyteller. The audio does a fantastic job with narrators, and you get the true feel of the Dublin characters with great accents and culture references. It’s phenomenal!

A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery Series by Anthony Horowitz

Mystery

Well, as you can tell my favorite genre is mystery/thriller and I’m a big fan of Anthony Horowitz. This series is called A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery and its book one. It is such an interesting concept because Anthony plays himself in the book which makes the book so much fun. There are references to past books and his sidekick is a grumpy retired detective who does private work now and gives Horowitz a run for his money. If you are a big fan of a good whodunit, you must check this one out.

If you like to have a list to print out to take to your library of the books mentioned in this post sign up below:

None Of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Thriller

My husband and I listened to this on a weekend trip we were on and wow-it was amazing! The audio is the best on this one because they make it sound just like a podcast and it sounded so real life. This book will have you questioning everything about the story and what is exactly true. Loved it.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

I really loved this book. This one was a Reese Witherspoon pick. I still think about it and when you do that you know the book was good. The author has a special gift for making you as the reader feel like she is right there in the setting that is being described. I could vividly picture the house on water and all the places they go in the book. There was a mini-series on apple tv later with Jennifer Garner and I felt like they did a great job making it as close to the book as possible. If you are looking to get lost in a book this is a good one and the audio was fantastic.

The Appeal by Janice Hallet

Mystery

I just finished this one and absolutely loved it! I have never read a book quite like it. It was very unique. This is a mystery and it has to be solved by a team of lawyers by reading through emails, messages, and letters. You are in for a wild ride if you pick this one up! I was totally in!!

The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their cast mates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.

But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment’s efficacy—nor of the good intentions of those involved. As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal. The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made. In the run-up to the trial

This is fully casted so many great narrators.

The Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

Historical Fiction/Christmas

We read this book last Christmas for book club, and I loved every minute! It is a book that takes place during World War I. This book is multiple letters between different characters in the book. The main character is Evie, and she watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.

Of course this is not how it turns out.

This is a story of friendship, love, and the hardship of war. The story goes back and forth from Tom’s elderly life to his young years writing to Evie. This book is just delightful! Loved it.

Another one that has several narrators.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer & Annie Barrows

Historical Fiction

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I just LOVE this book! It takes you on a journey during WW2 in a book of letters.

As Juliet and a new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

This book kept me hook until the last page! I love thrifting for used books. One of the things I look for when searching for books is one’s for my daughters first apartment that I think are must haves. This one made that list.

Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Feeney

My husband and I started listening to this one on a road trip and we were so sucked in. You can picture yourself in a blizzard in a town that doesn’t seem quite ride in a cabin getaway. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything! Alice Feeney knows how to write a great thriller, and this one does not disappoint. My husband LOVED this book and still talks about it. The main characters are a married couple going through some difficulties, so it makes a great couples read!

The Seven 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

This was not a book for me! However, my husband loved it and it was so different and so unique I had to add it to the list. Many people love it! The narrator was perfect for this one, he fit the story like a glove.

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man’s race to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.

If you think you have figured out this one you probably should think again! It will have you guessing until the end and going back to the story after finishes it to look at it in a very different way.

Family Friendly Ones

All Thirteen by Christina Soontornvat

My son and I listened to this one together. This is a true story of the thirteen soccer players that was trapped in a cave in Northern Thailand. This book details the rescue of these boys and oh my, does it have you gripped. This was probably one if not the best non-fiction book I have ever listened to on audio. I did not want to stop it!

This story reminds you that there is truly still so much good in the world. It was amazing how so many helped from all over the world. This is for the whole family and would make a great listen during a road trip!

This book has won so many awards and deserves every one!

A 2021 Newbery Honor Book
A 2021 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
A 2021 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist
A 2021 Orbis Pictus Honor Book

Skulduggery by Derek Landy

Skulduggery makes a great Halloween season listen, and the audio is fantastic. This is a series, I have only listened to book one, but my husband and son have listened to others in the series as well. You do not have to finish the series to enjoy just book 1. This is a full cast, and the audio even has sound effects. It has a spooky vibe but not scary. I think most kids will love it and this is one the adults will get into as well. It keeps your attention and on your toes.

Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

I don’t know what I could say about the Harry Potter Series that most don’t know about already. I am not a fantasy girl and had zero interest in this UNTIL I did. I decided to listen along with my son one day and oh my word, did I ever get hooked! We listened to the Jim Dale narration.

Audible now has the Stephen Fry version and many like that one even better. It is hard for me to imagine because I love Jim Dale but someday, I’m going to list to the Fry version as well. This is a series that just gets better and better as it goes. Honestly, to me, there is nothing quite like it. What an extraordinary writer J.K Rowling is. If you feel like fantasy isn’t for you, you must give it a try. You are never too old for Harry Potter.

In conclusion

So, there are my top audiobooks I have listened to. I will update as I listen to more wonderful books on audio. These would be perfect for any road trip or anytime you listen to audio. I love to listen when I’m cleaning or walking, it makes the time go by so fast and it’s enjoyable.

If you would like to share some top audiobooks you have read this past year, leave them in the comments. I always think people love to see what other readers are loving.

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