My Year in Audiobooks

In late 2022, I started listening to audiobooks consistently for the first time. I had just gotten a new job with a 40 minute commute and ran through podcasts way too quickly. 2023 was the first full year that I listened to audiobooks. This year I listened to 21 audiobooks! Helped me meet my yearly goal for sure and accounted for 27% of books I read.

When I first got into audiobooks I was only listening to memoirs. The first one I finished this year, which is still one of my favorite books of 2023, was Simu Liu’s memoir. I followed that up with Deaf Utopia, which I also loved. I also adored Hilarie Burton Morgan’s memoir which I read in 2022, The Rural Diaries.

One of my coworkers recommended listening to Finlay Donovan is Killing It, which was my first foray into fictional audiobooks. It was the perfect into. The narrator was great and the story was entertaining and easy to follow. I immediately flew through the series

I then decided to listen to a Taylor Jenkins Reid book on audiobook and loved it. We were reading One True Loves for book club, and I had already read it when it first came out, so I though this was a nice was to re-read a story I had already read

I never thought I would become someone who was this into audiobooks. I think I still prefer memoirs to fictional stories. I think listening to the person who wrote about their life tell their own story is great. Hilary Burton Morgan is one of my favorite ones I’ve listened to as well.

Now, I have had a few audiobooks that I haven’t enjoyed as much. I think it’s extremely important to have a good narrator in addition to being a solid story. I find that I have the best luck if it’s an author I know is good, because I know I’m more likely to enjoy the story itself.

I’m excited to continue my audiobook journey next year. If you’re looking to get into audiobooks, here are my top 5 from this year.

1.      We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story By: Simu Liu

2.       Finlay Donovan is Killing It By: Elle Cosimano

3.       One True Loves By: Taylor Jenkins Reid

4.       Lovelight Farms By: BK Borison

5.       Deaf Utopia By: Nyle DiMarco