20 of the Best Audiobooks of All Time

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The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon; Read by Bahni Turpin, Raymond Lee, and Dominic Hoffman

If you haven’t work this book, which has besides been adapted into a movie, past perceive to it ASAP. It is good formed and the speechmaking is perfectly beautiful. Much of the publication takes spot successful a single, eventful time erstwhile Jamaican American Natasha and Korean American Daniel conscionable and rapidly autumn successful love. Unfortunately, Natasha and her household are scheduled to beryllium deported the pursuing day. You’ll suffer yourself successful this lush prose and heart-wrenching story.

American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition by Neil Gaiman; Read by Ron McLarty, Daniel Oreskes and a Full Cast

This variation of Gaiman’s beloved caller is considered his “director’s cut” due to the fact that it includes unpublished worldly from his archetypal manuscript. The leads supply stunning portrayals of the arrogant Mr. Wednesday and relatable protagonist Shadow Moon.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Written and Read by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Adapted from Kendi’s Stamped From the Beginning, this bestseller approaches analyzable topics successful a kid-friendly way. Jason Reynolds’s show reminds america wherefore helium is truthful well-loved by kids and teachers alike.

World War Z: The Complete Edition: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks; Read by Alan Alda, Mark Hamill, Carl & Rob Reiner, and John Turturro

This well-known enactment was the victor of the Audie for Multi-Voiced Performance successful 2014. Combining the archetypal abridged signaling and caller unabridged recordings, the audiobook boasts the dependable talents of celebrities similar Mark Hamill.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty; Read by the Author and Eliana Shaskan

I, an uncultured swine, had ne'er seen The Exorcist erstwhile I decided to perceive to the audiobook. Dear reader, that was a mistake. After listening to this unthinkable show of the profoundly disturbing root material, the movie adaptation paled successful comparison. This is simply a must-listen for immoderate self-respecting fearfulness fan.

Same Sun Here; Written and Read by Silas House and Neela Vaswani

This audiobook was a 2013 Audie Award Nominee for Children’s Titles for Ages 8–12. Of course, a communicative written successful 2 voices is cleanable for aggregate narrators. The 2 readers some springiness masterful performances that seizure the precise antithetic voices of the 2 protagonists.

Lincoln successful the Bardo by George Saunders; Read by Nick Offerman and a Full Cast

The word “a afloat cast” is an understatement here. This 2018 Audie Award victor for Audiobook of the Year is work by 166 narrators. Among them are celebrities similar Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, Susan Sarandon, Bill Hader, and more.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo; Read by the Author and Melania-Luisa Marte

Elizabeth Acevedo is easy 1 of the astir captious voices of our time. She lends her dependable to this audiobook, bringing her unsocial penetration into the characters to her performance. This beauteous novel-in-verse is cleanable for audio, truthful it’s a existent dainty for the ears.

Brown Girl Dreaming; Written and Read by Jacqueline Woodson

I cognize I conscionable said this astir Elizabeth Acevedo, but Jacqueline Woodson is unarguably 1 of the champion authors of our time. Brown Girl Dreaming is simply a the communicative of Woodson’s childhood, told successful beauteous verse. Naturally, there’s nary amended scholar for it than the writer herself.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin; Read by Roy Dotrice

Roy Dotrice is 1 of the champion audiobook narrators of each time. Consequently, helium is the cleanable dependable for specified an epic story. He does the sprawling formed of characters justness with his incredibly varied dependable work.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Written and Read by Maya Angelou

Mother Maya Angelou needs nary introduction. Her words are poesy and she delivers them similar nary 1 other could. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiographical communicative of symptom and resilience that has inspired readers for decades.

The Stand by Stephen King; Read by Grover Gardner

The Stand is an epic communicative of a civilization-ending unwellness that possibly hits excessively adjacent to location successful the existent era. Still, Grover Gardner’s show is perfectly spellbinding. Each of the galore characters has a unsocial voice, implicit with subtle nuances that bespeak a heavy knowing of the root material.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern; Read by Jim Dale

I hatred to notation those magic books I truthful emotion (because of their hateful TERF of an author), but the audiobook show is superb. Jim Dale is unthinkable and does each the voices successful chiseled and engaging ways. While The Night Circus doesn’t person arsenic galore unsocial characters arsenic those books, it’s a large publication and Dale does a phenomenal job.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; Read by Bahni Turpin

Bahni Turpin is 1 of my favourite audiobook narrators (which is wherefore she’s making different quality connected this list). She captures protagonist Starr perfectly successful Angie Thomas’s seminal novel, The Hate U Give. While Starr is written arsenic a relatable quality you can’t assistance but basal for, Turpin genuinely brings her to life.

Born a Crime; Written and Read by Trevor Noah

Let maine number the ways I emotion Trevor Noah. Actually, we haven’t got the clip oregon abstraction for that. Instead, I volition conscionable accidental his memoir was made to beryllium listened to. The Xhosa and Zulu connection interwoven done the communicative are truthful beauteous successful his voice. You conscionable can’t get the aforesaid acquisition speechmaking this 1 connected the page.

Circe by Madeline Miller; Read by Perdita Weeks

Perdita Weeks outdoes herself successful this audio recording. Circe connected audio is an EXPERIENCE. For 12 hours, you volition go mislaid successful a satellite that feels much existent than our own, acknowledgment to Weeks’s stellar performance.

The Dutch House by Anne Patchett; Read by Tom Hanks

Tom. Hanks. Need I accidental more?

Beloved Written and Read by Toni Morrison

Here we person different implicit icon speechmaking an iconic communicative successful her ain voice. The symptom connected the leafage becomes that overmuch much heartwrenching successful Morrison’s vocal performance. Whether you’ve work this Pulitzer Prize–winner oregon not, the audiobook is much than worthy your time.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson; Read by Marin Ireland

I listened to this publication earlier this twelvemonth and I cannot explicit however overmuch I urge you bash the same. It’s a touching, outlandish, and hilarious communicative arsenic written, but Marin Ireland takes it to an wholly caller level. Her usage of dialect and the earthy honesty of her show is unparalleled. Seriously, perceive to it immediately.

Becoming Written and Read by Michelle Obama

Finally, if you didn’t cognize Michelle Obama’s memoir would beryllium connected this list, past you apt are caller to the satellite of audiobooks. This Grammy Award Winner for Best Spoken Word Album 2020 is simply a refreshingly honest, inspiring look astatine the beingness of our erstwhile First Lady. Nobody could’ve work it similar she did, truthful we’re each fortunate she took the narration reins.