Tag: Audiobooks Landing Page

‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ Bestselling Author Jennette McCurdy Talks Inspiration and Audiobooks

December 11, 2023

As a teen actor, Jennette McCurdy found success when she landed a breakout role on a hit series. She went on to star in several other shows and films, and while she has since retired from acting, she’s found another creative outlet: writing.

In 2022 Jennette released her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. The book details her time as a child actor and the difficult relationship she had with her mother. It was met with critical acclaim, instantly hitting #1 on The New York Times bestseller list where it remained for over 60 weeks.

Audiobook lovers can now pull up Spotify and hear the tales straight from the star in her self-narrated memoir. To celebrate the recent launch of our audiobooks offering for Spotify Premium users in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, For the Record caught up with Jennette to learn more about what she loves about audiobooks and where she finds inspiration.

 

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First, let’s talk about your work. What inspires your writing?

So much of my inspiration comes from personal experience, regardless of whether I’m writing fiction or nonfiction. Nonfiction is obviously going to be personal, but fiction really comes from the same place. It has to matter to me deeply, on a visceral level, in order for me to be as passionate and connected to it. I need it to be in order for me to see a project through for however many months or years it winds up taking. A lot of inspiration also comes from relationships. I’ll be exploring family relationships for the rest of my life.

You narrate the audiobook of I’m Glad My Mom Died. What do you love about audiobooks?

I love that audiobooks add an extra dimension to books. Sometimes, if I really like a book, I’ll then listen to the audiobook to see what, maybe, I didn’t get just through reading. Or understand “How did this person interpret it differently?” I think the delivery of a book says a lot about how somebody interpreted the book.

Is there an audiobook you’ve particularly enjoyed recently?

I listened to Fireworks Every Night recently.

Is there a fictional book character you resonate with?

Honestly, the protagonist, C.C., from Fireworks Every Night. I really resonate with her in a lot of different ways. She came from a lot of dysfunction and she really works to overcome that dysfunction and trauma in the best way that she could, and kind of breaks through it. And the book was written really beautifully.

 

Spotify Premium users in the U.S., U.K., and Australia can now enjoy over 200,000 audiobooks available as part of Spotify Premium subscriptions. Check out Jennette’s memoir and more 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.

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. 

7 Compelling Book-To-Screen Adaptations That Are Now Available as Audiobooks

September 29, 2023

A person looking at a flying saucer in the night sky

“Which was better, the book or the movie?”

It’s a common argument that has withstood the test of time and has only gotten stronger as more and more hit television shows and movies inspired by novels have been released. And now with audiobooks, you can listen to the original book before watching its screen version to compare, contrast, and settle the argument of which was better once and for all. 

So, whether it’s a coming-of-age tale set over several beautiful summers or a hilarious full-cast romp to stop the apocalypse, here are some of our favorite book-to-screen adaptations available now on Spotify. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Written by Jenny Han

Narrated by Lola Tung

Some summers are just destined to be pretty. 

In Jenny Han’s coming-of-age romance novel, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Isabel “Belly” Conklin measures her life in summers. To her, everything good and magical happens between the months of June and August, when her family reunites with friend Susannah and her two sons, Jeremiah and Conrad. The boys have been Belly’s brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it ends up just the way it should have been all along.

Good Omens

Written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Narrated by Rebecca Front, Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Adjoa Andoh, Allan Corduner, Arthur Darvill, Chris Nelson, Ferdinand Frisby Williams, Gabrielle Glaister, John Hopkins, Katherine Kingsley, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lemn Sissay, Lorelei King, Louis Davison, Matt Reeves, Peter Forbes, and Pixie Davies

Dive into this brand-new, full-cast audiobook production of Good Omens from internationally bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, and tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to the Divine Plan. Except the somewhat fussy angel Aziraphale (played by Michael Sheen) and the fast-living demon Crowley (played by David Tennant)—both of whom have lived among Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. 

All that and someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

Lovecraft Country

Written by Matt Ruff

Narrated by Kevin Kenerly

Also adapted into an HBO® series by J.J. Abrams, Misha Green, and Jordan Peele, Matt Ruff’s novel Lovecraft Country makes visceral the terrors of Jim Crow America, melding historical fiction, pulp noir, and Lovecraftian horror. 

