The 10 Best Audiobooks of 2020

By Jessica Dukes
A joyful woman wearing headphones is sitting on a teal sofa with her hands raised in the air, seemingly enjoying her favorite music in a bright, cozy living room.

If you missed these favorites, it’s not too late to give them a listen.

Audiobooks are always such a treat. Whether read by the author or a full cast, we’re always ready for a good story. Press play, and cross a few of this year’s best audiobooks off your to-listen list.

Abstract tropical allure: palm silhouette against a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues.

Saint X

By Alexis Schaitkin, narrated by Alex Hyde-White, et al. 12 hours, 25 minutes

Emily lives in a quickly gentrifying neighborhood of Brooklyn. Her world is turned upside down when she spots one of the men suspected in the death of her older sister years ago on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Emily was still very young on that fateful family vacation, and she grows up never knowing her sister. So the pull toward this man is strong, as are the many ways that race and privilege collide when Emily thinks of how to approach him. Not only could he answer questions about Alison’s death, but perhaps he could answer questions about who she really was.

A striking book cover with a dark background featuring the title "the shadows" in bold, scratchy orange letters, underlined by an ominous white figure resembling a hand with elongated fingers, attributed to alex north, the author known for "the whisper man.

The Shadows

By Alex North, narrated by Hannah Arterton and John Heffernan. 9 hours, 5 minutes

Paul Adams would rather not go home again. His mother is ill, he has to be by her side, but the horrible murders that took place when he was a teenager are too painful to relive. He has barely arrived when he learns that a copycat killer is on the loose. Maybe it’s Paul’s imagination, but it all feels too familiar … and now he’s being followed. Then there’s the fact that he was once friends with Charlie Crabtree, the original killer who has since disappeared.

A portrait of an enigmatic woman adorned with a feathered hat, her eyes masked by a piece of elegant fabric, set against a dark backdrop, overlaid with the title 'hamnet' by maggie o'farrell.

Hamnet

By Maggie O'Farrell, narrated by Ell Potter. 12 hours, 42 minutes

England, late 16th century. A plague rages as life goes on for Agnes who lives in the countryside in Stratford-upon-Avon. Already a feared and respected healer, Agnes balances the demands of her husband’s theater career with those of her family. But when their young son Hamnet dies of fever, the family’s grief and her marriage suffer deeply. A few years later, her husband William writes Hamlet, a small tribute that keeps his name alive for centuries to come.

A woman in a striking red dress against a backdrop of lush greenery, encapsulating the enigmatic allure of "mexican gothic" by silvia moreno-garcia.

Mexican Gothic

By Silvia Moreno-Garcia, narrated by Frankie Corzo. 10 hours, 39 minutes

Noemí isn’t sure what she’s getting herself into when she answers her cousin’s call for help. Once she arrives in the Mexican countryside, her high-society, 1950s glamour is of little use. Instead, she has to plot their escape while she figures out what’s going on with her cousin’s English husband and his overbearing father. Then there’s High Place itself, a house filled with dark secrets that only the youngest son of the family seems to understand.

An audiobook cover for "the invisible life of addie larue" by v.e. schwab, read by julia whelan, featuring golden text on a dark background.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

By V. E. Schwab, narrated by Julia Whelan. 17 hours, 10 minutes

For Addie LaRue, immortality is both a blessing and a curse. While she avoided her previously scheduled death, she also inherited a curse: She’ll never be remembered by anyone she meets in the future. As decades and centuries go by, Addie wonders if life is worth it if you always have to go it alone. And then, 300 years after becoming immortal, a man in a bookstore seems to know who she is.

Two joyful individuals captured in a moment of laughter at a sunny, sandy location, with the text "hollywood park - a memoir mikel jollett" overlaying the image, hinting at a personal story filled with memories.

Hollywood Park

By Mikel Jollett, narrated by the author. 11 hours, 45 minutes

Born on a commune that evolved into the Church of Synanon, a notorious cult in Northern California, Jollett was separated from his parents at six months old and raised in the cult’s School, which essentially operated as an orphanage. After escaping in the middle of the night with his mother and brother, life did not become easier. Navigating a childhood filled with trauma, alcohol and drug abuse, and depression, Jollett reconnects with his once-remote father and works hard to overcome years of emotional abuse. By the time he reaches Stanford University, he starts to develop his voice as a writer and musician.

