The Audible Essentials
The Audible Essentials is our list of 100 absolute must-listens. Hours were spent deliberating which books should (and shouldn't) make the cut. Ultimately, the final list was chosen to represent a wide range of genres, compelling stories, and can't-miss performances. These are the books that stand the test of time: vetted by our listeners and hand-picked by our editors as examples of excellence.
Product List
  • The Graveyard Book Audiobook By Neil Gaiman cover art

    • The Graveyard Book

    • By: Neil Gaiman
    • Narrated by: Neil Gaiman
    • Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
    • Release date: 09-30-08
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 17,837 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Neil Gaiman is one of the greats, not only as an author, but as a narrator as well. His charming, sometimes somber, and darkly playful performance of The Graveyard Book immediately transports you to the small, but ever-expanding world of Bod, an orphan boy who is adopted by the spirits of a cemetery. You don’t have to be familiar with the source material that serves as inspiration (Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book) to love this eerie, coming-of-age collection of stories. —Chris, Audible Editor

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  • Hounded Audiobook By Kevin Hearne cover art

    • Hounded

    • The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1
    • By: Kevin Hearne
    • Narrated by: Luke Daniels
    • Series: Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 1
    • Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
    • Release date: 04-19-11
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 30,422 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • The Iron Druid Chronicles is undoubtedly also beloved outside of audio, but I think I speak for its many fans when I wonder why anyone would want to experience it any other way. Luke Daniels is a top-notch vocal chameleon, deftly portraying Hearne’s many, many characters—and making us laugh out loud in the process. —Sam, Audible Editor

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  • Lolita Audiobook By Vladimir Nabokov cover art

    • Lolita

    • By: Vladimir Nabokov
    • Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
    • Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
    • Release date: 09-26-05
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 11,438 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Nabokov’s prose is otherworldly beautiful—so beautiful, that it’s a rather ironic experience trying to write about it in my own comparatively mediocre words. Add to that a performance by Jeremy Irons, and you’ve got a listen that’s almost infuriatingly good. I can’t imagine any other way to experience this uncomfortable, yet altogether absorbing classic. —Sam, Audible Editor

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  • Charlotte's Web Audiobook By E. B. White cover art

    • Charlotte's Web

    • By: E. B. White
    • Narrated by: E. B. White, George Plimpton
    • Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
    • Release date: 10-24-03
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,119 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • First published in 1952, this gentle story about a barnyard pig named Wilbur and the wise spider named Charlotte who saves his life is a beautifully poignant testament to friendship that still rings true today. The narration by the author in his understated accent adds nuance and charm to this heartwarming childhood classic. —Sonja, Audible Editor

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  • Middlesex Audiobook By Jeffrey Eugenides cover art

    • Middlesex

    • By: Jeffrey Eugenides
    • Narrated by: Kristoffer Tabori
    • Length: 21 hrs and 21 mins
    • Release date: 04-25-03
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 11,238 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Jeffrey Eugenides’s sweeping epic won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. At the core of its success is Eugenides’s unmatched ability to enter the mind of his protagonist, as he traces Cal’s unique genes through a long ancestry of Greek tragedy and adventure, illuminating each period in splendorous detail and skillful lyricism. Narrator Kristoffer Tabori thrives in Eugenides’s colorful and diverse emotional landscape, adding just the right touch of drama to a story that is as unpredictable as it is probing and poignant. —Michael, Audible Editor

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  • Sapiens Audiobook By Yuval Noah Harari cover art

    • Sapiens

    • A Brief History of Humankind
    • By: Yuval Noah Harari
    • Narrated by: Derek Perkins
    • Series: Sapiens
    • Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
    • Release date: 08-15-17
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 56,364 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Yuval Noah Harari trained as a medieval and military historian at Oxford . . . then, as an author, took a turn toward “deep history”: the things that happened 50,000 years ago or more. Sapiens is essential, well, for us Homo Sapiens, because Harari looks at our history—and dominance over other hominids—through the lens of our cognition. A subject that could be dense or “meta” feels very understandable thanks to the intelligent and measured performance of Derek Perkins. —Christina, Audible Editor

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  • The End of the Affair Audiobook By Graham Greene cover art

