The Best Audiobooks of 2023

Audiobook list · Updated November 2026

The Best Audiobooks of 2023

A look back at the audiobooks that stood out in 2023, each one recommended by an independent bookseller through Libro.fm. They have held up well, and they are all still worth your time.

Every pick below has the narrator and length of the edition I link to, plus the bookseller’s own review of why it is worth listening to.

By Peter Clemens · Originally published December 2023 · Updated November 2026

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If you only listen to three

A literary favorite, a romantasy hit and a twisty thriller.

  1. Tom LakeAnn Patchett’s novel, read by Meryl Streep
    See it ↓
  2. Fourth WingDragon riders and rivalries at a brutal war college
    See it ↓
  3. None of This is TrueLisa Jewell’s thriller, read by a full cast
    See it ↓
Why Libro.fm? It splits its profits with independent bookstores, so your purchase supports a bookshop. Read my Libro.fm review.See Libro.fm
Cover of the Happy Place audiobook by Emily Henry
Exes pretending in Maine

Happy Place

by Emily Henry
Read by Julia WhelanLength 11h 3m

“Another great beach read from Emily Henry! I found myself unable to stop listening to this book. Henry just knows how to write a love story that makes you go noooo then yeeees then whaaaat then yeeees! The story of Wyn and Harriet will make your heart throb. And Harriet’s journey to find herself and keep her friends will prove that self-love is worth fighting for.”

Cover of the The Covenant of Water audiobook by Abraham Verghese
A multigenerational saga in Kerala

The Covenant of Water

by Abraham Verghese
Read by Abraham VergheseLength 31h 16m

“A sweeping, enthralling and passionate multi-generational saga that’s difficult to put down (or stop listening to), this is a brilliant story of land, family and unforgettable characters in South India.”

Cover of the Spare audiobook by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
The memoir, read by Prince Harry

Spare

by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
Read by Prince Harry, The Duke of SussexLength 15h 39m

“I deeply relished every drop of the tea spilt in this memoir. I would recommend it on that alone. However, I was most impressed with Prince Harry’s clear passion for the things and the people he cares about. In his narration of the audiobook you can feel how much he loves his family, how proud he is of his time in the military, and how much he wants certain things (and certain people) to be different.

Keep reading

This memoir is not just about a prince. It’s about a person coming into his own and finding the confidence to stand his ground and confront those he once assumed would always have his best interests at heart. I was riveted from beginning to end.”

Cover of the I Have Some Questions for You audiobook by Rebecca Makkai
A boarding school murder revisited

I Have Some Questions for You

by Rebecca Makkai
Read by Julia Whelan & JD JacksonLength 14h 4m

“A scorching, compelling read, this is a calling out of violence against women: how it’s reported, poorly prosecuted, lightly punished, sensationalized, ignored, held against us, and so deeply ingrained in our culture. A New England prep school is the perfect setting for this collision of podcasts, old secrets hidden deep, racism, sexism, growing pains, and the lenses we have, shed, and change as we grow. Julia Whelan’s narration is, as always, phenomenal. I could not stop listening – this is a 10/10 for me.”

Cover of the The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi audiobook by Shannon Chakraborty
A retired pirate heads back to sea

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

by Shannon Chakraborty
Read by Lameece Issaq & Amin El GamalLength 16h 59m

“Conjuring the magic of The Arabian Nights, you can imagine yourself sitting around a campfire on a cool desert evening as Amina al-Sirafi tells of her adventures. And I hope you aren’t sensitive because she is brash, brazen, and foul mouthed! A truly singular and compelling voice, Amina reminded me of all the heroic tales I grew up reading. This is a must listen for anyone who fancies themselves a pirate, swashbuckler, magic hunter, and mother.”

Cover of the Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers audiobook by Jesse Q. Sutanto
A cozy mystery with a tea shop owner

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Read by Eunice WongLength 10h 41m

“This book is a cozy mystery about the soul-healing power of found family. What hooked me was Vera’s indomitable personality – and her cooking. The descriptions of meals had my mouth watering. Jesse Sutanto weaves humor and lightness into a story about loneliness and finding yourself again after years of manipulation. With such likeable characters, I forgot I was reading a murder mystery!”

Cover of the No Two Persons audiobook by Erica Bauermeister
A novel told in many voices

No Two Persons

by Erica Bauermeister
Read by Full castLength 8h 54m

“A remarkable novel that appeals directly to our relationships with our books. Each chapter describes a different person’s encounter with the same fictional novel – from the original author to slush pile reader to student reading for class – and explores how no one reads the same book or gets the same experience out of a book. Some characters’ lives intersect with other characters in later chapters; others seem tied together only by the words on the page. Absolute catnip for readers.”

