This year has delivered some standout audiobooks—smart, surprising, and impossible to stop thinking about. Whether it’s fiction that lingers or nonfiction that reframes what you thought you knew, these are the titles that have risen to the top in 2025.
We built this list with help from Libro.fm and the independent booksellers they work with. Their recommendations add a layer of insight you don’t always get from bestseller charts—and if you haven’t tried Libro.fm yet, it’s a great way to support local bookstores while you listen (read our Libro.fm review).
Best Fiction Audiobooks of 2025
Great Big Beautiful Life
By Emily Henry. Narrated by Julia Whelan.
“Emily Henry has mastered the art of building tension, and stretching it like taffy. Knowing someone is into you and you are into them is often just an acknowledgement before the main event, and luxuriating in the sensation is truly a treat. This whole book is dessert… Also, Julia Whelan crushed it on the audiobook, my god.” — Nyawire, Page 158 Books
Atmosphere
By Taylor Jenkins Reid. Narrated by Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan & Taylor Jenkins Reid.
“A totally immersive story, this is both historical fiction and a love story that captures NASA’s shuttle program in the 80’s as women for the first time are accepted as candidates to become astronauts. Well researched, it’s a thrilling, fast-paced story that was very hard to stop listening to.” — Anne, Newtonville Books
Wild Dark Shore
By Charlotte McConaghy. Narrated by Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld & Steve West.
“If you love books where the setting feels like a character, this one’s for you. Sweeping landscapes, turbulent seas, and a protagonist searching for answers in a world that seems determined to break her. McConaghy’s prose is lyrical, immersive, and guaranteed to leave you feeling something long after you turn the last page. This book is for the wanderers, the dreamers, and anyone who’s ever stared at the horizon and wondered what comes next. Heart-wrenching, beautifully written, and completely unforgettable.” — Julia, Four Seasons Books
Beautiful Ugly
By Alice Feeney. Narrated by Richard Armitage & Tuppence Middleton.
“This mysterious story had me on the edge of my seat wanting more! This book is hauntingly beautiful and full of surprises! Following Grady Green as he struggles to find his ability to write after his wife’s strange disappearance was a journey full of unexpected dark revelations. ” — Alex, White Rabbit Books & Gifts
Sunrise on the Reaping
By Suzanne Collins. Narrated by Jefferson White.
“The fifth instalment in series serves as a powerful exploration of propaganda and censorship, underscoring the Capitol’s relentless efforts to maintain its tyrannical grip on power. It stands as a chilling reminder of the lengths authoritarian regimes will go to preserve the illusion of control over their citizens. Witnessing Haymitch’s transformation into the character we come to know in the original series is both heartbreaking and deeply radicalizing, offering a poignant glimpse into the life he kept so secretive from Katniss and Peeta.” — Sammie, Anderson’s Bookshop
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
By Grady Hendrix. Narrated by Leslie Howard, Hillary Huber & Sara Morsey.
“This book was so good and so insanely timely! If you are feeling feminine rage this is the book for you. It’s a little long but it is so so worth it. These characters and this story are going to stay with for a very long time!” — Tyler, White Rose Books & More
The Favorites
By Layne Fargo. Narrated by a full cast.
“This was messy, exhilarating and addicting! This is a modern day Wuthering Heights retelling, written as a documentary, following the turbulent lives of legendary ice dancing champions Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha. Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry! ” — Cari, Books Inc.
The Correspondent
By Virginia Evans. Narrated by a full cast.
“How wonderful it was to dive into Sybil Van Antwerp’s life through her correspondence! The audiobook is absolutely great, with a full cast of narrators. The story is moving, the characters are relatable and sometimes funny, and I found the book very well structured and written.” — Marie, Emma’s Bookshop
Broken Country
By Clare Leslie Hall. Narrated by Hattie Morahan.
“Broken Country is one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking books I have ever listened to. You would think with a love triangle that you would dislike one or even two of those involved but you can’t help but love and feel really sorry for all involved, because there was definitely heartbreakingly true love and loss. This is a story that you won’t soon forget. You will cry more than once, and you will hope that somehow there will be a way to make everything right. And, in the end there is understanding, forgiveness and grace.” — Nancy, Fiction Addiction
Say You’ll Remember Me
By Abby Jimenez. Narrated by Christine Lakin & Matt Lanter.
“This book was outstanding and the audio narration was perfection! I enjoyed the story start to finish and was laughing from the beginning. Emotional in all the right places. Bravo!” — Angela, The Wandering Bookshelf
The Everlasting
By Alix E. Harrow. Narrated by Moira Quirk & Sid Sagar.
