15 audiobooks I’ve enjoyed lately: literary fiction and love stories
I love a good audiobook, and yet sometimes it’s so hard to choose what to listen to next! I can’t be the only reader in this position, and with that in mind, today I’m once again sharing a plethora of recent books that I read in the audiobook format.
I noticed that the vast majority of my recent reads fell into two categories: literary fiction and love stories. I thought it might be fun to focus my round-up on these two loose genres for easy browsing.
Some of these books have previously appeared on the blog (usually in Quick Lit); some are appearing for the first time. My hope is that these audiobook round-ups can be good resources for finding your next audiobook when it’s time to see what’s on Libby or spend a new credit.
Speaking of audiobook credits: I listen to my borrowed audiobooks on Libby and most of my purchased ones through Libro.fm, who’s running a great sale for this weekend’s Independent Bookstore Day. When you sign up for a new monthly membership with the code SWITCH, you get two bonus audiobooks. That means you’ll have three audiobook credits to redeem from the start. Use this link to get started.
Libro.fm has a ton of great audiobooks on sale for IBD week, and you don’t have to be a member to get the deal. To highlight a few of my favorites on sale for $5 or less right now (plus one of Will’s favorites, can you tell which is which?):
- The Postcard by Anne Berest
- Circe by Madeline Miller
- Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
- All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
- The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
- Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
I hope you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR on this list (and in these comments!), and I look forward to browsing your recent audiobook favorites below. Thanks in advance for your recommendations: they’re extremely helpful when it comes to choosing my next listen!
Audiobook roundup: recent literary fiction reads
I strongly considered including this May 2022 novel—and Pulitzer Prize winner—on my favorite audiobooks of 2023 list! This multi-layered story is told in four distinct parts, each one subtly—or, in the case of the final section, not so subtly—changing the meaning of what came before, and each with its own narrator. Part I is a biographical novel based on the life of an infamous Wall Street trader. Part II, an unfinished draft of the autobiography the trader began writing, with the help of a ghostwriter, to “correct” the novel’s portrayal of his life. Part III is from the point of view of that ghostwriter, and Part IV … no spoilers, but it blows the lid off the whole thing. Structure nerds like myself will find much to appreciate here. Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Jonathan Davis, Mozhan Marnò, and Orlagh Cassidy; 10 hrs 21 mins. More info →
This adroit sophomore novel from Good Morning, Midnight author Brooks-Dalton is a notable addition to the growing canon of dystopian climate change fiction. Wanda takes her name from the powerful hurricane that swept across southeastern Florida on the day she was born: to Floridians, her name has always been synonymous with death and destruction, and the storm visited both upon her family. As Wanda grows up, Florida’s landscape grows ever more precarious, and Wanda learns what it means to survive as one epoch of human history comes to an end and another begins, always with the help of her older survivalist neighbor Phyllis. I found myself rooting for Wanda as she sought love and safety, found improbable ways forward, and struggled to come to terms with her world as it is now. This Audiofile Earphones Award winner is narrated by Rosemary Benson; 11 hrs 19 mins. More info →
I loved this so much we’re reading it in MMD Book Club this July! This January 2022 release features Olga, a Puerto Rican Brooklynite who works as a wedding planner to the ultra-rich—those who might think nothing of spending seven figures on a wedding. The juicy wedding details made for fascinating reading (and are rooted in Gonzales’s real-life experience), but the emotional heart of this story lies with Olga’s family of origin: their revolutionary father was a heroin addict who died years ago of complications from AIDS; their mother abandoned the pair when they were young so she could fight for Puerto Rican independence. Now 40, Olga finds herself restless with the life she’s leading, her brother feels trapped for his own reasons, and the two find themselves torn between the success they’ve found and the ideals with which they were raised. This is a story about finding love and healing, breaking free from past hurts, and also very much about the past and present of Puerto Rico, with a particularly satisfying ending. Narrated by Almarie Guerra, Inés del Castillo, and Armando Riesco; 11 hrs 42 mins. More info →
Debut novelist Peters draws on her father’s childhood memories of berry picking to weave this heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful tale. The story begins in 1960s Maine, where an indigenous family has come from Nova Scotia to pick berries as they do every summer. But their lives are irrevocably changed when 4-year-old Ruthie disappears from the edge of the berry field; her 6-year-old brother Joe was the last one to see her, and he will carry guilt over his disappearance for the rest of his life. The story is narrated in turn by an adult Joe and a New England woman named Norma, whose childhood was marked by a chilly household atmosphere, strange recurring dreams, and a persistent sense of unbelonging. The reader will put together the pieces long before Norma does: it’s impossible not to root for Norma and Joe as they strive to first understand, and then accept and find forgiveness for the devastations they endured in their youth. This novel is hard in many ways (take note of the obvious content warnings and others that are less obvious but real), and yet it’s also a moving and gentle exploration of family, identity, grief, and healing. Narrated by Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch; 8 hrs 44 mins. More info →