    • The End of the Affair

    • By: Graham Greene
    • Narrated by: Colin Firth
    • Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
    • Release date: 05-07-12
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 11,462 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Oh how I love this book. It’s so beautiful, raw, and simmering with rage and love; it’s the story of a great passion that takes a fateful misstep. Colin Firth delivers on this emotional complexity flawlessly, drawing out Bendrix’s pain and longing without ever overacting. This is the most famous of Graham Greene’s “Catholic novels” and I remember being so completely drawn into the story that I was nearly converted. —Emily, Audible Editor

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  • Stories I Only Tell My Friends Audiobook By Rob Lowe cover art

    • Stories I Only Tell My Friends

    • An Autobiography
    • By: Rob Lowe
    • Narrated by: Rob Lowe
    • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
    • Release date: 04-26-11
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,998 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • The beauty of the author-narrated memoir is the intimacy of the experience. Here we have one of the best of the genre with Rob Lowe, whose compelling storytelling does in fact make you believe you are one of his friends. And what a treat it is to pal around with the genuinely charming actor, whose wit and insights will no doubt encourage you to revisit his greatest hits: The Outsiders, The West Wing, and, for me, the-cancelled-too-soon The Grinder. —Diana, Audible Editor

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  • The Bad Beginning, A Multi-Voice Recording Audiobook By Lemony Snicket cover art

    • The Bad Beginning, A Multi-Voice Recording

    • A Series of Unfortunate Events #1
    • By: Lemony Snicket
    • Narrated by: Tim Curry, Full Cast
    • Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1
    • Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
    • Release date: 12-28-03
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,177 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • The Bad Beginning may be, as Lemony Snicket reveals, a miserable tale, but it is a joy to listen to. This full-cast production is of the highest caliber, filled with orchestral music and chilling sound effects. I loved Tim Curry (yes, Dr. Frank N. Furter) as the infamous villain Count Olaf, and was charmed by the witty Baudelaire siblings, who rely on books to help them avoid the Count's treachery. —Diana, Audible Editor

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  • American Kingpin Audiobook By Nick Bilton cover art

    • American Kingpin

    • The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road
    • By: Nick Bilton
    • Narrated by: Will Damron
    • Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
    • Release date: 05-02-17
    • Language: English
    • 5 out of 5 stars 19,680 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • I kind of wish every nonfiction book was written like American Kingpin—there was so much action and suspense, I felt as if I was listening to the latest thriller. It's the definition of a nonfiction book that reads like fiction. Will Damron's narration is perfect, allowing the book's content to take center stage. —Laura, Audible Editor

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  • Their Eyes Were Watching God Audiobook By Zora Neale Hurston cover art

    • Their Eyes Were Watching God

    • By: Zora Neale Hurston
    • Narrated by: Ruby Dee
    • Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
    • Release date: 12-26-04
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 11,692 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • It’s pure magic to hear the incomparable Ruby Dee embody the seminal autobiographical work of Harlem Renaissance folklorist Zora Neale Hurston. Dee’s raspy, expressive voice does such justice to the rich imagery and complex inner lives of the Black women of Hurston’s Southern tale, a sort of coming-of-age tale which spoke to me so directly as a young Black woman writer years ago. Dee’s mixture of sultry attitude and playfulness are the verbal equivalence of the hypnotic undulation of a woman’s hips rolling and swaying as she confidently walks off to find herself and live on her own terms. Spellbinding. —Abby, Audible Editor

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  • Angela's Ashes Audiobook By Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction cover art

    • Angela's Ashes

    • By: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
    • Narrated by: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction
    • Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 12-16-99
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 9,842 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • This is a perfect example of an amazingly engaging memoir: one I read in college that made me aspire to someday be so raw and honest in my own writing, elevated to even greater heights by the narration of the author. Frank McCourt’s tale of great struggle and pain in Ireland is enhanced by not only his lilting brogue and bursts of folk songs, but also by a sense of joy, humor, and family that sweetens the salty tears you’re sure to shed. —Abby, Audible Editor

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  • Not My Father's Son: A Memoir Audiobook By Alan Cumming cover art

