In July, The New York Times Book Review released a list of the best 100 books of the 21st century so far…and the internet had many thoughts.
From readers writing in to share their own picks, to Bookstagrammers conducting their own votes, most people couldn’t agree on what makes for a “best” book, or whether such a list is even necessary in the first place.
While The New York Times’ list focuses on physical books, we at Libro.fm couldn’t help but notice audiobooks we love missing from their roundup, especially in genres beyond literary fiction and nonfiction. We’ve rounded up 20 of the best audiobooks below that we think should have made the list (in no particular order), although we could have rounded up 100 or more! Take a read through, and then head to our Instagram to share your thoughts in the comments on what books you wish had made the list.
Crying in H Mart
“Zauner offers an honest account of her struggle with her Korean American upbringing and her relationship with her dying mother, and what the loss of her meant in the end. The shared experience of cooking and enjoying Korean food was central to their relationship, and her vivid descriptions of the dishes prepared and savored throughout the story will make your mouth water. It’s both a heartwarming and heart-wrenching story about making meaning from culture and familial relationships, and creating an identity while still respecting one’s roots.”
— Alden, Water Street Bookstore
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Clap When You Land
“Its category as a young adult novel shouldn’t keep grownups from listening to Clap When You Land. The parallel first-person stories of two teenage girls who lost their fathers in the same plane crash from NY to the Dominican Republic—and the revelation that their fathers were the same man, who had led a double life—is tender and wise. Elizabeth Acevedo’s poetic prose, and her narration, convey the grief and love of the families. Camino and Yahaira will live in your heart forever.”
— Cheryl, Market Block Books
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I’m Glad My Mom Died
“There is something about listening to a memoir narrated by the person who wrote it that makes one’s experience feel complete. McCurdy’s writing ‘voice’ and actual one give dry humor and a low folksy charm while describing truly harrowing abuses from her mother. She doesn’t hold anything back whether it’s her time on set on iCarly to her first sexual experience to the description of her vomit after a binge and purge. If you wanted a fun celebrity tell-all…this ain’t it. This is a survivor’s story.”
— Lissa, Book Club Bar
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How to Be an Antiracist
“Among the multi-faceted array of antiracist literature newly published in the last two years, Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be an Antiracist stands alone as a definitive source of history and socio-political critique, while offering a new paradigm of thought aimed at paving the way for correcting centuries of social injustice. Hearing this visionary and transformative work in Kendi’s own voice will no doubt bring it all straight into your heart, humanizing his ideas, and firmly setting you on your own path to doing the work of becoming an antiracist.”
— Noelle, Oblong Books
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Braiding Sweetgrass
“A beautifully written book, full of profound and lyrical insights. Perfect for illuminating the scientific skeptic mind to the complementary truths of native spiritual wisdom. Everyone interested in world changing ideas and perspectives, and hope for the long term viability of human life on earth should read this.”
— Josh, Underground Books
View the audiobookBraiding Sweetgrass is Libro.fm’s number one bestselling audiobook of all time. Check out more of our all time bestsellers.
Thank You for Listening
“A one night stand, secret identities, self discovery, off-the-charts chemistry, crackling passion, this book is everything that I wanted and more. Written by audiobook narrator Julia Whelan, Thank You For Listening is a fun peek behind the curtain of audiobooks with all of the love and lust you crave in your romance novels. I couldn’t get enough. If you love audiobooks, have a favorite audiobook narrator, and love romance novels, this is the book for you.”
— Ryan, Gibson’s Bookstore
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Act Your Age, Eve Brown
“I’ve never met a Talia Hibbert book I haven’t absolutely loved and Act Your Age, Eve Brown is no different. Hibbert is a master at her craft, flawlessly weaving humor with romance that’s perfectly matched by lone Butler’s performance as she brings the characters to life. If you’re looking for a romance to listen to that will make you laugh the whole way through, look no further.”
— Dany, Rediscovered Books
View the audiobookAct Your Age, Eve Brown is one of the top 30 romance audiobooks on Libro.fm, according to our bookselling partners.
Parable of the Sower
“Heartbreaking, disturbing, inspiring, and powerful, Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower is the OG young adult dystopian lit, written before the genre even came into being. This book will make you stay up all night reading, and it is full of big ideas that will give you tools to face the challenges that face our world and country today and tomorrow.”
— Megan, Underground Books
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In the Dream House
“Welcome to the Dream House in this daring new kind of memoir that defies boundaries and boldly discards the conventions of genre. Inside, Carmen Maria Machado bares her soul in all of its pain and beauty, offering an intimate and profoundly vulnerable look at her own life, love, and sexuality. Machado has a gift for exposing the raw nerves and small miracles lurking beneath the surface of our daily lives. Her words move with a strange kind of urgency, surreal and yet true, like late-night phone calls when the rest of the world is asleep”
— Jason Foose, Changing Hands
View the audiobookIn the Dream House is one of the best nonfiction audiobooks of all time on Libro.fm. Discover more of our most recommended nonfiction.
Mexican Gothic
“Set in Mexico in the 50’s, this book follows a young woman, Noemi, to a moldy old Gothic manor in the countryside where she is hoping to find out why her newly married cousin is sending letters home detailing strange visions and a real fear of her new family. Moreno-Garcia’s writing was fantastic. I felt immersed in the creepy mansion, imagining often I could smell the rot and could hear the walls and floorboards creaking with the fungus that seemed to be moving throughout.”
