With the year well underway, you can already enjoy a whole bunch of the best audiobooks of 2023!
From bestselling authors to hidden gems, this year’s selection of my favorite audiobooks has been nothing short of spectacular. I have a mix for you ranging from Thrillers to Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, and Literary Fiction. There are pirates, authors, dragons, aunties, and elves. Something for every mood!
So, sit back, put on your headphones, and get ready to discover the best audiobooks of 2023 (so far)…
Link Info
With every book, I will include links to Audible because we all use it. But I will add alternatives as well!
Libro.fm: If you buy an audiobook there, you actually own the mp3 and can listen to it in any app. Plus, you support indie bookstores with your purchase!
Audiobooks.com: A very solid audiobook service, and you can grab a book from the list below for free with a trial here.
Scribd: A very budget-friendly option for listeners as you can listen to several of the audiobooks below for a flat monthly fee.
**The marked links and book covers on this page are affiliate links. If you use them to purchase something, I earn a fee at no additional cost for you. Disclosure**
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
Jesse Q. Sutanto (Author), Eunice Wong (Narrator)
Get the Audible book**
Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Or listen on Scribd**
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers looks and feels like a Cozy Mystery. But, like other books by Jesse Q. Sutanto, it breaks quite a few rules of the genre.
This is an absolutely delightful Mystery novel, though, and a truly heartwarming book about finding family. I loved all the different characters here and the way the story builds up.
Vera Wong is the owner of a small tea shop that is not seeing many customers anymore. One morning, she finds a dead person in the shop. Between boredom and unhappiness with the police’s work, Vera takes things into her own hands. And with a trick, she draws out all the people who might have had a motive to get rid of the man…
Eunice Wong is one of my favorite narrators, and I could have listened to this audiobook for many, many more hours! Come to think of it, I will probably listen to it again soon.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto is one of the best audiobooks of 2023!
Related article: The Best Audiobooks Apps to have on your phone in 2023!
Yellowface
R. F. Kuang (Author), Helen Laser (Narrator)
Get the Audible book**
Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Or listen on Scribd**
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is so incredibly captivating, for an entire day, I did nothing else but sit somewhere, stare at the wall, and listen to Helen Laser bring Juniper to life.
Juniper is an author and endlessly jealous of her successful friend – or frenemy – Athena Liu. Athena has several bestsellers out and movie deals on top of that. She’s also breathtakingly gorgeous. Then Athena dies in a freak accident, and Juniper takes Athena’s latest work in progress and publishes it under her own name.
R.F. Kuang plays effortlessly with comments people make who tell themselves they are so-not-a-racist. The book is entirely written from Juniper’s point of view. And Juniper has so many good reasons to do everything she does. She has a seemingly solid explanation for every decision. And she is absolutely convinced that none of them have anything even remotely to do with racism.
I could not turn this audiobook off and devoured it. Juniper shows all her ugliness, she is pathetic and pitiful, and you just want to know how low she will sink and how all of this will end for her.
This book about racism, gatekeeping in the publishing industry, and online shitstorms is a must-read and not to be missed! Yellowface by R.F. Kuang is truly one of the best audiobooks of 2023 and a book you need in your life right now.
Related article: The Best Audiobook Service based on how many books you listen to!
Against the Currant
Olivia Matthews (Author), Janina Edwards (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Food Cozy Mysteries are so awesome, and Against the Currant is particularly excellent at it!
Lyndsay turns her dream into reality and, with the help of her family, opens a West Indian bakery in New York.
Another bakery owner harasses her, and soon turns up dead. Lyndsay is the main suspect since everybody saw her threatening him.
I found it really difficult to guess who the real murderer was. But honestly, I like just being along for the ride, and this book captivated me instantly. I loved how all the characters were so fleshed out and real.
Janina Edwards did a wonderful narration, and Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews is an excellent start to a new series. The second book, Hard Dough Homicide**, has just come out in May as well!
The Wicked Bargain
Gabe Cole Novoa (Author), Vico Ortiz (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa is a very captivating Young Adult Historical Fantasy set in the Caribbean Sea during the time of the Spanish conquistadors.
Mar is nonbinary and the child of a famous pirate captain. They can wield magic which is a very rare and feared trait. When their ship is attacked, they have to find their own way in the world – and new friends.
This is a wonderful book full of action, adventure, love, and magic. I always enjoy listening to Vico Ortiz, and it’s fantastic to hear them bring a book with so many Spanish phrases and words to life!
Related article: Nonbinary Books on Audible
Seven of Infinities
Aliette de Bodard (Author), Emily Woo Zeller (Narrator)
Get the Audible book in a deal**
Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Or listen on Scribd**
Seven of Infinities by Alliette de Bodard is so good! It is such a unique and captivating story in a very intriguing universe.
Vân seems to be a Scholar, but almost no one knows that she doesn’t really have a connection to a deceased elder – the requirement for being a Scholar – but instead built herself an implant that shares the knowledge of elders with her. That’s a big no-no in her society!
Sunless Woods is a sentient spaceship (who can also take the form of the person she used to be). By coincidence, Vân and Sunless Woods end up in a murder investigation together when they stumble over a corpse.
The audiobook version of this cozy mystery in space is narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, who I absolutely adore! She perfectly brings out the atmosphere of this wonderful story.
This might be a hidden gem, but for me, it’s one of the best audiobooks of 2023!
Related article: How to get Audible books cheaper with Amazon Whispersync
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Heather Fawcett (Author), Ell Potter (Narrator), Michael Dodds (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett is absolutely delightful!
