Should you try audiobooks?

Hey readers,

By this time, I think that you pretty much all know how much I like reading. Whether from printed books, ebooks, or audio versions, I enjoy discovering new amazing stories, new points of view to broaden mine every day. Yet, a few years ago I wasn’t that much into audiobooks... If you’re still there, here’s why you should give it a try.

“But I like to read every word on the page”

I know and me too. But audiobooks are a completely new experience to reading. With a nice voice and a good narrator, you won’t just hear the story, you’ll be a part of it. One time I was in the boring Parisian subway, half asleep on my way to school, and the second after I was standing next to Starr and Khalil in Angie Thomas’ “The Hate U Give” story.

Not every book is made to be listened to and definitely not every narrator is good but, some are excellent and you should definitely try the experience. I promise you won’t regret it!

Headphone, cellphone with the Audible app open.

Where to start, which platform to choose?

Now, if you are convinced and you want to start your first audiobook you have multiple options. Personally, I use Audible, which has a nice interface and a subscription system. Every month I pay 9.99€ for a credit, which allows me to download one book, whatever its original price was. Like, recently I downloaded the « Sherlock Holmes: The Définitive Collection » which is 81 hours long and cost a good 90€ normally... for a fraction of that price.

Depending on the country you live in, you might have other options, like Audiolib in France.

5 recommendations for audiobooks to try today

There are many books I could suggest here, but I’ll stick to 5 in different genres.

If you like fantasy or romance, one of my absolute favorite narrators is Bani Turpin. She has narrated Children of Blood and Bone (by Tomi Adeyemi), the breath-taking The Hate U Give (by Angie Thomas), They Both Die At The End (by Adam Silvera).

Children of Blood and Bone

The Hate U Give

Read my review

They both die at the end

Read my review

If you like Self-Help, I would highly suggest finding the books narrated by their original authors, it adds a lot of depth to the listening (you feel like you’re listening to a podcast). My picks: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (by Stephen R. Covey), The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg or Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Deep Work

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The Power of Habits

Finally, for amateurs of Science, I would highly suggest Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (trust me, it’s better to listen to it than to read it) or A brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.

Sapiens A brief history of time

Disclaimer: links to Audible or other resources in this post are affiliated. If you choose to purchase, I’ll earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.