Audiobooks are an excellent mode of indulging in great literature. What kind of reader would I be if I didn’t share the best audiobooks I listened to in the last year?
I meet so many people who say that they think they won’t enjoy audiobooks and each time, my response is the same: why not? Audiobooks are fantastic! Okay, they’re not all fantastic, but I can definitely attest to the fact that I have listened to some that actually completely changed my mind about a book I previously disliked. They can be a fresh “perspective,” so to speak. Some have full casts, others have narrators with unique accents, and several are read by the author themself.
If you don’t think you’ll enjoy audiobooks, I highly recommend giving one of these a try. They just might change your mind. I used to be a non-believer myself, but now I’m a huge fan of listening to books. The ones listed here are my favorites from 2020. I don’t take the task of sharing favorites lightly. In order to become a top-pick audiobook, it has to really capture my attention. These books did just that (and I’ve starred the ones that stood out above the rest)!
The Audiobooks I Loved Most in 2020
You can find synopses for these audiobooks, along with my reviews, scattered throughout my blog and on my Goodreads.
January
Opposite of Always – Justin A. Reynolds
Echo North – Joanna Ruth Meyer
February
Ready Player One – Ernest Cline*
March
The Starless Sea – Erin Morgenstern*
Big Little Lies – Liane Moriarty
april
All the Stars and Teeth – Adalyn Grace
Wicked Fox – Kat Cho
May
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird – Josie Silver
Talking as Fast as I Can – Lauren Graham*
Our Stop – Laura Jane Williams
Beneath the Haunting Sea – Joanna Ruth Meyer
June
Someday, Someday, Maybe – Lauren Graham
The Poet X – Elizabeth Acevedo*
The Boyfriend Project – Farrah Rochon
You Should See Me in a Crown – Leah Johnson
July
The Switch – Beth OβLeary
In Five Years – Rebecca Serle
The Bromance Book Club – Lyssa Kay Adams
august
I Was Told It Would Get Easier – Abbi Waxman
Beach Read – Emily Henry
September
Lovely War – Julie Berry*
October
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin – Roseanne A. Brown (interview with the narrator)
Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid*
How to Find Love in a Bookshop – Veronica Henry
November
So This Is Love – Elizabeth Lim
December
One Way or Another – Kara McDowell
In a Holidaze – Christina Lauren
The Afterlife of Holly Chase – Cynthia Hand
related posts
What It’s Really Like to Narrate an Audiobook // The Best Books I Read in 2020 // My Auto-Read Authors
Do you enjoy listening to audiobooks? If so, what are some of your favorites?
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Anita says
All these books sounds amazing. I love their titles and covers, it makes me want to read or listen to them.
Stephanie Whitman says
I hope you get a chance to! I’m such a huge fan of audiobooks. They’ve made reading so much simpler for me over the past two years.
Marie says
Great list, I will have to add these to my must reads! I love your flatlays!
Stephanie Whitman says
Yay! I love hearing that. I hope you enjoy them all as much as I have. And thank you!
Margot says
I never thought about listening to audiobooks.
Now I want to give it a try.
It sounds really relaxing to listen to someone else reading the book especially before to go to sleep.
xx
Margot
https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com
Stephanie Whitman says
Really? Audiobooks can make such a huge difference when it comes to enjoying a book. They give you a brand new experience! And some are definitely relaxing. I don’t like listening before sleep because I get too involved in the story and end up staying awake haha! But they’re awesome throughout the day.
Rach says
I still need to try out audiobooks! Maybe this is the year and I’ll for sure start with some of your faves!
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
Stephanie Whitman says
Audiobooks are awesome! I think you’ll end up loving them once you give them a go. They make the reading experience a lot simpler while you’re doing other tasks, that’s for sure.
Hannah Kaye says
All amazing books and reminds me that I need to start listening to audiobooks more often – I adored the narrators used for the Switch!
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh my gosh YES! They were awesome narrators. Whenever I find a narrator that I enjoy, I end up searching them on Goodreads to see what else they’ve performed in. However, these two don’t seem to have much else I’d be interested in reading (yet – maybe one day)!
Lizzie says
Oh my gosh, i totally forgot about audiobooks! This would actually be a really great option for me since I tend to listen to music or YouTube videos when I work. Can’t wait to check these out!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
Stephanie Whitman says
Absolutely! They’re an awesome option for busy individuals because you can listen as you work!
Ro // A Cup of Kims says
I’ll have to check some of these out! I am an audiobook listener now (although I still love and purchase hard copy books too)and have been looking for some good ones to listen to! I’ve been sticking mostly to biographies and non-fiction books for my audiobooks lately, but I’m excited to try some more fiction books from this list!
