The 20+ Favorite AUDIOBOOKS of 2024 from the Everyday Reading Community
For a printable copy of this audiobook list that you can screenshot on your phone for easy access to check on Libby, Audible, or your favorite audiobook site, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
A few weeks ago, I did a post about the favorite reads of 2024 from my Instagram community (you can see that whole post here!).
And then a flurry of requests came in for a similar post but for the best audiobook of 2024!
Well, I love a good audiobook so of COURSE I wanted to know too!
Here were THE most popular audiobooks this community listened to in 2024!
Top Audiobooks of 2024 From Followers
The Women by Kristin Hannah (47)
I’m sure that no one is surprised by this. This book is excellent regardless of how you are consuming it! This was one of my favorite books in 2024 too and your #1 when asked about favorite books from 2024! It really is that good! I’ve always been fascinated with the Vietnam War (this is one of my favorite historical fiction books about it, if you want a great book on the topic) and I was compelled by this book from the first pages. Kristin Hannah is such a great storyteller and this might be my favorite of her books so far (I also loved The Great Alone). After this one, I went on to read two more Vietnam War books which were also excellent – If I Don’t Laugh I’ll Cry (about growing up with a mom who was a nurse in Vietnam and wrote a book that was one of the research backbones for The Women) and Tap Code.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (30)
Remarkably Bright Creatures was one of those books I did NOT expect to like (anything described as quirky is not usually for me, plus I’m not really an animal lover – I know). This book follows three different stories, one of which is an octopus, but it is so well done and I loved it!
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (29)
This was Analese’s (from the Everyday Reading team) favorite book of the year. I probably wouldn’t have picked this up because I’ve only read one other Ann Patchett book (The Magician’s Assistant) and I did NOT care for it. But then my friend Jessica called me to say “YOU MUST READ THIS” so I picked it up and I loved it. It’s maybe a bit slower than my normal reading picks, but it worked beautifully for me! The audio is done by Meryl Streep, so it’s no surprise that it a favorite audiobook! (I did a 30-second book review of it here.)
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (26)
This one was on the 2024 Everyday Reading Summer Reading Guide and was also one of Kelsey’s (Everyday Reading team member) favorite books of 2024! It is phenomenal! After the American Revolution, a midwife in Maine, gets caught up in a rape and murder trial. Based on real events, this one is really compelling plus has the best love story between a husband and wife I’ve read in ages. The audiobook is excellent too. (If you want a read alike, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is a great choice about a woman physician in 15th century China).
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera (25)
This was also one of my favorite audiobooks for 2024, and I love seeing that you all loved it too! It is such a fun audiobook listen because the whole thing is like listening to a true crime podcast. This one got so much buzz and I listened to it this fall and was completely absorbed by it.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (17)
I was not surprised to see this one on the list! The audio is beyond excellent – it is so absorbing and you feel like you’re out in deep space yourself! In this one, Ryland Grace wakes up in a spaceship with no idea where he is, what he’s supposed to do or even what his own name is. As memories slowly start returning, he remembers that the sun was dimming and that there were only a few decades to find both the problem and a solution before life on earth became unsustainable. And he’s now in outer space on a mission alone to save all of humanity. No pressure. It’s full of humor, suspense, and science that’s (mostly) understandable to the layperson.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (13)
Because her book, Tom Lake, was surprisingly wonderful, it makes me want to read The Dutch House. I have had so many followers over the years suggest it, and they have had STRONG words about how important it is to listen to the audio version read by Tom Hanks.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (13)
I was so happy to see this one made it so high on the list! This was THE best Christmas book I read last year (I also loved another of her books, The Blonde Identity). Maggie and Ethan are both mystery writers and happen to dislike each other deeply. They both get an invitation to spend Christmas with Eleanor Ashley, a massively popular mystery writer. She ends up going missing and the two of them are put to the task to figure out what happened. This one had such great banter!
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (11)
Even though this one has been around for a while, I love seeing that it still is an audio favorite. Within 10 minutes of turning on the audiobook, I was ALL IN and basically started running at night just so I could listen to another 30 minutes. It’s the story of a rock music in the seventies, and it’s hard to remember that it’s a novel, not non-fiction. It feels THAT real. It’s told through interviews with Daisy and Billy and other members of the band, family members and friends. It could be wildly confusing, but somehow it just WORKS. And the audio version is incredible!
