Audible Essentials

The Audible Essentials

Our Editors have selected these titles as the best of the best, the top must-listens on Audible.
Product list
    • Stories from a South African Childhood
    • Written by: Trevor Noah
    • Narrated by: Trevor Noah
    • Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
    • Release date: 2016-11-15
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 13,696 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Born a Crime is considered to be the Audible listen that embodies everything that makes an audiobook so special: humour, a captivating story, and an endearing narrator. Stop reading this review, and just listen to it already. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $31.26 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $31.26 or 1 Credit

    • A Novel
    • Written by: Richard Wagamese
    • Narrated by: Jason Ryll
    • Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
    • Release date: 2018-04-10
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,592 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Richard Wagamese is a stalwart in Canadian publishing, and Indian Horse might be his best novel. An aging Ojibway man reflects on his life; from being taken from his family as a child, to rising through the ranks of youth ice hockey, facing racism and hatred at every stage. First Nations narrator Jason Ryll fully embodies the complicated persona of Saul Indian Horse, and really brings this tale home. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $25.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $25.00 or 1 Credit

  • Price: $37.53 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $37.53 or 1 Credit

  • Price: $20.40 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $20.40 or 1 Credit

    • Written by: Michelle Obama
    • Narrated by: Michelle Obama
    • Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
    • Release date: 2018-11-13
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 9,899 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Many have come to know and adore Michelle Obama from afar as the first black First Lady of the United States, and this up-close-and-personal memoir reveals how she became the internationally beloved figure she is today. Narrating in her honest and humourous style, Michelle tells a life story for the ages that **must** be listened to. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $29.14 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $29.14 or 1 Credit

    • A Brief History of Humankind
    • Written by: Yuval Noah Harari
    • Narrated by: Derek Perkins
    • Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
    • Release date: 2017-09-13
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,257 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • This is the history of humans and how we fit into the world, in the most interesting and accessible way possible. Yuval Harari is a master of taking large and complicated scientific topics and making them easy to understand, and this is his magnum opus. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $30.86 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $30.86 or 1 Credit

    • Life-Changing Advice from the Author of “The 5 Second Rule”
    • Written by: Mel Robbins
    • Narrated by: Mel Robbins
    • Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
    • Release date: 2018-05-08
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,168 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • This collection of life coaching sessions from an expert at the top of her field focuses on the stories of her clients, each with a different set of problems. Mel is truly skilled at drilling down to the source of an issue, and proposing long-lasting solutions. She is incredibly honest and grounded, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with her approach. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $37.53 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $37.53 or 1 Credit

    • Written by: J.K. Rowling
    • Narrated by: Jim Dale
    • Series: Harry Potter, Book 7, Wizarding World Collection, Book 7
    • Length: 21 hrs and 36 mins
    • Release date: 2015-11-20
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 5,449 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • You might expect to see the first novel in the *Harry Potter* series on a best-of list, but it's truly the seventh that is the crescendo of a literary storm that took over the world. I'd be mistaken if I didn't credit narrator Jim Dale, who serves up a master class in developing hundreds of unique voices in a performance that will be enjoyed by listeners of all ages. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $58.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $58.99 or 1 Credit

    • Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1
    • Written by: Patrick Rothfuss
    • Narrated by: Nick Podehl
    • Series: Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1
    • Length: 27 hrs and 55 mins
    • Release date: 2009-05-15
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,851 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • ''There is a beauty to Pat’s writing that defies description,'' says best-selling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson of Patrick Rothfuss' debut and first in the *Kingkiller Chronicle* series, *The Name of the Wind*, and I wholeheartedly agree. You will also admire the lushness of Rothfuss’ prose, and then realize that he has pulled off an incredible feat: a first novel with an intricate, addictive story in addition to masterful construction. – Sarah, Audible Editor

    Price: $37.58 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $37.58 or 1 Credit

    • Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
    • Written by: Brené Brown
    • Narrated by: Brené Brown
    • Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
    • Release date: 2018-10-09
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,417 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Brené Brown's words are the perfect antidote to the ennui that seems to permeate our professional lives at one point or another, and *Dare to Lead* is a prime example of her unique mix of scientific insight and humanizing empathy. In this self-narrated self-development jewel, Brown shows us what it means to be true leaders in our fields—and what she reveals will surprise you, enlighten you, and ultimately change your life. – Sarah, Audible Editor

    Price: $23.31 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $23.31 or 1 Credit

    • Outlander, Book 1
    • Written by: Diana Gabaldon
    • Narrated by: Davina Porter
    • Series: Outlander, Book 1
    • Length: 32 hrs and 38 mins
    • Release date: 2006-07-13
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,431 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Diana Gabaldon's blockbuster time-traveling romantic adventure has captured the hearts of readers; and more recently viewers, for many years. Look no further for a romance that will immediately transport you next to a crackling fire in the 18th-century Scottish Highlands, wrapped in a cozy Fraser tartan throw. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $38.97 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $38.97 or 1 Credit

