From biographies of James Baldwin and Mark Twain to personal memoirs of life, love, loss, and family, these listens are our musts for 2025. Some are narrated by the authors, some by skilled narrators, and all offer fascinating glimpses into interesting lives.
For the full list of 2025 Best Audiobooks, visit AudioFile’s website.
https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/best-audiobooks-2025
Awake: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker
Read by Jen Hatmaker | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 7.5 hrs.]
Those who have watched Hatmaker’s videos or listened to her podcasts will immediately recognize her distinctive speaking style in this memoir recounting her journey from the trauma of divorce and evangelicalism to the healing and rebuilding of her life. Her cadence is energetic, and listeners will be captivated by her combination of gravity and humor overlaid with forthright sincerity. Also, featured in the audiobook are asides voiced by friends and family, as well as audio clips of interviews from Hatmaker’s podcasts.
Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs
Read by Ron Butler | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Macmillan Audio | 24.5 hrs.]
For more than 24 stunning hours, narrator Ron Butler immerses listeners in the world of writer James Baldwin. This detailed biography structures Baldwin’s life around his greatest loves, the people who filled so many of his thoughts. Butler’s narration is a master class in maintaining the listener’s attention over the course of a lengthy audiobook. He makes every change in tone, volume, and pace with careful purpose, creating a seamless listening experience.
Boat Baby by Vicky Nguyen
Read by Vicky Nguyen | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Simon & Schuster Audio | 7.75 hrs.]
Award-winning NBC News Anchor and Chief Consumer Investigative Correspondent Vicky Nguyen delivers her memoir with the same passion and rapid-fire delivery that she brings to her television work. This audiobook offers great insight into the talented journalist. Born in Saigon, Nguyen fled to a Malaysian refugee camp with her family, finally immigrating to the U.S., where she continues to experience the pain of racism. Her ambitious quest for each TV job is carefully balanced with her concern for how her family will be affected as she climbs the career ladder.
Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
Read by Jason Culp | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Penguin Audio | 44.5 hrs.]
Twain’s twang, as delivered by Jason Culp, runs through this compelling and comprehensive audiobook like a vein of gold. He convincingly portrays the great humorist in all his guises—raconteur, lecturer, parent, public figure, wit, and philosopher—homespun and not. Culp expertly narrates the exposition (and in a 44-hour biography there’s plenty) and modulates his voice and pitch for different speakers. But it’s in his emulation of the tone and timing of the old rakehell himself that Culp sparkles.
Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks
Read by Geraldine Brooks
[Penguin Audio | 5 hrs.]
When novelist Geraldine Brooks’s husband, Tony Horwitz, dies while on a book tour, she gets the call from a harried medical resident who can’t get off the phone fast enough. Brooks alternates between memories of those first days and her life three years later on an isolated island in Australia, where she finally takes time to focus on grieving. Listening feels particularly intimate. Brooks’s performance is heartfelt and beautiful, both precise and expansive.
The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by John Seabrook
Read by Dion Graham | AudioFile Earphones Award
[HighBridge Audio | 10.25 hrs.]
This poignant audio memoir recounts the tragedy of the past three generations of the New Jersey Seabrooks, WASP agriculture kings brought low by family feuds, self-dealing, and racism. Golden Voice Dion Graham gives a bravura performance of the fraught relationships between three generations of fathers and sons. Graham’s delivery shapes this American tragedy as he narrates in a thoughtful style with an intimate tone and phrasing that reflects the author’s eloquent prose.
The article “AudioFile’s 2025 Best Biography & Memoir Audiobooks” was curated by AudioFile. AudioFile is an independent source of audiobook reviews and recommendations with a clear focus on the performance and listening experience. AudioFile Earphones Awards are given to exceptional audiobooks. To learn more, visit audiofilemagazine.com, BlueSky @audiofilemagazine.bsky.social, Facebook @audiofilemagazine, and Instagram @AudioFileMagazine
