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- Audiobooks are a great way to experience your favorite books.
- These are the 21 bestselling audiobooks of all time on Libro.fm, an audiobook retailer.
- For more audiobooks, check out the most anticipated audiobooks of 2022.
Audiobook popularity has grown tremendously in the past few years, with more and more readers discovering they can experience great books with entertaining narration. Audiobooks are an accessible format for readers who enjoy reading but don't have time, are looking to fall in love with reading again, or have a disability that makes it challenging to read a physical book.
Libro.fm is an audiobook retailer that helps readers support independent bookstores by donating half their profits to small bookstores — they can even choose which one you'd like to support. The audiobooks on this list are Libro.fm's bestselling audiobooks of all time, since their inception in 2014. With over 250,000 audiobooks to choose from, here are the 21 most popular audiobooks among Libro.fm listeners.
Learn more about how Insider Reviews reviews and researches books.
The 21 bestselling audiobooks of all time, according to Libro.fm listeners:
21. "The Guest List" by Lucy Foley
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.04
On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate the exclusive wedding of a rising television star and a magazine publisher amongst spotty cell service and rising tensions and jealousies. When someone turns up dead, the suspects are limited to those on the island in this dark and twisty thriller.
20. "Educated" by Tara Westover
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.50
Growing up in Idaho with survivalist parents, Tara Westover never saw a classroom or visited a doctor but determinedly taught herself enough math and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. As education opened new doors for Tara, she found herself farther and farther from her roots in this coming-of-age memoir about self-invention, complex familial relationships, and creating your own destiny.
19. "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.03
"Talking to Strangers" is a deeply fascinating psychology book about our relationships with strangers and the strategies we use to make sense of the people we don't know. This audiobook experience is enriched with appearances from people Gladwell interviewed and clips from the evidence he uses. Malcolm Gladwell is well-known for his known for his nonfiction writing on psychology and sociology — you can check out his other popular books here.
18. "Dune" by Frank Herbert
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $51.74
Though "Dune" was originally published in 1965, the 2021 movie starring Timothée Chalamet skyrocketed this audiobook's popularity once again. Narrated by a full cast, this science fiction read is about a boy named Paul Atreides whose noble family is betrayed and thrust into a war over an inhospitable planet with a resource worth killing for.
17. "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $28
When Noemí Taboada receives a strange and mysterious letter from her newlywed cousin asking for help, she travels to the Mexican countryside to the enigmatic High Place estate. With dark secrets lurking and few allies, Noemí must figure out how to save herself (and her cousin) in this eerie, gothic horror.
16. "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.50
When a popular boy is found dead in 1969, his quiet community immediately suspects the strange, wild girl they'd dubbed the "Marsh Girl" as the killer. Living off the land and in solitude, Kya Clark has always kept to herself until she finds herself drawn to two young men from town in this wise and moving historical fiction novel about human nature and our relationship to the natural world.
15. "Circe" by Madeline Miller
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $29.88
This beloved, award-winning fantasy novel follows Circe, a daughter of the Titans who is banished to a deserted island after discovering her affinity for witchcraft. In this entertaining audiobook, Circe encounters incredible dangers, adventures, and famous mythological figures like the Minotaur, Icarus, and Odysseus. You can find more books inspired by Greek mythology here.
14. "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $25.86
As a botanist and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer has combined science, history, and culture to examine how our future of environmental consciousness is rooted in our relationship with nature. Thought-provoking and sincere, this nonfiction read is a beautiful and affecting book about viewing both life and nature through a unique lens.
13. "Stamped from the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" by Ibram X. Kendi
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.04
"Stamped from the Beginning" is a heavily researched nonfiction book about the history of racism and its power through slavery, the civil rights movement, and the way racist thinking continues to affect American society today. This profound 18-hour audiobook presents the ways that racist ideas were manipulated throughout history and how understanding this history can dismantle and discredit racist thinking.
12. "Crying in H Mart" by Michelle Zauner
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $28
When Michelle Zauner's mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she was forced to reckon with her family, culture, and past in order to reconnect with everything that reminded her of her mother. From stories of food in her grandmother's kitchen in Seoul to performing with her band, this emotional memoir is a story of identity, loss, and heritage.
