AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of 2022

A is for Oboe: The Orchestra's Alphabet

By: Lera Auerbach & Marilyn Nelson
Narrated by: Thomas Quasthoff
Length: 50 minutes

This deeply imaginative and entertaining poetry collection details the pleasures of the orchestra, from strong-willed A to satisfied Z.

Two widely acclaimed poets--one a composer and classical pianist as well--have come together to create this extraordinary portrait of the orchestra in all of its richness and fascination, using the structure of... Read more

Ain't Burned All the Bright

By: Jason Reynolds
Narrated by: Jason Reynolds, Nile Bullock, Tatum Marylin Hall, JaQwan J. Kelly & DePre Owens
Length: 37 minutes

NAMED A 2023 ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN’S RECORDING!

Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.

Jason Reynolds and his best bud, Jason Griffin, had a... Read more

All My Rage

A Novel

By: Sabaa Tahir
Narrated by: Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan & Kausar Mohammed
Length: 10 hours 24 minutes

“Amazing and intense! Not light subject matter (note the long trigger warning) but such a rewarding read because of its depiction of the immigrant experience, Pakistani culture, and a willingness to tackle tough issues. Friendships and characters are heartwarming. AMR never loses its sense of optimism even when dealing with tragedy. Read more

American Midnight

The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis

By: Adam Hochschild
Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
Length: 15 hours 6 minutes

From legendary historian Adam Hochschild, a groundbreaking reassessment of the overlooked but startlingly resonant period between World War I and the Roaring Twenties, when the foundations of American democracy were threated by war, pandemic, and violence fueled by battles over race, immigration, and the rights of labor""A riveting, resonant... Read more

The Angel of Rome

And Other Stories

By: Jess Walter
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini & Julia Whelan
Length: 8 hours 9 minutes

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins and The Cold Millions comes a stunning collection about those moments when everything changes—for the better, for the worse, for the outrageous—as a diverse cast of characters bounces from Italy to Idaho, questioning their roles in life and finding inspiration in the unlikeliest... Read more

The Atlas Six

Atlas Series: Book #1

By: Olivie Blake
Narrated by: Andy Ingalls, Caitlin Kelly, Damian Lynch, David Monteith, James Patrick Cronin, Munirih Grace, Siho Ellsmore & Steve West
Length: 15 hours 59 minutes

“Loved getting to know all of the characters through their different POVs. And there were so many POVs…somehow I didn’t get overwhelmed and all of the characters were distinct from each other. They truly became real people to me, who were endearing, frustrating, annoying and quite scary (looking at you Callum). Read more

Bad City

Peril and Power in the City of Angels

By: Paul Pringle
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
Length: 9 hours 48 minutes

“Full disclosure: as a Cal grad living in the Bay Area, I am pre-disposed to dislike USC. Even setting that aside, this book will shock with its disclosures of a corrupt cesspool of money and influence in Los Angeles with USC at its center. Highly recommended! Read more

The Bangalore Detectives Club

The Kaveri and Ramu Series: Book #1

By: Harini Nagendra
Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
Length: 9 hours 16 minutes

The first in a charming, joyful cozy crime series set in 1920s Bangalore, featuring sari-wearing detective Kaveri and her husband, Ramu. Perfect for fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.When clever, headstrong Kaveri moves to Bangalore to marry handsome young doctor Ramu, she’s resigned herself to a quiet life.But... Read more

Breathe and Count Back from Ten

By: Natalia Sylvester
Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
Length: 9 hours 13 minutes

In this gorgeously written and authentic novel, Verónica, a Peruvian-American teen with hip dysplasia, auditions to become a mermaid at a Central Florida theme park in the summer before her senior year, all while figuring out her first real boyfriend and how to feel safe in her own body.Verónica has had many surgeries to manage her disability.... Read more

The Bullet That Missed

A Thursday Murder Club Mystery

A Thursday Murder Club Mystery: Book #3

By: Richard Osman
Narrated by: Fiona Shaw, Richard Osman & Steph McGovern
Length: 11 hours 16 minutes

“Part of the beauty of this series is that one book leads into the next without any contrivances. This book is a dash darker and grittier than the previous ones. It examines the imperfect things we do for the people we love, and the sacrifices we make. It reminds us to be true to ourselves, and to not take life for granted. The mystery is full of... Read more

A Court of Mist and Fury (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] - Abridged

