Fantastic Audio Books for Busy Moms

I love to read. For me, reading is an escape from the crazy of daily life. It can also serve as inspiration and education. There are so many books on my “To Be Read” list that I can’t wait to dive into!

And, yet. There are only 24 hours in a day and, often, I don’t get to spend many of them reading. Sometimes finding a quiet minute to sit with a book feels kind of impossible. But I still want to read. Enter: audio books!

I can listen to an audio book while I’m doing something else- like driving, making dinner, or waiting on kids at the ball field/theater/dance studio. Multitasking at its best! And today, audio books are cheaper and more abundant than ever before. However, not all audio books are created equal. A narrator can make or break an audio book. So, here are some of my favorites to make sure your next listening experience.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, narrated by Christopher Evan Welch

This one came highly recommended from a book club friend of mine who listens to TONS of audiobooks. He said I would love it, and I did. It’s a beautifully heart-wrenching story about a man who faces some of life’s toughest struggles, told from the perspective of…his dog. Stein’s writing is both poignant and honest, the dog-narrator sees human behavior more clearly than many humans do. Christopher Evan Welch does a fantastic job of capturing Enzo the dog’s voice. There are some weird musical interludes I could have done without, but all in all, this was an engrossing listen and I can’t stop recommending it to people!

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood written & narrated by Trevor Noah

Most people know Trevor Noah from The Daily Show. But before he became the host of that popular comedy news show, he was literally born a crime in South Africa. With an African mother and a white, German father, Trevor was always an out-of-place anomaly growing up. Some of the stories in his memoir are hilarious, some are heartbreaking, some are eye-opening. All of them will suck you in and have you wanting to listen to just one more chapter. Trevor reads his own work, and he does an amazing job. He should have a TV show or something!

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale

Ok, I know these are shelved as “Juvenile Fiction”. I also know lots of you have already read them. But if you haven’t (or if you have and you want a unique re-reading experience) I cannot recommend Jim Dale’s reading highly enough. These are books you can totally listen to with kids in the car and, I promise, everyone will be entertained. Jim Dale’s voices for each character are fantastic and make it feel like you’re listening to an old-school radio drama. Whether you are a Potterhead wanting to revisit the stories and introduce them to your kids, or you just want a fun escape to listen to for the first time, the HP series read by Jim Dale will not disappoint.

So, there you have it! There are TONS of options for listening to audiobooks, but my favorites include Audible (which has lots of new membership options and has been running some great sales lately) and Overdrive (which the Cobb County Library system uses). Libravox is a great choice for classics (they are all free), or ask your local library which service they use. And then, get listening!