11. "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $28
In a challenging time of her life, Nora Seed struggles with the choices she's made and dreams of a different, better life when she finds herself on the steps of a strange, fantastical library. Inside, there are infinite books, each one showing Nora a different life she could have had — and still could have — if she'd made different choices. As Nora traverses the lives and universes parallel to her own, she must decide what makes her life truly worth living.
10. "The House in the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.04
Linus Barker is living a quiet life as a Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth when he's assigned a highly classified case and sent to check in on an island orphanage housing six dangerous children from a strange green blob to the literal Antichrist. As Linus learns more about the children and their dedicated caretaker, secrets begin to arise in this incredible fantasy novel about family and loyalty.
9. "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.04
When Danny Conroy's father found enormous wealth with a smart investment after World War II, he purchased an exquisite estate called the Dutch House. When Danny's stepmother throws him and his sister from the home and back into poverty, their sibling bond is truly tested in this historical fiction novel that spans five decades. "The Dutch House" audiobook is also narrated by Tom Hanks, making the listening experience even better.
8. "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" by V.E. Schwab
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $37.94
When Addie LaRue is about to be married off in 1714, she makes a trade with a dark god — and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. This remarkable, genre-bending novel traverses 300 years as Addie tries to leave her mark on the world, until the day she meets the first boy who can remember her.
7. "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents" by Isabel Wilkerson
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.50
"Caste" is a 2020 award-winning nonfiction read about the unspoken caste system that continues to divide American society into rankings of power. Using examples through history, Isabel Wilkerson examines why our society has defaulted to caste systems, the effects they have on all people, and how we can break down these divisions to work towards an equitable future.
6. "Untamed" by Glennon Doyle
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.50
"Untamed" is equal parts reflective memoir and inspirational self-help book for any reader looking for a way to embrace their full selves and truly live. With anecdotes from her divorce, newly blended family, and personal failures and successes, Glennon Doyle's thought-provoking audiobook is an incredible motivator for self-actualization.
5. "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $35
In Michelle Obama's mesmerizing memoir, she reflects upon the events, experiences, and people who shaped her into the iconic woman she is today. Divided into three parts, Michelle Obama's story is full of meaningful advice, revelations, and wisdom.
4. "The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $31.50
"The Vanishing Half" is a remarkable historical fiction novel about the identical Vignes sisters whose lives diverged in young adulthood, leading each down very different paths. While Stella passes as a white woman in a white community, Desiree lives with her Black daughter in their hometown. As this multi-generational, nonlinear plot unfolds, a remarkable story of historical influence, aspirations, and desires emerges.
3. "White Fragility" by Dr. Robin DiAngelo
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $39.20
"White Fragility" is a nonfiction tool to help readers learn about the defensive reaction white people have when confronted with their personal prejudices, biases, and racism. Written by an anti-racist educator, this book explores how white fragility develops, how it keeps us from becoming truly anti-racist, and the ways we can engage with ourselves and others more constructively.
2. "A Promised Land" by Barack Obama
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $56
"A Promised Land" is former President Barack Obama's first presidential memoir that tells his story from his first political aspirations through the end of his first term as President of the United States. With honest reflections, fascinating insights, and emotional highlights from his journey, this memoir offers a deeply personal look at some of Obama's greatest and most challenging years.
1. "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi
Available on Amazon with free Audible trial and Libro.fm, from $28
Libro.fm's bestselling audiobook of all time is "How to Be an Antiracist," a nonfiction book about racism and racial justice in America and how we as a society can facilitate an anti-racist future. Drawing from historical, legal, and scientific examples, this is a must-read for anti-racist self-reflection, activism, and change.
Katherine Fiorillo Katherine Fiorillo is a freelance content writer specializing in books, lifestyle, and e-commerce.Katherine has a B.A. in Journalism from Marist College and previously wrote for BuzzFeed's Shopping and Products beat. She is an Army veteran, an avid reader, and designs book-themed stickers for her Etsy shop.Say hi to Katherine at katherinemfiorillo@gmail.com. Read more Read lessncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnnJqus7rIp55opZ%2BowW68zqmspZmiYq62sMiomainm6g%3D