Audiobooks are having a moment. Global sales have grown 25-30% per year over the past few years and at the library, we've noticed a similar soaring uptake. As popularity has grown, so has the creativity and quality of audiobook production. If you tried listening to a talking book a few years back and decided it wasn't for you, you might want to take a second look at some of the newer releases.

The following are some of the most popular audiobook titles among L&A patrons using our Overdrive/Libby service:

  1. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah follows a Depression-era woman confronting a wrenching choice between fighting for the Dust Bowl-ravaged land she loves in Texas or pursuing an uncertain future in California. The audiobook is read by Julia Whelan, a voice actor who has won multiple Audie awards.
  2. A Promised Land by Barack Obama is the first volume of his presidential memoir in which he candidly recounts his hard path to the White House. The book is very long and so is the audiobook (nearly 30 hours!), and it is read by Obama himself.
  3. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey is an offbeat mix of self-help and memoir. Naturally, the audiobook is read by McConaughey and his signature drawl adds plenty of authenticity to the narrative.
  4. The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by Victoria Schwab is a historical fantasy novel that follows a woman from early 18th-century France who makes a deal with the devil to live forever but never be remembered. Like The Four Winds above, this one is also read by audiobook narrator extraordinaire Julia Whelan.
  5. Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane is an intricately-plotted psychological suspense novel. When Aaron doesn't show up for his teaching job and no one hears from him, an unofficial investigation begins. What secrets are being kept by his wife? The more the police discover, the more questions they have. The audiobook is narrated by Xe Sands, who has over 200 popular audiobook titles to her name.

Naturally, because the above titles are so popular, they have long waitlists. If you hate to wait, you may be better served to check out our Hoopla Digital service. Hoopla offers on-demand access to over 120,000 audiobook titles. It may or may not have the exact title you are looking for, but you'll have plenty to choose from. Some audiobook titles that are trending among L&A patrons this year include Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher, and The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat. Hoopla is available as an app so you can download and listen to audiobooks directly from your cell phone.

Finally, if newfangled technology isn't your thing, we also have a variety of approximately 1600 books on CD available. The selection isn't nearly as robust as our digital collections, but sometimes people prefer the simplicity of CDs because of familiarity or vision impairment.

All of the items mentioned here are available in a variety of formats. Reserve a copy here