Favorite Audio Books To Get Into Audiobooks
I’m writing this blog for you as a former print book purist.
I was one of those people who just “couldn’t” listen to an audiobook for a long time. They didn’t hold my attention, I found myself getting distracted and needing to re-wind them constantly, and I liked the feel of holding a physical book.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love to curl up with an actual book, turn pages, smell the physical paper, etc. But over the past two years or so, I’ve grown to truly love audiobooks and the increased opportunities they offer me to read, especially as a new mom.
So now, when I hear someone tell me they just can’t get into audiobooks for various reasons, what I really hear is that they haven’t found the right audiobook yet, especially when they continue on to tell me how much they love podcasts.
If that’s the case, it’s not that the book is in an audio format that’s the problem for people, they just haven’t found books that are engaging enough to listen to for an ongoing story.
Which is why I’ve come up with a list of some of my favorite, most engaging audiobooks, hand-picked by me for people who don’t love audiobooks.
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The book is easily my first choice, especially for those who love contemporary general fiction and are looking for something in that genre. This is by far my all-time favorite audiobook and is also the only audiobook I’ve ever gone back and re-listened to. The reading is a full production, with a cast of readers for each character that elevates it from other audiobooks in my opinion. Couple that with the fact that the story is riveting and engaging, and you’ve got a winner in my book.
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This is one of my more recent listens, but it jumps to the top of my recommendation list for a few different reasons. I love memoirs in general and can always count on them to get me out of any type of reading slump, but I also tend to find them, particularly engaging via audiobook because often they’re read by the author, which makes for an incredible listening experience. You can hear the author’s emotions and feelings behind what they’re sharing.
Will Smith’s memoir is no exception, but I do think it goes above and beyond. Smith includes music, live audio, and more in the book, which is lengthy but fascinating. I’m a huge fan of Will Smith, so it was fascinating to learn more about his career as well as his growth as a person. He’s also hilarious, which doesn’t hurt anything.
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To be honest, whether you choose to listen to this book or snag a physical version if you love a good thriller you need to pick it up. It is easily one of my favorite thrillers of all time, with an interesting psychological storyline and twists you won’t expect that will leave you wanting to read it again through the lens of your new knowledge. In general, because thrillers tend to keep you on the edge of your seat, I find they’re usually great options for audiobooks.
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I did not think I was a romance story kind of girl, honestly, but then I listened to Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, and suddenly I was hooked on the Brown sisters. There are three books in the story, starting with Chloe’s story. Following is Take A Hint, Dani Brown and then Act Your Age, Eve Brown. Each story is absolutely beautiful in its own right and touches on topics like fatphobia, chronic illness, living on the spectrum, anxiety and depression, and more, but in a lighthearted, humorous way. These books make great spicy audio reads. My only complaint is I want more of them.
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I find the toughest genre to listen to via audiobook, for me at least, is nonfiction, mostly because I tend to want to take notes on nonfiction books and look up further resources on whatever topic I’m reading, but I liked this one on audiobook quite a bit. Ijeoma reads the book herself, which is always preferred for me. If you’re looking to further your antiracist reading and love podcasts on the topic, this is the perfect extension.
Need other recommendations? Ask me for some ideas!