Reading every day is a big priority of mine. But on really full days, fitting in reading time can be a challenge. Which is why I’m so grateful for great audiobooks! They are the perfect solution to making reading a priority — even when I’m not able to physically sit down and read a book.
With a good audiobook, I can clean a bathroom, wait in the carpool line, or fold a load of laundry — and it makes a sometimes monotonous task really enjoyable. Getting something done while getting lost in a story? That’s a major win!
There’s also something really special about hearing the author or narrator bring the story to life in their own voice. It adds a whole new layer to the reading experience of the best audiobooks.
Psst! Be sure to check out how I listen to audiobooks for free. And don’t forget to sign up to get 3 FREE audiobooks from Audiobooks.com right now!
How to Get Free Audiobooks
Before we get into the list, I want to share how I get free audiobooks because, without that, audiobook listening can quickly become expensive.
I discovered the Libby app a number of years ago, and I love that I can listen to just about any audiobook I want completely for FREE! I highly, highly recommend it!
That being said, Libby’s audiobooks can sometimes have long holds or short lending periods that require you to return the book before you’ve finished it.
If you’re looking for another way to grab a few FREE audiobooks, you can currently sign up for an Audiobooks.com trial and get 3 FREE audiobooks during your first month! You’ll get access to over 150,000 audiobooks! (Just remember to cancel your subscription before your free trial is up so that you don’t get charged!)
Another option is Audible, which gives you access to a streaming library of books and lets you keep one book per month of membership, even after you’ve canceled your subscription. Check out the current Audible discounts and deals here.
Psst! If you like eBooks, you might want to take advantage of this FREE one-month Kindle Unlimited Trial that’s available, too! It includes not just eBooks but thousands of audiobooks, as well!
7 Best Audiobooks I Highly Recommend
If you’re ready to hit play on your next favorite audiobook, here are my top 7 audiobooks I can’t stop recommending:
1. Before We Were Yours
At the advice of my readers, I started reading this one and immediately couldn’t stop talking about it.
It’s the tragic and true story of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society Orphanage scandals and how they played out in the lives of the children who actually went through this horrific experience.
Truth be told, I had never heard of these scandals before listening to this book — and I live in Tennessee! I have asked multiple people who live here and they haven’t heard of it either.
It’s heart-wrenching and horrible and I think a powerful reminder of how money can cause people to make terrible decisions that can hurt people in devastating ways.
The book is well-written and engaging and appears to be very well-researched historical fiction. It is also the beautiful story of sibling love and how trauma and devastation doesn’t have to define your future.
Note: There are a lot of situations in the book when it comes to abuse that could be very triggering to people, depending upon your life experience and trauma. The book doesn’t give nitty-gritty details, but it’s enough that it could be very triggering.
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
I read this book a number of years ago and loved it. Then, I watched the Netflix movie they did based upon the book.
Well, after watching the movie and enjoying it, I realized I couldn’t remember enough about the book to compare the movie and the book. So, in an uncharacteristic move, I decided to read the book again.
Only this time, I listened to it (thanks to getting the audiobook for free from the Libby app). This is one of the best audiobooks, because it’s SO well done and I loved that the audiobook is narrated by multiple voices!
3. We Were the Lucky Ones
This was my very favorite audiobook of 2021! This is based on the true story of a Jewish family during World War II who were separated all over the world and how they ended up surviving and eventually being reunited. It is deeply moving, gripping, and heartbreaking. But at the same time, it is the story of love, family, and perseverance against all odds.
One thing I noticed was how creative and determined to beat the odds each of the family members was, coming up with outside-the-box ideas, and not giving up. When all around it felt like everything was crumbling and hopeless, they chose to keep pressing on and keep holding on to the will to live.
Of all the parts of the book, I think the sections that most impacted me were thinking of what it would be like to have young children during the Holocaust and how deeply difficult it would be to try to care for and protect a baby or child in the midst of so much fear, uncertainty, and straight up disregard for human life. I can’t even begin to imagine and this book helped me to have a glimpse into just how horrific that would have been.
Note: There is a little bit of language and, as you can imagine, some intense and graphic topics are touched on. However, I felt like the book did a good job of not going into unnecessarily graphic details and stayed true to the story and experiences.
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures
So, this is a book I never expected would make my favorites list. But, it completely surprised me how much I loved it and grew attached to the quirky characters in it — including an octopus!
In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I actually bought a copy so I could finish reading it instead of listening to it! I rarely do that, so you know I loved the book.
It’s a book with multiple unique characters telling their story from their point of view and how they all weave together in the end is beautiful and endearing. If you enjoy a good fiction story told from different vantage points that spans a wide variety of ages and interests, definitely check this book out!
Note: This is not a Christian book and has some crass language in it, but it is well-written and engaging story… and it made me want to learn a lot more about the octopus from it as it was fascinating and I learned so much just from the parts of the book included about it!
5. The Things We Cannot Say
This book wasn’t at all what I expected and I almost didn’t keep listening after the first few chapters because it threw me off… but I’m so glad that I did because it ended up being such a beautiful story.
I loved getting to walk in the shoes of a mom who has a child on the autism spectrum and to feel more empathy for what she is experiencing and walking through. The book also made me think of how everyone is carrying heavy burdens and how many people are probably walking around with secrets and burdens and struggles that we don’t know anything about.
Note: This book contains a little crass language.
6. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
This is a book I never would have picked up on my own, but it came so highly recommended by multiple people that I decided to try it because it was free to listen to on Libby. I’m so glad I did because it is one of those books that has stuck with me for a long time.
This book explores not only the Pack Horse Librarian Project that was started by Roosevelt’s New Deal — a project dedicated to bringing literature to people who lived far away from access to libraries — but it also dives deep into the Blue People.
I had never heard of either the Pack Horse Librarian Project or the Blue People and the book inspired me to dig deeper into both of them. It was fascinating and heartbreaking to learn about.
If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction about important pieces of history that aren’t widely known/talked about (at least I’d never heard of either!), this would be a good read. It does have some language and a few more adult-themed sections, but overall was well worth the time I invested listening to it.
I felt like the story was slow in parts and skipped around a little, but it was still moving and drew you in. I learned so much from it and have talked about it multiple times with multiple people since listening to it — which always signifies to me that a book resonated with me.
7. The Great Alone
This was a fascinating peek into the world of what it’s like to live in Alaska. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law and nephew live in Alaska, so it gave me a whole new appreciation for their life.
The audiobook felt so sad and dark in parts… and it opened my eyes to how hard it would be to live where it is so dark and cold so much of the year. I had never really thought how much sunshine and warmth can impact our overall mood and could steal one’s joy and motivation.
The Great Alone did a fantastic job of helping me to have a deeper understanding of the challenges people in Alaska have faced and how harsh and brutal the winters are and how isolating that could be. If you have ever wondered what life in Alaska is like for some or you are just looking for a unique novel that is well-written and engaging, I would highly recommend The Great Alone.
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What do you recommend as some of the best audiobooks to listen to? I’d love to hear!
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