Tag: Audiobooks Landing Page

Spotify Premium Listeners in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand Can Soon Access More Than 250,000 Audiobooks

April 2, 2024

Attention booklovers in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand! Listening to your favorite audiobooks is about to get even easier. Beginning April 9, Spotify Premium users in these markets will have access to up to 15 hours of audiobooks per month, seamlessly integrated alongside music and podcasts, on a single platform through a unified subscription. 

Our Premium audiobook catalog, already available in the U.S., U.K., and Australia, is one of the largest subscription-based audiobook-streaming platforms at 250,000 titles and growing—we’re already up from 200,000 titles since late last year. We’re excited for more listeners than ever to discover and engage with books, and to mark the occasion we asked authors from these markets—Canada’s Carley Fortune, New Zealand’s Chloe Gong, and Ireland’s Rosemary Mac Cabe—to share some of their favorites.

Carley Fortune

Canadian Carley Fortune is the best-selling author of Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake. Her new book, This Summer Will Be Different, will be published May 7.

What are three of your favorite audiobooks? 

What do you love most about audiobooks?

I’m not sure if this is a positive trait, but I’m a multitasker, and I love to figure out ways to use my time efficiently. I’m a full-time writer and a parent to two young, energetic boys—I will never be able to read all the books I’d like to, but audiobooks help! I can squeeze in reading while I’m driving or washing the dishes. But it’s not just that audiobooks help me read more. A truly excellent audiobook elevates the reading experience, absorbing you in the story and bringing the emotion to life. And they’re so accessible. Listening to an audiobook is reading: Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Chloe Gong

Raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe Gong is the best-selling author of the Secret Shanghai novels and the Flesh and False Gods trilogy.

What are three of your favorite audiobooks?

What’s your earliest memory of stories’ being read aloud to you, audiobooks or otherwise?

In primary school, we would read a class-selected book quietly, and then we would come together for the teacher to read it aloud while we sat cross-legged on the mat. It was one of the most joyous parts of my day as a five-year-old. I developed such an appreciation for how class read-aloud time held my attention, and I grew more and more intrigued by the act of storytelling until I became an avid reader myself and eventually an avid writer.

Rosemary Mac Cabe 

Irish author and journalist Rosemary Mac Cabe was raised in Dublin and published her book, This Is Not About You: A Menmoir, in summer 2023.

What are three of your favorite audiobooks?

What’s your earliest memory of books’ being read to you? 

One of the few books from my very early childhood that I remember is Smoke and Fluff, a Ladybird book written and illustrated by AJ McGregor, a fact I didn’t even have to look up because it’s now on nightly rotation in my house. I ordered a secondhand copy online for my two-year-old pretty much the month he was conceived.

Opening it up again after so long was weird, though. I hadn’t seen or read it in probably three decades. I remembered it almost word for word. The illustrations were almost as familiar to me as my childhood bedroom, or a scarf my mum has worn every winter for my whole life.

There’s something about reading this same book—which is quite long, for a children’s book—every single night that reminds me just how much time goes into parenting. It makes me feel close to my own mum, too, who put in this same time, this same love, when she read it to me over and over so many years ago. I live in the U.S. now, while she’s still at home in Ireland, but when I’m reading this it’s like she’s there with us.

10 Great Audiobooks for Fans of Jane Austen

December 27, 2023

One of literature’s most beloved authors, Jane Austen has mesmerized generations of readers with romantic tales like Pride and Prejudice that are set within Regency England. And even if you’ve read her novels before, they’re always worth revisiting as audiobooks.

Spotify recently redesigned the covers for a number of literary audiobook classics, including five from Austen. Working with Spotify designer Jessica Dugan, artist Ariel VanNatter took inspiration from embroidered handkerchiefs to create the detailing and lettering featured on each cover. 

If you’re caught up on your Austen classics, we also have a collection of romantic romps, thrilling whodunits, and non-fiction deep dives to recommend. So keep scrolling to discover 10 great audiobooks for fans of Jane Austen.

Rekindle your love for Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen

Narrated By Hannah Curtis

Austen’s debut novel Sense and Sensibility is a tale of love set in late 18th-century England that has captivated audiences since it was published. After tragedy strikes sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, they find themselves searching for suitable husbands. Each approaches love differently, with one impulsively jumping into romance while the other taking a more prudent path. Elinor feels ill-equipped to compete with the self-centered, fortune-driven society she finds herself in, whilst Marianne’s unshakeable belief in her own feelings makes her susceptible to the designs of unscrupulous men. Can they both find true love?

Mansfield Park

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

Winding romantic entanglements, mature situations, and familial drama are common in Austen’s literature, but Mansfield Park is one the author’s most complex novels. The book has been lauded for its challenging of the conservative values of the age, and for its masterful artistry which cleverly disguises the social commentary within. When Fanny Price is very young, she is sent away to live with her aunt and uncle at Mansfield Park, a large estate filled with all of Fanny’s insufferable cousins and family members. Her life is full of people mistreating her and acting unpleasant, and generally giving her a difficult time. As Fanny grows older, she faces awkward situations as her cousins begin to fall in love and pair off, and what ensues is a twisting tale of love triangles, mistaken affection, playful seductions, and the pain of young love scorned.

Emma

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

Told with Austen’s signature charm and wit, Emma is the story of an unusual heroine and the chaos she creates in her friend circle with her antics. It’s a humorous and heartwarming novel that will leave readers amused and enchanted.Emma Woodhouse has successfully played matchmaker for her friend and discovers a new skill. She gets to work meddling in her friends’ affair, convincing them to call off imminent engagements and relationships in favor of ones she creates.The matchmaking quickly gets out of Emma’s hands, and her actions and instructions begin to harm. Though well-intended, her interference spirals, causing difficulties and confusion. And though Emma continues to make matches amongst her friends, the question becomes: Which couples will be together by the end?

Northanger Abbey

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

Northanger Abbey is Austen’s satirical, self-referential parody of the gothic fiction. This classic coming-of-age story blends over-the-top drama, fascinating characters, and Austen’s patented eloquence. Catherine Moreland is an imaginative 17-year-old who loves to read the dark, mysterious, and romanticized genre. She is at the age that ladies of her era are meant to be courting and settling into lives of leisure. As Catherine begins to navigate the world outside of her family, her naivete and escapism become barriers to society. She begins to fancy herself as a character in a gothic drama. Everyday scenarios become romanticized and dramatic, natural deaths become mysterious, and innocent motives are questioned.

Lady Susan

Jane Austen

Narrated By PJ Roscoe

One of Austen’s earliest completed novels, Lady Susan is a fun glimpse at British society in the 18th century. It’s also a fascinating character study of Lady Susan Vernon, an unscrupulous widow who charms everyone she meets—particularly the men—and is keen on toying with emotions for her own amusement. Told in letters between various characters, Lady Susan follows the coquette’s escapades and influences on her family, and the impact her presence has on their trysts and ties to one another. 

