In case you haven’t heard of Amazon’s Audible yet, it’s the world’s largest platform for audiobooks and spoken entertainment and it’s got some seriously awesome content. Audiobooks are one of the easiest and most accessible ways to absorb written content while traveling, driving, cleaning or doing other activities.
If you can’t seem to find the time to read in your everyday life try Audible. You can burn through your next book club assignment or listen to that NY Times Bestseller everyone seems to be talking about quickly, while you run errands or clean out the garage.
You can find most must-read books out there in an audiobook format and with Audible Originals, there’s so much to discover in the world of spoken literature. While we’re all spending more time inside and looking for things to do, we recommend Audible. It’s great for transporting to another world, digesting dense material more easily and is accessible to almost everyone.
Here are some of our favorite audiobooks that you can download today onto any iOS, Android and Windows device.
1. Harry Potter — J.K. Rowling
Narrated by Jim Dale
Jim Dale’s narration of Harry Potter is definitely a highlight of the Audible library and should be heard by everyone at least once. He brings this already familiar, fantastical world to life with his voice and goes with you on the adventure with Harry, Ron, Hermione and the whole cast of characters.
He’s narrated the whole series, so you can go in order if you’re just catching up or re-read your favorites in his voice.
Run Time: 8 hrs, 18 mins
Good For: Families, kids, action, fantasy
2. Talking to Strangers — Malcolm Gladwell
Narrated by Malcolm Gladwell
This audiobook was a project in itself for Malcolm Gladwell, the author of other New York Times Bestselling books Outliers, Tipping Point and David and Goliath. Talking to Strangers focuses on the interactions we have with people we don’t know — and how the potentially destructive results play out in society.
From Sandra Bland to Brock Turner, Gladwell breaks down some of the hardest hitting news stories from the past decade and unpacks them from the perspective of what happens when two strangers misunderstand each other. What tools cause us to misunderstand people so gravely? How are we inviting conflict into the world through not trying to relate to others better?
While he was writing this book, he was also producing this audiobook that goes above and beyond simply reading chapter after chapter — including interview clips with industry experts, reenacted courtroom transcripts, audio clip from arrests and much more. It’s an encapsulating experience for the average reader, and truly takes his book to the next level.
Run Time: 8 hrs, 42 mins
Good For: Social science, astute observation, interesting insights
3. Bearskin — James A. McLaughlin
Narrated by MacLeod Andrews
In his debut novel, James A. McLaughlin weaves a hauntingly beautiful story together about Appalachia, complete with mystery, intrigue, danger and crime. Rice Moore is on the run from Mexican drug cartels he betrayed in Arizona and gets a job overseeing a remote forest preserve in Virginia Appalachia where his duties consist of monitoring the wildlife and refurbishing cabins.
It’s a solitary life, exactly what he wants, until bears start getting poached left and right and in pursuit of those responsible, he risks exposing himself to the dangerous people he’s running from in the first place.
Run Time: 9 hrs, 49 mins
Good For: Mystery, haunting drama, crime, intrigue
4. Born a Crime — Trevor Noah
Narrated by Trevor Noah
Did you know the beloved host wrote a book a few years back? Born a Crime is all about Trevor Noah’s childhood growing up in South Africa, being raised by a single mother in a township and how his experiences have influenced who he is today.
He narrates this award-winning Amazon Studios production and covers his coming-of-age story during apartheid in South Africa complete with some shockingly raw accounts of surviving life as a mixed-race child. A few recounts include his mother pushing him out of a moving car to avoid a potentially fatal conflict with gangsters, his business selling pirated music mixes with friends and the daily ritual that brings us all together as humans.
His stories will dazzle, humble and enlighten anyone and his book is very much worth your time.
Run Time: 8 hrs, 44 mins
Good For: Modern history, real-life storytelling
5. Atomic Habits — James Clear
Narrated by James Clear
Want a self-help book that will actually help? Atomic Habits changes the game when it comes to deep insight into the human psyche and how habits rule our everyday lives. Habits dictate nearly everything we do on a daily basis, and therefore have the potential to build monumental strength or be our greatest weakness in the pursuit of human excellence.
No matter what your goals or lifestyle is, James Clear has a way to help you with your habits. He’s a habit expert who draws on the most relevant ideas from biology, psychology and neuroscience to create an accessible, engaging guide to creating good habits, and a good habit system that will stick.
If you’re looking for inspiration, a new approach to daily living and want to turn small changes into large gains, take a listen.
Run Time: 5 hrs, 35 mins
Good For: Self-help, habits, psychology, self improvement
6. Mythos — Stephen Fry
Narrated by Stephen Fry
Is Greek mythology kind of your thing? Check out this book. It’s got a mix of Greek myths retold by Stephen Fry, the legendary actor, writer and comedian. He covers the ancient tales we know and love including Pandora’s box and Prometheus’s fire, and the adventures of Zeus and Olympians. He gives them new life, transforming them into deeply funny and emotionally accessible tales that maintain their classic appeal while getting a fresh coat for the next generation.
Run Time: 15 hrs, 26 mins
Good For: Greek mythology, classics, historical texts, humor and fantasy
7. The Boy From The Woods — Harlan Coben
Narrated by Steven Weber
Love a good mystery? This one’s worth checking out. Wilde was living feral in the woods as a boy when he was found with very few answers about where he came from and how he ended up there. Now, he’s an adult and another child has gone missing and he’s a key piece of the investigation into where she is and what or who took her.
In order to help find Naomi he must return to the community and place where his nightmare began and uncover secrets he’d rather lay to rest before time runs out.
Run Time: 10 hrs and 8 mins
Good For: Mystery, intrigue, crime
8. Never Split the Difference — Chris Voss
Narrated by Michael Kramer
Everything in life is a negotiation — from ordering your morning coffee to crossing the street to signing a job contract. You’ve probably been confronted with many negotiations in your life ranging from critically important to mundane. Each one, however, presents an opportunity for you to benefit — and wouldn’t you want to maximize on that?
Chris Voss is a former international hostage negotiator for the FBI who has a Masterclass and a best-selling book on the art of persuasive negotiating. In this book, Voss takes everything he learned saving lives through negotiating and distills it down into nine key principles, tactics and strategies you can apply to your own life.
Learn how to advocate for yourself, maximize every opportunity and get what you want with this accessible guide.
Run Time: 8 hrs, 7 mins
Good For: Self-help, business, negotiation, psychology
9. Unfu*k Yourself — Gary John Bishop
Narrated by Gary John Bishop
Are you not a self-help person, but would still like some advice? Here’s a completely no-BS self-help book all about helping people “unf*ck” themselves from Gary John Bishop, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and other similar titles.
In this New York Times Bestselling book, Bishop goes through seven assertions that will remind you of the miracle of the being you are and how to grab life and actually live it how you want to. These assertions include “I am willing,” “I got this,” “I am not my thoughts, I am what I do” among others. If you hate cheesy encouragement but want motivation, this book should be your next listen.
Run Time: 3 hrs, 23 mins
Good For: Self-help, motivation, authentic encouragement