I might have passed this one by because the premise is desperately sad, but then numerous friends and booksellers with great taste all told me I had to read it. I gave it a try, and I’m glad I did. Edi and Ashley have been best friends their entire lives—more than four decades—and now, three years after her ovarian cancer diagnosis, Edi has decided to cease treatments and enter hospice care. It’s gutting: Edi’s dying too young, in pain, and making impossible decisions like how to say goodbye to her 7-year-old son. Ash is desperately trying to hide her grief from her friend, but it’s making itself felt in big and small ways. It’s all so hard to read. But this novel is also filled with so much life and humor, on practically every page. For while Edi’s suburban hospice may be filled with the dying, it is also still filled with life, and with forty years of memories from an exceptional, joy-filled, through-thick-and-thin friendship. The audio version, narrated by Jane Oppenheimer, was an excellent choice for this first person story. 6 hrs 55 mins. More info →
A writer flees Los Angeles to check in at a Best Western (her favorite hotel chain) in Death Valley, seeking to write a “desert epiphany” scene for her work in progress and also to get some relief from the grueling demands of tending a father in the ICU and a husband living with chronic illness. She has no intention of hiking while she’s there, but when the desk clerk recommends a hike and draws her a map, she follows it—and soon finds herself entering a cactus portal where she can connect with her loved ones in ways she never dreamed possible. This story is sad, tender, surprising, and more than a little weird. It was a little outside my lane but I’m glad I took a chance on it; the five-hour run time made it easy to do so. 5 hrs 9 mins. More info →
McDermott’s latest, published in October 2023, is a response of sorts to Graham Greene’s Vietnam novel The Quiet American, particularly to the way he portrayed women in its pages. In Absolution, McDermott tells the story of the American women who accompanied their husbands to Vietnam. The book unfolds in an epistolary format; two women, one older and one younger, exchange letters about all they experienced and witnessed decades prior, back in 1963 Vietnam. This setup allows them to reflect on the past from a distance, considering the people they were then, the choices they made, and what they would have done differently if they had only known better. And, as the title implies, could they possibly ask for or receive forgiveness for the choices they once made? The gorgeous prose beautifully suits the book’s structure; I felt like I was listening in to two women authentically remembering how things were back then. As I was reading, I kept thinking of this book in conversation with Tan Twan Eng’s The House of Doors and Wendy Chin-Tanner’s King of the Armadillos. I listened to the audio version narrated by Jesse Vilinsky and Rachel Kenney, and while their performances were solid I didn’t prefer this book in that format; I would have liked to do more flipping back and forth between chapters than is possible with an audiobook. 10 hrs 2 mins. More info →
We featured this February 2024 release in our MMD Spring Book Preview. This lyrical historical novel and sophisticated detective tale is very much in the vein of Choo’s previous works The Ghost Bride and The Night Tiger, inspired by Japanese fox folklore. In 1908 Manchuria, a young girl’s mysterious death brings together a servant, a detective, and a wealthy family. Gradually the reader comes to understand the vast world of fox folklore, the terror of a family curse, the reasons a mother is bent on revenge, and the stakes for all involved. This was lovely on audio, narrated by the author, but because the plot is intricate I had to pay close attention, occasionally even rewinding to re-listen to certain passages. 14 hrs 37 mins. More info →
I’ve been meaning to read this novel in short stories, centered around the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for ages! Coulson worked at the Met for decades, holding a variety of positions, and her stories take us behind the scenes of the museum. Sometimes the stories feel extremely down-to-earth for such a lofty place; sometimes they’re downright surreal, like the story told from the perspective of an 18th-century French chair who wishes someone would come sit in it. I liked this one, though I did wonder if I might enjoy it better in print, and I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as her inventive sophomore novel One Woman Show. Narrated by Jill Eikenberry. 4 hrs 29 mins. More info →
I’ve checked Hill’s debut out of the library a few times over the years—and returned it un-read—but finally got around to it after reading and enjoying his sophomore novel Wellness last fall. The Nix is similarly long (at 640 pages) and sweeping in scope, spanning decades and unfurling the life stories of several generations of one midwestern family. The story begins in 2011, when Samuel Andresen-Anderson suddenly finds himself embroiled in professional scandal, and almost simultaneously discovers his long-absent mother, who left the family when he was a child, is headline news for throwing rocks at a presidential candidate. We go on to examine the long road that led to her decision to leave the family, her childhood, even the family’s roots back in Norway, where the myth of the Nix—a spirit that follows you for life—originated. I’m glad I finally read this but the blend of family saga and satire didn’t work as well for me here as it did in Wellness. Heads up for multiple content warnings that are not evident from the publisher’s description. Narrated by Ari Fliakos; 21 hrs 42 mins. More info →
