Award-Winning Holiday Audiobooks

Any list that includes Christmas recommendations must start with this Charles Dickens timeless classic about kindness, regret, and love, which has been re-told on page, screen, and stage infinite times since it was written in 1843. Featuring the brilliant Jim Dale, best known as the narrator of the Harry Potter series, this audio version is an engaging new way to enjoy your annual visit with Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghosts. Dale’s convincing embrace of the character’s transformation shows the power of self-forgiveness and compassion in a tale that will surely remain a Christmas favorite for generations to come. 

From AudioFile: “The versatile British actor’s performance of Scrooge . . . is as raw and real as when the classic tale was written . . . Dale makes us believe in the Scrooge whose spark has been quenched and carries us along as we watch the various spirits blow the ashes into embers, and the embers into a merry blaze of timeless Christmas cheer.”  

More ghosts! Bestselling author B.K. Borison is back with a holiday romance you won’t soon forget. Our female lead has fallen head-over-heels—for a ghost! Will this spirited love connection last past Christmas Eve, or is it simply too good to be true? The superb dual narration makes the audiobook extra fun. 

From AudioFile: “Narrators Karissa Vacker and Will Watt delight listeners with this ghostly holiday romance… Vacker’s melodic voice and varied tone capture Harriet’s upbeat, passionate personality. Watt’s warm Irish lilt creates a poignant presence by conveying Nolan’s conflicted emotions and charisma. Both narrators’ expressive, nuanced performances of dialogue are distinct, making this memorable listen perfect for the festive season.”

Oy! to the world. In this quirky, sweet, and amusing enemies-to-lovers romance, writer Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is given an assignment to pen a Hanukkah romance. But there’s a problem. This nice Jewish girl has a shameful secret: she’s not a big fan of the Festival of Lights. She far prefers Christmas—until she attends the Matzah Ball, a music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, where she runs into an old childhood nemesis, Jacob Greenberg. 

From AudioFile: “[Narrator Dara] Rosenberg creates a variety of New York accents for Rachel’s Jewish community. She incorporates Yiddish and Hebrew words seamlessly … Rachel’s sweet, feisty voice and Jacob’s rough, clipped speech perfectly mix to show listeners the magic of Hanukkah.” 

It is Christmas in a farmhouse on a cliff in snowy Ireland. What could be more peaceful and magical? The O’Sullivan clan thinks so, too, until a local villager is murdered, and one of their extended family members is the primary suspect. Caroline Lennon’s lilting narration is swift, steady, and smooth as the layers of the village mystery unfold. This is the sixth in a series of 12 small-town Irish mysteries, which you can find here. 

From AudioFile: “Lennon performs this audiobook with just enough of an Irish accent to be believable yet easily understood. Her impeccable timing and pace build excitement over the course of the story.” 

From Booker Prize Finalist Ali Smith, Winter is the second novel in her Seasonal Quartet and was a Best Book of the Year from the New York Public Library. The book focuses on connected characters and heavy philosophic challenges in post-Brexit England: “A great many things were dead… some, though, weren’t dead yet.” So, yes, this is not your usual “lite” holiday fare, but it’s thought-provoking and relevant for anyone pondering regrets from the year behind and hopes for the year ahead. 

From AudioFile: “Because Ali Smith is the author, a phrase as simple as “what is today?” has multiple meanings, each one worth appreciating. Grove’s challenge is to convey every nuance from the page to the ear. She does so admirably.” 

This uniquely structured book pairs an explanation of Kwanzaa with African-American history.  In less than 30 minutes, the listener learns the reason for the seven principles of Kwanzaa within the context of people from Africa landing in the United States, where they had to retain past traditions while forging new ones. A printed timeline is included as a bonus PDF. 

From AudioFile: “Loosely rhyming, the story’s audible backbone is Robin Miles’s perfect pacing and well-placed emphasis. Her tone rises and falls as through generations, wars, births, deaths, and joys, the listener hears history and the repeated phrase: ‘the people remember.’” 

Popular author Jasmine Guillroy writes meet-cutes with smart, independent women. Here, Vivian is a mature Black American woman who unexpectedly finds romance again on a Christmas holiday vacation in England. Sweet, surprising, and delightful! 

From AudioFile: “[Edwards] expresses Vivian’s thoughts with warmth and authenticity, making her a relatable and sympathetic character. Edwards’s genuine narration of this steamy yet charming romance will hook listeners to the end.” 

Christmas and quaint English villages seem to go together like tea and scones, so I offer no apology for all the UK settings represented on this list! Add in a plot filled with intrigue, a vicar-turned-detective, a snowstorm, and a Victorian-era Christmas, and this Anne Perry novella is the perfect recipe for holiday mystery listening in my book. You can find the entire 21-installment series here. 

From AudioFile: “[Terrence] Hardiman aptly delivers the author’s portrait of an English village in the late nineteenth century. This is perfect for Perry fans and those who simply want to enjoy an exceptional performance.” 

Many of us are fans of the Caldecott-winning hardcover version of this picture book, which tells the true story of the Vermonter, Wilson Bentley, and his photographs of snowflakes. Now, experience the story as a lullaby of sound and voice, with actor Sean Astin’s warm narration and a soothing musical background. 

From AudioFile: “Sean Astin’s voice is quiet, calm, and focused as he describes the determination and precision with which Bentley worked winter after winter for a lifetime. “

I started this list with one legendary Harry Potter narrator, and I am ending the list with another: Stephen Fry, who reads the UK versions of the Hogwarts crew. Here, Fry uses his overflowing voice talents to bring another magical story featuring a young boy in search of family to life. Just as Fry led Harry to his destiny with authentic emotion at every turn, he does the same here with Nikolas, who travels to the North Pole to discover his future. Written by acclaimed author Matt Haig, A Boy Called Christmas is destined to become part of the holiday story traditions in my house, and I hope maybe in yours, too. 

From AudioFile: “Fry’s delightful storytelling weaves heartfelt emotion with the magic of elves and the power of goodness, making it easy to believe in Christmas.”