The Ultimate Audiobook Gift Guide for Everyone on Your Holiday List

Gifts for Moms
Groff narrates her latest book, a collection of stirring, intimate short stories that was a National Book Award finalist. The stories are all loosely connected by Florida, which feels at turns like a setting, a character, and a quietly looming presence. Many (but not all) of the stories focus on motherhood, or women in transition. Each one is thoughtful, edging around the darkness of life, with a slightly menacing quality. Groff's narration moves from playful to measured with ease, and moms who are fans of literary fiction and luminous writing will enjoy this collection.

Gifts for Moms
Massey kicks off a new series with Perveen Mistry, one of the first female solicitors in Bombay. Perveen spends her days working in her father's firm, focusing on contracts, but she gets her chance to work outside her office when she comes across a case involving three widows who have mysteriously signed away their entire inheritance after their husband's death. When Perveen investigates in person, she finds herself directly involved in a murder case. Nonkani's narration is engaging, and she capably handles switches between Perveen's present and the past choices that led her to becoming a solicitor. This is a great gift for fans of historical fiction and mysteries!

Gifts for Dads
This almost-too-bizarre-to-be-real tale is sure to captivate fans of true crime, natural history, and treasure-hunting. In 2012, a dinosaur skeleton went to auction in New York. It sold for more than a million dollars before the government of Mongolia stepped in, claiming ownership. The skeleton's assembler, Eric Prokopi, suddenly faced international scrutiny and possible arrest for bringing the skeleton to auction. The how and why is a fascinating story of history, politics, and tension between paleontologists and commercial fossil hunters. Williams spins a fascinating story alternating through the centuries, and Archer's narration makes it unfold like a fast-paced thriller.

One spy. One dangerous book. One deadly mission. The first in a gripping, fantasy mystery series, The Invisible Library is the astounding debut from Genevieve Cogman.

Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case – permanently . . .

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested – the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.

Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake.

Continue the journey with the second adventurous title in the The Invisible Library series, The Masked City. Genevieve is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Scarlet - which reimagines the tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel, but with vampires, mages and magic . . .

Gifts for Dads
Jason Dessen considers himself an average family man with a nice home, a somewhat satisfying career, and a wonderful wife and son. When he's kidnapped one night, his captor asks him one thing before knocking him out: Are you happy with your life? When Jason awakes, he is greeted by a bunch of lab coats who tell him he's achieved the impossible. But this world isn't the one Jason knows, and to get back to the life and family he loves, he'll have to do the impossible, again. Lindstom does a brilliant job at evoking the emotion and suspense of Jason's journey to get back to his family, especially during the truly mind-bending parts!

Gifts for Dads
If you have a dad who likes to immerse himself in a nice, long audiobook, this 18-hour narration of the story of the USS Indianapolis and its lasting impact on American history is just the thing. Vincent and Vladic take a long look at the eponymous ship, which sank in WWII after carrying the components for the atom bomb. The authors look beyond her actions in the war to her captain, who was court-martialed following the events, and the 60-year long fight for justice. Like this incredible story, Lloyd's narration is riveting.

Gifts for Kids and Families
Written by the granddaughters of the subject, this biography of Madeleine L'Engle is a close look at a literary legend. It follows L'Engle from childhood and into motherhood, concluding with the publication of her most famous work, A Wrinkle in Time. The authors take turns narrating the story and reading L'Engle's letters and diary entries, making this audiobook feel especially intimate and insightful, and great for kids and parents who love L'Engle's work!

Gifts for Kids and Families
The Vanderbeekers have always lived in their brownstone on 141st Street, but when the five siblings discover the week before Christmas that their landlord is making them move after the New Year, they concoct a series of plans to stay in their home. As their methods get thwarted at every turn and grow more outrageous, they finds themselves growing closer to their mysterious landlord and the real reason why he's decided to turn them out. Robin Miles does a splendid job bringing each Vanderbeeker sibling to life in this production that is great for all ages!

Gifts for Kids and Families
George has a secret: she's really a girl. Only no one can see or understand this. When her class puts on a production of Charlotte's Web, George confides in her best friend Kelly, and together they hatch a plan--maybe if the audience can see George as Charlotte, they'll understand that George is really a girl. Jamie Clayton's narration infuses magic into this story about finding your voice and the courage to be who you really are, a message that the whole family can enjoy.

Gifts for Your Funniest Friends Lindy West's essays are as hilarious as they are important to our culture. With blazing honesty, West talks about the realities of flying while fat, confronting her online trolls, obtaining an abortion, calling out rape jokes in comedy, and finding positive role models of fat women. Her upbeat narration makes this audiobook all the more enjoyable. Your pop culture-savvy friends will definitely want to listen to this one ahead of the 2019 Hulu TV adaptation.

Gifts for Your Funniest Friends
Listening to this essay collection feels like having Phoebe Robinson sitting next to you, telling you all about the crazy, hilarious, and seriously bonkers things she's experienced over a few drinks. Robinson covers everything from racism to money, pop culture to beauty standards, and politics to dating. Everything may indeed be trash, but Robinson will give you a bit of hope and a lot of laughter, just like any good friend.

