25 Adult Audiobooks Appropriate to Listen to While Kids Are Around
I love listening to audiobooks with my kids in the car – it’s a great time for us to have a shared book experience and get sucked into a story together.
And sometimes you just want to listen to an adult book whether it’s because your kids are little and they aren’t into longer audiobooks yet, or your kids are popping in and out of the car as you drive them around and it is too disruptive to try to listen with them, or they aren’t in the mood to listen to something with you.
In that case, you might be on the lookout for audiobooks to listen to around your kids that aren’t for kids, but won’t make you uncomfortable listening to with little ears around.
Admittedly, this is a very tricky list because everyone has different feelings about what is appropriate for kids to overhear, plus you might have enjoyed a book and felt like it was totally appropriate but you weren’t listening with an ear to how it would land with a kid listening and you’ve overlooked some content!
For instance, when I asked for recommendations for this book list, someone gushed about The Anxious Generation as a great pick for an adult to listen to with kids around. It is indeed a fantastic book – one of my favorites of the year – but unless you’re prepared to answer a lot of questions about eating disorders and pornography, I wouldn’t be turning that one on with young children around.
Someone else recommended The Frozen River which I absolutely loved but I’m pretty sure they were forgetting that the entire storyline is about a rape accusation and trial. So . . . maybe not the audiobook you want your 6 year old overhearing.
All of that is to say that you’ll have to make your own decisions about what you’re comfortable with and know that it won’t be the same for everyone!
Audiobooks to Listen to While Kids Are Around
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I read this classic series so many times as a child! I hadn’t read it in decades, but was so excited to dive into it with my girls a few years ago. Luckily they loved it as much as I did! We’ve now watched the movies and finished the series together! A pure delight! And Gilbert Blythe… he will always have my heart! (Especially when we’re talking about Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert Blythe).
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
This was one of the very first books I ever wrote about on Everyday Reading and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. It’s a full-cast audio performance and our whole family loves Shannon Hale’s writing. All four books in the series are TERRIFIC and my husband and I listened to and then my older girls have LOVED listening to the whole series (most of them are included in Audible Plus and then I bought the final book in the series for them). (Full review here.)
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer
In this time travel book, Libby is given the gift to go to sleep in one time period, and wake up in another time period without any time having passed. She splits her time between 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. She lives a very different life in each, but there comes a time when she must make a very important decision about which time period she will stay in forever. This was a fun listen!
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
My mom and I both read this incredible book about a team of young college boys who competed in the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany and pulled off an astounding win against all odds. A year or two later, when we went on a trip to Seattle together, we visited the University of Washington where the team was from and saw their boat hanging on display in the ASUW Shell House.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Bart and I both listened to this book when it first came out and couldn’t stop talking about it for months. It can feel so overwhelming and impossible to change your habits, but this really helps you understand how to make it happen and why the littlest habits make the biggest difference. (Full review here)
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
Marianne is invited to visit Edenbrooke by her twin sister who intends to marry into the family that owns the country estate and Marianne, mourning the loss of her mother and lonely in Bath with her grandmother, quickly agrees. She has no interest in romance herself, but is very anxious for a change of scenery. Lucky for her, she’s going to get both. I especially loved the snappy dialogue in this one. (Full review here).
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas
This is one of those books that was recommended to me about one million times before I finally picked it up and then I couldn’t stop wondering what the heck took me so long. I downloaded it to my Kindle on a whim and then read the whole thing in two days, laughing my face off all the way. Her experiences and stories are the perfect mix of the universal experiences of childhood and growing up and those that are more specific to an immigrant family. I feel like there’s no way to do this book justice except to say, “go read it and love every page.” And then read the sequel immediately afterward. (Full review here)
This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live by Melody Warnick
This book is jammed with practical suggestions for digging into your community and local culture and making anywhere feel like home. (Full review here)
Maisie Dobbs by Jaqueline Winspear
This crazy popular mystery series follows Maisie Dobbs who worked on the French front as a nurse during WWI and is now trying to put her life back together after the war, working as a private investigator. You couldn’t ask for a better heroine to cheer on. (Full review here)
The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede
I listened to this one for the 20 year anniversary of 9/11 and the narrator reminded me SO MUCH of Tom Hanks. It is a true story set in a tiny town in Newfoundland where 38 jetliners had to land after U.S. airspace was closed down following the 9/11 attacks. Although the passengers nearly doubled the population, this small town welcomed their accidental visitors, bringing them into their homes until they were able to leave.
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
This epic fantasy trilogy follows Frodo Baggins’ perilous journey to destroy the One Ring and defeat the Dark Lord Sauron. It is filled with iconic characters, mythical creatures, and an entire world waiting to be discovered. The Hobbit would also be a great car listen with kids – who knows, they might just get sucked into Middle-Earth with you!