Looking for more Regency romance?

Once Upon a Duke

Erica Ridley

Narrated By Rosie Akerman

Part of the 12 Dukes of Christmas historical romance series, Erica Ridley’s Once Upon a Duke is a heartwarming romance full of reunions and second chances. Due to the terms of an estranged relative’s will, the Duke of Silkridge must revisit the cold, unforgiving mountains where he lost everything he once loved. And as soon as he restores his family legacy, he’ll return to London where he belongs. Noelle Pratchett is immune to charming scoundrels like the arrogant duke. He stole her heart, stole a kiss, and then stole away one night never to return. Now he’s back—and they both know he won’t stay. But how can the Duke resist rekindling the forbidden spark crackling between him and the irresistible spitfire he’d left behind? How can Noelle maintain her icy shields when every heated glance melts her to her core? 

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

KJ Charles

Narrated By Martyn Swain

In KJ Charles’ The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman, Gareth Inglis is a lonely, prickly man who was abandoned by his father. While he is used to disappointment, he still longs for connection. He falls head over heels with a charming stranger, but everything goes wrong and he’s left alone again. When Gareth’s father dies, he transforms from a shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a family he doesn’t know and a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh. But the Marsh is a bleak, bare place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers and deadly secrets. And when Gareth finds himself threatened from every side he must learn to trust those around him. 

Want a thriller featuring one of Jane Austen’s most notorious villains?

The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Claudia Gray

Narrated By Billie Fulford-Brown

In Claudia Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham, an imagined mystery blending the styles of Jane Austen and Agatha Christie, a summer house party turns into a thrilling whodunit when Austen’s notorious villain meets a sudden and suspicious end. The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma—characters beloved by Austen fans— are throwing a party at their country estate, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.

Learn more about Jane Austen’s world

Mad and Bad

Bea Koch

Narrated By Rengin Altay

Bea Koch’s Mad and Bad takes the Regency, a world immortalized by Austen, and reveals the independent-minded, standard-breaking real historical women who lived life on their terms. Examining broader questions of culture in chapters that focus on the LGBTQIA+ and Jewish communities, the lives of women of color in the Regency, and women who broke barriers in fields like astronomy and paleontology, Mad and Bad looks beyond popular perception of the Regency into the even more vibrant, diverse, and fascinating historical truth.

Our Tempestuous Day

Carolly Erickson

Narrated By Simon Prebble

The tumult and opulence of England’s Regency era burst from the pages in Our Tempestuous Day, a work of literary nonfiction from historian Carolly Erickson. When dementia forced King George III to vacate his throne, the kingdom slipped into a decade marked with excess, scandal, and riots. Hoping to control the crisis early on, Parliament appointed the king’s unpopular son Prince George IV as Regent or caretaker. But for the next nine years, this substitute ruler shocked the nation with his drunkenness, his mistresses, and his wanton spending. 

Ready for more? Check out some great literary classics to listen to here.

9 Audiobooks for Travelers This Holiday Season

December 19, 2023

Audiobooks can be the perfect entertainment while traveling this holiday season. However, if you’re planning for every mile ahead of you or simply want to satisfy your wanderlust with stories on jet-setting and worldly adventure, Spotify has you covered with the following recommendations. 

Pointers From Top Travel Gurus

 

The One-Way Ticket Plan

Written and narrated by Alexa West

Alexa West once turned the $200 in her pocket into more than a decade of solo travel. Here she shares her blueprint for women who want to travel the world, still making money, fall in love, and find their purpose. How do you afford to travel when you’re broke? Is it safe to travel alone as a woman? How do you avoid scams and tourist traps? These are some of the questions she explores in The One-Way Ticket Plan.

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide

Written by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever

Narrated by Laurie Woolever, Shep Gordon, Christopher Bourdain, Jen Agg, Matt Walsh, Bill Buford, Claude Tayag, Nari Kye, Vidya Balachander, and Steve Albini

American chef Anthony Bourdain was known for his unfiltered take on food and culture in destinations around the world. From hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, listeners can join the adventure while getting advice on how to get to these destinations, what to eat, where to stay, and what to avoid. Supplementing Bourdain’s words are a handful of essays by friends, colleagues, and family who share their accounts of traveling with Bourdain.

The Road Trip Survival Guide

Written by Rob Taylor and Samantha Brown

Narrated by Vikas Adam

If you’re in the midst of planning a road trip, this book has all the tips and tricks you need to make for a successful adventure. Listeners get advice on how to organize their cars; packing lists for different types of vacations; the perfect road trip itinerary to suit the family; and more.

 

Far-Reaching Tales for Your Next Metaphorical Trip 

 

Lizzie & Dante

Written by Mary Bly

Narrated by Carlotta Brentan

On the heels of a difficult break-up and a devastating diagnosis, Shakespeare scholar Lizzie Delford decides to take one last lavish vacation on Elba, the sun-kissed island off the Italian coast, with her best friend and his movie-star boyfriend. Once settled into a luxurious seaside resort, Lizzie has to make big decisions about her future, and she needs the one thing she may be running out of: time. 

Glory Be

Written by Danielle Arceneaux

Narrated by Bahni Turpin

In Glory Be, the first in a charming crime series set in the Louisiana bayou, amateur sleuth Glory Broussard learns that her best friend has been found dead in her apartment. The police declare the mysterious death a suicide, but Glory is convinced that there must be more to the story. To find out the truth she launches her own investigation in a town of oil tycoons, church gossips, and a rumored voodoo priestess. As a Black woman who grew up in a segregated Louisiana, Glory is used to being minimized and overlooked, but she’s determined to make her presence known as the case leads her deep into a web of intrigue.

Christmas on the Island: Compass Key

Written by Maggie Miller

Narrated by Vivienne Leheny, Laura Jennings, Allyson Voller, Cindy Kay, Nancy Wu, Sara Morsey, and Suzie Althens

Author Maggie Miller’s Compass Key series follows five former sorority sisters, all in their fifties, as they undertake adventures at the exclusive Compass Key resort. In this installment, listeners follow the ladies and their house mother as they celebrate Christmas on the private island. The holiday brings many surprises and a chance for the women to take stock of their lives. 

Outlander

Written by Diana Gabaldon

Narrated by Davina Porter

A taste of intrigue, danger, and desire all wrapped up in a tale of time travel. It’s 1945 and Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon. Their blissful reunion is shattered when she touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone ruins and is instantly transported to 1743 Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans. Here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior who shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

For the Thrill of Travel

 

The Flight Attendant

Written by Chris Bohjalian

Narrated by Erin Spencer, Grace Experience, and Mark Deakins

Flight attendant Cassandra Bowden wakes up in Dubai in the wrong bed, in the wrong hotel, and with a dead man. She has no idea what happened. Listeners follow along as Cassie attempts to piece her night back together to find out what really happened that night. Could she have killed him? If not, who did?

