’Tis the season for gifting, gathering, and great listening—and, if you play your cards right, pitch-perfect presents that won’t leave you scrambling for the last roll of wrapping paper. We’re firm believers that a good story makes a great gift, and the Audible Gift Center is packed with suggestions for striking the right note. But while gift guides are as abundant as peppermint- and pine-scented everything this time of year, the winning touch of a truly uncommon yet bang-on recommendation remains elusive.
So we got curious: What audiobooks were the creators of some of our best-loved listens giving for the holidays, whether new, old, perennially popular, or criminally underrated? From the bestselling authors of some of the year’s best books to celebrity podcasters who know their audio, 20 tastemakers share the listens they love giving to someone special.
Matt Dinniman, author of A Parade of Horribles
“My audio recommendation is The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett and narrated by Andrew Fallaize. I went into this one completely blind and was absolutely blown away. There’s a reason why this novel won the Hugo Award. It’s Lovecraft meets a Sherlock Holmes and Watsonian type story told under the backdrop of a fantasy world where their way of life revolves around defending their cities from constant kaiju attacks from the sea, and from harvesting the precious but deadly resources from such attacks. Amazing and brilliant with an iconic performance from Fallaize.”
Kaylie Smith, author of Enchantra
“Possibly to no one’s surprise I’m going to recommend Belladonna by Adalyn Grace! Not only is it my most gifted audiobook amongst my friends and family, the audio version is utterly incredible. It’s not just a narration, it’s a full performance! The story truly comes to life and I think it’s a perfect cozy, gothic, mysterious read for the winter season. Plus, the latest installment in the series, Holly, is a stunning Christmas novella!”
Julian Brave NoiseCat, author of We Survived the Night
“I recently listened to Witi Ihimaera's classic Māori novel The Whale Rider on audiobook and was reminded why this bestseller was made into an Academy Award-nominated film of the same name. I remember going to watch Whale Rider when I was a little kid. The film's lead, Keisha Castle-Hughes, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, becoming the youngest person ever nominated for the award. To this day both the book and the film feel like one of the greatest achievements of Indigenous storytelling—canon for our people, and hopefully yours too. The audiobook, narrated by the author himself, does his work justice.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of All the Way to the River
“The book series that I treasure most in audio form is the late British actor Patrick Tull's truly epic rendition of the Patrick O'Brian nautical novels (most famously, Master and Commander, but there are over a dozen more as well.) Are you going on the longest car trip in history and you need thousands of hours of content? Are you recovering from a serious illness and are too weak to read but need wonderful distraction? Are you trying to get in shape by walking 10 miles a day and you want company? Are you building a canoe in your garage and it's going to take months and you would like to listen to some action-adventure naval battles as you work? Bring these books along. They are not only swashbuckling and thrilling and deeply witty and humane ("Jane Austen at sea" is one description I love), but you'll feel like you're watching the best and most sweeping BBC historical series ever, except from inside your ears.”
Taj McCoy, author of The Dating Prohibition
“My rec would be August Lane by Regina Black. Delivering a second-chance romance after a searing betrayal is no easy feat, and Regina does it effortlessly while weaving in messy family dynamics and emotional complexity that forces the characters far beyond their comfort zones.”
Joe Abercrombie, author of The Devils
“I find much to enjoy in Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir’s crazy, hilarious, and even occasionally moving tale of an ill-fated competition between necromancers in a crumbling science-fictional palace.”
Harlan Coben, author of Gone Before Goodbye
“I’m gifting My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand, read by Barbra Streisand. I’m a sucker for a celebrity memoir audiobook read by the subject, and this one is a classic. It’s over 48 hours long (no, that’s not a typo) and rather than sticking to the text, Streisand clearly goes off on tangents not in the printed book. It’s real and chatty and personable and overlong and messy—and I love her for all the excess. (Bonus: There are musical interludes.)”
Monica Lewinsky, creator of Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky
“Who doesn’t need a hug around the holidays? Well, that’s what Charlie Mackesy’s book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse feels like. It’s warm and comforting and pairs perfectly with a hot cup of cocoa. Charlie is a wonderful friend and a beautiful, gentle soul. Be sure to check out his newest book, Always Remember, the sequel to The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse that’s out now in print as well.”
Kennedy Ryan, author of Can’t Get Enough
“Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi is one of my most captivating listens of the year. The narrator, Indigo Brown, masterfully embodies each character, demonstrating incredible range. Emezi, an award-winning author in literary fiction, is an absolute blessing to the romance genre, exhibiting the command as a gifted storyteller we have come to expect from them. In this fantasy, shaped by lush world-building, tender passion, and gripping prose, Emezi challenges our notions of faith and reimagines the familiar. Galilee Kincaid is a powerful, complex heroine on a journey of self-determination and discovery. It’s a tale of humans and angels and demons that transcends time and beautifully flouts convention. Scorching and evocative, this supernatural adventure will have you smudging the lines between good and evil, between love and hate, and relishing every minute of it!”