When his father goes missing in 1950s Chicago, 22-year-old Army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his uncle George—publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide—and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Mr. Braithwhite (heir to the estate that owned one of Atticus’s ancestors) they encounter both mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours. 

A chimerical blend of magic, power, hope, and freedom that stretches across time, touching diverse members of two Black families, Lovecraft Country is a devastating kaleidoscopic portrait of racism—the terrifying specter that continues to haunt us today.

The Good Nurse

Written by Charles Graeber

Narrated by Will Collyer

After his December 2003 arrest, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed “The Angel of Death” by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favorite son, husband, beloved father, best friend, and celebrated caregiver. Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history. 

Cullen’s murderous career in the world’s most trusted profession spanned 16 years and nine hospitals from New Jersey to Pennsylvania. In The Good Nurse, journalist Charles Graeber presents the whole story, nearly 10 years in the making. 

Based on hundreds of pages of previously unseen police records, interviews, wire-tap recordings, and videotapes, as well as exclusive jailhouse conversations with Cullen himself and the confidential informant who helped bring him down, this true crime audiobook weaves an urgent, terrifying tale of murder, friendship, and betrayal.

Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda

Written by Jesse J. Holland, Linda D. Addison, Maurice Broaddus, Christopher Chambers, Milton J. Davis, Tananarive Due, Nikki Giovanni, Harlan James, Danian Jerry, Kyoko M., L.L. McKinney, Temi Oh, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Glenn Parris, Alex Simmons, Sheree Renée Thomas, Cadwell Turnbull, and Troy L. Wiggins

Narrated by J. D. Jackson and Joy Sunday

T’Challa faces the gods of his parents. Vampires stalk Shuri and a Dora Milaje in voodoo-laced New Orleans. Erik Killmonger grapples with racism, Russian spies, and his own origins. All these stories and more are here in the anthology Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda.

The first mainstream superhero of African descent, the Black Panther has attracted fans of all races and colors who see in the King of Wakanda reflections of themselves. Storytellers from across the African diaspora—some already literary legends, others rising stars—have created for this collection of original works inspired by the world of the Panther. With guest characters including Storm, Monica Rambeau, Namor, and Jericho Drumm, these are stories of yesterday and today, of science and magic, of faith and love.

The School for Good and Evil

Written by Soman Chainani

Narrated by Polly Lee

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil. 

The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed: Sophie’s dumped into the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are? Soman Chainani’s The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Written by Jenny Han

Narrated by Ali Ahn

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them . . . all at once? 

In Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. That is, until one day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

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. 

Kick Back With 9 Audiobooks To Help You Unwind

September 29, 2023

illustration of a person surrounded by leaves relaxing

Whether it’s chilling on the couch or crashing into bed, nothing beats settling into a nice long rest at the end of the day. And few things are more frustrating than when your body wants to rest but your brain wants to keep the party going. Thankfully, there are plenty of audiobooks to help relax the mind. Thanks to tips and advice from a number of bestselling authors, these titles can help you calm your mind and allow you a well-deserved moment to recharge. 

So, if you’re trying to get over a bout of insomnia, or just want to incorporate more mindfulness into your end-of-day routine, here are 9 audiobooks to help you unwind.

Dimming the Day: Evening Meditations for Quiet Wonder

Written by Jennifer Grant

Narrated by Christine Kiphart

Research suggests that we should refrain from screens at bedtime, but it can be hard to give up social media and news without something to take its place. In this audiobook, author Jennifer Grant offers gentle meditations that help you direct your gaze away from screens and uncertainties and toward the natural world to help you unwind. 

Dimming the Day guides you to focus on the wonders of earth, from the ordinary head of a dandelion to the exquisite beauty of a fractal. You are invited to replace anxiety with awe, distraction with focus, and worry with true rest. Calm your mind and settle into stillness.

This Book Will Make You Sleep

Written by Dr. Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar

Narrated by Tania Rodrigues

Many people go through patches when they find it hard to sleep, whether it’s problems dropping off at night or waking in the early hours with thoughts buzzing. Sometimes it seems impossible to get that elusive night’s sleep we so badly crave, but This Book Will Make You Sleep aims to help you break negative patterns, get more rest, and improve your well-being. 