The Final Hunt

Written by Audrey J. Cole

Narrated by Stacey Glemboski

After her husband disappears while hunting off-grid—and is presumed dead from a bear attack—Cameron uncovers his role in the recent Seattle serial murders. Now the media has destroyed her reputation, she’s lost her dental practice, she’s on the brink of losing her home, and she’s on a quest for the truth in the frozen landscape of the Alaskan wilderness.

Ready for more? Check out audiobooks perfect for your morning commute here.

Content Creator Serena Kelly Explains Why It’s OK To Just Have Fun With Audiobooks

December 13, 2023

A self-described “girl who reads books and does makeup,” content creator Serena Kelly has taken her interests and put them front and center on social media. Millions of fans around the world now seek out her rapid-fire comedic videos.

As an avid reader, Serena also loves listening to audiobooks as a way to immerse herself in a story, whether she’s at home or on the go. “I think audiobooks are the most spellbinding form of media out there,” Serena tells For the Record. “When I listen to someone either tell their own story or narrate this incredibly rich story written by someone else, I think of how humans have been telling stories for thousands of years and I feel so connected to all the generations before me.”

We sat down with Serena to learn more about her love of reading, her emergence as a content creator, and the audiobooks that should be on everyone’s list. 

What prompted you to start documenting your life online?

I grew up in what I consider the golden age of YouTube. I was watching Zoella, Tyler Oakley, DanandPhilGAMES, and all of the classic BuzzFeed videos. So from a young age, I always wanted to be a content creator and start my own YouTube channel, or something like that. But I was also always terrified of what other people would think. Then the pandemic came along and I was so isolated that, ironically, I felt the most free I had ever felt. I wanted to express myself and didn’t care if I failed or people disliked my content. 

So I started making videos, and of course they were terrible at first. But once I got my footing and genuinely began to have fun, I got on a roll and never looked back.

What do you love most about audiobooks?

As much as I love watching short-form social content, the more hours that I spend consuming it, I can feel my attention span dwindling away. So when I turn to something longer-form like an audiobook, it feels like just a multivitamin for my brain, which is really nice. 

And then I love that feeling of getting invested in a really good book. There are always moments where I have to hit pause on an audiobook and go back to my own life, but I spend the entire day wondering what’s gonna happen next in the book and slowly count down the hours until I can start listening again.

Have you always been a voracious reader?

Growing up, I was very, very into books and I loved classic YA novels like The Fault In Our Stars and The Hunger Games. I was making fan edits of those from a very early age. But from high school through college, I never really had time to read for fun and I missed it so much. 

Once I graduated college, I didn’t even know where to start again, and audiobooks really helped me get back into reading. I was working a warehouse job where I was doing mindless tasks with my hands and I had a lot of free time. So I’d put on a pair of headphones, find an audiobook that looked good, and get wrapped up in them. Specifically, Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller really got me into audiobooks.

What books have had a big impact on you? 

I would say The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I’ve always been a diehard fiction girlie, and nonfiction has never been my cup of tea, but I listened to both audiobooks and got so drawn in to each story. Even though they’re “informative texts” there’s still this underlying personal story in each. They made me look at the world in a different way because they go into such educational detail about plants or things we encounter in everyday life. Like, there must be so many beautiful backstories to things that I haven’t discovered yet. 

How do you go about choosing your next listen?

I’m a huge mood reader. I only read a book if I’m in the mood to read a certain book, which is hard because my mood changes like every 30 minutes. For me, a good rule of thumb is to pick a book that fits with the seasons. So right now I’m listening to Bunny by Mona Awad. And it starts off at the beginning of the academic year, and then as it goes on, it moves into the chillier holiday months. It’s funny because I was listening to it while walking my dog, and it’s describing these wintery city conditions as I’m in the bitter cold. I was like, “Oh my God, it’s like I’m in the book.”

Do you have any advice for people who are just getting into—or getting back into—reading?

First and foremost: Audiobooks totally count as reading. 

And then I would say to start as small as you need to. There’s so much pressure for adults to read “smart books.” Like nonfiction books about things going on in the world or classics or really intense contemporary fiction. But you’re not going to have a ton of fun if you just jump into those. It’s kind of like deciding you want to start running, and you immediately try to run a marathon. 

So find an audiobook that’s fast-paced, character driven, and not super long, because then you can build up momentum by getting really into a book, finishing it, and experiencing that dopamine hit. It will make you super excited to find your next read. 

Share a few of your favorite audiobook recommendations.

One of my favorite audiobooks of all time is The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I realistically would never have read it in print form. But there was a time where I needed something to listen to and noticed it was narrated by Tom Hanks as I was browsing through audiobooks. I didn’t even read the description. I just hit play and he gave such a good performance, and now it’s one of my favorite books.

I also love If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. They’re especially great for if you’re just starting your reading journey or getting back into it.

Everybody’s also talking about Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, so I definitely want to check that out. And I have to throw one classic in there, which is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Make your next read an engaging listen by pressing play on one of the many great audiobooks available on Spotify.

Author Min Jin Lee Reveals the Unique Quality That Make Audiobooks So Powerful

November 9, 2023

Author Min Jin Lee

As one of the preeminent storytellers of our era, author Min Jin Lee has captivated fans with her international best-sellers, Pachinko and Free Food for Millionaires, which provide a glimpse into the Korean and Korean American experience. 

A one-time lawyer, Min turned her attention to writing early in her career, and success followed. Named a National Book Award finalist in 2017, the writer now splits her time between teaching at the college level and working on her third novel.  

On Spotify, listeners are flocking to the audiobook versions of Min Jin’s stories, which add an extra dimension to the already rich worlds contained within her tales. Hits the Spot and For the Record recently sat down with Min to learn more about her journey as a writer, why she reads a chapter of the Bible every day, and why people should listen to books. 

What’s your earliest memory of stories’ being read aloud to you, audiobooks or otherwise?

Going to the library as a kid and sitting with people in reading circles. I thought that was so cool because I came to America when I was seven. The library had a volunteer who would read, and I would sit down on the carpet and listen. It was so nurturing.

Do you recall the books?

Definitely the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. Ramona Quimby always got in trouble. I love her.

When did you first know you’d be a writer?

I didn’t know until after I was a lawyer. I think I was 25. I didn’t think there was a career in it. It just seemed so irresponsible to want to be a writer, and it actually kind of is. I tell my students that they’re going to have to figure out another way to get health insurance because it’s really tough.

Take us through your creative process.

