Finding the best audiobooks is a tough task. The underlying book has to be good, but the audio performance has to be good, too. Perhaps some books which aren't so good can be transformed into something stunning by a great audio performance, or a book that's wonderful can be ruined by an audio performer who isn't great at dialogue (say).
For guidance on the best audiobooks of 2020, we turned to Robin Whitten for recommendations. She's the founder and editor of AudioFile Magazine, set up in 1992 and the best resource we've found on the web for audiobook reviews and recommendations. Assistant editor Emily Connelly also talked us through AudioFile's selection of the best audiobooks of 2020 for kids. For an expert introduction to what makes a good listening experience, we recommend this interview, with Robin and Mary Burkey, another audiobook veteran who has judged a number of prizes.
We’ve also got lists we’ve compiled ourselves, including some of the books we’ve come across and enjoyed listening to. They include:
1. Great actors reading great books (e.g. Dan Stevens—of Downton Abbey—doing an incredible narration of Frankenstein)
2. Audiobooks narrated by their author (eg. Michelle Obama, telling us her own story in Becoming).
3. The best audiobooks for kids, but which adults can enjoy too (e.g. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, wonderfully narrated by Jeff Woodman)
-
1
Vesper Flights
by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator) -
2
The Sandman
by Dirk Maggs (audiobook adaptation), Full Cast & Neil Gaiman -
3
The Pull of the Stars: A Novel
by Emma Donoghue & Emma Lowe (narrator) -
4
The Searcher: A Novel
by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French -
5
A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team
by Adam Lazarre-White (narrator) & Arshay Cooper
The Best Audiobooks of 2020, recommended by Robin Whitten
The Best Audiobooks of 2020, recommended by Robin Whitten
With most people carrying smartphones these days, entering the world of audiobooks has never been easier. Some are straightforward narrations of a book, but when an audiobook is done well, it can be an extraordinary, all-encompassing experience. Here Robin Whitten, editor of AudioFile magazine—the best resource for finding good quality audiobooks on the web, in our view—talks us through her picks for the best audiobooks of 2020, chosen from the hundreds they’ve reviewed over the course of the year.
-
1
¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat
by Raúl the Third, narrated by Gary Tiedemann -
2
Overground Railroad
by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham -
3
When Stars Are Scattered
by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, narrated by Faysal Ahmed (and full cast) -
4
Before the Ever After
by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Guy Lockard -
5
King and the Dragonflies
by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020, recommended by Emily Connelly
The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020, recommended by Emily Connelly
Whether you’re on a car journey or sitting on the sofa together at home, listening to audiobooks with kids can be an incredible experience. Some will make you laugh, some will make you weep. Many will help us develop empathy for other human beings in the world around us. Here Emily Connelly, Assistant Editor at AudioFile, talks us through the magazine’s choices of the best audiobooks for kids of 2020.
The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten
Every year, the Audie Awards celebrate the best audiobooks published over the previous year. Veteran audiobook reviewer Robin Whitten of AudioFile Magazine and Mary Burkey, who has served on multiple audiobook judging panels, explain what makes a good audiobook and talk us through the brilliant books that were finalists in the 2020 ‘Audiobook of the Year’ category.
-
1
200 Women: Who Will Change The Way You See The World
by Geoff Blackwell, Kieran Scott, Marianne Lassandro, Ruth Hobday & Sharon Gelman -
2
Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid -
3
Dooku: Jedi Lost (Star Wars)
by Cavan Scott -
4
Hey, Kiddo
by Jarrett Krosoczka -
5
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001
by Garrett Graff
The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten
The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten
If your idea of an audiobook is a single narrator reading a book out loud, think again. These days many audiobooks are created as dramatic performances with a cast of dozens. Veteran audiobook reviewers Robin Whitten and Mary Burkey talk us through the finalists of the 2020 Audie Awards' 'multi-voiced performance' category—and the books that have been brought to life by dedicated teams of actors, editors and producers.
The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten
Audiobooks are a great way to keep teenagers entertained and informed. Mary Burkey, an expert on kids’ audiobooks, and Robin Whitten, editor and founder of AudioFile magazine, talk us through the wonderful titles that were finalists in this year’s Audie Awards in the ‘young adult’ category.