Geoff Rickly, author of Someone Who Isn’t Me
“Chelsea Hodson’s Tonight I’m Someone Else is the audiobook that made me want to make an audiobook for Someone Who Isn’t Me. I had never been a fan of audiobooks. I thought the actors sounded too wooden at times and the authors had no charisma. Then I heard Chelsea’s book: her hypnotic voice pulled me in. I saw a possibility for a different kind of expression, something intimate and aesthetically sleek. I’ve learned so much from Chelsea and I’ve also encouraged her to release her own music because of that incredible voice. (I also love the Dan Ozzi, Mark Hoppus audiobook for Fahrenheit-182.)”
Brynne Weaver, author of Tourist Season
“I’d most like to gift Bethany Baptiste’s The Poisons We Drink. Lynnette R. Freeman’s narration is beautiful and evocative and so perfectly suited to Baptiste’s cinematic fantasy about power, trauma, love, and (best of all) feminine rage.”
Asia Monique, author of And Then There Was Passion
“Maybe Next Time’s full-cast experience spoke to my soul. It’s for the grown and sexy, for the lovers who put in the real work, even when it feels daunting. CCJ can do no wrong in my book, and Maybe Next Time is no exception.”
Maybe Next Time
By Christina C. Jones
Narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan, Winston James, J Shani Michaels, Sharif Stevens, AD Franconia, Lizan Mitchell, Keith Randolph Smith, Madison C Marie, Soraya Banks, Spencer Coleman
Kal Penn, cohost of Earsay
"I'm shamelessly recommending my own audiobook, You Can't Be Serious, which is a memoir that takes you on a journey of systemic change in Hollywood and Washington, and which I narrate with my own soothing voice for your comedic listening pleasure.”
Cadence Keys, author of Campus Crush
“Blindsided by Amy Daws was the first audiobook that completely stole my heart. It’s funny, flirty, and full of the kind of emotional depth that sneaks up on you. Freya and Mac’s best-friends-to-lovers story has incredible chemistry, laugh-out-loud banter, and so much heart. And don’t even get me started on the swoony Scottish accent. The duet narration makes it feel like you’re right there with them, and there were so many places where I couldn’t stop smiling or kicking my feet with giddiness. It’s one of those listens that just makes you feel good.”
Ryan Holiday, author of Wisdom Takes Work
“Like most great narrative nonfiction, The Zorg is a riveting story first and foremost, and then a means of exploring both the darkness of the human condition and the potential in each of us. It’s the story of The Zorg, a cursed slave ship that in 1781 dumped dozens of slaves overboard in a desperate and evil attempt to recover their value in insurance money. It was the trial and later the publicity over this disaster that helped inspire the abolitionist movement. As dark and terrible as some of the characters in the book are, many others give you hope, remind you that ordinary people can spark extraordinary change, and challenge you to do more in your own life.”
Callie Hart, author of Brimstone
“Hands down, my favorite audiobook to give as a gift is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The story itself is gripping and hooks you from the first page, but the audio edition is just something else. Ray Porter’s performance is phenomenal. I felt like I was inside the story as I listened, transported to another solar system as our unwitting Ryland Grace tries to figure out how to save the world. And perhaps other worlds while he’s at it... Ten out of ten, my favorite audiobook of all time!”
SenLinYu, author of Alchemised
“Janika Oza’s A History of Burning is a book that has lingered with me ever since I read it. The legacy of colonialism is at the forefront of the story, crossing continents and generations within a single family, carrying the cost of past choices onward from one character to the next. Each perspective is heartrending in how understandable it is, even when the choices made feel inevitable in their tragedy. It’s a book as beautiful and terrible as fire. I recommend it for anyone who loves complex stories of survival.”
Victoria Wilder, author of Bourbon and Proof
“It was really hard to choose my most recommended. I have a few that I’ll always suggest, but I love recommending this one if a reader typically only listens to/reads contemporary romance and is wanting to try something different. Holly Renee’s A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows is one of my absolute favorite romantasy stories, and the audio is SO well done. It’s performed in duet with Stella Hunter as Adara and J.F. Harding as Everen. It’s one of those immersive reads that I love getting lost in while listening.”
Ed Helms, cohost of Earsay
“Growing up, This Is Spinal Tap was a sacred film in the Helms household. My dad and I practically wore out the VHS tape. Accordingly, I’m thrilled to recommend A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap by the film’s creators and stars, Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer. It’s perfect for anyone who loves comedy, music, or amps that go to eleven. And while I’m at it, I’ll also humbly recommend my own book, SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups. It lives right there on that same glorious tightrope between stupid and clever.”
A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever
By Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer
Narrated by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer
Amy Daws, author of Honeymoon Phase
“I have to recommend my dear friend Meghan Quinn’s latest Christmas book, Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal. It’s a multicast delight featuring the amazing Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton in duet style as well as a full supporting cast that brings the story to life in the best way! It’s humor, it’s spice, it’s everything nice this holiday season!”
Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
By Meghan Quinn
Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor, Teddy Hamilton, J.F. Harding, Vanessa Edwin, Robert Hatchet, Shane East
Photo credits, from top: Julian Brave NoiseCat by Emily Kassie, Elizabeth Gilbert by Deborah Lopez, Kennedy Ryan by K. Jamal Photo, Geoff Rickly by Liza de Guia, Brynne Weaver by Brynne Weaver.