— Jessica, BookBar
View the audiobookMexican Gothic is one of the best fiction audiobooks of all time on Libro.fm. Find out more of our most recommended fiction.
How High We Go in the Dark
“How High We Go in the Dark follows interconnected characters through time and space as humanity returns from the brink of extinction when an ancient virus is unleashed. Mind bending and heartrending, full of hope and humanity, you’ll want to start this one from the beginning as soon as you finish it. The audio definitely added to the richness of the reading experience.”
— Jessica, Main Street Books Davidson
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James
“James, Percival Everett’s brilliant retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a novel that was begging to be recorded. Everett’s Jim, Huck’s fellow runaway, is literate. He reads, writes, and is bilingual secretly (of course)—speaking ‘slave’ with his masters and when white folks are near, but with eloquent English (and occasionally, French) otherwise. All the pathos of Twain’s novel are here, but the humor and emotion of Dominic Hoffman’s narration is a performance not to be missed.”
— Cheryl, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza
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Know My Name
“A stunning memoir about a devastating subject. It was eye opening, gut wrenching, powerful and brave. Chanel Miller writes with such honesty and vulnerability—l immediately felt that I knew her and she had me walking in her shoes throughout the entire book. I’m still reeling from the roller coaster of emotions but ultimately I was left feeling hopeful and changed. A great audiobook read by the author.”
— Leah, Aesop’s Fable
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The Round House
The Round House tells the coming-of-age story of a boy, Joe, who seeks justice for his mother after a traumatic attack on their North Dakota reservation. Their journey begins at the Round House, a sacred Ojibwe place of worship, marking just the start of their quest. Read by Gary Farmer, an indigenous narrator, this poignant tale blends mystery, family, and cultural history of Native Americans.
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This Is How You Lose the Time War
“Agents for opposite sides of a war without an end or beginning find themselves drawn to one another. It starts as a little deadly competition, but it quickly becomes clear that it’s more than just fascination. Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone work together like steak and fine wine. Some of the most beautiful prose, and two of the most complex characters ever written, This is How You Lose the Time War is a tragic love story wrapped in science fiction. Emily Woo Zeller and Cynthia Farrell narrate with such emotion that the listener believes every word they say.”
— Sophie, Cavalier House Books
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The Firekeeper’s Daughter
“We so rarely hear YA through an Indigenous people’s voice and this book does it so very well. Main character Daunis Lorenzo Fontaine lives a fine line between her white French Canadian mother and her Ojibwe father in a complicated family dynamic. […] Angeline Boulley seamlessly incorporates the Ojibwe language and lifeways that both inform and educate the reader in this amazing story that will stay with me long after I have moved onto other books. A MUST-read (or listen)!”
— Rebecca, Rediscovered Books
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The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
“This gripping, diverse novel, set well after Earth’s residents have scattered to Mars, other planets, and itinerant spacecraft, is as scientifically and sociopolitically plausible as any science fiction l’ve ever read or listened to. The characters, from a variety of alien species along with Al, have wide-ranging journeys that speak to our current reality and to issues of immigration, xenophobia, colonization, economic class, technological advancement, environmentalism, and more.”
— Emily, A Seat at the Table Books
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The Song of Achilles
“In this beautiful retelling of the classic Greek myth, Madeline Miller writes one of the most compelling and heart-wrenching love stories of the 21st Century. It is an ode to the past while also incorporating modern understanding, and I was continuously blown away by the emotions Miller was able to evoke in me while I was reading. For those of you who grew up on the D’aulaires Book of Greek Myths or the Percy Jackson series, this is a novel for you! “
— Maddie, A Great Good Place for Books
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Disability Visibility
“Containing dozens of personal stories, this is an absolute must-read for anyone looking to learn about the breadth, diversity, and history of disabled experience(s) from disabled folks themselves.”
— Miriasha, Phoenix Books
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Normal People
“This novel stands out shining from the current onslaught of mediocre prose and less-than-suspenseful thriller plots. Normal People is the story of a relationship between two high school classmates in a small town in Ireland, and how it changes over time, through their last year of college in Dublin. Rooney’s spare and brilliant writing illuminates her insight and makes the unfolding of these two personalities completely compelling.”
— Georgiana Dix Blomberg, Magnolia’s Bookstore
View the audiobookMany of these audiobooks come with not just high praise from not just our own team, but also our bookselling partners—who have great taste!
We reached out to them to see which recommendations they’d include, in addition to the above:
- My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (Strout’s Olive Kitteridge made the NYT’s list)
- Wandering Stars and There, There by Tommy Orange
- Matrix by Lauren Groff
- Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (which was released after the list’s publication)
- North Woods by Daniel Mason
- The Muse by Jessie Burton
Hopefully between all of these recommendations, you’ve found a new audiobook or two to enjoy. And don’t forget to check out our Instagram post to let us know which audiobooks you would add to the list!
Hopefully between all of these recommendations, you’ve found a new audiobook or two to enjoy. And don’t forget to check out our Instagram post to let us know which audiobooks you would add to the list!