Gifts for Your Funniest Friends
For the funny friend with a romantic streak, you can't go wrong with Spalding's latest. Seventeen-year-old Abby is beyond excited to start her summer internship at her favorite boutique. She's not so excited to be sharing the internship with Jordi Perez, who has no sense of style but does have a good eye for photography. All too quickly, Abby's resentment turns into attraction for Jordi, and romance blossoms. But when Jordi turns her camera on Abby, Abby balks. Morris absolutely nails Abby's flamboyant, sometimes self-conscious, and high-energy personality, and her narration will put a huge smile on your face.

Gifts for Picky Teens
This year's National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature is not to be missed! Xiomara is torn between two worlds. At home, she is expected to be a good Catholic girl, obedient and chaste. Outside of home, she isn't sure what she believes, and she's definitely attracted to Aman, who shares similar tastes in music. Xiomara deals with this tension through her poetry, and when the pull of her outside world becomes too much, she must find her voice. Acevedo has a background in slam poetry performance and delivers beautifully here, making this audiobook a must-listen.

Gifts for Picky Teens
Willowdean is fat, and just fine with it. Her size only seems to be a problem for other people, including her former beauty queen mom. But when Willowdean takes a job at a local fast food joint and finds her feelings for new guy Bo are requited, her self-confidence takes a hit. Confused, she enrolls in the beauty pageant her mom now judges, determined to make a statement for all outcast girls everywhere. Eileen Stevens' narration is full of heart and humor, and she brings Willowdean's big, beautiful personality to life perfectly. Dumplin' is now a Netflix original movie, so this makes a great gift for a reluctant reader.

Gifts for Picky Teens
Mattie and Sadie are sisters, just doing their best to survive in a harsh world. When Mattie is killed and the investigation is botched, Sadie decides to take matters into her own hands. And when a radio personality learns of their story, he becomes obsessed with not only who killed Mattie, but with what happened to Sadie. Sadie is a compelling, ambitious story of a murder, a missing girl, and the pursuit of justice. With a full cast of over 30 narrators, this book reads like a true crime podcast and is just as binge-worthy.

Gifts for Coworkers
Cassandra Bowden has a little problem: she's a binge-drinker. So far, she's managed to hide her alcoholism well enough to keep her job as a flight attendant, but when she wakes up in a Dubai hotel room and the man she had a fling with the night before is dead beside her, she finds her life spiraling out of control quickly. The cast of narrators build a spider's web of a mystery that finds Cassandra firmly caught, but unwilling to give up, even when the odds are utterly stacked against her. This is a great pick for busy people who like character-driven mysteries.

Gifts for Co-workers
Markus Zusak returns with his first book since The Book Thief, telling the story of the Dunbar brothers, who are still reeling from the loss of their mother and their father's abandonment. They're making do the best they can when their father returns unexpectedly and draw their brother Clay away, to build a mysterious bridge. Zusak narrates his own book splendidly, and this novel will be a hit with fans of The Book Thief and family dramas.

Gifts for Co-workers
An American Marriage was an Oprah's Book Club pick, and had been one of of the most talked-about books this year. It follows newlyweds Roy and Celestial, whose quick trip to visit Roy's parents ends in tragedy when Roy is wrongfully accused and imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. As the book weaves back and forth between Roy and Celestial's perspectives, it raises questions about relationships, marriages, race, and class that is sure to be a great conversation starter.

Gifts for Roommates
Binti is the first of her people on Earth to be offered a place at Oomza University, the best institution of higher learning in the galaxy. She runs away without telling her family, but on her journey gets caught between the crossfires of a deadly standoff between the Meduse, a fearsome alien race, and Oomza University. But, she might be uniquely situated to strike a precarious peace between the two entities—if she's willing to fundamentally change who she is. Robin Miles is an incredibly talented narrator who deftly captures the drama and danger of Binti's situation, and her anxiety over honoring her past and pursuing her future.

Gifts for Roommates
It sounds like a rom-com dream come true: a public proposal on the scoreboard of a Dodgers game. Except Nikole's not sure she wants to marry her actor boyfriend, whom she's only been dating for five months. When she's rescued from cameras and all of the disappointed fans by the very handsome Carlos, Nikole rebounds hard. But what happens when the rebound turns into something more serious? Janina Edwards makes Guillory's witty dialogue sparkle, giving this sexy romance both humor and heart, the perfect gift for anyone looking for a little extra romance in their life.

Gifts for Roommates
Korede is resentfully loyal to her little sister Ayoola, who is pretty and outgoing and desired--all the things Korede is not. Ayoola is also a killer, and with three boyfriends in a row dead, Korede knows that this is becoming a pattern. When Ayoolya sets her sights on Korede's coworker and crush, Korede knows how this will go down--she just has to decide what she's willing to do about it. This is a funny, fierce little book and Adepero Oduye's narration makes the dark humor glitter.