Considering that June is Audiobook Month (among other things), it’s fitting that we chose it to kick off our new monthly series. Audible staffers spend a lot of time listening, and the recommendations we share with each other are just too good to keep to ourselves. The selection’s as diverse as we are, but these audiobooks share a common excellence.
After binge-watching Catastrophe, I was looking for more from its writers and stars, and came across Rob Delaney’s memoir. With its ridiculous subtitle, you can quickly get a taste of Rob’s sense of humor, but when you dig a little deeper you’ll be impressed by how Rob reveals some pretty major life events in a painfully honest and brutally funny way. This approach is what makes his TV show with Sharon Horgan so relatable and enjoyable, and I was happy to have a few more hours in the comedian’s company. –Diana, Audible Editor
The Argonauts is so much more than can be described. It's a beautiful, deeply intelligent book about the intersection between love, sexuality, gender, and birth. Nelson, the author of several books that defy genre and the recipient of 2016's MacArthur “genius grant” Fellowship, intertwines personal stories about her life with literary allusions to identity and meditations on gender theory, creating a dazzling portrait of modern life. Her own narration helps bind you to the personal nature of this book in a way that soothes while it blows your mind. Prepare to be changed.
Just released as a film by one of my favorite directors, Tom Hiddleston (who stars in the film) narrates the book of which it’s based on. A fancy apartment complex representative of modern day class structure turns into a battle for primitive survival. A great six-hour escape into insanity and black humor coolly narrated by Hiddleston. Fans of Chuck Palahniuk, Terry Gilliam, Danny Boyle, and the show Black Mirror should definitely check this out. –Andrew, ACX Audio Operations
Despite working for an audiobook company, the first time I'd listened to a full-length fiction title was [the recent] The Sleepwalker's Guide To Dancing. I listen to tons of podcasts, and I've listened to autobiographies and Freakonomics-style non-fiction, but never a novel. My “best book friend” recommended it to me, and she was right — the author does an excellent job with the voices, and I found myself taking the long way home just so I could listen for a few extra blocks. If you've ever wondered if audiobooks are for you, this should be your gateway listen! –Robyn, Social Media Creative Manager
Sometimes the perfect multicast can really make a book, as is the case with Neuvel's debut. The voices here forged in me a fierce sense of loyalty for the characters I came to care about, and utter hatred for one that was truly evil (who I don't think I would have hated nearly enough if it was the voice in my own head narrating). The unnamed central narrator evolved from someone who was initially off-putting to someone I was desperate to hear speak; he became a reassuring fatherly presence. Overall, the production quality elevated this one from a simple story (which I really shouldn't call "simple," since Sleeping Giants is a geopolitical mystery/thriller epistolary novel with alien technology) to an immersive experience that almost made it feel, above all else, very personal. I can't wait for the next in the series. –Emily, Audible Editor
It's my ideal trifecta: A memoir by a writer's writer, narrated by the author, and concerning the Pacific Ocean. This just won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography, but I've been flirting with listening to it for months. I grew up along Southern California's coast, even went to a high school with a surf team, but I never learned to surf — in fact, I was quite terrified of the idea. The New Yorker's William Finnegan wrote (and tells) a gorgeous paean to my home ocean, to the follies of feckless youth, and to the adventure of becoming a world-traveling journalist. –Erin, Audible Range Managing Editor
I’ve loved working my way through this listen — Duncan Steen’s clear and erudite reading of this philosophical classic gives it relevance today, and makes these ancient words of wisdom feel real. I find it profoundly fascinating to take such a deep dive into the mind of a brilliant human living during such an alien era. It’s especially fascinating to hear human truths that still apply today — our technology and culture may have changed dramatically over time, but it’s comforting to know that there are universal elements to the human experience, and people have been brooding and musing over them since time immemorial. –Dan, Audible Range Director
New York Times bestselling author Garth Stein brings listeners the thoughtful and uplifting story of race car driver Denny Swift and his dog Enzo, as told from the perspective of the constantly watching, quietly wise Enzo. This listen is equal parts hilarious and heartwrenching, and just might have you reaching over to cuddle your pup with newfound appreciation.
It took a little bit of encouragement for me to actually download and listen to 10% Happier by Dan Harris. Harris, a correspondent for ABC News, wrote this book after he suffered a panic attack on air. Motivated by this flub, Harris began practicing meditation and chronicled his journey from skeptic to believer. Like Harris, I thought that meditation was a bunch of "hooey" — something that only the non-ambitious practiced. And, like Harris, I would soon change my mind. I loved this book because it was not prescriptive, it was not condescending, and honestly, it didn’t make me roll my eyes. Harris presents meditation and the notion of "living in the present" in a very modern and accessible manner. A manner which I can (and have) adopted into my own life. –Laura, Audible Editor
I've been on a bit of a true crime kick lately, and this month I decided to finally pick up the book that started it all. Very few books have literally defined a genre, but In Cold Blood is one of them, and it’s easy to see why. In near-perfect prose and calling on a variety of fascinating characters, Capote masterfully crafted the suspenseful tale of the murder that rocked a small town in Kansas. It’s more of a "whydunit" than a "whodunit" — and that lingering question kept me compulsively listening at every free moment. I’ve heard Scott Brick’s narration before, but he truly shines in this performance, giving each person a voice that’s at once empathetic and larger than life. It's the ultimate nonfiction that reads like a novel — which makes it even more chilling in those moments where it dawns on you: this all really happened. –Sam, Audible Editor