Not only is this audiobook read by the author, it incorporates songs from Jollett’s band The Airborne Toxic Event and their album also titled Hollywood Park, which acts as a soundtrack to the book.

Black and white portrait of a smiling man, likely for a book or audio book cover with the title "a promised land" and the name "barack obama." the text also indicates it is "read by the author.

A Promised Land

By Barack Obama, narrated by the author. 29 hours, 10 minutes

Presidential memoirs run on parallel tracks. On one side is Obama, the father, husband, son, and friend, who has ambition and a vision of what the country he loves could be. On the other is a president, a man with immense powers, even larger responsibilities, and is at the center of some of history’s most memorable events. As only he can, President Obama guides us through the campaign and the ups and downs of his first four years in the oval office.

The image shows a vibrant and colorful book cover for "untamed" by glennon doyle. the artwork features swirling patterns of blues, pinks, and purples with accents of gold glitter, suggesting a theme of fluidity and transformation. it's also marked as a #1 new york times bestseller and a reese's book club selection, read by the author, emphasizing its popularity and acclaim.

Untamed

By Glennon Doyle, narrated by the author. 8 hours, 22 minutes

Women have a habit of ignoring their inner voice, often in the name of keeping the peace or taking care of others. As Doyle discovers, it’s a horrible mistake. This is how one woman learned to listen. The first step is to recognize that your inner voice is on, active, and telling you truths about yourself you may be afraid to admit. When Doyle fell in love with a woman after years of unhappiness, she began the work of shedding everyone’s expectations so that she could live the life she was meant to live.

A crowd of attentive listeners from a past era, black and white photograph, featured on the cover of isabel wilkerson's book "caste: the origins of our discontents.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

By Isabel Wilkerson, narrated by Robin Miles. 14 hours, 26 minutes

To truly understand the United States, Wilkerson posits that we need to understand what divides us. Our nation’s unofficial caste system is demonstrated through the stories of people who remain unseen, a condition that sustains an imbalance of power in a society. America’s caste system is put into context against others in the world and across history, and shows us how our class system — lower, middle, and upper — provides the structure for the logic required to allow a caste system to flourish. Thankfully, there are also lessons to learn from history, ways to dismantle the caste and refuse to accept the notions that separate us.

Book cover of 'hidden valley road: inside the mind of an american family' by robert kolker, featured in oprah's book club 2020, depicting a vintage family portrait with members of varying ages positioned on a staircase, highlighting the narrative's exploration of family dynamics and mental illness.

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family

By Robert Kolker, narrated by Sean Pratt. 13 hours, 8 minutes

In the post-war baby boom, the Galvin family had 12 children. By the 1970s, it was discovered that six of the boys had schizophrenia. Their cases attracted the attention of doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health, intrigued that so many boys in one family would be diagnosed. Hidden Valley Road is two stories in one. It’s a heartbreaking memoir of a family suffering through abuse while trying to keep up appearances. It’s also a history of schizophrenia itself, the Galvin family’s DNA that was taken without their knowledge, and how their illness has informed studies ever since.

Share with your friends

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Related Articles

“Write what you know,” the old adage goes. So it comes as no surprise that novelists often set their stories in the world of publishing. Of course, the best of the bunch can’t help but land a few clever jabs along the way.
Some of the most exciting stories unfold through the eyes of multiple characters, allowing the author to build tension, mystery, nuance, and depth through a rich tapestry of narrative voices and points of view.
Summer is finally here! Team Celadon reveals the brilliant reads they’re taking to the beach this season, including new biographies, beloved historical fiction, and more.

Celadon delivered

Subscribe to get articles about writing, adding to your TBR pile, and simply content we feel is worth sharing. And yes, also sign up to be the first to hear about giveaways, our acquisitions, and exclusives!

Two compact discs (CDs) with shiny, reflective surfaces are overlapping each other on a white background. The discs display a spectrum of colors due to the light reflection, creating a rainbow-like effect.

"*" indicates required fields

Step 1 of 8

Who would you rather spend time with?*

Connect with

Celadon

Sign up for our newsletter to see book giveaways, news, and more!