Emily is a researcher and wants to fill any gaps in mankind’s knowledge of the fae world. She travels to a northern country to learn more about their folklore. She is soon joined by her colleague Bambleby who she despises but who seems to have a much easier time connecting to the local people than she does.
It’s honestly remarkable how this book manages to feel so very cozy, with the cute little rural hut and the academia and general book wormery, while also sporting several axe injuries and things like bloodied hand prints on a window, observed from the outside.
I suppose the atmosphere of this book gives back perfectly the way faeries are portrayed in stories: Often beautiful and fun, gliding through luscious gardens, hosting feasts with all kinds of candy, while they can also be villains, cat-like in the way they play with and torture their prey.
The narration by Ell Potter and Michel Dodds was wonderful and really fleshed out for me how I pictured Emily and Bambleby while listening. This is an immensely enjoyable Fantasy with a slow-burn Romance and one of the best audiobooks of 2023!
Related article: The Best Romance Audiobooks of 2023
Pin this Book List of the Best Audiobooks of 2023 for later:
Hell Bent
Leigh Bardugo (Author), Lauren Fortgang (Narrator), Michael David Axtell (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
I admit, I slept on the amazingness that is Ninth House. But I have caught up now and the second book in the series, Hell Bent, is outstanding!
Just as the first book, Hell Bent is enchantingly, darkly atmospheric. Alex is moving more self-assuredly through the magical world of Yale’s secret societies.
I don’t want to give too much of the storyline away since you might not have listened to the first book yet. But rest assured, you are in for a treat!
The writing is so vivid, and paired with Lauren Fortgang’s excellent narration, Hell Bent runs like a movie in your mind. Whether you are a fan of Urban Fantasy, Mystery, or Paranormal Romance, this is one of the best audiobooks of 2023!
Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros (Author), Rebecca Soler (Narrator), Teddy Hamilton (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Or listen on Scribd**
Fourth Wing is a breathtakingly fast-paced, exciting Romance Fantasy adventure!
Violet is the youngest daughter of a dragon-riding general from a country that has created its entire identity from the war with its neighbors. She is pressured by her mother to join the dragon academy.
As the cover says, “Fly… or die”. This book has a truly huge body count. But Rebecca Yaros manages to keep the heroine hopeful and determined. This doesn’t feel like a dark book, even though many of its themes are dark.
Rebecca Soler’s narration has mixed reviews on Audible. But I enjoyed it and thought she had a very fitting voice for Violet. Teddy Hamilton reads the epilogue.
This is the first book in a series, and many plot lines are tied up – or at least in a good place – in the end. But there is also a major twist! If you enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses, I’m very sure that Fourth Wing will be one of your favorite audiobooks of the year.
The Isles of the Gods
Amie Kaufman (Author), Nikki Patel (Narrator), Homer Todiwala (Narrator), Donnabella Mortel (Narrator), Vidish Athavale (Narrator), Steve West (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman is such a captivating High Fantasy novel!
Every 25 years, a member of the royal family who has magic has to pay tribute to the gods who left the world… 501 years ago. Whoops!
You know the old fairytale and Fantasy trope. After so and so many years, a certain thing has to happen. And usually, you’d expect that our heroes will make it just in time. But wait!
We’re in year 501. The prince is already a year late. He didn’t take this calling very seriously and thought, if it was so important, maybe another relative could go.
But now, war looms, and the prince is pushed to make his way to the Isles of the Gods. He ends up on Selly’s ship, a girl whose home is the sea but who finds herself lost and unhappy after her father sent her away.
This is a sprawling story, and the audiobook read by five truly excellent voice actors is epic. Without a doubt, one of the best audiobooks of 2023!
That Self-Same Metal
Brittany N. Williams (Author), Patricia Allison (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Or listen on Scribd**
Set in medieval London (but with magic), That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams was one of my surprise hits of the year.
Joan can shape metal, but as a child of her time, she knows she won’t inherit her father’s workshop. It would go to her brother, who rather wants to be an actor and is a member of a theatrical troupe led by The Bard himself, William Shakespeare.
Brittany N. Williams perfectly connects real medieval history with a sword-fighting Black heroine, a fae uprising, and a true love for Shakespeare.
Patricia Allison brought this hidden gem of a book to life and turned this enthralling story into of my favorite audiobooks of the year.
Killing Me
Michelle Gagnon (Author), Jaime Lamchick (Narrator)
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Or get it on Libro.fm**
Or get it on Audiobooks.com**
Killing Me is such an incredibly cool book! I devoured it, and it was quite difficult to move on from this wonderful fast pace and the extremely engaging characters.
Amber is kidnapped by a serial killer. She was sure something like this would never happen to someone like her. But here we are. However, at the last moment, she is saved by a weird person in a ski mask. From then on, things spiral quickly for Amber, who has a criminal history of her own and can’t afford to be part of an investigation.
I adored Amber and her big mouth! And the author perfectly feeds you one tidbit after the other about Amber’s past and the forces at play in her current situation.
This book made me laugh, but it also has a lot of suspense that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Jaime Lamchick’s narration brought out all the facets of Amber, and I cannot recommend this book enough to you. Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon is one of the best audiobooks of 2023 and is not to be missed!
I will update this post regularly, so make sure to check in again to discover more of the best audiobooks of 2023! 🙂
If you are a fellow Romance fan, make sure you also take a look at my list of the best Romance audiobooks of 2023 as well!
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