I like walking. Also, if I’m close to finishing something, I try to leave a part of it undone when I go to sleep. That way, when I start again the next day, it’s not so scary. It’s a trick I picked up from Ernest Hemingway.

And then I do this weird thing that I learned from Willa Cather, which is to read a chapter of the Bible. I heard about that and was like, “If it works for her, I’ll try it.” Because I was reading the newspapers every day and that wasn’t working. 

So now I read a chapter of the Bible. It’s often a very difficult text, which means you have to focus. And you may agree or disagree with the things that you read, or you find parts of it beautiful and parts of it troubling. So I now understand why Willa Cather did it. I can’t not do it anymore. 

Is there one element that’s uniquely you?  

Well, I’m a woman who had a child, so this is kind of me teasing, but I’ve met men who say things like, “I go to the office and I just write.” And I’m thinking, “That’s nice. You have an office.” Meanwhile, if my dishwasher broke, it was me who was fixing it or something. So I write whenever and wherever I can, which has made me very flexible.

Why is audio storytelling so powerful?

I think audio storytelling is really powerful because all of us are really lonely. And to have that external voice that’s calm, and because narrative is always an ordered sense of story, you know that you’re going to be okay. So I think that’s the reason why people should listen to things.

And I say that completely seriously, because as a college professor, I sometimes meet young people and I want to tell them, “Things are going to get better. I don’t know what voices you have in your head, but they’re not healthy right now.” So if you could just have an external voice that’s kind of calm and ordered, you might actually realize that in an hour, whatever you’re feeling will pass.

Are there any of your stories that are especially well-suited to an audio format?

I think when a lot of my essays are taught, they’re read. They’re very short, so they’ve never been produced in an audio format. But I’ve been able to read them out loud, and I know they’re read in a lot of classrooms, so I think that would be important.

Have you dabbled in narrating your own work? 

I haven’t done it professionally. Well, that’s not true. I do it all the time in meetings and they’re really, really short readings. And then when I do readings of very emotional sections of my books, I cry. Which I need to stop doing. But it’s really hard because I actually feel it. 

So people are always surprised when they find me funny because my books are so serious. But then at readings I’m very emotional. At one point my publisher thought I was having a nervous breakdown.

What books are you listening to or reading right now?

Well, I’m reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, read by Meryl Streep, and it is extraordinary. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s just a win-win experience.

Want to learn more about Min Jin and the story behind her stories? Check out her guest appearance on our new podcast, Hits The Spot.

Lilly Singh Talks Audiobooks, Favorite Reads, and Lilly’s Library

November 8, 2023

Lilly Singh staring at camera with her arms crossed

From viral sketch videos to late-night television, Lilly Singh is used to making people laugh. The Canadian entertainer, writer, and advocate has made her mark in the entertainment world. And while she’s still busy creating content and working on a number of projects, she’s also bringing a new focus to a different, more personal format: books.

Lilly is no stranger to the written word—she’s the New York Times Best-Selling author of How to Be a Bawse and Be a Triangle. But over the past few years, her love for reading has grown as she’s immersed herself in valuable self-help books, powerful intergenerational dramas, and lighthearted romantic comedies. “I used to read a lot when I was younger, and then there was a period of my life where I stopped reading because I convinced myself that it was too time-consuming and that I could watch things,” said Lilly. “And then I started my own book club called Lilly’s Library in an effort to not only highlight South Asian authors, but also to help get myself back into reading.” 

Lilly’s Library, which started in 2021, is genre-diverse and aims to provide readers with new stories they can relate to or learn from. 

In honor of our Audiobooks offering for Spotify Premium users debuting in the U.S. today, we spoke to Lilly about the medium, its capacity for representation, and why she’s so excited for more listeners to join in on the audiobooks journey. 

What prompted you to start Lilly’s Library?

One reason was to shine a light on South Asian authors because I feel like they don’t get the spotlight they deserve. But also, so much of my life is about representation and I’ve mostly focused on the screen for that. I’ve always been an advocate of seeing characters and stories that are diverse onscreen. And sometimes I get frustrated at the lack of that. 

I came across this book Tell Me How to Be and it became the first Lilly’s Library book. It’s a queer story, and the perspective is from a mother and a son. And me being a queer brown person, I’m always like, “Where are the queer brown people?” When I read that book, I was like, “Oh my God, this is so in-depth.” And the thoughts of these characters and the struggles that this family is going through, I’ve never seen on the screen. It was so real and it was so honest. And I realized that maybe the South Asian community, like me, don’t realize that their experiences—and what we’ve been waiting to see onscreen—are captured in books. 

But another big part of it is I think there’s this misconception that people have to be South Asian in order to enjoy South Asian stories, and that is just not true. I grew up watching a whole bunch of content that didn’t have South Asians. I was still able to relate to it, or at the very least, learn something new. One in four people on this planet are South Asian, and I want to normalize that our stories can be relatable for you. And if they’re not, they will teach you something new. Either way, that’s a win-win situation. 

With so much social, video, and audio content out there to consume, when do you instead turn to books?

I have been so pleasantly surprised—and punched by the reality—that books actually have phenomenal representation. Things I’m always wishing I saw onscreen, on social media, and other places, I’m finding in books. And that’s been really refreshing. The types of stories, characters, and problems that Lilly’s Library features are all so much more advanced than the ones I see onscreen.

And so I pick up a book when I want to relate to something. I want to be seen. I want to kind of escape into a story that feels safe. It’s also when I’m stressed, lonely, or feeling like my real life is a little too overwhelming and I want to dive into a different story. 

You’re a published author. What made you want to write?

I got to a place where I wanted to tell a deeper story that was very detailed, and literature—for me—feels like a safer space to share some of those stories. I can talk about things in as much detail as I want. And I’ll just be completely honest: Some stories feel safer writing it. When your face is in a video, it can be tough to talk about things, but sometimes when you’re using words, you can hide in the beauty and safety of the pages. I feel writing allows you to go a little bit more vulnerable and deeper than you otherwise might.

You also narrated both audiobooks. What was it like to read your stories aloud?

I won’t lie, recording both of my audiobooks was one of the tougher experiences of my life because you are forced to read your writing out loud—and multiple times—when you’re recording. I was like, “Who wrote this? Who wrote it like this?” 

But. . . it was also very therapeutic to actually hear my thoughts out loud and be forced to read it when I wasn’t in the editing process anymore. You can kind of get to relive your own story as an audience member when you’re doing that, and can disconnect in a way that lets you be more forgiving. I feel like, for the most part, I was able to have a level of compassion when listening to my story out loud that I probably didn’t have while I was writing and editing it.

Is there a book that’s had a big impact on you?