Cover of the Fourth Wing audiobook by Rebecca Yarros
Dragon riders at a war college

Fourth Wing

by Rebecca Yarros
Read by Rebecca Soler & Teddy HamiltonLength 22h 2m

“I have never in my life been on such an extraordinary roller coaster of emotions as I have with this book. I have never smiled this much, cried so hard, or felt my heart beat so fast while reading. Dare I say? This is the best fantasy book I have ever read. It is deliciously dangerous, dark, and full of fire and blood, with strong and stubborn characters who fight daily to survive the dangers, deceptions, and enemies at the Basgiath War College.

Keep reading

Oh! And dragons. Lots of dragons. WOW!!! I wait with bated breath until the next book is released. This book consumed my every thought. I. Could. Not. Stop. Reading.”

Cover of the Pineapple Street audiobook by Jenny Jackson
A comedy of a wealthy Brooklyn family

Pineapple Street

by Jenny Jackson
Read by Marin IrelandLength 8h 32m

“Funny and full of heart, this book follows three women in an affluent Brooklyn Heights family. While the Stocktons have extreme privilege, author Jenny Jackson has somehow made them relatable, and I found myself rooting for their happiness. Against the backdrop of an opulent home, the novel poses important questions about how wealth shapes a person, the responsibilities that should come with it, what belonging means, and the love of family, despite everything.”

Cover of the Hello Beautiful audiobook by Ann Napolitano
A family saga and Oprah’s Book Club pick

Hello Beautiful

by Ann Napolitano
Read by Maura TierneyLength 15h 6m

“As a bookseller, it’s common to read through books at a breakneck pace; always on to the next tale, the next genre, the next page-turner. When you come a cross a book so achingly beautiful as Hello Beautiful…time slows. Or, you wish it would. I wanted to spend YEARS within this story.

Keep reading

I adored the complexity AND simplicity of the sisters’ relationships with each other. Reading Hello Beautiful was like spending time with the friend who ‘knew me when…’ and the sister who knew me always. This book is the very definition of a GEM.”

Cover of the The Quiet Tenant audiobook by Clémence Michallon
A twisty thriller with a captive

The Quiet Tenant

by Clémence Michallon
Read by Full castLength 10h 44m

“It was pretty tempting to write a to-the-point, one-word review for this novel. That word would start with a capital F, end in a ‘ck’ and have a whole lot of U’s in the middle. But you’re a reader, and I have a degree in English, so I’ll try to elaborate. I have read a lot of thrillers and mysteries in my life, but I have never read one that made my pulse rise to the point where it probably counted as exercise.

Keep reading

You could probably actually track the entire novel on my fitness watch – stress, pulse, blood pressure – whatever the heck else it measures. It did this not just through cliff hangers and plot twists, but by making me care deeply about the characters – namely, the women who get to narrate this book – and never the brutal man who controls their orbits. The narrative structure of this book is a large part of what makes it so brilliant, like a Greek tragedy told only through the voices of its female chorus. Michallon has written a gorgeous, haunting, and at times terrifying novel, one that I would recommend not just for thriller fans but for literary readers as well.”

Cover of the Chain Gang All Stars audiobook by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Near-future prison fighters

Chain Gang All Stars

by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Read by Shayna Small, Aaron Goodson, Michael Crouch & Lee OsorioLength 13h 39m

“This book rocked me to my core. Adjei-Brenyah’s writing is soul-shifting. He gives us a devastatingly unvarnished look at the US carceral system and a warning for what may to be come. The deep, multidimensional characters evoke empathy, empowerment, and sometimes disgust. I have never read a more evocative work of fiction. The audiobook is worth it for Singer’s voice alone, but the entire cast is stunning.”

Cover of the The Eyes and the Impossible audiobook by Dave Eggers
A short fable, read by Ethan Hawke

The Eyes and the Impossible

by Dave Eggers
Read by Ethan HawkeLength 5h 18m

“You will have a hard time finding a more joyous listening experience this summer than indulging in Ethan Hawke’s inspired performance of Dave Egger’s touching new novel, The Eyes and the Impossible. Told from the point of view of a wild dog in an urban park, this story of friendship is truly a story that readers and listeners of all ages will delight in.”

