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Audiobooks

Most Recommended Books

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett Graff

“It’s a spectacular production from the printed book. It was an incredible labour of love and meticulous care, with 45 actors and Holter Graham doing the surrounding narrative. The integration of all that material is extraordinary.”

Mary Burkey,

Read more

Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

“Hey, Kiddo was a National Book Award finalist as a graphic memoir, recognising the literary power of Krosoczka’s personal story of his mother’s heroin addiction and childhood with alcoholic grandparents. It’s told from the point of view of Krosoczka at age 17, and teens forge an immediate connection with the author’s description of how his artistic talent helped him survive his upbringing.”

Mary Burkey,

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Audiobooks

  • 2020 Audie Awards
  • Best Audiobook Thrillers
  • Best Audiobooks for Kids
  • Best History Audiobooks
  • Great Actors Read Great Books
  • Great Audiobooks Narrated by Their Authors

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)

    The Best Audiobooks of 2020, recommended by Robin Whitten

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator)

    1

    Vesper Flights
    by Helen Macdonald (author and narrator)

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - The Sandman by Dirk Maggs (audiobook adaptation), Full Cast & Neil Gaiman

    2

    The Sandman
    by Dirk Maggs (audiobook adaptation), Full Cast & Neil Gaiman

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - The Pull of the Stars: A Novel by Emma Donoghue & Emma Lowe (narrator)

    3

    The Pull of the Stars: A Novel
    by Emma Donoghue & Emma Lowe (narrator)

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - The Searcher: A Novel by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

    4

    The Searcher: A Novel
    by Roger Clark (narrator) & Tana French

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks of 2020 - A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Adam Lazarre-White (narrator) & Arshay Cooper

    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

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.

    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020, recommended by Emily Connelly

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - ¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third, narrated by Gary Tiedemann

    1

    ¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat
    by Raúl the Third, narrated by Gary Tiedemann

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham

    2

    Overground Railroad
    by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by James Ransome, narrated by Shayna Small and Dion Graham

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, narrated by Faysal Ahmed (and full cast)

    3

    When Stars Are Scattered
    by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson, narrated by Faysal Ahmed (and full cast)

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Guy Lockard

    4

    Before the Ever After
    by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Guy Lockard

  • Read
    The Best Audiobooks for Kids of 2020 - King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler

    5

    King and the Dragonflies
    by Kacen Callender, narrated by Ron Butler

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

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett Graff

    1

    The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001
    by Garrett Graff

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by Tony Kushner

    2

    Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
    by Tony Kushner

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Becoming by Michelle Obama

    3

    Becoming
    by Michelle Obama

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

    4

    Charlotte's Web
    by E.B. White

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

    5

    The Dutch House
    by Ann Patchett

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year - The Testaments: A Novel by Margaret Atwood

    6

    The Testaments: A Novel
    by Margaret Atwood

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.

    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance, recommended by Mary Burkey & Robin Whitten

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance - 200 Women: Who Will Change The Way You See The World by Geoff Blackwell, Kieran Scott, Marianne Lassandro, Ruth Hobday & Sharon Gelman

    1

    200 Women: Who Will Change The Way You See The World
    by Geoff Blackwell, Kieran Scott, Marianne Lassandro, Ruth Hobday & Sharon Gelman

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance - Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    2

    Daisy Jones & The Six
    by Taylor Jenkins Reid

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance - Dooku: Jedi Lost (Star Wars) by Cavan Scott

    3

    Dooku: Jedi Lost (Star Wars)
    by Cavan Scott

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance - Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

    4

    Hey, Kiddo
    by Jarrett Krosoczka

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Multi-Voiced Performance - The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett Graff

    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

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

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

    1

    Hey, Kiddo
    by Jarrett Krosoczka

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - Lovely War by Julie Berry

    2

    Lovely War
    by Julie Berry

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - On The Come Up by Angie Thomas

    3

    On The Come Up
    by Angie Thomas

  • Read
    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

    4

    With the Fire on High
    by Elizabeth Acevedo

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    The 2020 Audie Awards: Best Audiobooks for Young Adults - Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

    5

    Like a Love Story
    by Abdi Nazemian

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.

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