As a recent convert to audiobooks, I was curious to find out which were the most popular this year. I asked Libro.fm — an audiobook service that splits profits with independent bookstores — to share their top 2020 releases. Here are 23 best-sellers in both fiction and non-fiction.
A Promised Land by Barack Obama, read by the author by Barack Obama, read by the author
Penguin Random House
Length: 29 hours, 9 minutes
The first volume of Obama ‘s highly anticipate memoir follows his travel from his college days to the foremost terminus of his historic presidency, shedding light on his perspective during a ball-shaped fiscal crisis, the crusade for the Affordable Care Act, the Deepwater Horizon calamity, and more .
Untamed by Glennon Doyle, read by the author by Glennon Doyle, read by the generator
Penguin Random House
Length: 8 hours, 21 minutes Doyle ‘s third memoir follows her divorce and the rebuilding of a new, blended family. It describes her travel toward prioritizing herself, honoring her desires, and letting fit of the expectations she was taught as a girlfriend and charwoman. Bookseller recommendation: “ I read this ledger non-stop for a week, underscore, reading passages to my friends & recommending it to anyone with a pulse. There are many big stories inside, but their charm & power, in truth, is all Glennon. She is a spiritual seeker & drawing card who loves reality television, a formidable activist on the ball-shaped scale who gets anxiety sweats when the doorbell rings. equal parts poetic & colloquial, memoir & manifesto. Her love story will make you faint. Her shamelessness & grim self-interrogation will make you feel profoundly exposed. This is not a “ you can do it, girlfriend ! ” script. It ‘s more like a spiritual marathon that invites you to jump the safety rail & take off. ” —Elon, Apotheosis Comics
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, read by Daniel Henning
Macmillan
Length: 12 hours, 12 minutes Linus Baker is a social worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, and it ‘s his speculate to determine whether a group of dangerous charming children are probably to bring about the end of the universe. But Arthur Parnassus — point of the orphanage they call home — will do anything to keep them condom. Bookseller recommendation: “ There are n’t many books that can leave you wishing you were a unparented charming child feared by the rest of the company. But with characters like the ones in The House in the Cerulean Sea, you ca n’t help but wish you belonged to such a fantastic, charming syndicate. And the negotiation ! You will not be able to drive while listening to it because you ‘ll be laughing means besides hard ! ” —Chris, Belmont Books
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson, read by John Lee with a note read by Erik Larson by Erik Larson, read by John Lee with a eminence read by Erik Larson
Penguin Random House
Length: 17 hours, 48 minutes The Splendid and the Vile is an in-depth look at Winston Churchill ‘s time as prime minister — which began the same sidereal day that Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Larson explores Churchill ‘s political career and domestic life, drawing on diaries, archival documents, and intelligence reports to paint a video of the man who led the UK through World War II.
Bookseller recommendation: “ What a rivet stumble through the war on the capable albeit slightly eccentric shoulders of Churchill. not only does Larson provide a ace history of World War II, but he besides provides an suggest count at the man and the family and associates of that one world, that unlikely hero, who now seems the only one who could have led Britain through the fight against Hitler. Highly recommended. ” —Kelly, Raven Book Store
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, read by Shaun Taylor-Corbett by Stephen Graham Jones, read by Shaun Taylor-Corbett
Simon & Schuster
Length: 8 hours, 37 minutes Lewis, Gabe, Cass, and Ricky are four Blackfeet men facing the consequences of a youthful indiscretion. While out hunting red deer one snow-white sidereal day, the young men are frustrated when the herd retreats to land reserved for elders. They disregard the residential district law but the trip cursorily turns chaotic, and one elk puts up a fight, taunting Lewis as he tries again and again to bring her down. Years late, after all of the young men have moved off the reservation, Lewis sees that wapiti again — or something evil that ‘s taken its picture. Bookseller recommendation: “ I loved this book. Jones has a singular narrative voice, allowing ‘ the entity ’ to step in and take over unexpectedly, amping up the horror. besides, each character has a distinct voice that brings them to life. Jones combines the culture and traditions of the Blackfeet and Crow people with the social truths of their contemporaneous life. It is refreshingly unlike from any other horror novel I ’ ve learn. This book is ghastly and honestly chilling. I couldn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate put it down. ” —Kristine Jelstrom-Hamill, Buttonwood Books and Toys
Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby, read by the author by Samantha Irby, read by the writer
Penguin Random House
Length: 10 hours, 3 minutes
In this collection of essays, 40-year-old Samantha Irby hilariously explores the raw chapter of her life, including going from a veterinary clinic receptionist to a successful published writer, moving from Chicago to a Hallmark-esque modest town with her wife, her complicated love–hate relationship with Hollywood, and more .
