Blogmas (Day Twelve) | My Favourite Audiobooks of 2021

I have listened to a lot of incredible audiobooks this year, but there are definitely some that stand out! These are all books that I am sure are fantastic read physically, but I am glad that I listened to them and would recommend listening to them if you can.

Mary Contrary Mary, and all of the books written by this author trio, are books that I wonder if I would actually enjoy as much as I do if I had read a physical copy. There is something about the humour that I think works best when listened to. The jokes just land better that way, at least in my opinion. This book is ridiculous but something about it just works. It is narrated by Fiona Hardingham and she just captures the tone of the story perfectly. I can hear her voice in my head as I am writing this!

I tend to prefer my nonfiction on audio, and I am not sure I would have ever got through Empire of Pain if I were reading it physically. It was a good audiobook to dip in and out of and I learned so much. The author himself narrates the book, so his passion shines through and you can tell how much research he put into this. It is a surprisingly accessible book!

Project Hail Mary is Audible’s best audiobook of the year, and I think that it deserves it! All of Andy Weir’s books are fantastic on audio, I just hate that they are only available on Audible. Ray Porter is a great narrator and I was excited to find he also narrates the audiobook for The Apollo Murders, which makes me even more excited to read it.

If you loved the experience of listening to Daisy Jones & the Six, you have to listen to The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. It is written in the same format and follows similar themes, but I think it has more to say. It is also a full-cast audiobook, with one of the narrators being Bahni Turpin, who is hands down my favourite audiobook narrator.

Speaking of Daisy Jones & the Six, all of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books are best on audiobook, and Malibu Rising is no exception. Julia Whelan is the narrator and she has narrator so many popular books, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Four Winds.

If you are looking for a quick and dark read, I highly recommend Certain Dark Things on audio. Aida Reluzco is the narrator and I really loved her voice. She is new to me but is one of those narrators where I would be more inclined to listen to a book simply because she reads it.

Hold Back the Tide is a book I listened to on a whim and ended up loving it! Elle Newlands did a fantastic job, but she has not narrated anything else that I am interested in reading. I will be keeping an eye on what she does in the future!

It has been a long time since I was as captivated by an audiobook as I was with Razorblade Tears! I listened to all 12 hours of it in one day and cried my eyes out in the end. Adam Lazarre-White captures both of the characters perfectly, and he also narrates S.A. Cosby’s debut, Blacktop Wasteland, which makes me so happy!

Who doesn’t love Leslie Jordan? He narrates his own audiobook and it is an absolute delight!

I listen to all of Jenny Lawson’s memories on audiobook and I always look forward to them. She narrates them herself and so the humour lands perfectly and how can tell how personal her books are to her. It feels like you are listening to a friend, which I love!

What was the best book you listened to in 2021?

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