A book that really resonated with me is The Four Agreements. I love this book. It’s a very, very simple and practical guide to personal freedom. And it’s just well written and easy to understand. It was actually the inspiration for my second book, Be a Triangle. Anytime I’m struggling, I open that book and read a section of it. It’s been like a life resource for me. 

What are some elements about audiobooks that you especially enjoy?

I really love holding a physical book, but I realized that I wasn’t always able to read as much as I wanted to because of that restriction. I can’t read in any moving vehicle or I will get extremely carsick. And I travel a lot.

I’ve also learned recently that some audiobooks actually enhance the book in a way that I can’t do when I’m reading it alone thanks to the voice performance. They make the book have so much more depth. For instance, I was listening to The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, and I was blown away that the voice actor does like 30 different voices in this audiobook. And they’re horrifying and beautiful and he does different accents. I was like, “Dude, I’ve been missing out on audiobooks!” That really got me to switch.

Share your favorite Lilly’s Library pick.

There are a lot of really good options. There’s a book called At Least You Have Your Health by Madi Sinha. I like this book because it made me laugh and it was a nice read. But what I really liked was the subject matter. It’s a commentary on the women’s health sector and is about how understudied women’s bodies are. The book is done in a very, very smart way.

How do you determine which stories make it into the club?

So the Lilly’s Library mandate is pretty simple: The book has to be written by a South Asian author. One of the powers of the South Asian community and culture is that it’s very founded on the family unit, and so a lot of the books are the mother’s perspective, then the daughter’s perspective, then the grandmother’s perspective. And our goal is that families can read these books together and talk about it. So my mom actually has read every Lilly’s Library book with us. Our conversations with each other are much more in-depth now because when we discuss a book, inevitably we discuss life and why those choices didn’t resonate with us, or whatever it is. And so it’s just been really awesome to have our relationship evolve through the help of books and the library. And that’s what I really hope for other people as well. 

 

Make your next read an engaging listen with audiobooks available on Spotify. To hear more perspectives from Lilly, check out her books How to Be a Bawse and Be a Triangle. 

200,000+ Audiobooks Are Now Available to Spotify Premium Listeners in the U.S.

November 8, 2023

Audiobook lovers across the U.S., rejoice! As of today, Spotify Premium users in the U.S. join those in the U.K. and Australia as we make over 200,000 audiobooks available as part of Spotify Premium subscriptions. How’s that for a sequel? 

To start, we’re offering each Premium individual, as well as plan managers for Family and Duo accounts, 15 hours of listening per month. There’s no need for you to do anything: Starting today, you’ll simply start seeing audiobooks marked as “Included in Premium” that you can hit play on right away. Fifteen hours should get you around two average audiobooks per month, but if you do hit the limit, you can purchase a 10-hour top-up.

Our Spotify Premium audiobook catalog has something for everyone, including over 70% of bestselling titles: from of-the-moment sensations like Britney Spears’ The Woman in Me and Jesmyn Ward’s Let Us Descend, to beloved classics like Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Listeners will love exploring the depths of our 200,000-strong catalog, unearthing genres from “cozy mystery” to “historical romance.”

Audiobooks are an entertaining way to finally get around to all the books you’ve always meant to read, a new way to experience the stories you already love, and a great way to discover your next favorite book. In fact, we ran a consumer survey of over 1,000 Americans that showed that the younger generations are really taking to audiobook listening: Gen Z and millennials lead in audiobook listening, with 72% of 18-to-34-year-olds reporting that they listen to audiobooks.

But why are so many people listening to audiobooks these days? We also found that people are turning to “comfort listening.” Relaxation (63%) and comfort (51%) are the top emotions associated with audiobook listening. Plus, 41% of audiobook listeners prefer audiobooks because of cognitive benefits—like improving their memory or keeping their minds active.

Five Reasons To Listen to Audiobooks on Spotify

October 4, 2023

Looking to finally finish those books on your bedside table? Audiobooks offer a refreshing way to get around to all the titles you’re simply too busy to read, even on the go. Not only that, but audiobooks also provide a new way to experience stories you already love and are an immersive and efficient way to discover new favorites. Here are five more reasons you should add audiobooks to your literary diet: 

  1. There’s ample research showing that reading is beneficial to people of all ages. And studies have shown that memory retention and learning when listening to audiobooks may be the same as reading a print book (and sometimes better than an e-book).

  2. Audiobooks may bring some of the benefits of reading into your life, including by potentially reducing stress, improving mood, sharpening intellect, or supporting empathy and creativity.

  3. Bringing music, podcasts, and audiobooks together on a single platform like Spotify means listeners can find a content ecosystem around their favorite creators, authors, and stories. For example, fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, or Jenny Han can now listen to much of their favorite authors’ catalogs on Spotify and hear any number of analyses from literary podcasts, and find playlists inspired by their stories.

  4. Listeners will be able to take their audiobooks wherever they go; Spotify works on over 2,000 devices from more than 200 brands. Plan managers can also download audiobooks for offline listening. So taking an audiobook with you is as easy as putting your phone and headphones into your pocket—and something you can do even while multitasking.

  5. With our automatic bookmarking feature and Spotify Sleep Timer, you won’t lose your place or need to spend hours rewinding. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it.

Spotify’s Audiobook Leaders Explain Why You Should Listen to Books on Spotify

October 3, 2023

For many years, audiobooks have had limited distribution avenues, leading many book lovers to overlook the medium. But our rollout in the U.K., Australia, and soon the U.S. means that tens of millions of Spotify Premium listeners will soon be able to access 15 hours’ worth of audiobooks from over 150,000 options each month, dramatically expanding the audiobooks market. 

In anticipation of this expansion, both David Kaefer, Spotify’s VP of Business Affairs and the Audiobooks Business, and Owen Smith, Spotify’s Head of Audiobooks Product and Tech, have been working diligently with their teams, as well as publishing houses, authors, and narrators, to bring audiobooks to our platform in a seamless way. 

Below they explain to For the Record how the combination of Spotify’s extensive catalog, world-class content discovery capabilities, and Premium offering will result in a magical experience for audiobook lovers and newbies alike. 

Today is a big day for our audiobooks business, but it’s also a big day for our users. What can they look forward to? 

Owen: At launch in the U.K. and Australia, and soon in the United States, listeners will have over 150,000 titles available to them. And they can listen however they would like. So they might focus on one title and finish it, or have ten books open and make their way through all of them slowly. That flexibility is a real benefit of our product. And they’ll have 15 hours a month in which to listen to that mix of content. If they love it and want to listen to more, they can head to our website, where they can buy top-ups so they can get more hours and continue listening. 

David: We really have a top-rate catalog. If you take a look at the top publishers in the book industry, they’re all working with us here at Spotify in some fashion. We don’t have every audiobook—because some audiobooks are exclusive and there’s a couple of pieces of catalog we’ve not licensed—but you’re going to find that most of the top authors, most of the top titles that are available as audiobooks are there, unlocked, in Spotify Premium for you to enjoy. I’m especially excited that we currently have over 70% of books from the New York Times bestseller list. 