“As soon as I finished this I wanted to start it all over again (or maybe that time loop just got to me). The Everlasting is at once an epic, expansive journey through time, exploring the nature of nationalism, propaganda, and the power of storytelling, and a deeply personal, searingly intimate love story. I always love Harrow’s writing, but this might be my favorite yet. Everlasting is an apt title — this one will stick with me.” — Lily, Quail Ridge Books
Best Non-Fiction Audiobooks of 2025
Everything Is Tuberculosis
By John Green. Narrated by the author.
“Probably the most important book you’ll read this year. The propulsive history of how and why we still let people die of a disease we know we how to cure, told in Green’s humane style. I don’t know if everything is TB but the history of TB is everything: science, superstition, racism, class, gender, colonialism, and capitalism. Deeply informative and strangely encouraging — that word will mean more to you when you read this — if you can stick through the tears.” — Perin, Brain Lair Books
Mark Twain
By Ron Chernow. Narrated by Jason Culp.
“Chernow’s latest has it all: humour, pathos, eros. Despite the lengthy runtime, I was engaged throughout. There is no better introduction to the genius and controversy of Mark Twain beyond his own books.” — Chris, Nottawa Cottage Bookstore
That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You
By Elyse Myers. Narrated by the author.
“This is such a charming book, read by the author, which only makes it more real and more relatable. Anyone with anxiety will recognize a lot, if not all, of this to be familiar, but the best part is how the author finds the funny in it.” — Rene, R & B Used Books
Nobody’s Girl
By Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Narrated by Thérèse Plummer & Gabra Zackman.
“I felt a sense of obligation to hear Virginia’s story. She went through so much to try to bring her abusers to justice and to share her story. We need to listen.” — Erin, An Unlikely Story
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
By Omar El Akkad. Narrated by the author.
“This may be one of the most devastatingly personal audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. You can hear El Akkad’s anger rise so clearly as he describes his disgust with the current world order. His perspective is invaluable as we clearly go through shifts of conscious, morality, and power over the coming years.” — Alissa, South Main Book Company
Awake
By Jen Hatmaker. Narrated by the author.
“Jen Hatmaker broke me with this book. I mean, I guess I was pretty busted before reading, but she didn’t help. She’s devastatingly honest and raw. In her very specific voice, she brings levity to the wreckage. She’s funny and relatable. She’s your friend… your friend whose life blew up, but she’s lived to tell the achey tale. For anyone who’s planned on a specific future and had it stolen. For anyone who’s had to ‘reorder their life around the truth without their consent.’ For women, but also very worth it for anyone who loves a woman (especially one who has earned the right to be a little unravelled). It’ll break the last bits of you, for sure, but then it’ll empower you to rebuild. Onward.” — Kathryn, Bookdom Apothecary
Enshittification
By Cory Doctorow. Narrated by the author.
“A necessary and informative look into how everything got so bad, where it’s going, and what we can do about it.” — Miki, Book Love
Careless People
By Sarah Wynn-Williams. Narrated by the author.
“An explosive memoir charting one woman’s career at the heart of one of the most influential companies on the planet, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to Facebook, the decisions that have shaped world events in recent decades, and the people who made them.” — Estefania, The Story Room Collective
Writing Creativity and Soul
By Sue Monk Kidd. Narrated by Jane Oppenheimer & Ann Kidd Taylor.
“There are no words that can describe my adoration for this book. This isn’t a how-to manual on writing; it’s something much rarer. In Writing Creativity and Soul, Sue Monk Kidd offers her own stories, reflections, and deep insights into the spiritual and emotional dimensions of the creative life. This is for any writer who feels that their passions and yearnings are larger than life. I have never felt more seen, inspired, or creatively ignited. I promise you, this book will be the spark for your creative flame.” — Trinity, Bookshop Santa Cruz
Abundance
By Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson. Read by the authors.
“Thought provoking and hopeful, the authors paint a vision of a future of plenty, based in technological advances. While I found some of their suggestions problematic, I did appreciate the out-of-the-box thinking and enthusiasm. Big changes must happen, and a vision of society in which everyone can have their needs met is the goal.” — Melinda, Harbor Books
From buzzy new releases to under-the-radar gems, these audiobooks have shaped the story of 2025. The narration is as compelling as the writing, and in many cases, it’s what pushes a good book into great territory.
If you’re not already using Libro.fm, it’s worth checking out—especially if you like the idea of supporting independent bookstores while you listen. For a limited time, when you start a new monthly membership with promo code SWITCH, you’ll get two bonus audiobook credits at sign-up.
What are your best listens of 2025? Please let me know in the comments section below.
