16 Audiobooks for Audiobook Month

Audiobooks are one of the best ways to really absorb a book. With the right narrator, the stories can come alive in your head. Our favorite audiobooks often have multiple narrators that make the books seem more like plays. June is audiobook month so we have selected audiobooks we adore that would be great for audiobook newbies. We round up 16 newer releases below, but we have a list of 23 more books here. If you are new to audiobooks, take a look at our comparison post on Libro.Fm and Audible which are the major audiobook providers.

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Historical Fiction

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I started reading this book but when my audiobook library hold came in I changed over to the audiobook version. HOLY COW. The audiobook is EVEN BETTER. Seriously, I think this might have been my favorite audiobook of all time. I expect it to sweep the Audies this year for sure. The book is laid out in chronological order about the making of a band in the 70s, but the story is told in interview style from a dozen sources. The audio version has a different narrator for each character and the performances the actors give are stupendous. I was overcome with emotion numerous times while I was listening. The story itself about the rise and fall of one of the hottest bands was so utterly fabulous – it’s pure sex, drugs and rock n’ roll in all the best ways. There is a Spotify playlist that goes with it – scroll down for all the details.5 stars and a standing ovation

Code Name Hélène: A Novel by Ariel Lawson

I LOVED this book so much.  It is so beautifully written, amazingly researched and absolutely enthralling.  This book is based on the life of Nancy Wake who is a nurse and journalist who becomes a Special Operations Executive during WWII. ⁣ She was an amazing woman and I had never heard of her before this book.  I am so thankful to @librofm for my copy of this book.  It is one of my favorite books of 2020 and for me, this is the perfect historical fiction.  It has wonderful characters, a fabulous story, romance, adventure, and the terrifying reality of life during WWII.

Milkman by Anna Burns

LOVED this one. I seriously geeked out over the audio version of this Man Booker Prize-winning novel. It’s one of the most unique books I have ever read. No one has a name! Instead, they are Milkman, or Real Milkman otherwise known as the man who loves no-one, or third-brother-in-law, or maybe-boyfriend. It’s an amazing storytelling device that literally explains the relationship to the main character (also of no name) while allowing the reading to project their own names, and ideas (or assumptions) onto the characters. Seriously, this book gets all the stars. I ADORE IT!

Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore

My first #readwithjenna book did not disappoint!⁣ I don’t want to say I loved this book, because the subject matter is gritty and dark, and yet I found myself enjoying it deeply.⁣ I loved the unconventional friendships and the stark look at racist double standards in equal measure.⁣ When 14-year-old, Hispanic, Gloria is raped by an older white man, the town of Odessa reacts strongly. Many people take one side, few take the other. ⁣ This story is dark but filled with hope. I connected to many of the characters and their struggles. I also wanted to punch quite a few people as well. It’s set in 1976, but quite honestly it reads very true today.⁣ I can’t recommend this one enough. Definitely a best book of 2020 pick for me.⁣ The audiobook version is wonderful.

Fiction

The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce –

Wow. I loved this book.  Music is big in my house so this book spoke to me. Frank is a man who helps everyone with their problems by giving them the music they need from his little music shop. It sells only vinyl. When a woman faints outside his shop, Frank realizes he can’t hear the music she needs. His life changes forever. This book is a similar feel as Little Paris Bookshop/Perfume Collector.  There is a playlist on Spotify that goes with this book.  So sit back, read, listen and enjoy.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Thanks to Libro.Fm and Harper for my copy. All opinions are my own. Ann Patchett has done it again with this tale of sibling devotion. Danny and Maeve are victims of an abandoned mother and father who all but ignores them. Danny narrates the story of their lives as it ties into The Dutch House – a storied mansion that their father purchased in Elkins Park. This home is the blessing and curse of their lives. The sign of their father’s success and what ultimately breaks up their family. Emotional and complex, this book will be on our best of 2019 list for sure.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Jackie read this one and told me I would adore it. She was spot on. It was the perfect listen for my anniversary vacation. The over-the-top glitz was incredible.  The outfit descriptions had me drooling and the various love stories left me with a smile. I can’t wait to see the MOVIE!!! Now I must go and see it.  I’ve already added the next two books in the series to my TBR list for my winter trip.

 

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Thanks to Libro.Fm and  Riverhead for my copy. All opinions are my own.  I’d seen this book on lots of anticipated reads lists and was eager to listen when I was given the opportunity. This poignant tale was told, and narrated, by multiple characters and jumped between the present and the past as it weaves together the story of a family. At Melody’s coming-of-age ceremony at 16, we find out about her own parents’ history. The story had me engrossed immediately and the ending brought tears to my eyes. I felt like I was a part of Melody’s story as I listened to the book. I highly recommend the audiobook because of the various narrators for each part. All the different voices bring such depth to the performance. Jacqueline Woodson is even one of the narrators!

