In today's fast-paced world, finding time to sit down with a good book can be a challenge. Enter audiobooks—a perfect solution for book lovers on the go. Whether you're commuting to work, doing household chores, or simply relaxing, audiobooks transform mundane moments into captivating adventures. With the soothing voices of skilled narrators bringing stories to life, audiobooks offer an immersive and convenient way to experience literature.
I wanted to highlight one of my favorite ways to support my local bookshop without even leaving the house (or couch, you do you!) with Libro.FM. If you have not made the switch from Audible (an Amazon company, must they own everything?) to Libro.FM well let’s just go ahead and do that right now! Libro.FM splits profits with the local bookstore of your choosing and works the exact same way as Audible— you can purchase individual books or sign up for a monthly credit subscription and can instantly listen to your book from your phone. They also have great sales and monthly discounted books so you can keep a well-stocked audio shelf. You can get 2 free audiobooks when you sign up for a monthly membership here (which is the same price as an Audible membership, done & done, right?!) So! let’s go girls. *cue Shania*
While you are supporting your local community and passionate booksellers with the press of your thumb I’ve got 12 wonderful audiobook recs for you that will draw you in. FACT: I used to struggle with audiobooks, especially fiction. My audiobook journey began with memoirs read by the author and as I settled into my listening ears I discovered that it is very much possible to enjoy fiction on audio. I’ve also discovered that I love fantasy/sci-fi on audio which is a recent revelation for me. These recommendations capture the full spectrum of my audiobook listening. I’m confident there is something for everyone on this list.
12 Audiobooks That Will Draw You In
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer — I inhaled this sci-fi story about a bot who evolves through her relationship with her owner. I was eager to keep listening and the story presented a fascinating exploration of what makes us human, the ethics of replicating intelligence, relationship dynamics, women’s roles, and more. The narrator does an amazing job creating Annie’s voice.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett — A cozy story of a mother retelling a summer from her youth to her three grown daughters while back together at their family cherry orchard during the pandemic, narrated by the one and only Meryl Streep. If you enjoy this then check out The Dutch House by Ann Patchett which wowed me on audio, it’s narrated by Tom Hanks.
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez — After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner — Crying in H Mart is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, in the most beautiful way. Michelle shares her story of growing up in between two cultures, family dynamics, bonding over food, and trying to find your place and way in this world, making it relatable to many. Beautifully written through grief and laced with tenderness, reminding us all what it's like to loose.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young — In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors. Romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston — An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle — When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera — After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney — Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife. Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts--paper, cotton, pottery, tin--and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt — After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid — Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? A mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.
Tell Me Everything: A Memoir by Minka Kelly — Raised by a single mother who worked as a stripper and struggled with addiction, Minka spent years waking up in strange apartments as she and her mom bounced around the country, relying on friends and relatives to take them in. At times they even lived in storage units. She reconnected with her father, Aerosmith's Rick Dufay, and eventually made her way to Los Angeles, where she landed the role of a lifetime on Friday Night Lights.
Audiobooks with a full cast:
A Good Girl's Guide To Murder: Book #1 by Holly Jackson — Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town. But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid — Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas — A breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land sheknows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world. At least, he’s not a beast all the time. As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been toldabout the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros — Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley — On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
What book are you going to enjoy via Libro.FM while supporting your fave indie? And what’s an audiobook that drew you in recently? Let me know in the comments!
Free ways to support The Second Act that I’d be oh so grateful if you took a few second to do:
“like” and comment on this post on Substack 🫶
restack the post to help spread the word
share a screenshot on social media
forward to a friend