Best Audiobooks of 2022

Viola Davis had me at “Chapter One.” That voice! Unsurprisingly, this multi-award-winning actor’s narration of her life story remains a theatrical force throughout, and yet it recedes in focus due to the gritty strength of the shocking words and inspirational messages it brings to life. Davis calls the book “a love letter” to herself as she recounts her birth on a working planation in South Carolina, a traumatic childhood, her many experiences (personal and professional) with racism, and her hard- and well-earned success. After listening to the book — a 2023 Audie Award Winner for both Best Audiobook of the Year and Best Narration by Author, hear more of Davis’s thoughts in this B&N Poured Over podcast episode.

This audiobook made us want to be Molly Shannon’s friend — to comfort her, to have deep talks and fun adventures with her, and, of course, to laugh with her. Shannon utilizes her acting talents to great effect here, immersing us in her tragic beginnings, surprising and not-so-surprising shenanigans, multi-layered relationship with her father, and ever-growing professional successes by using a full range of emotions. The gratifying result is that we now feel as if we know her beyond her on-screen characters — we’d call her up to take her to lunch if we had her number!

The uncomfortable and provocative title and cover of this memoir turn out to be some of the least shocking things about it. Jennette McCurdy, a former child actor, recounts in stark and unflinching detail how she was controlled, manipulated, and psychologically, emotionally, and even physically abused by her self-absorbed mother. She describes detailed episodes from her lonely childhood in the first person in a flat and relatively emotionless voice. But that doesn’t mean there is no emotion. You can feel her confusion, fear, and heartbreak at every age (six, eight, eleven, sixteen, etc.). Even though we obviously knew the ending — that she is speaking up for herself now — we listened to the book in only two long stretches to find out how she made it. Many questions remain about her current relationships with family, but there is no question that McCurdy has triumphantly found her own voice. 

Back in the summer, we included Xochitl Gonzalez’s debut novel on our list of Top 10 Favorite eBooks This Year (So Far).  So, you already know we love this book.  We love it so much that we went back and wanted to give the audiobook a listen to see if it would still hold up — and of course it didn’t disappoint, a trio of Puerto Rican-born narrators bringing this story to life.

The best memoirs are the ones that feel like a chat with a good friend. In this case, that friend is Paul Hewson — better known as Bono, the lead singer of the iconic rock band U2. There’s always been something about his voice that caught our attention — whether he’s singing or speaking. To hear these stories directly from the man who lived them is definitely one of the best parts. The real treat in the audiobook is the supporting soundtrack that brings these stories to life: hearing clips of songs by other influential artists like The Clash, as well as classic hits by U2 BUT also new reimagined versions of some of the biggest U2 songs (“With Or Without You,” “Beautiful Day”). We love that it’s not just Bono reading the entire book with no additional sounds. While we’re clearly big fans of the audiobook edition, it’s also worth calling out the drawings by Bono interspersed throughout the hardcover edition. Personally, we’d recommend both editions to really get the full experience. 

Acts of Violet is an Earphone Award Winner for good reason. This is a book that was intended to be listened to. Not only is it a full cast of narrators, but the publisher went above and beyond on the audio production. The podcast elements are spot-on with intro music and varying degrees of interviewees’ mic clarity, alongside well-placed sound design peppered amongst the magazine and newspaper articles. The story will have any true crime enthusiast trying to connect the dots of Violet’s disappearance, but the brilliant recording will make anyone forget this is a work of fiction.  

The Locked Tomb series exploded into popularity with Gideon the Ninth, and the fandom love hasn’t slowed down with the release of Nona the Ninth. The series may have some confusing twists and turns, but narrator Moira Quirk keeps the character voices distinct to help the listener follow with who is talking. Quirk injects the perfect balance of sass and exasperation to give us those delightful personalities we’ve come to love from Tamsyn Muir’s writing. 

Ruth Ware has long been a staple of the Thriller genre, and with the release of The It Girl earlier this year, she proves yet again why we’ll read anything she writes. Every character is fully realized by Imogen Church’s impeccable narration. Her voice work is so distinct, you’ll be fooled into thinking this is a full cast production!  

This addition to the large collection of books that illuminate stories of Holocaust survivors stands out because we clearly hear Stella Levi’s voice — both in her actual multi-accented English as well as in her memories as retold patiently, precisely, and vividly by the author. Over six years of New York City Saturdays, Michael Frank meets with 90+-year-old Stella, born on the Aegean island of Rhodes, who recounts the different chapters of her life before, during, and after her time at Auschwitz. Over their time together, author and subject develop their own new story, which forms a satisfying “sub-plot.” Frank’s deceivingly simple narration is powerful in its gentle and deliberate approach to a personal narrative that speaks universal truths about the importance of friendship, family, fortitude, and remembrance.  

It’s always fascinating to get an opportunity to peek into an artist’s inspiration and motivation, and when that creative genius is one of the world’s most influential songwriters of the modern era, that look behind the curtain is thrilling. Bob Dylan’s ruminations on 60+ songs that evoke meaning, memories, and magic for him are a mix of interesting facts, poetic musings, and predictable Dylan-esque detours. Spanning about 100 years of (mostly) American music, the audiobook soars highest when Dylan narrates in his imitable style, where the spoken word often sounds like a raspy sermon or breathless melodic sigh. The other well-known voices (Jeff Bridges, Sissy Spacek, Rita Moreno, and more) who read Dylan’s thoughts about writing, performing, human nature, emotions, and society add many different flavors to a rich pot of musical ingredients. There is a noticeable absence of featured women, so let’s hope Dylan is already working on a follow-up. To complement the audiobook, also consider the hardcover version, which includes over 150 photographs.