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez⁣
I am still having a really hard time reading during this “stay-at-home and homeschool three children while working” pandemic. Recently, I’ve changed up my genres a bit and I’ve been indulging in feel-good reads and Fantasy. ⁣This book was a definite feel-good book with the most fun little twist. Every chapter has a song to go with it. It’s the perfect song to go with the mood of the chapter. ⁣ ⁣I loved this book so much that I immediately read the first book in this series.  Even though I read them out of order, I didn’t affect the readability for me. Thanks to Libro.Fm and Forever for my free review copy. All opinions are my own. 

Non-Fiction

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama is a brilliant woman who is so well spoken with such a wonderful story to tell. Her perspective on meeting her husband, life in the White House, and even her views on the current administration were fascinating. She was my favorite First Lady, so I loved learning more about her. I was so happy that the former First Lady read the story for audiobook version. You can hear the emotion coming out in various time and you could tell when she’s on the edge of tears. 

 

The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King

This is such an amazing story of an amazing man unlike any other.  He was a man central to the development of educational children’s television.  Fred was kind, caring, compassionate and a champion for equality.  He was devoted to children and addressing their educational, social, and emotional needs. I could personally relate to parts of his life during the time when he lived in Toronto.  This book is so well written and so easy to listen to despite the fact that it is not my usual genre. Levar Burton narrates and I love hearing him read- it brings me back to my childhood (Reading Rainbow).

The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt

This nonfiction book sheds light on the talent of Disney’s pioneering female animators and the struggles they faced in a male-dominated field. I loved learning about these incredible women – like Mary Blair who created the art for the “It’s a Small World” ride. ⁣ I was appalled by the disparate treatment female in the animation field received, but I was also impressed by their gumption. The author does a tremendous job of showing their struggles put also how these women shaped animation as we know it. I was heartened to see just how far they have come. The book ends with Frozen and you could clearly see the studio’s growth.⁣

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

This book was utterly enthralling. I had heard mixed reviews of this book going into it but I think I figure out where the love/hate comes from. This book has a lot of graphic sex in the form of statutory rape, affairs, and swinging partners. The scenes are graphic but not designed to titillate the reader like a 50 Shades book…but rather to explain why the women felt the way they did. Why they felt power, or love, or understanding in the sexual encounters. So it feels very voyeuristic on some level because it’s so deeply personal. As I said, I thought it was outstanding but I can so easily see how it is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Fantasy

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

To say that I was excited about Erin Morgenstern‘s new book might be the understatement of the year. I preordered it as soon as the name was released AND I squealed with delight when I got an early listening copy from Libro.fm . Oh, and I also bought another signed copy from my local indie bookstore.  So ya, I love it.  How to describe this book that is an ode to storytelling…..it’s a love story to books, a fantasy within a love story within a fairy tale. The writing is beautiful- Erin’s signature style of vivid imagery left me completely captivated. I listened with Libro.fm and I read it as well. I truly loved every minute of this book. I stopped trying to understand every sentence and predict the story and let it take me away. I adored it and recommend it for anyone that loved The Night Circus.

Mystery/ Thriller

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Thanks to Libro.fm and Harper Audio for our free review copy. All opinions are my own. Real talk. I’ve just read THE thriller of summer 2020 and it’s soooooo good.⁣ A murder at a wedding. On an isolated island. In the middle of a power outage.⁣ Yaaaaaaaaas. ⁣This is an unputdownable thriller. The murder sets the scene and then we get the story in flashbacks without knowing who is murdered until the end. ⁣I’ve become v picky about thrillers recently and this one is hands down my favorite of the year so far.

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

Don’t you feel that some books are just meant to be listened to and not read?⁣ That’s how I felt about Daisy Jones & The Six, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, Echo, and now Saint X. ⁣(Thanks to libro.fm for my advanced audio copy.)
⁣I wasn’t sure what to expect from Saint X. I think I was suspecting a thriller or a mystery – because the story opens with an 18-year-old girl who dies on her tropical vacation with her family. Her then 7-year-old sister, Claire, is our narrator. Now in her 20s after a chance meeting with someone connected to the case, Claire is trying to figure out exactly what happened all those years ago.⁣ The story is also peppered with accounts from a few other key people in the case. Each one of these players is a different narrator which just made the entire production feel real. ⁣But it doesn’t quite fit into one genre. It’s also a book about the relationship between sisters, even those separated for years. The other part of the story I love is the subtle commentary on race and class woven through-out.