Dr. Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar draw on the very latest developments in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to guide you through techniques centered around healthy sleep habits so you can feel more rested and happier, and immediately reap the benefits in your everyday life.

Mindfulness Meditation for Releasing Anxiety

Written by Glenn Harrold and Russ Davey

Narrated by Glenn Harrold

According to authors Glenn Harrold and Russ Davey, people who practice mindfulness are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past. They say being mindful makes it easier to notice and enjoy the pleasures in life, and that properly reacting to stressful or difficult situations allows you to feel calmer and more balanced in everyday life.

Mindfulness Meditation combines acclaimed meditation techniques with dreamy pianos, calming soundscapes, heavenly choirs, and Tibetan chanting, creating a powerful session designed to help you make lasting and meaningful changes to your life. 

Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups

Written by Ben Holden

Narrated by Ben Holden, Sandra Duncan, Esther Wane, Gareth Armstrong, and Luke Thompson

There are few routines more precious than the bedtime story. This led author Ben Holden to question why we discard this invaluable ritual as grown-ups. Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups deftly explores not only the science of sleep, but it also challenges how we think about life—a third of which we spend asleep. 

Illuminating storytelling and a treasure trove of timeless classics and contemporary gems from William Shakespeare, Haruki Murakami, Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl, Vladimir Nabokov, and Neil Gaiman are woven together to replicate the journey of a single night’s sleep.

Midnight Meditations: Calm Your Thoughts, Still Your Body, and Return to Sleep

Written by Courtney E. Ackerman

Narrated by Robin Eller

It’s hard to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to fall back asleep. Midnight Meditations wants to help gently guide you back to sleep as quickly as possible. These 150 peaceful, soothing meditations help you welcome and embrace the rest, relaxation, and restorative sleep every night has to offer. 

This book aims to help you discover how to calm your racing thoughts, stop chasing sleep, and start receiving an undisturbed night’s rest so you can make the most of your days.

Sleep Reimagined: The Fast Track to a Revitalized Life

Written by Pedram Navab

Narrated by Pete Cross

According to Dr. Pedram Navab, insomnia looks different for everyone. Whether it’s caused by stress, a traumatic life event, or even a snoring partner, he says poor sleep can affect the quality of your waking life. With his book Sleep Reimagined, Navab wants listeners to know that falling asleep can be just as easy as waking up. 

Equipped with his six-step cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) program and relatable case studies of different sleep disorders, Navab says listeners can be guided to new and improved sleep in as little as four weeks. Through therapeutic relaxation, practicing sleep restriction and stimulus control, restructuring attitudes toward sleep, and using mindfulness intervention, this audiobook aims to help listeners better understand sleep and take steps toward rewiring their arousal systems. 

The Insomnia Diaries: How I Learned To Sleep Again

Written and narrated by Miranda Levy

After a single catastrophic event, journalist Miranda Levy had one sleepless night, then another, and then another. She sought help from anyone she could: doctors, acupuncturists, reiki practitioners, hypnotists, therapists, personal trainers—but nothing seemed to work. 

In The Insomnia Diaries, Miranda recounts her experience with the severe, crippling sleep disorder that affected every aspect of her life for years and reveals how she ultimately recovered. Part memoir, part reportage, this book helps anyone who struggles to get a good night’s sleep better understand their options for relief as they seek rest.

Deep Restful Sleep: Meditation for Deep Restful Sleep and for Inner Strength

Written and narrated by Virginia Harton

Containing two full meditations, Deep Restful Sleep aims to help you to develop inner strength while you fully recharge. 

According to author Virginia Harton, the intention of the first meditation is to help you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally stronger. She says that inner strength sometimes gets covered up by the strains and stresses of life. The second meditation is designed to help relax the body and the mind while focusing on your breathing as Harton’s gentle voice creates a secure environment conducive to sleep. 

Fast Asleep, Wide Awake: Discover the Secrets of Restorative Sleep and Vibrant Energy

Written and narrated by Dr Nerina Ramlakhan

In the eyes of Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep problems don’t start when you put your head on the pillow. The physiologist and renowned sleep expert says that everything from thought behavior to the choices you make during the day can impact how you sleep at night. 