    • Not My Father's Son: A Memoir

    • By: Alan Cumming
    • Narrated by: Alan Cumming
    • Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
    • Release date: 10-07-14
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 10,737 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Being a big fan of Alan Cumming’s acting and narration (The Good Wife, Dracula), I was immediately drawn to this book. (When I heard he would talk about his experience on the UK version of the TV show Who Do You Think You Are? I got even more excited.) Simply put, this is a perfectly framed memoir. Cumming does not overreach to try and tell his entire life history, but instead focuses on how his current experiences are tied to the legends and truths of his family’s past. It flows organically, is written beautifully, and is an absolute joy to listen to. —Tricia, Audible Editor

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  • Still Life Audiobook By Louise Penny cover art

    • Still Life

    • Chief Inspector Gamache, Book 1
    • By: Louise Penny
    • Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
    • Series: Chief Inspector Gamache/Three Pines, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
    • Release date: 05-06-14
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 15,657 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • The real hallmark of a great audio series is when the narrator becomes nearly inseparable from the titular character—and for fans of Louise Penny's beloved series, the late Ralph Cosham was the essence of Chief Inspector Gamache. Cosham impeccably narrated an incredible 10 books in the series before he passed away (the very capable actor Robert Bathurst of Downton Abbey has since taken up the mantle). Now on book 13, the series is as riveting as ever and shows no sign of slowing down. —Tricia, Audible Editor

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  • Homegoing Audiobook By Yaa Gyasi cover art

    • Homegoing

    • A Novel
    • By: Yaa Gyasi
    • Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
    • Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
    • Release date: 06-07-16
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 10,531 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • At the time of writing, Homegoing is one of the newest releases on this list—and that’s a testament to just how powerful an effect this beautifully narrated debut had on us. A sweeping epic with one of the most satisfying and emotional crescendos I’ve ever encountered in a book, Homegoing is required listening and destined to become a modern classic. —Sam, Audible Editor

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  • You Audiobook By Caroline Kepnes cover art

    • You

    • By: Caroline Kepnes
    • Narrated by: Santino Fontana
    • Series: You, Book 1
    • Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
    • Release date: 09-30-14
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 20,847 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Was it Santino Fontana’s gruff, emotive, unlike-anything-you’ve-ever-heard-before narration that made this debut an immediate favorite in the Audible offices or author Caroline Kepnes’s totally unique concept and sense of voice? It’s hard to tell, because the combination is so spot on, it’s impossible not to be completely swept away. —Michael, Audible Editor

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  • The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Audiobook By Rachel Joyce cover art

    • The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

    • A Novel
    • By: Rachel Joyce
    • Narrated by: Jim Broadbent
    • Series: Harold Fry, Book 1
    • Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
    • Release date: 07-24-12
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 11,198 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Rachel Joyce starts with an admittedly quirky premise (Harold goes to the mail box one morning and on a whim decides to keep walking), so it was almost a surprise to realize that Harold’s true odyssey is internal, and that this is an incredibly intelligent and complex story about a family’s tragedy. Layer by layer Joyce peels away at those kind of shameful human truths that all people keep tamped down inside themselves without even realizing it. —Emily, Audible Editor

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  • The Sellout Audiobook By Paul Beatty cover art

    • The Sellout

    • A Novel
    • By: Paul Beatty
    • Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
    • Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
    • Release date: 07-07-15
    • Language: English
    • 4 out of 5 stars 3,960 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • Narrator Prentice Onayemi captures the manic, unceasing energy of Beatty's brazenly honest and laugh-out-loud dissection of contemporary American society, performing a feat of satiric endurance and moving between characters with the vocal dexterity of a comedian and impressionist rolled into one. And just as Beatty plays with social taboos and preconceived notions, I could hear Onayemi playing around similarly with his characterizations so that, in turn, he’s playing with the listener's expectations. —Doug, Audible Editor

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  • The Bell Jar Audiobook By Sylvia Plath cover art

    • The Bell Jar

    • By: Sylvia Plath
    • Narrated by: Maggie Gyllenhaal
    • Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
    • Release date: 02-02-16
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,910 ratings
    • Why We Think It's Essential
    • The Bell Jar is one of those classics I always suspected I'd love, but never quite got around to until the release of this performance. Now I find myself simultaneously regretting not getting to it sooner and thankful I waited for this performance. This is such an important, heartbreaking work, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is nothing short of perfection as the voice of Esther Greenwood. Her tone beautifully conveys all the complicated nuances of the protagonist's mental state—from dark hopelessness to the fleeting moments of almost giddy joy. —Sam, Audible Editor

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