I think a lot of people have not seen the mix of flexibility that the hourly listening model gives you with the catalog quality that we’ve been able to assemble. Then you add our investments in discoverability and that’s sort of the trifecta, that’s really a magical combination. 

What excites you most about listeners’ accessing audiobooks in the same place where they already have so much audio content? 

David: This is uniquely Spotify, this opportunity to bring multiple forms of amazing content together and make it seamlessly easy to discover and enjoy them. Compare that to a standalone audiobook app, for example. That experience today still feels a lot like it did 10-plus years ago. I’d buy a book and I must just listen to that book and perhaps be stuck with it. That’s a very different customer proposition.

We want our customers to have flexibility in what they listen to. If I want to dive in and out of music or pods or audiobooks, that’s all possible. 

Owen: These formats can also really borrow from one another. The book industry is particularly excited about using an author’s appearance in a podcast to help promote how people discover and ultimately listen to an audiobook and vice versa. So the opportunities to reinforce and discover across our different formats are definitely going to be there. 

What have we learned from launching other verticals—podcasts, for example—that’s informed this launch? 

Owen: First, you have to have amazing content that people want to listen to. Second, you have to help people find that content. In some cases, book titles will drive discovery themselves. There’s often a cultural book of the moment and people want to go find it. But we also really want to expand what audiences listen to, and to do that we’ve had to invest in recommendations for discovery. So just as we did in our podcasts journey, we’ll do that for audiobooks. 

We’ve got a great initial product that will include audiobooks across all our core surfaces. Our personalized Home feed is certainly one of those and will serve up recommendations based on what you like, as well as some suggestions for your next favorite book; while if you already know what you want, then you can just type it into Search. Then with Browse you’ll find some of our editorial booklists, where we will help you explore the huge catalog available. For example, we will take a genre like mysteries and serve up a curated selection so you can find just the right mystery book for you. 

David: We also have a lot of experience and learnings from our work with labels, music publishers, and podcast studios. The most important thing to remember is that these relationships are partnerships. It’s not about the first time you do a deal, but about building a lasting relationship. For book publishers, podcasters, and people in the music world, it’s important that we can grow the market. That’s our mission for the book industry. So they’re going to be assessing whether our offering is adding listeners and adding revenue that benefits the authors they represent. 

At the same time, we’re looking for the types of product flexibility that we need to be able to really delight users. We want to be able to use exciting new technologies to help people find that perfect book. We might want to evolve the format in a way where it looks fresh and gets people excited to engage.  

Why should someone who’s never listened to an audiobook before start now on Spotify?

David: I think a lot of people were originally surprised by how much they were into podcasts. They were on our platform listening to music, and they decided to give podcasts a try. The rest is history.

For booklovers who’ve never listened to an audiobook, they’ll be thrilled to see that audiobooks are awesome for multitasking moments. When I want to read a physical book or I want to read an e-book, I’m often curled up on the couch during focused time. But if I’m working out or I’m on the drive in to work or I’m dropping off the kids, those are awesome moments to think about “how do I build in an audiobook?” I think families with kids will also be delighted by the types of titles that you can listen to and enjoy together, and I think we’re going to see a lot of families super excited and engaged with this content, and they’re going to get a lot of value from it. 

What do you remember about the first time you listened to an audiobook? 

David: My first memory is of a book series I was a fan of. I had read 10 books and then listened to an audiobook, and it was jarring that the narrator’s voice didn’t match the voice in my head. So one lesson I’ve taken for myself is that the narrator is supremely important. We need to surface amazing narrators so they can be part of our journey.

In the audiobooks world, we need to be thinking of the author and the narrator as almost equal partners. Because as important as it is to write the book, that narration really determines whether somebody is going to stick with a title for often eight or 10 hours. It’s really predictive. So if I’m reading fiction and somebody really just allows me to get lost in the title, we know that that leads to completed listening of the book, and it benefits the author.

Oh, and I also figured out I’m a larger fan of nonfiction than fiction for now! 

Owen: I grew up in the U.K., so my first memory would probably be listening to audiobooks on BBC Radio, where they used to broadcast excerpts and—on rare occasions—broadcast the whole audiobook end to end. I see audiobooks as a wonderful way to replay one of our oldest human traits, which is to tell and pass on stories, whether that’s in a novel, memoir, or even some of the nonfiction books that I listen to for work. One of the great things about the product we’ve built is that I’m now finding new ones that I enjoy more frequently than ever before. 

What audiobooks are you listening to right now? 

David: I’m just starting Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, written and narrated by Angela Duckworth, which is very appropriate for this particular role of launching any new business vertical. For more fun I’m trying out the Millie Bobby Brown novel, Nineteen Steps. 

Owen: I recently finished Stanley Tucci’s Taste, which is a memoir interspersed with stories about food and recipes. I loved the book and he’s a naturally fantastic narrator. I’ve just started Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, which was a recommendation based on my podcast listening on Spotify.

Spotify Premium Will Include Instant Access to 150,000+ Audiobooks

October 3, 2023

Last year we announced that users would be able to purchase and listen to hundreds of thousands of audiobooks on Spotify, advancing our vision for making Spotify the seamless one-stop destination for all things audio. Listeners in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand jumped on the opportunity to sink into sonic worlds created by some of their favorite authors and narrators. 

Today we’re starting an entirely new chapter for our audiobooks offering by making more than 150,000 audiobooks available as part of Spotify Premium subscriptions. To start, we’re offering each Premium individual, as well as plan managers for Family and Duo accounts, 15 hours of listening per month—giving them the ability to enjoy as many titles as they want within that monthly allocation. 

What’s more, this means eligible users are now getting even more from their Premium subscriptions: an on-demand catalog of more than 100 million tracks, 5 million podcasts, and over 150,000 audiobooks.

This feature will be available for Premium users in the U.K. and Australia starting tomorrow, with the U.S. following later this year.

We believe that offering personalized music, podcasts, and audiobooks on a single platform gives you a superior way to connect with your favorite artists, podcasters, creators, and authors—all in one spot. Not only can you listen to some of your favorite authors’ works, but you can also tune into podcasts where fans dissect the most minor details of a story and find the hidden meaning in every sentence, without leaving the app. 

How to find Audiobooks on Spotify Premium

Any book that’s marked “Included in Premium” is available within our Premium catalog, one of the largest of any subscription-based audiobook-streaming platforms currently on the market. Our catalog currently encompasses upwards of 70% of bestselling books, with titles from major publishers including Hachette, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and RB Media, as well as independent authors and publishers globally, including Bolinda, Dreamscape, and Pushkin.