Audiobook roundup: recent love stories
This was a walk-another-mile, fold-another-load DELIGHT. I wasn’t sure about it at first, because the opening meet cute was a little much, but I settled in and thoroughly enjoyed this chaste blend of women’s fiction and romance. The story centers a nearly-30-year-old woman named Jo who was once excitedly completing a 30-by-30 list, but her plans got derailed by a family tragedy. Then her nieces unexpectedly show up for the summer and basically demand that she get back to work on her list. She gets started by kissing a stranger: she thinks she’ll never see him again, but surprise! He’s her new neighbor, AND her new coworker (soon to be dubbed “Hot Yacht Chef”) aboard the luxury yacht where Jo works as a steward. With the help of her friends, family, and new love interest, Jo starts facing the pain of the past, and plotting a course for the future—including plans to knock out that bucket list. Narrated by Karissa Vacker. (Chaste.) 10 hrs 9 mins. More info →
I’ve often heard this 2022 novel described as a romance but it read more like a family drama with a strong (open door) love story component. However you want to categorize it, Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem’s dual narration sucked me right in on audio! Yasmen and Josiah met and married young and have always been #couplegoals to their friends. But several years ago, after Si’s beloved aunt died and their third child is delivered stillborn, they plunged into grief and Yas struggled with clinical depression. They divorced in the aftermath of their terrible losses, but now that they’ve found some measure of stability as coparents and as business partners, circumstances (mainly in the form of Si’s attractive new love interest) have Yas questioning if they might have a shot after all. This was such a good (and emotional) ride on audio: I loved the Atlanta locale, all the restaurant details, and the emotional promise of two thirtysomethings finding a second chance at true love. I burned through this story because I needed to hear them get their happy ending. 13 hrs 45 mins. More info →
This winter I found myself in need of an engaging, uplifting, and not-too-heavy listen for a solo road trip. I opted for the first book in Sarah Adams’s When in Rome series; I read the second book Practice Makes Perfect last year but reading them out of order was no problem. This romance was the perfect book for the occasion: in it, famous pop star Rae Rose desperately needs a getaway and flees Nashville for Rome, Kentucky. She would go to Italy if she could, but since the setting for her favorite Audrey Hepburn movie is too far to be practical, she settles for the much nearer Rome that pops up in her GPS. Car trouble puts her in the path of Noah Walker, a gruff but handsome pie shop owner with a heart of gold. I enjoyed the small town charm, celebrity/commoner relationship, career details for music and pies, and Noah’s deeply invested sisters. The book was the exact right length to carry me to my destination, and Karissa Vacker and Andrew Eiden’s narration was perfection. After reading this, I feel like a re-watch of Roman Holiday is in order. 9 hrs 46 mins. More info →
Something to talk about in depth another day: social media is increasingly becoming a big factor in so many kinds of fiction. A viral TikTok sets this story in motion: Twenty-eight year old Noelle is floundering, living back at home with her parents and grieving the loss of her best friend, her grandmother. When she discovers a pile of old photos and love letters hinting at the fact that her grandmother had a great love before she married Noelle’s grandfather, Noelle does the best thing she can think of: spills the story on TikTok to help her find her grandmother’s mystery man. The good news: the man’s grandson immediately comes forward: The bad news: he’s her high school nemesis. Noelle and Theo reunite, invite Grandpa into the story, and set off on road trip on which the younger two will learn the secrets of this long-lost love—and maybe fall in love along the way. This was such fun to listen to as narrated by Kyla Garcia; I especially enjoyed the intergenerational component of this sweet and tender (and sometimes steamy) story. (Open door.) 10 hrs 55 mins. More info →
I love a good celebrity romance, and this one was perfect for solo road trip listening. April is a geologist, Marcus a tv star on a popular series, but the two share a love for writing fanfiction for one of the hottest series going. Nobody knows about their secret passion: April chooses not to tell her friends and family for her own reasons; Marcus’s fanfics are not exactly allowed under the terms of his contract. They don’t know each other IRL, but they are practically besties in their online community, trusting each other with their words and real life musings. But when fate and twitter bring the two together in person for an unlikely actual date, sparks fly—even though April is sure it’s just a publicity stunt, even though he’s a celebrity and she’s not, even though he’s textbook attractive and she has never been described as such. I especially enjoyed the multiple narrative formats (which worked great on audio): Dade incorporates fanfiction excerpts, tv and movie scripts, and a modern day narrative into her story of two people finding love. Narrated by Isabelle Ruther. (Open door.) 12 hrs 48 mins. More info →
What have you been listening to lately? Please share your favorite titles that are particularly good in the audio format in the comments section!
P.S. Check out all our audiobook archives here.
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