The Sheriffs of Savage Wells by Sarah Eden
I might have to add Sarah M. Eden to my list of authors to read all her books this year because I have read a lot of her books lately. These have been my most recent historical romance titles (they are classified as Western Romance) and I love them. They are squeaky clean, have snappy dialogue, and are just overall great stories.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
This must-listen classic is THE pirate tale, full of buried treasure, treasure maps, peg legs, parrots, and desert islands! Follow young Jim Hawkins as he embarks on a thrilling treasure hunt, with a mysterious map, a treacherous crew led by Long John Silver, and plenty of adventure.
Upstairs at the White House by J.B. West
This delightful book about what family life at the White House is like, is told by J.B. West who works as the Chief Usher from FDR’s presidency through the first few weeks of Nixon’s. He is responsible for basically everything that goes on with the families, working closely with the First Ladies and arranging their schedules, hosting events, decorating the White House, and helping manage the transitions between presidents. I LOVED this one. (Full review here)
Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
Samantha is a very bookish twenty-three year old whose only friends are the characters in her beloved books. Her life takes a mysterious turn when she gets a letter and a scholarship from an unknown Mr. Knightley. She begins a pen pal relationship with her questionable benefactor and learns a lot about herself, trust and relationships. This one is fun and sweet.
Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin
This book reminded me how MUCH I love Gretchen Rubin – her writing is just so fun and engaging and this one made me think so much about how I engage with the world around me through my senses.
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
This epistolary novel (all written in letters) is a delightful WWII novel about a group of book lovers thrown together by the war and their letters to each other that often end up being about their favorite books – my mom gave me a copy years ago when it first came out and I’ve read it multiple times. The audiobook version has a full cast that really brings it to life because the characters are SUCH big parts of the story! (Full review here)
I Will Always Write Back by Martin Ganda
This is a fantastic non-fiction story of two international pen pals that start as a school project and become lifelong friends. I included this one on the 2018 Summer Reading Guide. (Full review here)
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat
I’ve been talking abut this book for years because it’s just SO GOOD, so if you haven’t read it yet, this is your signal that now is the time to go pick it up. The audiobook made this incredible true story come vividly to life for me and even though I knew the ending, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And seeing the efforts made to get them out makes it even more incredible that they actually succeeded.
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh
I listened to this story about a reclusive university researcher who has given up on love (and basically all relationships) on my runs last summer and it was a nice distraction from the miles I was pounding out. The heroine is Isadora who finds a magazine article with 31 ways to be happy and decides she’s going to prove the author wrong – she’ll do all 31 things and there is no way she’ll be happier at the end. Right? This is a squeaky-clean love story with a STEM storyline and it’s a fun, fluffy delight.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
In 1994, when the Winona Ryder and Christian Bale version of Little Women came out, my mom told me that if I read the book, she’d take me to see the movie. I read the book in a few days and loved every second of it (I went on to read Little Men and Jo’s Boys a bunch of times too). An all-time classic, it’s just so good!
Wait Til Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin
I read this for a sports history class I took, but I loved it as if I’d picked it out on my own. Just a marvelous memoir. Fun, funny, and touching, even if you don’t care about sports. I picked this one for my Texas book club years ago and it was just as good the second time!
A Heart Worth Stealing by Joanna Barker
This regency romance is such a delight to read. After her father’s passing, Ginny is devastated when his treasured pocket watch goes missing. When she hires a special investigator, Jack Travers, to help find the watch, he discovers there is more going on than just a missing watch. As Ginny and Jack work together, of course, there will be romance (but very clean for the little ears in the car). This is a fantastic whodunnit story with lots of A+ banter.
Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
This historical fiction Christmas book is set in WWI and is written entirely in letters (a format I don’t normally go for). Evie’s brother and his best friend are headed off to the front, but like most people, they assume the war will be over by Christmas and they have grand plans to spend it together in Paris. Of course, it doesn’t go that way. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook – the narration is so good! (Full review here)
Beauty by Robin McKinley
I’ve always loved a good fairy tale retelling and this is one of the ones I remember best from my childhood. My mom read this Beauty and the Beast retelling aloud to us and I woke up in the middle of the night to see her reading it in the hallways because she couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out! I love that this one gives you way more backstory for Beauty’s family and I really love her sisters and their sweet relationship. It has such great character development and it’s just a delight all around.
And if you’d like a printable copy of this list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
Do you have a favorite audio version of Little Women?
I’m reading Harold Fry right now, and I do want to warn that there are a fair number of F-bombs in it.