A Court of Thorns and Roses 2

Court of Thorns and Roses: Book #2

By: Sarah J. Maas
Narrated by: Melody Muze, Anthony Palmini, Henry W. Kramer, Jon Vertullo, Amanda Forstrom, Nora Achrati, Gabriel Michael, Megan Dominy, Shawn K. Jain, Holly Adams & Natalie Van Sistine
Length: 8 hours 26 minutes

"The seductive and stunning #1 New York Times bestselling sequel to Sarah J. Maas’s spellbinding A Court of Thorns and Roses. Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the... Read more

Delilah Green Doesn't Care

A Bright Falls Novel: Book #1

By: Ashley Herring Blake
Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio
Length: 11 hours 41 minutes

“So fun and sweet. I loved this enemies to lovers romance about a prickly photographer who returns to her hometown for her estranged stepsister's wedding only to fall for one of the stepsister's best friends. It was light and fresh and entirely sexy and I cannot wait to listen to the sequel! Read more

A Different Pond

By: Bao Phi
Narrated by: Bao Phi
Length: 14 minutes

As a young boy, Bao and his father awoke early, hours before his father's long workday began, to fish on the shores of a small pond in Minneapolis. Unlike many other anglers, Bao and his father fished for food, not recreation. A successful catch meant a fed family. Between hope-filled casts, Bao's father told him about a different pond in their... Read more

Even Though I Knew the End

By: C.L. Polk
Narrated by: January LaVoy
Length: 3 hours 51 minutes

“Who doesn't love a good vs evil story?! Full of magic, romance, and unexpected turns. Polk's writing will have you glued to the pages to see how this murder mystery turns out. (If you've seen the movieKiss Kiss Bang Bang, you'll definitely want to pick this up). Read more

Eyes That Speak to the Stars

By: Joanna Ho
Narrated by: Justin Chien
Length: 5 minutes

New York Times bestselling team Joanna Ho and Dung Ho present Eyes That Speak to the Stars, companion to the acclaimed Eyes That Kiss in the Corners.“A brilliant treatise to love of self and heritage.” —School Library Journal (starred review)“A beautifully validating book that builds on the necessary work of its predecessor.” —Kirkus“Affirmative... Read more

Fen, Bog and Swamp

A Short History of Peatland Destruction and Its Role in the Climate Crisis

By: Annie Proulx
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Length: 5 hours 6 minutes

*Named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker and Literary Hub!* A Finalist for the 2022 NBCC Awards in Nonfiction, the 2023 Phillip D. Reed Environmental Writing Award, and the NEIBA 2023 New England Book Award*

From Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Proulx, this riveting deep dive into the history of our wetlands and what their systematic... Read more

Finding Me

A Memoir

By: Viola Davis
Narrated by: Viola Davis
Length: 9 hours 15 minutes

“A powerful story about self-understanding and determination to seizing the life you want. Read more

Franklinland

By: Lloyd Suh
Narrated by: Gregory Harrison, Kurt Kanazawa & Larry Powell
Length: 1 hour 14 minutes

This modern, comic take on the American Revolution puts the spotlight on the relationship between the brilliant and domineering Ben Franklin and his son William. As Ben plants the seeds of a new republic, King George III appoints William as Royal Governor of New Jersey - a change in affairs that creates a revolutionary family rift. Includes a... Read more

His Name Is George Floyd (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice

By: Robert Samuels & Toluse Olorunnipa
Narrated by: Dion Graham, Robert Samuels & Toluse Olorunnipa
Length: 13 hours 32 minutes

WINNER OF THE 2023 PULITZER PRIZE IN NONFICTION
WINNER OF THE DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE
FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD AND LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE; FINALIST FOR THE J. ANTHONY LUKAS PRIZE; A BCALA 2023 HONOR NONFICTION AWARD WINNER.

A landmark biography by two prizewinning Washington Post reporters that reveals how systemic racism... Read more

Honey and Spice

A Novel

By: Bolu Babalola
Narrated by: Weruche Opia
Length: 12 hours

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK • A TIKTOK BOOK CLUB PICK""Sexy, messy and wry, Honey and Spice more than delivers."" — New York Times Book Review""A vibrant debut novel . . . Babalola is incisively funny, capturing the kick and sweetness of her title with her words."" — Entertainment WeeklyNamed a Best Book of the Year by... Read more