To listen to the first book on your list, simply type in the title in Search and hit play on the first chapter (or listen to the preview to make sure it’s exactly what you’re looking for!). You can also explore audiobook recommendations easily from our Home feed. Or, head to our audiobooks hub to find an editorially curated selection of top titles. 

How to listen to Audiobooks on Spotify

Ready to listen?

Fifteen monthly hours means that you can listen the way you want. Will you explore multiple titles from the evolving regularly refreshed selection or stick with one and listen from start to finish? For those super audiophiles who use up their 15 hours before their monthly billing cycles refresh, you can purchase a 10-hour top-up to finish that series. Not sure how many hours you have left? Check it at any time in your in-app settings. 

One note: You must have a Premium individual account or be the plan manager for your Family or Duo account in order to take advantage of this feature. We’ll be working on more ways to unlock access to Premium audiobooks in the future, but for now, primary account holders on Family and Duo plans will receive the monthly audiobooks allocation. 

You can also take audiobooks wherever you go, with Spotify available on over 2,000 devices from more than 200 brands. Users with Premium audiobook access can download audiobooks for offline listening as well. 

As you listen, our automatic bookmarking feature will save your place so you can easily pick up where you left off. Make sure to utilize the “end of chapter” feature within Spotify Sleep Timer so you can fall asleep to your favorite stories without having to rewind (and lose listening hours) in the morning. 

Our full catalog, including titles available on Spotify Premium, is still also available for a la carte purchases.

From beach-friendly bestsellers to riveting memoirs to the latest fantasy series, you’ll be able to find amazing reads on Spotify Premium. And whether you’re in the car running errands or doing chores around the house, audiobooks will transport you to new worlds of stories and sound. 

Find your new favorite read—er, listen—on Spotify.

9 Audiobooks To Start You on Your Literary Journey

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Start Your Literary Journey. Personal walking into the distance with a dog

With elaborate storytelling, immersive worlds, and an enthusiastic fandom hyping it up, getting into a new book can be an exciting and fun moment. And with the rich, vivid narration of audiobooks (some even with a full cast), you can sink ever deeper into that experience. But with so many audiobooks and so little time, knowing where to start can be tricky.

From high-fantasy adventures and gripping thrillers to works from masters of horror and science, here are nine audiobooks to start you on your literary listening.

The Fifth Season

Written by N. K. Jemisin

Narrated by Robin Miles

The first book in the highly acclaimed Broken Earth Trilogy, N. K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season takes readers to the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the Earth is wielded as a weapon. 

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, the mighty empire Sanze collapses, and most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman’s vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing enough ash to darken the sky for years or even centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Essun doesn’t care if the world falls apart around her. She’ll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization

Written and narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Starry Messenger shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.

In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin chariots of enlightenment: a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.

With crystalline prose, Starry Messenger walks us through a scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From insights on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals an array of brilliant and beautiful truths that apply to us all, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Written by J.R.R. Tolkien

Narrated by Andy Serkis

J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to life in this unabridged recording, with its first installment, The Fellowship of The Ring, narrated by acclaimed actor, director, and author Andy Serkis, who played the creature Gollum in Peter Jackson’s film adaptation.

In a quiet village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins is about to receive a gift that will change his life forever.

Thought to be lost centuries ago, the One Ring, an object of terrifying power once used by the Dark Lord Sauron to enslave Middle-earth, has been found. Now darkness is rising, and Frodo must travel deep into the Dark Lord’s realm of Mordor to the one place the Ring can be destroyed: Mount Doom.

And so starts an incredible journey through Middle-earth that will test Frodo’s courage, his friendships, and his heart. But the Ring corrupts all who bear it. Can Frodo destroy it, or will it destroy him?

The Hate U Give

Written by Angie Thomas

Narrated by Bahni Turpin

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Angie Thomas‘ searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty. 

The Hate U Give introduces us to 16-year-old Starr Carter as she moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death becomes a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. But what everyone wants to know is: What really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or doesn’t say could upend her community and even endanger her life.

Demon in the Wood

Written by Leigh Bardugo

Narrated by Ben Barnes, Benjamin Valic, Cassandra Morris, Eason Rytter, James Fouhey, Mary McCartney, Matt Leisy, Salli Saffioti, Sean Gormley, and Tom Bromhead

In Leigh Bardugo’s Demon in the Wood, discover the origin story of one of the most memorable characters in the Shadow and Bone trilogy in this fully cast, first-ever Grishaverse graphic audiobook.

Before he led Ravka’s Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power.

Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha—they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves.

The Alchemist

Written by Paulo Coehlo

Narrated by Jeremy Irons

With more than 2 million copies sold worldwide, Paulo Coelho‘s The Alchemist tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found.

The narrative of the treasures Santiago does find along the way teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and above all, following our dreams.

Pet Sematary

Written by Stephen King

Narrated by Michael C. Hall

Pet Sematary is the bone-chilling classic from master of horror Stephen King that brings with it the lesson that sometimes dead is better.

When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, the new beginning seems just a little too good to be true. But despite Ludlow’s tranquility, there’s an undercurrent of danger that lingers from the graveyard in the woods near Creed’s home, where generations of children have buried their beloved pets.

Behind the “pet sematary,” there is another burial ground, one that lures people to it with seductive promises…and ungodly temptations. 

Then She Was Gone: A Novel

Written by Lisa Jewell

Narrated by Helen Duff

From New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell, Then She Was Gone is a chilling novel that delves into the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance.

Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from summer vacation with her whole life ahead of her. 

And then she was gone. 

Now, 10 years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed, her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a cafe, she is surprised at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes her breath away. Looking at her is like looking at Ellie. 

And now, the unanswered questions she has tried so hard to put to rest haunt her anew . . . as well as some new ones about Floyd and Poppy.

The Lion’s Game

Written by Nelson DeMille

Narrated by Scott Brick

Filled with unrelenting suspense and surprising plot twists at every turn, The Lion’s Game is a heartstopping race against time and one of Nelson DeMille‘s most riveting thrillers.

Detective John Corey now faces his toughest assignment yet: the pursuit and capture of the world’s most dangerous terrorist—a man known as “The Lion” who has baffled a federal task force and shows no signs of stopping in his quest for revenge against the American pilots who bombed Libya and killed his family. 

Eligible Spotify Premium users in the U.K. and Australia can now look forward to 15 hours of audiobook listening per month on any audiobook marked “Included in Premium.” Learn all about it. 

Start Your Day Off Right With 9 Audiobooks for Your Morning Commute

September 29, 2023

Whether you like to begin your day the moment you get out of bed or ease gently into it with a cup of coffee, you can count on audiobooks to boost your mornings and kickstart those cognitive functions. Immersing yourself in a well-narrated book might just help wake you up, make your commute more entertaining, and set a positive tone for the day ahead. And a book is definitely better than the sleep-shattering buzz of an alarm clock. 

