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The Best Audiobooks of 2023, According to AudioFile

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A couple of weeks ago, we covered the bestselling audiobooks of 2023. Now, the 30-plus-year-old bimonthly magazine AudioFile has released its annual list for the best audiobooks of 2023. This year’s list includes 53 titles spread out over nine categories: Fiction, Nonfiction & History, Biography & Memoir, Mystery & Suspense, Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror, Children & Family Listening, Young Adult, Romance, and Audio Originals.

AudioFile also has reviews of each audiobook’s performance, as well as Behind the Mic features on Spotify for certain audiobooks.

To start things off, here are 9 of the best audiobooks of 2023, according to AudioFile:

Biography & Memoir

cover of HOW TO SAY BABYLON audiobook

How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair, read by the author

Fiction

cover of The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor audiobook

The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor, read by Kevin R. Free

Fantasy

cover of The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang, read by Emily Woo Zeller (audiobook)

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang, read by Emily Woo Zeller

Nonfiction & History

cover of Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond, read by Dion Graham (audiobook)

Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond, read by Dion Graham

Mystery & Suspense

cover of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, read by Eunice Wong (audiobook)

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, read by Eunice Wong

Children & Family Listening

cover of  the audiobook of Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy by Angie Thomas, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Young Adult

cover fo the audiobook of Only This Beautiful Moment by by Abdi Nazemian , read by Vikas Adam, Fajer Al-Kaisi, Iman Nazemzadeh

Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian, read by Vikas Adam, Fajer Al-Kaisi, Iman Nazemzadeh

Romance

audiobook cover of Even if the Sky Is Falling, edited by Taj McCoy, read by Adenrele Ojo, Soneela Nankani, Karen Murray, Marissa Hampton, Donnabella Mortel, Joy Beharie, Teddy Hamilton

Even if the Sky Is Falling, edited by Taj McCoy, read by Adenrele Ojo, Soneela Nankani, Karen Murray, Marissa Hampton, Donnabella Mortel, Joy Beharie, Teddy Hamilton

Audio Originals

audiobook cover of Third Eye by Felicia Day, read by Sean Astin, Felicia Day, Neil Gaiman, LilyPichu, London Hughes, Wil Wheaton, and a Full Cast

Third Eye by Felicia Day, read by Sean Astin, Felicia Day, Neil Gaiman, LilyPichu, London Hughes, Wil Wheaton, and a Full Cast

For a full list, visit AudioFile’s page.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.