Stephanie Whitman says
I think the only non-fiction that I’ve listened to was Talking as Fast as I Can (I mean, how could I say no to a memoir by Lauren Graham READ BY Lauren Graham????) but I’d definitely like to expand that repertoire at some point (even though I’m much more of a fiction fan). Let me know if you have any recommendations!
Lee says
I still haven’t gotten into audio books and I so need to!
Stephanie Whitman says
Audiobooks can make reading so much fun – even for those who don’t read as often. If you like podcasts, you’ll probably love audiobooks as well!
Lucy says
Audiobooks is something I would love to start getting into and listening to, a great post! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Stephanie Whitman says
I hope this inspires you some and gives you some great book options! It’s such an awesome way to enjoy reading!
Chrissy says
These are all great picks! I haven’t been using audiobooks as much as I’d like but I’m intrigued now. x
Stephanie Whitman says
Ooooh I like that I can pique your interest a bit. It’s such an awesome way to dive into books – especially if you’re feeling too busy to sit down with a physical copy!
erin @ Reading On A Star says
this is SO impressive! hope I can listen to some this year.
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh, why is it impressive? I’m so interested haha! I just listed some favorites, that’s all! I hope you get a chance to check some of them out!
Charity says
I haven’t ever actually listened to an audio book. I like reading books better. But maybe I need to try it out!
Stephanie Whitman says
I always felt the same way – but audiobooks have definitely changed my mind. They’re a great option when you’re really busy or if you want to read more often. I still sometimes prefer a physical book, but listening is awesome too!
Stephani says
I always forget about audiobooks! I find it hard to make time to sit as read but listening to books is a a great idea and some of these books seem right up my alley!
Xo, Steph
Stephanie Whitman says
Haha – I think a lot of people do, especially if they aren’t huge readers. Listening makes it really easy to read books without setting aside time to sit down with a physical copy.
Isa A says
name one book you loved the most out of all these. I’m a book lover also. Would love one or two recommendations. <3
Blogger: Fashion & Beauty
Stephanie Whitman says
Well, these actually are my recommendations! They’re the best ones I listened to in the last year – and I listened to possibly 3x this amount π But I starred the ones I enjoyed the very most out of these top picks.
Sarah Lindner says
I have to say I am the worst at picking up an actual book for a read so audio books might be a viable option for me. I feel like some of these might be even better on audio! xoxo, Sarah
Claudia says
I’m a linguistic learner and can’t listen to audiobooks (I watch television with subtitles on) and reading this made me very, very upset about this fact! hahha
Stephanie Whitman says
I watch television with subtitles on too! I can’t stand not having them (unless it’s a sports event or stand-up comedy haha)! But I know some people enjoying reading while listening to audiobooks. I can’t get into that because I read waaaay too fast, but maybe that would be a way for you to enjoy audiobooks without losing the reading element!
Jennifer L Prince says
I got into audiobooks because of you! I found both the audiobook and paperbacks for 2 different books at the end of last summer. I was able to listen to the audiobook and then finish by picking up in the actual book. It was a fun way to pass the time driving. Such a fun idea!!
Stephanie Whitman says
That seriously makes me SO HAPPY to hear! I’m glad I inspired you to give them a try. They’re awesome for listening to while driving, that’s for sure. My parents live about 45-60 mins away from me and I always listen to audiobooks while I’m driving there and back to visit them. They make the ride so much more enjoyable!
Bex says
I absolutely love audiobooks. Im currently listening to The Twisted Tree and really enjoying it
Stephanie Whitman says
That’s so awesome to hear! I haven’t listened to that one, but I’ll have to check it out!
April Kitchens says
This is a great list of books! I have a goal to read 100 books this year, and this is very helpful. I like listening to audiobooks in the car and reading ebooks at night. Great post! Thanks!
Stephanie Whitman says
That’s such an awesome goal! I totally believe in you. If my original goal was 30 last year and I read 131, I know anything is possible at this point π
Deborah says
We have a lot of audiobooks in common, it seems! I agree with these and want to note my favorite audiobook was “Daisy Jones and the Six” – the full cast was excellent to listen to!
Stephanie Whitman says
YES!! Such an incredible audiobook. I just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo on audiobook and enjoyed that one SO much as well.
Venus says
I’ve always loved listening to audiobooks. Sometimes the narrators make the story sound so interesting, and I feel like I’m actually there.
Stephanie Whitman says
Right? There’s something really unique about an audiobook. One of the things I often find is that when I’m not enjoying a physical book, the audiobook can usually capture my attention. It’s good to try different formats to see which is the best pick!
Raji says
This is a great list! I’ve read many of these, but I haven’t been listening to many audiobooks lately. Daisy Jones and the Six sounds interesting though, I’ll check it out!
Stephanie Whitman says
Oh YES, please do! If you’re going to listen to any of them, that’s an excellent pick. It’s PHENOMENAL.