The Best Audiobooks of 2025

Love and war, births and deaths, coming together and falling apart — this intimate portrait of small-town, midcentury America and the power of a single moment is a sweeping multigenerational American saga. The writing is both straightforward and poetic and expertly handled by Golden Voice Narrator Michael Crouch, whose performance earned him an Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine. Crouch’s solo work impressed us with his ease at embodying this sprawling novel’s many characters and many decades in ways that made us feel a lifetime (or two or three) of emotions. 

Gem Carmella was new to us this year as an audiobook narrator, but we are ready to start her fan club. Even months after first listening to this, it remains a top favorite of the year. Her work in this poignant fairy tale-esque fantasy, the solo debut of New York Times bestselling author Amal El-Mohtar, is laden with magic seemingly bestowed by fairies themselves. Her voice is imbued with a gritty yet beautiful sadness, which is perfectly matched to the story of two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death. Making this even more of a must-listen is music performed by the author and her sister on harp, flute, and vocals, as well as songs sung by Carmella. 

A new book by R. F. Kuang is always a reason to celebrate. The acclaimed author journeys into the depths of the underworld in her latest fantasy, which is swirling with dark academia vibes and is perfect for fans of Olivie Blake and Leigh Bardugo. Earphones Award-winning narrators Morag Sims & Will Watt bring nuanced work to the lead characters, and we agree with AudioFile Magazine that “their potent combination is thought-provoking and affecting.”  

The year of Onyx Storm continues with this stunning dramatized adaptation from GraphicAudio®, the audiobook publisher that designs each of their productions to be a “movie in your mind.” Production values on this Part 2 soar higher than Basgiath War College’s dragon riders. It features over 60 (really!) deeply invested narrators, along with cinematic music and sound effects. Even if you’ve read the print version, and even if you’ve listened to the other excellent audiobook edition, this fully immersive experience will transport to you a higher level of excitement and adventure, the most appropriate and most gratifying way we think the Empyrean Series can be enjoyed. 

Superstar historian Garrett M. Graff, who also garnered a spot in our “best of” list in 2024 for his history of D-Day, teams up again with Audie winner Edoardo Ballerini—the narrator The New York Times called “a master in his field” —and more than 30 additional voice talents, for his latest epic narrative about the building and detonation of the atomic bomb during World War II. The production work here is as daring as the history it reveals: a march through history drawn from oral accounts, books, official reports, letters, and diaries. We hear from 400+ participants, including the famous (J. Robert Oppenheimer and President Harry Truman) and not-so-famous—scientists, soldiers, workers who knew nothing about the purpose of their work, and survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki—to enlighten virtually every aspect of the topic. The result is a supremely powerful testament to how the audio format can bring history alive in ways that go far beyond the printed word. 

Soundtrack is an audiobook original, meaning it is only available in this format, which is exactly where this music-centric story belongs. Written by Jason Reynolds (a former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and popular YA author), this story moves and grooves as it takes listeners to the New York City streets of the early 2000s to introduce a found family of complex characters and their passion for music. Everyone in the full cast is magnificent, sounding authentic, relatable, and like they are people you’re overhearing right outside your window. Throughout the performance, a musical background by Grammy-winning composer Justin Ellington makes this a uniquely enjoyable audio experience for teens and adults. 

With laugh-out-loud life stories, the record-breaking comedian, Nate Bargatze, shows he’s just as funny on the page (or in the recording booth, narrating) as he is on the stage. It’s not surprising that the Big Dumb Eyes audiobook was a Barnes & Noble audience favorite this year because Bargatze appeals to just about everyone, with his everyman stories about family, his hometown, food, shopping, and other topics we can all see ourselves in. Bargatze delivers a tight, fun performance with nothing controversial, making this audiobook a great listen for car trips, screen-free time with kids, and even holiday gatherings with family members with whom you usually have nothing in common. His delivery is warm and self-deprecating, and you can “hear” him smiling and laughing at himself, ensuring his popularity will continue to grow and making us eager for a quick follow-up.  

2025 was another big year for Freida McFadden, and many of her audiobook productions are keeping pace with enhanced voice work. Known for suspenseful storytelling that keeps readers guessing, McFadden does it again with this eerie wilderness thriller. Casey’s not sure if her humble cabin will withstand the incoming hurricane, but that’s the least of her worries now. The wind has blown in a young girl covered in blood, and Casey can’t get her to release her grip on the knife. Our three believable narrators roam through the changing timelines without missing a beat as a bevy of secrets slowly unfold. 

