6 Of The Best // Audiobooks

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Audiobooks are incredible. I know that lots of people think they’re ‘cheating’, and it’s ‘not the same as holding an actual book’. But for me, when I’m already carrying the world, and the kitchen sink in my handbag, I’d rather not also add in a book. For me, there are many reasons to listen to audiobooks. One of which is that I don’t have to carry a book, and also I can get distracted and procrastinate quite easily, so if I find myself doing that, then I will stop listening to that one audiobook, and I will swap to something else. It’s also a way that I can actually ‘read’ on the train. As I travel a lot for work, I utilise the journey to do work. Sometimes I will listen to music, but I find myself feeling like I’ve achieved more, and learnt more, if I listen to a book. Plugging in my headphones, and getting lost seems so really work for me. I think it might be that I can work on autopilot and not think too much into that email I need to send, or filling in a tracker. So I thought I would pull together my personal Audiobook favourites for you ...

Fiction

1. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - Narrated by Will Wheaton

So, I initially started this list alphabetically. But it felt wrong to not start with this book! It is my favourite ever book that I have listened to. It kept me on the the edge of my seat the whole time, and I completed this book within about four or five days. I was completely lost in this fictional world, and really connected with the main character,  really wanted him to succeed! I saw this film when it originally came out in the cinema, and I loved it. But ... I 100% prefer the book! And would recommend it to anyone, especially those into SciFi. I am also so down with the fact that it is narrated by the one and only Will Wheaton, which for me just adds to how amazing this audiobook is! I cannot recommend this highly enough!!

Synopsis: In the 2040’s, the world has been gripped by an energy crisis from the depletion of fossil fuels and the consequences of global warming and overpopulation, causing widespread social problems and economic stagnatiom. To escape the decline their world is facing, people turn to the OASIS, a virtual reality simulator accessible by players using visors and haptic technology such as gloves. It functions both as an MMORPG and as a virtual society, with its currency being the most stable in the real world. It was created by James Halliday who, when he died, had announced in his will to the public that he had left an Easter egg inside OASIS, and the first person to find it would inherit his entire fortune and the corporation. The story follows the adventures of Wade Watts, starting about five years after the announcement, when he discovers one of the three keys pointing to the treasure.

2. Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling - Narrated by Stephen Fry

How can any audible list not incude the Harry Potter series?! This is just my go to audiobook, it makes me feel so cosy! It feels like coffee with a friend, or a warm hug. Stephen Fry is amazing, and through his voices I can tell exactly which character he is. If I need a little cheering up, or just want to get lost in something this is what I put on. I feel like this is all I need to say about this ... a must listen.

Synopsis: Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels written by British author J.K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the life of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's struggle against Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry Of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and muggles (non-magical people).

3. The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson - Narrated by Dennis Quaid with January LaVoy, Jeremy Davidson and Mozhan Marnò

This book is so intense! It completely kept me on my toes, and I loved it. It is something a little different for me, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is more intense then the other two, and needs you to listen a bit more intently.

Synopsis: The President Is Missing is a political thriller novel by former US President Bill Clinton and James Patterson. It is about the disappearance of the U.S. President, Jonathon Lincoln Duncan, a former Army Ranger, comes as a cybercrime attack jeapardises Secret Service protection.

Fact

4. #GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso - Narrated by Sarah Jes Austell

This is just an easy listening audiobook, nothing too serious. It has some inspirational words of wisdom, showing you that with a lot of hard work and passion (mixed with a little luck), you can achieve success. I did not like the Netflix version of this book, but would love to listen to this again.

Synopsis: Amoruso spent her teens hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and scrounging in dumpsters for leftover bagels. By age twenty-two she had dropped out of school, and was broke, directionless, and checking IDs in the lobby of an art school--a job she'd taken for the health insurance. It was in that lobby that Sophia decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay. 

Flash forward to today, and she's the founder of Nasty Gal and the founder and CEO of Girlboss. Sophia was never a typical CEO, or a typical anything, and she's written #GIRLBOSS for other girls like her: outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success, even when that path is windy as all hell and lined with naysayers. 

#GIRLBOSS proves that being successful isn't about where you went to college or how popular you were in high school. It's about trusting your instincts and following your gut; knowing which rules to follow and which to break; when to button up and when to let your freak flag fly.

5. The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin - Narrated by Gretchen Rubin

Anything that Gretchen Rubin touches, or writes, I love. The Four Tendancies is my favourite of all of her books, but her other books are definitely also up there, The Happiness Project, Better than Before, and her podcast Happier. I find it so incredible interesting, and I have learnt so much more about myself. About what makes me tick, what makes me work (and doesn’t!). It doesn’t mean I can make myself do anything, but that I have more knowledge about myself, which is nothing to complain about!

Synopsis: During my multibook investigation into human nature, I realized that by asking the suspiciously simple question “How do I respond to expectations?” we gain explosive self-knowledge. I discovered that people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so understanding this framework lets us make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress and burnout, and engage more effectively. The Four Tendencies explain why we act and why we don’t act.

6. The Multi Hyphen Method by Emma Gannon - Narrated by Emma Gannon

I thoroughly enjoy do this book, it just opened my eyes. It’s one of those books that I first thought, ‘Yeah I already know that’, but just reminds you that it is ok to follow different routes to your version of success. And makes yo feel like there are other people that think the same as you! I now don’t feel guilty when all is achieve in a day is ticking off my to do list, and be home by 6pm, or even just to make a meal from scratch.

Synopsis: The internet and our phones mean we can work wherever, whenever and allow us to design our own working lives. In The Multi-Hyphen MethodEmma Gannon teaches that it doesn't matter if you're a part-time PA with a blog, or a physio who runs an online jewellery store in the evenings - whatever your ratio, whatever your mixture, we can all channel the entrepreneurial spirit. Today, the stigma of being a jack of all trades is being dispelled and having more strings to your bow is essential to getting ahead in the modern working world and Emma Gannon's book is the ultimate guide in helping us navigate our way towards success.

What do you think of Audiobooks?