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, read by Jason Reynolds by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, read by Jason Reynolds
Hachette
Length: 4 hours, 11 minutes Stamped is a remix of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi ‘s Stamped from the Beginning, a National Book Award winner that scrutinizes the history of anti-Black racist think in America from its very beginning to now. Jason Reynolds adapts ( and narrates ) this translation, directed towards young pornographic readers, discussing the history of racist ideas in America and the hope for an antiracist future.
Bookseller recommendation: “ I was blown away by this book. I listened to the audio and Jason Reynold ‘s narrative is engaging, fishy, and moving all rolled into one. I found myself matter to in history in ways I hafve not been in the by. As white women I found myself grieving for the crimes my raceway has committed. For hatred that continued to take root and dispersed. Yet I besides found promise. This record does a great job of engaging the topic of race, why racism persists and gives hope that things can change. I wish I could make everyone read this record. ” —Kristin , Fables Books
Open Book by Jessica Simpson, read by the author
HarperCollins
Length: 11 hours, 21 minutes Simpson ‘s tell-all memoir describes her years as a pop star and then a reality asterisk — including what it was like to grow up in the spotlight and what was going on behind the scenes. The audiobook includes six new songs .
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, read by Marin Ireland
Simon & Schuster
Length: 9 hours, 53 minutes A group of strangers are forced into close proximity when a failed bank robber interrupts an apartment candid house and takes them hostage. Each brings their own strengths, anxieties, secrets, and desires into the mix, creating a tense and unpredictable environment — one that will teach them all surprising truths about themselves. Bookseller recommendation: “ At its simplest, we could equitable say this is a story about the human condition. Backman ’ sulfur wry and deceptively simpleton storytelling provides us an exquisite and astute analyze of the little complexities that fills our lives with joy and pain. Through his rich story exploring second chances, missed opportunities, and unintended consequences, he captures the essence of what it means to be human and the complexities of navigating relationships with each other by exploring what we say and do not say to one another. The audio version is absolutely spectacular. The narrator brings each character to life with singular and spot-on personalities that I can not imagine creating myself in my steer. Her rescue of the dialogue and report is spot on and kept me laughing throughout. ” —Cori , Bright Side Bookshop
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; read by Frankie Corzo by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ; read by Frankie Corzo
Penguin Random House
Length: 10 hours, 39 minutes Noemí Taboada is a socialite who delights in parties, illusion dresses, seducing men, and anthropology. After receiving a confused letter from her recently married cousin and dearly acquaintance Catalina, she travels to the distant greenwich village of high position and the decaying sign of the zodiac that is nowadays Catalina ’ s home. There, she finds Catalina incoherent and lethargic among an inhospitable family — except for the young, shy Francis, who becomes an unexpected ally for Noemí. meanwhile, the house itself seeps into her dreams and slowly comes alive around her. Bookseller recommendation: “ A moment skittish with some underline themes of skill and the ability of racism. There ’ randomness a feel of modern Bronte sisters hera which adds to the intrigue of this original gothic narrative. I loved Noemi, the knowing bright young protagonist who has a great sense of department of justice and can stare down malefic all while being sophisticate and alluring. Great listening ! ” —Karin, Bookworm of Edwards
Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, read by the authors
Simon & Schuster
Length: 5 hours, 33 minutes Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, hosts of the podcast Call Your Girlfriend, chronicle their first ten in each other ‘s lives, describing the room their big friendship — the type of solid chemical bond that survives life ‘s biggest shifts — helped them get through health scares, career woes, kinship pitfalls, and more. Bookseller recommendation: “ This is one of the most meaningful and thought provoking books I ’ ve read in a long meter. It will forever change how I think about the friendships in my life. I was provided valuable tools to develop and maintain these valuable relationships with greater intent and consideration. The audio script is narrated by Ann and Aminatou and besides includes sound clips from assorted people they interviewed from their reserve. It was surely cover girl to hear more about their lives and their friendship. Their narration elevated and personalized this reading experience for me. ” —Cori , Bright Side Bookshop
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, read by Shayna Small by Brit Bennett, read by Shayna Small
Penguin Random House
Length : 11 hours, 33 minutes Bennett ‘s bestselling novel follows identical counterpart sisters Desiree and Stella after they run away from their minor Southern hometown, Mallard, in 1968 and their lives diverge — Stella goes north to live as a white womanhood, marrying a white man who knows nothing of her past ; and Desiree has a daughter with an abusive world captive on punishing her for her light-skin prerogative, finally leaving with her daughter and returning to Mallard. The novel spans decades, following the sisters ’ daughters as their own stories intertwine in themes of race, sex, class, and family. Bookseller recommendation: “ The Vanishing Half decidedly lives up to the glowing reviews it has been receiving. The fib reveals an interesting perspective on this history of race in the US, while besides telling a universal floor of difficult decisions that change the path of life sentence constantly. Bennett does n’t offer pretty bows to tie up her narrative, but a realistic portrait of what we will sacrifice on behalf of our futures. ” —Tina, Leaves Book and Tea Shop
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, read by Robin Miles
Penguin Random House
Length: 14 hours, 25 minutes
Wilkerson argues that an inconspicuous caste system exists in the US, exploring the features of caste systems around the world and throughout history and revealing the ways in which they influence our lives, beliefs, and behaviors .