Using tools and techniques based on Western science and Eastern practices, Fast Asleep, Wide Awake combines the Ramlakhan’s professional experience with academic and personal insights as she shares her view that sleep problems are not just about sleep, but rather about how we deal with life and its inevitable challenges. 

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. 

9 Trending-On-Social Audiobooks To Appeal to Your Inner Influencer

September 29, 2023

Spotify Premium Audiobooks Audiobooks to Appeal to Your Inner Influencer. Illustration of Woman in red bathing suit laying on a striped towel at the beach

Sometimes you might notice a thoughtful review from a friend on your feed, or stumble upon a flash summary straight out of your favorite social influencer’s mouth. Either way, it’s great to end up with a good book recommendation. From modern reimaginings of Greek mythology to fantastical worlds, twisted mysteries, or steamy romances, there’s no shortage of audiobooks out there to live rent-free in our heads.

So get that like button ready: Here are nine audiobooks trending on social media.

A Touch of Darkness

Written by Scarlett St. Clair

Narrated by Meg Sylvan

In Scarlett St. Clair’s new take on Greek mythology, A Touch of Darkness tells the story of a Persephone who is the Goddess of Spring by title only. Truth be told, flowers have shriveled at her touch since she was little. So, after moving to New Athens, she disguises herself as a mortal journalist in the hopes of leading a normal, unassuming life.

Meanwhile, Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire on the mortal world. His favorite bets, it’s rumored, are of the impossible kind. After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead, and the terms are impossible: She must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.

The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—and it’s forbidden.

Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel

Written by Casey McQuiston

Narrated by Ramon de Ocampo

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales? In Red, White & Royal Blue, author Casey McQuiston imagines what that might look like. 

When his mother became president, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with an actual prince, Henry, who lives across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an altercation between the two, U.S. and British relations take a turn for the worse.

In response, heads of family and state, and other handlers, devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What starts out as a fake, Instragramable friendship, however, grows deeper and more dangerous than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations, which begs the question: Can love save the world after all? 

The Cruel Prince: The Folk of the Air, Book 1

Written by Holly Black

Narrated by Caitlin Kelly

The Folk of the Air, Book 1 is the first entry in Holly Black’s Cruel Prince series, centered around a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.

Just seven years old when her parents were murdered, Jude and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. As civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters . . . and the land of Faerie itself.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Written by V. E. Schwab

Narrated by Julia Whelan

France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore who remembers her name.

Thus begins The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, a dazzling adventure by V. E. Schwab that plays out across centuries and continents as a young woman learns just how far she’ll go to leave her mark on the world.

They Both Die at the End

Written by Adam Silvera

Narrated by Michael Crouch, Robbie Daymond, Bahni Turpin

With his novel They Both Die at the End, author Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day. 

On September 5, a little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. 

Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Neon Gods

Written by Katee Robert

Narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock

In this reimagining of Greek mythology, author Katee Robert’s Neon Gods brings a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over, far away from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all of that is ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade. With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth… a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed. 

Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. 

Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close.

The Paris Apartment: A Novel

Written by Lucy Foley

Narrated by Clare Corbett, Daphne Kouma, Charlie Anson, Julia Winwood, Sofia Zervudachi, and Sope Dirisu

In The Paris Apartment, Lucy Foley’s new locked-room mystery, everyone’s a neighbor, everyone’s a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke, alone, and just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only, when she shows up to find an almost too nice apartment (could Ben really have afforded this?), he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The Kiss Quotient

Written by Helen Hoang

Narrated by Carly Robins

A heartwarming and refreshing debut for Helen Hoang, The Kiss Quotient sets out to prove one thing: There’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with . . . but she has way less experience in the dating department than the average 30-year-old.

It doesn’t help that French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. She decides that she needs lots of practice—with a professional—which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese-Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and he agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan.

Before long, Stella learns not only to appreciate his kisses but also to crave the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges convinces Stella that love is the best kind of logic.

The Lost Apothecary: A Novel

Written by Sarah Penner

Narrated by Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin

The Lost Apothecary is Sarah Penner’s subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance, and the remarkable ways women can save one another despite the barrier of time.

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when Nella’s newest patron, a precocious 12-year-old, makes a fatal mistake that sparks a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile, in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, worlds collide in a stunning twist of fate, one where not everyone will survive.

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