As I’m now a LibroFM affiliate, I thought I’d start bringing you some lists of LibroFM audiobook recommendations!
Audiobooks & Me
I’m very new to audiobooks. I don’t drive. I used to commute via train and read physical books. I’d do chores in tedious silence. To be honest, I think I’d always kind of assumed I would hate them if I tried them. My attention span for audio, as with films, is not that great. I like having the physical book in front of me, as my attention can’t wander from words that are literally right in front of my eyes. Well, sometimes it can.
But then in March, LibroFM asked me if I wanted to join their ALC programme. Like with receiving physical ARCs for review, I’d have a choice of a few audiobook ARCs (or ALCs) a month to listen to. I debated over it – would I actually listen to them? But then I thought, why not give it a go?
Turns out, audiobooks are amazing. AMAZING. They improve every aspect of your life when you’re not already reading. Cooking dinner? Improved. Folding laundry? Improved. Taking the dog out for a bathroom break? Improved.
I also started cross stitching again in May, which is the perfect companion activity to listening to audiobooks. My brain is a mix of alert and relaxed when I’m cross stitching, because I need to concentrate but it’s also quite soothing. It’s the perfect state to absorb an audiobook!
LibroFM Affiliate
LibroFM have also given me an affiliate code for you to use. Follow my link or use ABREADS to get two audiobooks for the price of one when you sign up for a monthly membership. Available in the US & Canada for now (hopefully launching in the UK within the next year or so), monthly memberships cost $14.99 a month. After your first month, you’ll get one audiobook a month with your membership, regardless of the price listed. Members also enjoy a 30% discount on other audiobook titles.
International folk can purchase ‘gift memberships’ for themselves, which offer anywhere from one to twelve credits to be used at any time. My affiliate code does not apply to these gift memberships, only the monthly ones.
But the best part about LibroFM? They help you support independent bookstores. You select your local indie, or any indie across the US and Canada, and then any audiobook you purchase from LibroFM supports them directly. Independent bookstores need our support more than ever, so this is a fantastic way to do it!
LibroFM audiobook recommendations
Please note that although I was able to listen to these for free, this has not affected my opinions in any way.
The Bear by Andrew Krivak
Audiobook narrator: Eric Jason Martin
Ahhhh, my first ever audiobook! I will always remember this one fondly for this reason, and also because it’s just a great book! The description really drew me in. I saw ‘Edenic future’ and I was sold! This is a quiet yet haunting post-apocalypse novel. There are no zombies or deadly diseases in sight. We follows our two characters, a father and daughter, through the aftermath. The damage has been done and they’ve been living as the last two humans on Earth for a while now.
What I loved about this was how much it felt like Eric Jason Martin was reading me a fable or a bedtime story. The plot, with its talking animals and gentle lessons, felt like it was meant to be read aloud. This is a book written for oral storytelling.
These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card
Audiobook narrator: Karl O’Brian Williams
I audibly squealed when I saw this one was available as an ALC, because of Seji’s fantastic review. Karl O’Brian Williams delivers such a perfect narration of this book that I’d put it on my list of LibroFM audiobook recommendations for that reason ALONE. But the story itself was also right up my street: a family saga, historical fiction, and just a hint of the paranormal. I loved Card’s decision to include elements of Caribbean folklore, it added that extra depth to the story (not that it needed it, but it’s still great to have!).
However, be aware that there are a lot of time and location jumps. If you’re not used to audiobooks, it might be helpful to have a physical copy too to refer to if you get lost. But if you’re a seasoned audiobook professional, this should be no problem for you!
Stamped: Racism, AntiRacism and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
Audiobook narrator: Jason Reynolds
This remix of Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped From the Beginning is aimed at young adults, but it’s accessible and informative for people of all ages. Jason Reynolds reads it himself and he strikes the perfect balance of humour and seriousness.
Reynolds starts from Gomes Eanes de Zurara, the first person to write down racist ideas, and takes us all the way up to the current day Black Lives Matter movement. As a Brit, I learned a lot from this book. A lot of Black American history is just glossed over or not mentioned at all in UK schools. I imagine that’s the case even in the US as well, to be honest. This book has never been more relevant, and I highly recommend it to you, and your kids if you have them.
Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth
Audiobook narrator: Brittany Pressley
Whoever tries to tell me they’re not intrigued by the words ‘chicken heist’, is lying. Admittedly I did struggle at first to get into this one. It took a little while to get going. But once we got into the logistics of the chicken heist, I was hooked! I loved the multiple viewpoints from everyone involved (including a chicken!) as well as journal entries and interview transcripts.
This is perfect for when you want something a little different to your usual heist novel. It also offers pertinent commentary on the state of egg-farming in the US.
The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons
Audiobook narrator: Christie Moreau, Gary Tiedemann & Jay Ben Markson
This one was one of LibroFM’s ALC picks, and I started listening to it because I was in the mood for something a little quirky and fun. This book definitely delivered that! It’s a love story where one half of the couple happens to be dead. Just a minor technicality. I loved the creativity of Amy Bonnaffons in describing the bureaucratic state of heaven. She also seamlessly blends modern, millennial life with supernatural elements like angels and the afterlife.
The Regrets is narrated by three different people, different ones for each character’s POVs. This was my first time listening to an audiobook with multiple narrators, and it really does add that little extra something!
The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Audiobook narrator: Quyen Ngo
Without a doubt my favourite audiobook to date, and a 2020 favourite too! I loved this epic, sweeping saga set in Vietnam, covering the Japanese takeover during World War Two, the land reform, the famine, and of course the Vietnam War. There’s such an array of emotions at play here, and the narrator Quyen Ngo delivers an impeccable performance. I was moved to tears several times!
Like with These Ghosts Are Family, there are a lot of time and perspective jumps to keep track of. You might want to have a physical copy to consult if you get lost. But I can’t recommend this book and the audiobook narration enough!
That’s all for now!
From now on I’ll do a separate monthly wrap up with my LibroFM audiobook recommendations! I usually listen to about three or four a month. Keep an eye on my Book Lists page for those.
If you like the sound of any of these and fancy giving LibroFM a go, please do consider signing up using my affiliate link and getting two audiobooks for the price of one for your first month!
Or, if you’d prefer physical copies of any of these, I’m also an affiliate for Blackwell’s, if you’d like to shop there.