Oh, boy, did we get excited when it was confirmed that Michael J. Fox reads Future Boy, his poignant, heartfelt and funny memoir about one of the most chaotic but rewarding years in his life, and his performance here as himself is as unforgettable as his portrayals of Alex P. Keaton and Marty McFly. This is a guided behind-the-scenes tour of those two iconic roles, which he performed at the same time in 1985! How???? Featuring outside sources and Fox’s own reflections, this is an entertaining dive into moviemaking, legendary television, and a beloved and much-admired actor, who, thanks to his perfectly played characters, will always be part of our own memories and our vision of how to approach the future.  

When you travel through a new country, you need a guidebook. When you travel through love, heartbreak, joy, parenting, friendship, uncertainty, aging, grief, new beginnings—life—you need a guidebook, too. Bestselling authors and award-winning podcasters Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle created and narrated We Can Do Hard Things—the guidebook for being alive—to help fellow travelers find their way through life. 

We are firm believers that, oftentimes, poetry is more relatable and meaningful if it is read aloud. And if the poet reads his own work, it is even better. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins makes his second consecutive appearance on our annual list of favorites as author and narrator with an ode to dogs and all they tell us about ourselves. Any current or future dog owner knows that dogs quickly become part of our self-identity and purpose, with their happiness being almost as important as our own, or even that of humans we adore. Part of that comes from our best friends’ vulnerability, part from their unconditional dedication, and part from what we impose on our dog relationships. Do not be deceived by the short run-time; Dog Show is thought-provoking as it runs the gamut from sweetness and humor to sadness and regret. A bonus PDF of dog portraits makes this a complete package. 

The Sirens is another mesmerizing genre-bending and time-bending tale about sisterhood, resilience and the power of dreams from Emilia Hart, whose debut novel, Weyward, was a prior Barnes & Noble Best Audiobook of the Year. From the very first notes of the melancholy music in the opening credits, you are gripped by a sense of mystery and magic. And then Barrie Kreinik begins her majestic, mystical, and masterful narration, wrapping the characters in Irish and Australian accents and delivering a poignant rendition of a folk song. This special production also includes a bonus conversation with Hart, offering enlightening information about her process and her family’s connection to the tale she cleverly spins here. 

 Based on gruesome true events, Jones blends history and horror in this haunting story of vengeance and survival. The rotating chapter POVs each have their own stellar performance by the three narrators, each of whom won an Earphones Award for their work. Owen Teale reads from the diary entries of the weathered-worn pastor about his interactions with Good Stab, performed with equal parts reverence and horror by Shane Ghostkeeper. Marin Ireland roots us in modern-day as she discovers the atrocities in her ancestry. Ending with some creative sound effects, Jones concludes his Indigenous vampiric story in the bloody brutality we’ve come to expect. 

Every year, there are audiobook narrators who stand apart from the crowd, and for the third year in a row, one of those voice artists is Golden Narrator Dion Graham. A narrator of impressive flexibility, Graham was on our 2023 Best of the Year list with a monumental biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Last year, he returned with a beautifully poignant middle grade novel. This year, we recognize Graham’s work in The Zorg. New research reveals the harrowing history of a 1781 British slave ship whose crew drowned 130+ of its human cargo and how the public’s horror at learning the details boosted support for the abolitionist movement in England and the United States. Graham’s energetic approach to the heavy amount of historical detail and his commitment to making sure we understand the heavier emotional drama and trauma make his repeat appearance on our list very deserved.  

Paul McCartney reads the introduction to this oral history of his generation-defining band, Wings. Told chronologically, the book is drawn from over 500,000 words of interviews with McCartney, family and band members, and other key participants. When you realize McCartney was only 27 when the Beatles broke up, you also realize that Wings was not just another outlet for his musical creativity and ambitions. It was also a vehicle for him to discover and define who he was without the mates and musical partners he’d been so closely connected to for a decade. For fans of McCartney’s singular career, this is a not-to-be-missed trip back to the 1970s through the music and memories of one of the era’s most popular bands.