James by Percival Everett (11)
I’ve seen this book everywhere last year, especially after it was a Pulitzer Prize finalist – it’s the same story from Huckleberry Finn told from Jim’s point of view and I BLEW through it (I’m not actually certain I’ve ever read all of Huckleberry Finn – my mom read it aloud to my sisters when I was in high school so I’ve heard parts of it). Even without a complete background knowledge of the source text, it was a really engrossing read.
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin (10)
As soon as I saw the premise of this book, I was in! It’s about a suburban housewife who is funding her heroin use by stealing credit cards from her neighbors. Until she’s convicted of 32 felonies and finds herself in prison. Post prison? She becomes a ghostwriter! And the audio is read by the author herself.
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop (10)
This was the first book I listened to in 2025 and the audio is a MUST! It has Kelly Bishops very distinct voice – plus, it’s so fun to hear a memoir read by the author themselves. It is quick, engaging, and a great combination of things I did know (Gilmore Girls!) and things I didn’t know (everything ELSE about her life besides being on Gilmore Girls).
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (8)
I am embarrassed to admit that I have yet to read anything by Kate Quinn – but I will admit that this particular book of hers has been on my TBR list since it came out. A historical mystery thriller set in a boardinghouse in 1950s Washington D.C.? I can’t wait to give it a listen.
None of this is True by Lisa Jewell (8)
I know my true crime lovers helped add this one to the list! There is so much to unpack with this twisted book. Alix Summer is a podcaster and Josie Fair is a seamstress with a very unusual life. Their paths happen to cross as they each celebrate their 45th birthday at the same pub. Afterwards, Josie finds herself purposely running into Alix and talking her into doing a podcast about her and her upcoming life change. Alix agrees and it all starts unraveling from there. I could not put this one down! Very captivating and such a good thriller! I have heard the audio is so well done with the podcast interviews and such.
The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon (7)
I haven’t read this one yet, but it has made quite a few “best” lists and was one of Jen’s (from the Everyday Reading team) favorite books of 2024. And it is DEFINITELY on my list for 2025 reads – I love a good non-fiction book and if it’s history, even better!
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (7)
This has been on my TBR list since it was released and knowing it was one of your favorites is really giving me the motivation to pick it up! Inspired by Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, this coming-of-age story is about a boy growing up in poverty in Appalachia. It explores experiences in foster care, addiction, and the challenges faced by those living in rural areas. Plus, so many people said it was a great fiction read-alike for Empire of Pain which I absolutely loved.
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (7)
I don’t know if I have ever received more requests about my feedback on a book than I did with this one. And spoiler alert, I started it and never finished it! (I know, I know!). This one is a fantasy book with dragons, so many secrets, some steamy romance and has been incredibly popular.
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand (7)
If you have been here for any length of time, you know my love for this book runs deep! This is hands down the MOST fun audiobook you can listen to (and the ones I’ve gotten more positive feedback on than almost any other book I’ve ever recommended). It’s based VERY loosely on the true story of Lady Jane Grey who was Queen of England for a whopping 9 days before she was killed. It’s full of laughs and truly ridiculously plot twists and it’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had listening to an audiobook. (Full review here).
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (6)
This new release by Liane Moriarty sounds so intriguing – and knowing you all are recommending the audiobook, really makes me want to listen to it! A women on a plane stands up and begins predicating the the age and manner of death of all of her fellow passengers.
Lovely War by Julie Berry (6)
I mean, if you haven’t read this book already, I’m probably falling down on my job here. The story takes place during World War I and follows four main characters. Even more fun? The story is framed by several Greek gods who are in a tiff of their own during World War II. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it works. It’s in the top 10 books I’ve ever read. The audio version is STUNNING.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center (6)
I love Katherine Center and I REALLY loved her newest book. Nobody does snappy dialogue like she does and even if some of the plot points were a tad outlandish, I didn’t even care because it was just such a delight to read. I cried on the plane coming home from Disneyland reading this one.
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!