How to find an audiobook you’ll love listening to

I have read more than 70 books so far in 2019. My secret that isn’t really a secret? Audiobooks! Inevitably, though, whenever I tell friends about how much I love audiobooks, I hear the same complaints: They can’t focus on the story, they don’t like the narrator, they need to be able to see the text.

I get it. Not all audiobooks are created equal, and you’re definitely going to find some duds in your search. You should also find some gems, though, and hopefully you’ll give audio another chance! Here are my tips for finding an audiobook you’ll love.

Try a memoir

The next best thing to reading a memoir from someone you admire is hearing them read it to you. I laughed so hard while listening to Jim Gaffigan’s memoirs (Food: A Love Story and Dad is Fat) that people on the train to work were giving me weird looks.

If you’re not a Hot Pockets fan, don’t worry. Here are some other memoirs I loved that were narrated by the author:

• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
• Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Yes Please by Amy Poehler
• Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham
• Love Life by Rob Lowe
• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance

Consider children’s books or young adult novels

You don’t always have to listen to books written for adults. In fact, I’ve loved reliving some of my childhood favorites on audio with my kids. Start thinking about the books you loved when you were young, and then search for them in the Libby app or on Audible. You’ll probably be surprised to see how many of them are available on audio! Here are some I’ve loved:

• The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary (narrated by Stockard Channing)
• The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder (narrated by Cherry Jones)
• The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (narrated by Jim Dale)
• Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (narrated by Cynthia Bishop)
• The Witches by Roald Dahl (narrated by Miranda Richardson)
• The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (narrated by BD Wong)

Look for bestsellers

As silly as it sounds, you’re more likely to find a great book narrator if the book is incredibly popular. Because the demand for audiobooks is so high when a bestseller comes out, companies like Audible often get the best readers to narrate the stories — and sometimes celebrities lend their voices as well. Reese Witherspoon narrated Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman, and Jim Broadbent (from the Harry Potter films) narrated The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

You obviously won’t love the audiobooks for EVERY bestseller, but here are some of my recommendations:

• Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (narrated by the fantastic Kathleen Wilhoite of Gilmore Girls)
• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
• Beartown by Fredrik Backman
• Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Try some nonfiction

I know some people LOVE nonfiction and others much prefer to escape reality. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, consider giving a nonfiction book a try. It can be easier to follow on audio than a novel, because you are listening to tips or facts rather than trying to keep characters and storylines straight.

Nonfiction also encompasses a lot of different styles of books. Here are some audiobooks I enjoyed:

• How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber and Julie King
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
• Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate by Spencer Rascoff
• Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
• The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates

I hope this list encourages you to try an audiobook sometime soon! They really have changed my life and made it SO much easier for me to cram books in when I otherwise wouldn’t. Share your favorite audiobooks with me in the comments! I’m always looking for something new.