Length: 5 hours, 19 minutes In 2018, educator and militant Saad began an Instagram challenge asking white people to truly confront their racist behaviors and ideas through a 28-day exercise guided by a barren workbook. This reserve is an expansion on the master workbook, adding cultural insight and diachronic context. Bookseller recommendation: “ Want to learn how to be a good ancestor ? Need to address your prerogative and feel uncomfortable about talking about racism ? You need to read and work through Me and White Supremacy. ” —Rachel , Avid Bookshop
Length : 17 hours, 9 minutes In 18th-century France, Addie LaRue, despairing to get out of an arrange marriage, makes a deal with the devil, trading her person for immortality. But there ‘s a catch : For deoxyadenosine monophosphate long as she lives, everyone Addie meets will forget her after their first gear meet. Centuries pass and Addie never has a second conversation with anyone — until 2014, when she meets a bookseller who miraculously remembers her. Bookseller recommendation: “ Schwab has a masterpiece on her hands with this style. I loved it from the beginning, and that sexual love grew until the identical end. Addie needed to find a way to escape the life she is supposed to live as a woman in France, 1714. ‘No matter how desperate or awful, never beg to the gods that answer after dark. ‘ As the sunlight sets, she is praying to any god that will listen to help her be free, person finally hears her … and they answer. 300 years late Addie walks into a bookshop to find a unseasoned man at the counter. Upon her refund she realizes he remembers her … ” —Maxwell , Paragraphs Bookstore
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin, read by Robin Miles
Hachette
Length: 16 hours, 12 minutes Every city has a soul, and a blue, ancient monster has come to steal New York ‘s. This threat — which naturally takes the imprint of cops — awakens powers in five different New Yorkers, each from a different borough and background, and they must band together to save their city. But with tensions eminent, will this group of strangers be able to defeat this evil force before it takes over New York and then the worldly concern ? Bookseller recommendation: “ What did I just listen to and why did I like it so much ? Part of falling in love with this book was the listening know, to be certain. The narration was stellar. The production was on charge. But the story … the history itself is reverend. The City We Became is so fabulously layered and nuanced — diving into discussions of racism and sexism and the fallacy of estimable five evil. Witty, revolutionist, imaginative, improbable. ” —Britt , Second Star to the Right
Length: 6 hours, 57 minutes In her beginning collection of essays, Kendall, a military seasoned who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, addresses the pratfalls of ashen feminist movement, explaining how supply basic needs like adequate health care, house and access to food, destigmatizing sex work, and dealing with grease-gun violence, among other issues endemic in wage-earning Black communities, are actually fundamentals feminist issues as well.
