Looking for the absolute best audiobooks of 2025? You’ve come to the right place! I spend countless hours listening to new releases throughout the year so I can recommend to you the most exceptional audiobooks, those magical combinations of brilliant storytelling and perfect narration that create unforgettable listening experiences.
In 2025, I listened to over 200 audiobooks. And I’m only counting those books I actually finished, not those I only started but put away again because the story didn’t grab me or the narrator didn’t quite work for me. Below you’ll find the amazing books that I cannot stop recommending!
And instead of one massive list that would take forever to scroll through, I’ve organized my favorites into quarterly roundups that many of you have been following throughout the year. You can click through for reviews of each quarter’s favorites to find out what made these books so special.
The last update is done now, and this list has reached its final form with 48 truly recommendation-worthy audiobooks. Check out which bestsellers really deserve the hype and which hidden gems are not to be missed!
Final update done! December 2025 | Winter ✓ | Spring ✓ | Summer ✓ | Fall ✓
The Best Audiobooks 2025 by Season
Winter Gems: 15 Audiobook Discoveries from January-March
From Kimberly Lemming’s hilarious alien rom-com to Sue Lynn Tan’s stunning Immortal narrated by Natalie Naudus, winter brought diverse voices and unexpected gems that had me completely hooked.
Click through for full reviews and winter listening trends
Featured audiobooks:
- Just Our Luck by Denise Williams, narrated by Emma Ladji & Teddy Hamilton
- Homegrown Magic by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos, narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker & Dani Martineck
- Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor, narrated by Liz Femi, Anthony Oseyemi, Jason Culp & Chris Djuma
- Song of the Dark Wood by Sheila Masterson, narrated by Aoife McMahon & Dermot Magennis
- Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister, narrated by Emilia Fox
- Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill, narrated by Catrin Walker-Booth
- This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman, narrated by Jeff Hays
- Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, narrated by Perdita Weeks
- I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming, narrated by Hazel Addison
- The Favorites by Layne Fargo, narrated by Christine Lakin, Louisa Zhu, Amy Landon, Elena Rey, Valerie Rose Lohmane & more
- The Afterdark by E. Latimer, narrated by Amanda Cordner, Emily Nixon & Thom Nyhuus
- The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard, narrated by Anais Inara Chase & Ramiz Monsef
- Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan, narrated by Natalie Naudus
- The Note by Alafair Burke, narrated by Catherine Ho
- A World Worth Saving by Kyle Lukoff, narrated by Will Malloy
Spring Favorites: 13 Audiobook Highlights from April-June
Nonbinary protagonists, timey-wimey romance, and Mara Wilson narrating queer bookish romance? Spring delivered!
Click through for full reviews and spring publishing trends
Featured audiobooks:
- These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa, narrated by Milo Longenecker
- Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen, narrated by Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly & Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Audre and Bash Are Just Friends by Tia Williams, narrated by Jordan Cobb & Torian Brackett
- Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire, narrated by Oliver Darkshire
- Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau, narrated by Cindy Kay & Raymond J. Lee
- Iron Tongue of Midnight by Brittany N. Williams, narrated by Savy Des-Etages
- Grave Situation by Louisa Masters, narrated by Michael Lesley
- The Stand-In Dad by Alex Summers, narrated by Candida Gubbins
- Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zang by Kylie Lee Baker, narrated by Natalia Naudus
- It’s Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage, narrated by André Santana
- Kill Creatures by Rory Power, narrated by Valerie Rose Lohman
- The Next Chapter by Camille Kellogg, narrated by Mara Wilson
- Devils Like Us by L.T. Thompson, narrated by Stephanie Cannon
Summer Treasures: 11 Audiobook Finds from July-September
From Alexis Hall’s amazing full cast production to not one but two outstanding books narrated by Nicky Endres, this summer was “literally” hot!
