67 audiobooks that are better than the eBook (or paperback) versions
Audiobooks can take us to places that words on a page or screen never will.
Whether it’s the intimacy of a familiar voice or the emotional charge of a musical interlude, audiobooks are often the best way to read. Don’t believe us? Here are 67 audiobooks that elevate (and we humbly believe are better than) the print or eBook versions.
Reading is an actively imaginative activity where every reader creates voices and characters in their own mind. But when it’s a non-fiction book by an author whose voice we trust to entertain, provoke or inspire us, doesn’t it make more sense to have them read their book to you?
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Inside Out by Demi Moore
- Nevertheless by Alec Baldwin
- Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
- Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
- Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon
- This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
- My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke
- The Princess Diarist Carrie Fisher
- Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
What comes to mind when you think of your favourite comedian? You’re probably imagining them landing a joke that still gets you every time you hear it, rather than visualizing their words written on a page. Go for the laughs -- grab the audiobook.
- Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness
- Calypso by David Sedaris
- Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
- Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
- The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
- Vacationland by John Hodgman
- Bossypants by Tina Fey
- Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin
- If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t) by Betty White
- Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
- Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
- Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong
The ability to deliver a great performance is something entirely different from crafting beautiful sentences. That’s what makes it so special when an author is also a masterful reader of their own work. Their voice lifts the words right off the page.
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou
- Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July
- I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya
- The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Dreams from My Father Barack Obama
- Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow
When an exceptionally talented narrator adds their performance to an already great book, the audiobook they create stands up next to, and often towers over, the original written work.
- Lolita narrated by Jeremy Irons
- The Bell Jar narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Invisible Man narrated by Joe Morton
- Cosmos narrated by LeVar Burton
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest narrated by John C. Reilly
- Carrie narrated by Sissy Spacek
- Jesus’ Son narrated by Will Patton
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy narrated by Stephen Fry
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao narrated by Lin Manuel Miranda
- The Odyssey narrated by Ian McKellan
- The Cuckoo’s Calling narrated by Robert Glenister
A long, long time ago people would gather around the radio and listen to radio dramas—performances featuring multiple actors, music, and sound effects. That all ended when TV came along and made watching the new mode of entertainment. But audiobooks provide a new means of delivering rich, ensemble performances that bring books to life in a way that’s unlike any other form of media.
- Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- Sadie by Courtney Summers
- World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
- The Help by Kathryn Stockett
- The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 by Garrett M. Graff
- Warhorses of Letters: Complete Series 1-3 by Robert Hudson
Audiobooks by musicians offer something that can never be found on a page, whether they include whole songs, musical interludes, or a voice you’ve already spent years listening to. Audiobooks keep us closer to the sounds that compelled us to read these books in the first place.
- High School by Tegan & Sara
- Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein
- Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq
- Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
- Open Book by Jessica Simpson
- Beastie Boys Book
- Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello
- Sweet Dreams Are Made of This by Dave Stewart
- Bedsit Disco Queen: How I grew up and tried to be a pop star by Tracey Thorn
- Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song by Sara Bareilles
- Just Kids Patti Smith
Reading aloud to kids is fun, but it’s also tiring. These audiobooks let grownups enjoy the pleasures of being read to while leaving the performance to the pros.
- Matilda narrated by Kate Winslet
- The One and Only Shrek! narrated by Meryl Streep
- Inkheart narrated by Brendan Fraser
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- A Series of Unfortunate Events narrated by Tim Curry
- The Hobbit (full cast) by J. R. R. Tolkien
- The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials Book 1 (full cast) by Philip Pullman
And for even more audiobooks that make listening better than reading, visit the Kobo store.