Bookseller recommendation: “ Powerful. Important. Compulsively clear. Kendall ’ s narrative vogue is top notch — riveting and un-put-down-able. not lone is this a must read, it ‘s a must pay attention, must revisit and keep learning kind of book. Kendall dives bass and does n’t pull punches, but she does n’t seek to shame either. This is necessary reading for anyone who considers themselves a feminist. Because solidarity needs to be for ALL. ” —Britt , Second Star to the Right
The Guest List by Lucy Foley; read by Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Sarah Ovens & Rich Keeble
HarperAudio
Length: 9 hours, 53 minutes Every contingent of Jules and Will ’ s wedding on a secluded island off the coast of Ireland had been expertly planned — devour to the designer trim and deluxe wedding favors. But as the festivities begin, past slights, resentments, jealousy begin to surface : A bridesmaid ruins her dress, the groomsmen are getting inappropriately drunk, and the bride ’ mho oldest male friend seems to think of her as more than a friend. And then person turns up dead. Bookseller recommendation: “ The hazardous irish typeset was perfective for this Christie-esque mystery that will keep you guessing until the end ! This is a capital listening have as the cast of talented voice actors help tell the report from varied perspectives. ” —Janet, Watermark Books
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, read by Dylan Moore
Penguin Random House
Length: 10 hours, 28 minutes St. John Mandel ’ s sprawling fresh follows the side effect of a affluent investor ’ mho Ponzi scheme, drawing unexpected connections in its aftermath. At the center field is Vincent Smith, a womanhood who leaves her bartending gig in the canadian wilderness to try her fortune in New York ( “ the kingdom of money ” ) as the trophy wife of Jonathan Alkaitis, the man whose fiscal scam will ruin countless lives. The novel moves advancing and backward in prison term, jumping from one perspective to the next as St. John Mandel explores themes of love and artwork, destine and freedom, ambition and consequences. Bookseller recommendation: “ In this apparitional report of ignoring what ’ s right in front of you, a group of characters try to grapple with what seems like inevitable choices. Mandel ’ sulfur script is like the glass in the entitle : her language glitters while offering clearness and mirror image, and her characters are like break shards, mesmerizing in one light and perilously ordinary in another. Combining the world and structure of Station Eleven with the beastly platonism of her earlier works, The Glass Hotel is an especial novel. ” —Marika McCoola , Porter Square Books
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo, read by Elizabeth Acevedo and Melania-Luisa Marte
Quill Tree Books
Length: 5 hours, 32 minutes Camino Rios lives in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira Rios in New York City. Far apart, both suffer the annihilative loss of their forefather after his plane goes toss off. As both girls enter each other ‘s lives through their grief, they find consolation in each other. Acevedo returns with a herculean and emotional fib that ‘s both grievous and aspirant.
Bookseller recommendation: “ Through Acevedo ’ s transcendent poetry, the tragic crash of AA587 becomes a song to kin in all of its complexities and a tribute to the exponent of Latinas. This book is incredible and makes me yearn to gather my sisters around me, grab a machete, and destroy the ugliness in this global. Acevedo is one of the brilliant, bright lights in literature and listen to her understand it is soul nourishing. ” —Linda , Cellar Door Books
Beach Read by Emily Henry, read by Julia Whelan
Penguin Random House
Length: 10 hours, 12 minutes Gus is a literary fiction generator known for killing off his characters. January is a bestselling romance novelist known for her glad endings. not alone do the two writers happen to live in neighboring beach houses, but they ‘re both besides suffering from a bad case of writer ‘s block. To keep things fresh, they make a cover : Gus will write something happy and January will write something farinaceous. Over the summer, the two function to get outside of their comfort zones and do something unexpected, and not just with their write. Bookseller recommendation: “ This was so much fun, both in story, and besides to listen to. Packed with emotional depth and batch of hi-jinks, this is the perfect fresh to lighten your heart while challenging your preconceived notions. I wanted to reread it right away ! ” —Tildy , Belmont Books
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, read by Bahni Turpin
Penguin Random House
Length: 8 hours, 40 minutes Gifty is a doctoral campaigner at Stanford ’ s checkup school who is dealing with family tragedy : Her brother, a talented high educate athlete, has died from an opioid addiction and her beget is self-destructive. once a attached Christian, Gifty struggles to understand the aim of homo hurt, turning binding to the roots of her religion. Bookseller recommendation: “ This is a flippin ’ gorgeous record. The write is exquisite, the report is moving, and the characters are rendered with the skill of a true artist. If you need a book that is heartfelt and honest, read this matchless. ” —Izzy , Off the Beaten Path
The Searcher by Tana French, read by Roger Clark
Penguin Random House
Length: 14 hours, 32 minutes
recently divorced Chicago detective Cal Hooper is cook to embrace a slower tempo of liveliness and retires to a eclogue greenwich village in western Ireland after over 25 years on the pull. But when a local kyd named Trey convinces Cal to investigate the disappearance of his 19-year-old brother, Cal finds himself back at the center of an investigation. And he soon discovers that even modest towns can hide dangerous secrets .