Click through for full reviews and summer audiobook trends
Featured audiobooks:
- Coded Justice by Stacey Abrams, narrated by Adenrele Ojo
- A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, narrated by Samara MacLaren
- Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyen, narrated by Nicky Endres
- Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon & Critical Role, narrated by Teddy Hamilton & Brittany Pressley
- Crash Test by Amy James, narrated by Patrick Zeller & Gary Furlong
- Looking for Group by Alexis Hall, narrated by a full cast
- Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao, narrated by Nicky Endres & Natalie Naudus
- Zomromcom by Olivia Dade, narrated by Joy Nash
- Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher, narrated by Jennifer Pickens
- It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram, narrated by Corvin King & Vikas Adam
- The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish, narrated by Dani Martineck
Fall Champions: 9 October-December Audiobook Winners
The autumn releases have brought some of the most enchanting audiobooks of the year! From time-bending love stories and raw explorations of motherhood to cozy magical villages, this season has me glued to my headphones.
Click through for full reviews and fall audiobook trends
Featured audiobooks:
- The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong, narrated by Natalie Naudus
- Mr. Collins in Love by Lee Welch, narrated by Joel Leslie
- The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow, narrated by Moira Quirk and Sid Sagar
- Her One Regret by Donna Freitas, narrated by Victoria Villarreal
- Deadly Ever After by Brittany Johnson, narrated by Kimberly Woods and Marcella Cox
- There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm, narrated by Rebecca Calder
- Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz, narrated by Tamika Katon-Donegal and Leon Nixon
- Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz, narrated by Emma Ladji
- Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot by Alexis Hall, narrated by Samara MacLaren
How I Choose My Recommendations
Every audiobook on this list has been personally listened to and loved by me. I don’t just skim through or rely on publisher descriptions, I experience each story from start to finish, paying attention to:
- How well the narrator fits the character and brings them to life
- Whether the story works especially well in audio format
- Production quality and listening experience
- Unique aspects that make an audiobook outstanding
No book makes it onto my quarterly lists unless it truly stands out from the dozens I listen to each month. The books I listen to, I choose from hundreds of new releases that I browse through monthly.
My book lists are not simply titles I was given by a publisher. These are books I chose, listened to, and truly enjoyed! They are a mix of bestsellers and hyped releases, as well as indie-published hidden gems that caught my eye.
What Makes 2025 Special for Audiobooks
Production Quality is Skyrocketing
The audiobook market keeps growing at incredible rates, which is excellent news for us audio fans. Publishers are throwing serious money at productions like never before (just look at Looking for Group!). We’re talking celebrity narrators crossing over from other industries, full orchestral soundtracks for fantasy epics, and production values that rival major podcasts.
Stories Made for Listening
Authors are crafting stories specifically for audio consumption, understanding how pacing works differently when someone’s listening during their commute versus reading on the couch. And we’re regularly seeing audio-first releases, not just from Audible anymore but also from the big publishing houses.
Authentic Voices Matter!
What’s particularly exciting to me: Despite the current political climate, we’re seeing many international voices and Own Voices narrations. Irish narrators for Celtic fantasy. Japanese voice actors for translated manga adaptations. Nigerian narrators bringing Afrofuturism and contemporary African stories to life with the authenticity they deserve. Publishers are realizing that authentic voices make stories infinitely better. About time!
Romance Gets the Respect It Deserves
Romance audiobooks have basically become their own entertainment category. Dual narration, also for same-sex couples, is standard now, and we’re seeing more duet and multi-cast productions as well. Romance is receiving much more respect! And given how well romance books and audiobooks sell, I’m glad to see this finally catching on.
Want to know where I listen to these delightful books? Take a look at the three – in my humble opinion – best audiobook apps 2025, that I never ever uninstall!
Happy listening!
Eline Blackman (pronouns: she/they) fell in love with books as a child – with being read to and reading herself. 11 years ago, she bought her first Audible book. It was love at first listen! An average of 200 audiobooks per year has become the new normal, and you will rarely see Eline without a wireless earbud. Romance and Fantasy are the go-to genres for this audiobook fan.