Cover of the All the Sinners Bleed audiobook by S. A. Cosby
A Southern crime thriller

All the Sinners Bleed

by S. A. Cosby
Read by Adam Lazarre-WhiteLength 13h 42m

“S.A. Cosby has given us an early favorite for the best crime fiction novel of the year with All the Sinners Bleed. We are big fans of his two previous books (Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears), and Cosby knocks it out of the park as he writes from the perspective of a town’s first black sheriff and his descent into the mid of a serial killer. It’s riveting while also exploring major issues like race, policing, and religion.”

Cover of the Tom Lake audiobook by Ann Patchett
Meryl Streep reads Ann Patchett

Tom Lake

by Ann Patchett
Read by Meryl StreepLength 11h 23m

“Remember the scene in Mama Mia where Meryl Streep is brushing Amanda Seyfried’s hair as they get her ready for her wedding day? Nostalgic music plays in the background as they look through old photos and reminisce together. Watching it you feel cozy and warm and loved. Well that is EXACTLY how reading Tom Lake made me feel.

Keep reading

Ann Patchett did a beautiful job of creating a story where you are entranced by the events of the past and engaged with the relationships of the present. In a world and time of stories filled with regrets and missed opportunities it was refreshing to read a novel where the heroine recognizes her life isn’t what she thought it would be, but is so grateful it turned out the way it did. Perfect for mothers, daughters, and everyone else.”

Cover of the The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store audiobook by James McBride
A community novel set in 1930s Pennsylvania

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

by James McBride
Read by Dominic HoffmanLength 12h 21m

“This novel is so wonderful – with characters that imprint in one’s mind and heart. McBride does a good job with (sadly) all the issues of the livelong day – racism, poverty, white supremacy, etc. BUT with such grace and creativity one cannot step away from his story. He’s top notch in my book and has been for quite a long time. Don’t miss this!”

Cover of the None of This is True audiobook by Lisa Jewell
A podcaster and a stranger with a twin birthday

None of This is True

by Lisa Jewell
Read by Nicola Walker, Louise Brealey & a full castLength 10h 32m

“I love a good psychological thriller, but I’m not as keen on unreliable narrators, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, it lays it all out there in the title: none of this is true. So, although I thought I had it all figured out pretty early on, this book really kept me guessing – and second-guessing myself! The title instilled enough doubt in everything going on that I wasn’t sure which characters to trust, whose side of the story was true, and who was manipulating whom.

Keep reading

I was dying to find out what really happened, and at the same time, I felt as if I was watching a horror movie while peeking through my fingers. I think Lisa Jewell does a great job with the dark subject matter to create a suspenseful story that you can’t help but get swept up into.”

Best audiobooks of 2023: common questions

Are these audiobooks still worth listening to?

Yes. Most of them are standalone stories, so there is nothing to catch up on, and the independent booksellers who picked them still stand behind them.

Which audiobook on this list is the shortest, and which is the longest?

The Eyes and the Impossible is the shortest at about 5 hours 18 minutes. The Covenant of Water is the longest at about 31 hours 16 minutes.

Which of these are read by their authors?

Abraham Verghese reads The Covenant of Water and Prince Harry reads Spare. Lisa Jewell is among the voices in the cast of None of This is True.

Which have well-known narrators?

Meryl Streep reads Tom Lake, Ethan Hawke reads The Eyes and the Impossible, Maura Tierney reads Hello Beautiful and Julia Whelan reads Happy Place and I Have Some Questions for You. For more voices to try, see my list of the best narrated audiobooks.

How does buying from Libro.fm support bookstores?

Libro.fm splits its profits with independent bookstores. You choose a bookstore when you sign up, and that store gets a share of what you spend. You can read more in my Libro.fm review.

Where can I find more recent picks?

Try my lists of the best audiobooks of 2025 and the best audiobooks of 2024, or the best audiobooks of all time.

More audiobook recommendations

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12 thoughts on “The Best Audiobooks of 2023”

  1. Only book from 2023 and i am actually still listening to it but it is truly an amazing listening experience is T.J. Klune’s In the lives of puppets.

  2. I am listening to Demon Copperhood by Barbara Kingsolver, and it’s an incredible listening experience.

    1. I haven’t got to this one yet but have heard great things! It has certainly been recognized with many awards, including the 2023 Pulitzer Price for Fiction. I double checked and the reason it’s not in this list is the publication date of October 18, 2022. Thanks for the recommendation though!

  3. I’d love to see None Of This is True by Lisa Jewell on the list!! This audiobook is stunning – a full cast, jumping between regular narration and true crime doc clips, a mystery thriller that gives you chills and has you questioning things throughout- it has it all!

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