From words of wisdom and truth courtesy of Oprah Winfrey, to laughs and enlightening insights from Rainn Wilson, to a number of titles that are fresh for 2023, here are a few of our favorite audiobooks for your morning commute.

What I Know For Sure

Written and narrated by Oprah Winfrey

After film critic Gene Siskel asked her, “What do you know for sure?” Oprah Winfrey began writing the What I Know For Sure column in O, The Oprah Magazine. Citing that the question offered her a way to “take stock of her life,” Oprah has penned one column a month over the last 14 years, during which time she retired The Oprah Winfrey Show (the highest-rated program of its kind in history), launched her own television network, became America’s only Black billionaire, was awarded both an honorary degree from Harvard University and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, watched friends and colleagues come and go, lost beloved pets and adopted new ones, and celebrated milestone birthdays. 

Now, for the first time, these thoughtful gems have been revised, updated, and collected in What I Know For Sure, a beautiful audiobook packed with insights and revelations from Oprah. Organized by theme—joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, possibility, awe, clarity, and power—these essays offer a rare and powerful glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s most extraordinary women. 

All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive

Written by Rainesford Stauffer

Narrated by Jess Nahikian

All the Gold Stars looks at how cultural, personal, and societal expectations around ambition are driving the burnout epidemic by funneling our worth into productivity, limiting our imaginations, and pushing us further apart. Through her own devastating personal narrative, Rainesford Stauffer reveals the common factors driving us all, peeling back layers of family expectations, capitalism, and self-esteem that she believes dangerously tie up our worth in our output. 

Interviews with students, workers, psychologists, and more provide a new definition of ambition and the tools Stauffer believes we can use to reframe our lives. All the Gold Stars offers possible ways to reject current reality and reconceive ambition as more collective, imaginative, and rooted in caring for ourselves and one another.

The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

Written by Robin Sharma

Narrated by Adam Verner

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5AM Club concept over 20 years ago. It’s based on a morning routine that has helped his clients with their productivity, health, and serenity in what he calls “this age of overwhelming complexity.” 

Now, in this captivating audiobook to boost your morning, you can discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many people accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness, and feelings of being alive. Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully.

Creative Quest

Written by Questlove 

Narrated by Questlove, Fred Armisen, Dion Flynn, Norm MacDonald, Robin Thede, and Tariq Trotter

In Creative Quest, Questlove—musician, bandleader, designer, producer, culinary entrepreneur, professor, and all-around cultural omnivore—synthesizes all the creative philosophies, lessons, and stories he’s heard from the many creators and collaborators in his life. He then reflects on his own experience to advise listeners and fans on how to consider creativity and where to find it. He addresses many topics—like what it means to be creative, how to find a mentor and serve as an apprentice, the wisdom of maintaining a creative network, coping with critics and the foibles of success, and the specific pitfalls of contemporary culture—all in the service of guiding admirers who have followed his career and newcomers not yet acquainted with his story.

Whether discussing his own life or channeling the lessons he’s learned from forefathers such as George Clinton, collaborators like D’Angelo, or like-minded artists including Ava DuVernay, David Byrne, and Björk, Questlove speaks with his resident candor and enthusiasm. Creative Quest is many things, but above all, it’s a wide-ranging conversation around the eternal mystery of creativity.

(Un)Stuck

Written and narrated by Dr Sophie Mort

Do you feel stuck in a rut and that you keep getting in your own way? Or maybe you have an idea of the version of yourself you want to be—self-assured, happy, and thriving—but getting there seems impossible?

Drawing on her expertise as a clinical psychologist with a master’s in neuroscience, in (Un)Stuck, Dr Sophie Mort shares the science of habit formation to help you understand your patterns of behavior and start living the life you want.

Packed with practical tips, exercises, real-life examples, and “unsticking points,” Dr Sophie breaks down five reasons you’re stuck and offers you tools to do something about it.

The Power Code: More Joy. Less Ego. Maximum Impact for Women (and Everyone)

Written by Katty Kay, Claire Shipman 

Narrated by Katty Kay, Claire Shipman, and Sandy Rustin

Power is not working—for women, for men, or for the world. We don’t need to remake women. We need to remake power.

In The Power Code, journalists and New York Times bestselling authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman are on a mission to reclaim power for women. In the wake of sweeping changes in the way we work, these veteran journalists challenge preconceived notions of what power is and what it’s good for, along with the insidious, mostly hidden structures of the status quo that hold women back.

What started as a straightforward examination of best practices becomes a manifesto offering a new form of power, a distinctly female version that they believe is already emerging in workplaces, in politics, and on the home front. It’s a version that is more appealing to women (and most men as well). It offers women a blueprint for shaping their own professional futures, maximizing their impact for the benefit of others, and experiencing the real joy that comes from taking the reins and influencing outcomes.

Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution

Written and narrated by Rainn Wilson

Rainn Wilson, comedic actor and author of Soul Boom, explores the problem-solving benefits of spirituality in an increasingly challenging world. 

The trauma that our world has experienced in recent years—as a result of both the pandemic and societal tensions that threaten to overwhelm us—has been unprecedented. To Wilson, it is clear that existing political and economic systems are not enough to bring the change that the world needs. He explores the possibility and hope for a spiritual revolution, a “Soul Boom,” in order to address today’s greatest issues: mental health, racism, sexism, climate change, and economic injustice. ​ 

The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success

Written and narrated by Andy Andrews

In this revised and repackaged version of Mastering the Seven Decisions, master storyteller and life coach Andy Andrews has fast-forwarded the concept of success and what it takes to make it stick. Seeking out what separates the ordinary life from the extraordinary, Andrews has spent much of his life dissecting countless biographies and spending time with some of the most successful people on the planet in an effort to understand the principles that propel them toward greatness.

The result? Seven simple principles that, when applied consistently, render extraordinary lives. Through his entertaining, down-to-earth style, Andrews introduces these principles and offers all the tools he believes are necessary to make lasting changes in your life.

You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance

Written and narrated by Chani Nicholas

From beloved astrologer and Spotify Cosmic Playlist curator Chani Nicholas comes an essential guide for radical self-acceptance.

Your weekly horoscope is merely one crumb from astrology’s cake. In her first book, You Were Born for This, Nicholas shows how your birth chart—a snapshot of the sky at the moment you took your first breath—can reveal your unique talents, challenges, and opportunities. Marrying the historic traditions of astrology with a modern approach, You Were Born for This explains the key components of your birth chart in an easy-to-use, choose-your-own-adventure style with journal prompts, reflective questions, and affirmations personal to your astrological makeup.

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