Since we’re all avid listeners, the Audible editors have lots of audio to recommend—but it’s no easy feat to find one listen we would recommend to everyone. How many times have you heard, “You’re going to love this book”? And you wonder, why would anyone think that you’d love a book about the history of gnats? Be careful what you recommend to friends and family lest they take it the wrong way.
I'm happy to report the recommendations below aced the challenge. There's an audiobook for any kind of listener, and there are those rare unicorns that are perfect for every kind of listener. What cool kid wouldn't enjoy anything by Questlove? Who is immune to the charms of The Book Thief? And who doesn't have something to learn from The Four Agreements? Yes, I know it's my pick—but if everyone in my life and yours listened to it, life would be more agreeable, for the most part.
In the spirit of the holidays, you can spread some listening love with a gift membership, it always fits. As for the list below, we’d like to think it has a special touch, something more personal—curated, loved titles from us to you.
I’ve wondered what kind of an adult I would have been had we had a copy in our house of The Four Agreements, a philosophy based on ancient Toltec wisdom. Would I have been more careful with the words I chose when I wanted to be brutally honest with someone? 1. Be Impeccable with Your Word. Would I not have gotten so upset too many times over something that had nothing to do with me? 2. Don’t Take Anything Personally. Once, I sat next to a Muslim woman on a plane; she was wearing a niquab and abaya. “I bet she isn’t allowed to speak to strangers,” I thought to myself. “How lonely that must be.” As the plane took off, a hand came out from her abaya with a piece of candy. She offered it to me without a word. I took it and thanked her with a smile. 3. Don’t Make Assumptions. When I was at the Fashion Institute of Technology, a professor told us, “Good copy isn’t written; it’s rewritten.” 4. Always do your best. I try. —Editor Yvonne
I picked up Code Name Verity with very little idea of what it was about. Sure, it checked some boxes of what I was in mood for (character-driven, WWII, historical fiction) but I was immediately drawn in by the vivid description of aviation—the author, I learned later, is a pilot herself—and the young women who served on the front lines of WWII. But the more I listened, the more I came to realize that this spellbinding tale of courage and friendship also has a head-turning puzzle at its heart that unfolds bit by bit across the two halves of the dual-narrated story. It would do you—my future listener—an injustice to say anything more, except that this one had me prone and crying on top of a pile of clean folded laundry—that's how much I fell in love with these characters. And that it's probably my most recommended listen of all time. —Editor Emily
This magical book, the eerie fable of a man living in a vast and strange labyrinth, is up there with Man’s Search for Meaning and The Four Agreements in its ability to profoundly alter one’s worldview ever after. To listen to it, stunningly performed by the actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, is to cross a Rubicon—there’s no going back. When I first encountered Piranesi, in the endless pre-vaccine winter of early 2021, I had no previous experience with the work of Susanna Clarke, including her acclaimed best seller, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. But from the first moments of the novel, whose eponymous narrator guided me out of this reality and onto a different plane altogether, I was hooked. Through Clarke’s ingenious storytelling and generous mind, I found truth, purpose, mystery, and wonder—maybe even glimpsed eternity. I’ve since recommended it over and over, and while your own mileage may vary, I’ve yet to find anyone who reported back unchanged by the experience: a marvel of voice, story, character, and meaning. —Editor Kat
I don’t mean to brag, but I recommended this series to my father-in-law recently, and he proceeded to blow through every available novella and novel faster than even I could finish. Sure, the appeal is stronger if you’re already a sci-fi listener, but I’d still throw Murderbot in the ring for anyone looking for a quick, action-packed listen with a fair amount of humor. Kevin R. Free is a stellar narrator for this deadpan, lovable main character too. I can almost guarantee that if you’ve enjoyed at least one sci-fi property—be it a book, podcast, TV show, or movie—you’ll at least enjoy book one, All Systems Red. And if you happen to love it—there are four more novellas and a full-length novel to discover. You’ll never relate to a robot more. —Editor Sam
The Ride of a Lifetime is not just for the Disney fans in your life. It’s been two years and I have not stopped talking about this audiobook. I’ve brought it up in meetings, out to dinner with friends, on the phone with my cousin...I will recommend this to anyone who will listen. Robert Iger, the now-former CEO of Disney, provides a completely candid look at his career, his mentors, and what it takes to be a successful leader and to lead a successful company. What makes this audiobook stand out is Iger’s gift for storytelling. His anecdotes are utterly fascinating and deeply human. His rational and kind approach to leadership is inspiring. It’s an exceptional listen, and one that’s been fascinating to revisit since I first enjoyed it in 2019. Iger retired as CEO in February of 2020, but less than two months later he effectively took the helm once again—though with the title of executive chairman—to help see Disney through the early days of the pandemic. —Editor Katie
I first encountered Markus Zusak’s inventive and tremendously moving take on hope and survival amidst the incalculable tragedies of WWII-era Germany in my seventh-grade literature class. Over the years, I’ve thought about and revisited it constantly, and recommended it to anyone who would listen—it’s one of those stories that’s just impossible to shake. This triumph of historical fiction is such a standout in a large part to the way the narrative unravels. Our titular “book thief” is young Liesel Meminger, a strong-willed girl living with her foster family in the fictional city of Molching, who takes refuge in the volumes she steals from the flames of book burnings and the libraries of politicians alike. Her story and the stories of all those who suffered under the unimaginable cruelty of the Nazi regime are all told from the perspective of Death themself, whose wry and slightly cynical commentary eventually cracks under the strain of such tremendous sorrow. As our narrator Death, brilliantly voiced with composure and remarkable warmth and likability by Allan Corduner, puts it, The Book Thief is a chronicle of, “among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.” But I promise you it’s also much, much more; simply put, you won’t forget a single moment of this shattering listen. —Editor Alanna
I’ve been raving about Creative Quest by The Roots’ legendary percussionist Questlove since it released in 2018 and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. To quote a review that I wrote nearly four years ago: “It has expertly woven personal anecdotes, quotable musings ('If you think you’re a creative person, then you are one'), punctuated by facts about advancements in the culinary, musical, and visual arts, and thoughtful assertions seasoned with charming laughter, mellifluous melodies, and meditational interludes.” That’s a wordy way of saying, “this memoir rocks.” Plus, get more of Questlove’s insights in his Music is History. —Editor Rachael
