I know (or at least I hope!) I don’t stand alone in saying that often reading a book can become a tedious task that never gets finished. Fortunately enough for people like myself, Spotify created an audiobook feature late last year, uploading almost every book you can think of on it. As a regular Spotify Premium user as I am sure many of you are, the convenience of this feature seems too good to pass up. Below are my current audiobook favourites which I can now access as easily as my music every day, enjoying wherever and whenever.
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
Listening time: 8hrs, 33 min
I only managed to read this book during the summer despite seeing so much hype about it on TikTok and I cannot believe I had not gotten to it sooner! The book is witty but real, hilarious but heartbreaking, and acts as a memoir of her love life. It’s the kind of book where you laugh with Dolly, cry with Dolly and cringe at Dolly. Lucky for us, there’s a six-episode series of the book on BBC iPlayer so when you’re finished listening to the book, the fun of it doesn’t have to end.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Listening time: 8hr 1 min
For those of you who haven’t watched the series (which I find hard to believe considering how much of a heartthrob Paul Mescal has come), it follows the lives of two teenagers called Connell and Marianne from Sligo, Ireland and their endearingly complicated love story from high school until adulthood. If you’re anything like me and can’t get enough of the show, watching it on repeat every six months, the audiobook is the perfect way to deepen your obsession with the entire story…if that’s even possible. The depth of inner monologues from the book evokes feelings which you can’t quite get out of Daisy Edgar Jones and Paul Mescal at some points. Also, the back-and-forth structure of the book allows you to perceive the entire story differently from the rigidly straightforward version in the series.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Wood
Listening time: 11 hr, 22 min
For a more serious listen, the Handmaid’s Tale is a classic and – if I may say – iconic book, set in a society in which women are oppressed, and only being used for reproductive purposes. The audiobook is read by Elisabeth Moss who plays the main Character Offred, making the story sound even better than if you were just reading it in your head (or at least for myself). Aside from being incredibly interesting, its themes allow for the book to remain as thought-provoking as it was when it was written in 1985.
Keeper of Stories by Sally Page
Listening time: 10 hrs, 16 min
Sally Page truly can make a book you are reading feel as though it is a book being read to you. The mystery of the story contrasted with the gentleness of the main character left me determined to finish it despite it being somewhat of a slow burner. As is the case with many good books, there is a twist weaved into it by Page and whilst I will not reveal that to you, I will say that it adds a lot to the story.