Summer is the season of family vacations and this means often long road trips accompanied by restless travelers of all ages. Regardless of your reading preference or road trip companions, the absolute best way to pass the time on a long road trip is by listening to an audiobook. Sharing an engaging story with your vacation companions can stave off the repetition of, “are we there yet?” and turn even the most reluctant reader into backseat book critic.

Below you’ll find a few of my favorites from a variety of genres and talented narrators. In most cases I have a personal preference for authors as narrators, but some very talented voice actors are noted below. Most genres listed feature children’s (C), teen (T), and adult (A) titles. Although the adult titles may not be appropriate for children/teens, adults should not restrict themselves to only adult titles. A well-executed audiobook, although geared toward a younger audience, can easily be enjoyed by all ages. No matter the variety of personal tastes filling your vehicle there is an audiobook (or two, or three) that will meet your needs.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum narrated by Brooke Shields & Paul Rudd (C)
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline narrated by Whil Wheaton (A)
• Matilda by Roald Dahl narrated by Kate Winslet (C)
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (C)
• The Collected Stories of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne narrated by Stephen Fry, Judi Dench, etc. (C)The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan narrated by Jesse Bernstein (T)
• The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson narrated by Michael Kramer (T)
• The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket narrated by Tim Curry (C)
• The Martian by Andy Weir narrated by R. C. Bray (A)

Realistic/Historical Fiction

• Longbourn by Jo Baker narrated by Emma Fielding (A)
• Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry narrated by Paul Michael (A)
• The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert narrated by Juliet Stevenson (A)
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green narrated by Kate Rudd (T)
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee narrated by Sissy Spacek (A)
• Wonder by R. J. Palacio narrated by Diana Steele, Nick Podehl, & Kate Rudd (C)
• The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian narrated by Jesse Eisenberg (T)
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein narrated by Moreven Christie & Lucy Gaskell (T)

Mystery

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by C. Alan Bradley narrated by Jayne Entwistle (A)
• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie narrated by Dan Stevens (A)
• The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith narrated by Robert Glenister (A)
• Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene narrated by Laura Linney (C)
• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty narrated by Caroline Lee

Memoir/Biography/Non-Fiction

• Bossypants by Tina Fey (A)
• Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan (A)
• Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling (A)
• Life by Keith Richards narrated by Johnny Depp (A)
• The Ultimate David Sedaris Boxed Set by David Sedaris narrated by the author, Amy Sedaris, Ann Magnuson, & special guests (A)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot narrated by Cassandra Campbell & Bahni Turpin (A)

Format: Audiobook

Reviewed by Magen, Highlands-Shelby Park Branch