    • A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz
    • Written by: Max Eisen
    • Narrated by: Douglas E. Hughes
    • Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
    • Release date: 2019-07-16
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 310 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • This shocking WWII memoir will both gut you and bring you hope as Hungarian Jew Max Eisen survives the Holocaust, then struggles to find his way in the world after liberation. Narrator Douglas E. Hughes delicately takes on Eisen's story, embodying his unique spirit of honesty and hope in the face of extreme adversity. Hughes also skillfully navigates Hungarian pronunciations, lending an authenticity that elevates Eisen's story to the next level. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $26.54 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $26.54 or 1 Credit

    • A Memoir
    • Written by: Tara Westover
    • Narrated by: Julia Whelan
    • Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
    • Release date: 2018-08-07
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 6,729 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Author Tara Westover was raised by survivalists in the woods with no formal education until age 17. Despite this, she went on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. This is a nearly unbelievable story of family hardship, tireless self-improvement, and the power of education. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $31.26 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $31.26 or 1 Credit

    • Written by: Donna Tartt
    • Narrated by: David Pittu
    • Length: 32 hrs and 24 mins
    • Release date: 2013-10-22
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 993 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Donna Tartt comes out with one book approximately every 10 years, and each of her three magnificent novels is worth the wait. But *The Goldfinch* is in a class all its own. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this is the most earnest and compelling portrait of childhood grief that I've ever listened to. The characters, especially those of Boris; the protagonist's hedonistic best friend, and Xandra, the spray-tanned step-mom-from-hell, are truly unforgettable. – Sarah, Audible Editor

    Price: $50.49 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $50.49 or 1 Credit

    • Written by: Patti Smith
    • Narrated by: Patti Smith
    • Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
    • Release date: 2011-07-26
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 165 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • *Just Kids* is my absolute favourite memoir. As the ''punk poet laureate'', Patti Smith imparts a beautiful, rhythmic performance of her story of growing up in the bad old days of New York City with best friend and acclaimed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Her love for Mapplethorpe, and her passion for art, music, and writing come through with every word spoken. – Sarah, Audible Editor

    Price: $31.46 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $31.46 or 1 Credit

    • A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, Book 14
    • Written by: Louise Penny
    • Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
    • Series: Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines, Book 14
    • Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
    • Release date: 2018-11-27
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 308 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Louise Penny is a dominant force in the Canadian mystery genre, and you don't need to start at Book 1 in her acclaimed series to appreciate her mastery. In *Kingdom of the Blind*, the legendary Chief Inspector Gamache is once again faced with a troubling crime in a small Quebec village. He must face both present demons as well as those from his past if he is going to solve the case in Three Pines. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $26.21 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $26.21 or 1 Credit

    • Bobiverse, Book 1
    • Written by: Dennis E. Taylor
    • Narrated by: Ray Porter
    • Series: Bobiverse, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
    • Release date: 2016-09-20
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,849 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • I'm not a sci-fi person, and I love this book. The narration is what really catapults this listen into a genre-breaker; it sucks you into a story that is action-filled, and incredibly funny at the same time. – Melissa, Member Engagement

    Price: $25.00 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $25.00 or 1 Credit

    • Written by: Lucy Maud Montgomery
    • Narrated by: Rachel McAdams
    • Series: Anne of Green Gables, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
    • Release date: 2016-11-22
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 1,447 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • A classic coming-of-age tale that every young Canadian should listen to, this new edition is narrated by London, Ontario native Rachel McAdams. Her vivacious, yet tender delivery is the perfect vehicle for the story of the precocious Anne. – Sarah, Audible Editor

    Price: $31.26 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $31.26 or 1 Credit

    • Written by: Roald Dahl
    • Narrated by: Douglas Hodge
    • Series: Charlie Bucket, Book 1
    • Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
    • Release date: 2013-06-13
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 119 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Listening to this book is like sitting down in a cozy armchair and drinking a hot cup of tea next to the fire. I'll never tire of Roald Dahl's whimsical stories, and this tops my list because of Douglas Hodge's absolutely delightful narration. – Tori, Audible Editor

    Price: $16.32 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $16.32 or 1 Credit

    • Written by: Leo Tolstoy
    • Narrated by: Maggie Gyllenhaal
    • Length: 35 hrs and 35 mins
    • Release date: 2016-07-12
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 934 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • You may balk at the 35-hour runtime, but trust me: this is a classic for a reason. From the iconic first line of ''Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,'' Maggie Gyllenhaal's skillful narration convinces us that *Anna Karenina* is one of her very favourite books—and I couldn't agree more. – Sarah, Audible Editor

    Price: $53.70 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $53.70 or 1 Credit