Get through winter doldrums or long drives with these top audiobooks

Whether you’re stuck in traffic, grounded by winter weather or tackling chores at home, this year’s must-listen audiobooks offer epic adventures, sharp humor and moving memoirs. Los Angeles (tca/dpa) – Stuck in ski traffic. On board a five-hour flight (with a layover) to a sunny destination. During a road trip to see family for the holidays. Heck, just toodling around the house doing laundry or washing dishes. Those are just some of the many opportunities that life presents to listen to audiobooks, especially if you still have some weeks stuck indoors before warmer weather returns. Here are our favorites, starting with a Top 10 must-listen list, gathered from staff and readers alike. No. 1: ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ Author: George Saunders Narrated by: The author, Nick Offerman , David Sedaris , Carrie Brownstein , Don Cheadle , Lena Dunham , Bill Hader , Keegan-Michael Key , Julianne Moore , Megan Mullally , Susan Sarandon , Ben Stiller and 155(!) others Running time: 7 hours and 25 minutes Plot: With the Civil War raging, Abraham Lincoln mourns his dead 11-year-old son, Willie, in a Georgetown cemetery, returning to the crypt to hold the boy’s body. With Willie’s spirit in a purgatory — a bardo, in Tibetan tradition — ghosts interact and quarrel while commenting on the grief-stricken scene and more. Why you should love it: This groundbreaking novel is unlike anything else you’ve ever read. (Don’t worry if you find yourself getting a little lost at the beginning; there’s a lot going on and a multitude of characters.Stick with it, trust us!)And just look at that lineup of narrators! —Recommended by Barbara Ellis and LeAnna Efird ; Audio Publishers Association 2018 audiobook of the year No. 2: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Author: Andy Weir Narrated by: Ray Porter Running time: 16 hours and 10 minutes Plot: Science teacher and biologist Ryland Grace is the unlikely hero who must save Earth from a sun-killing substance. Why you should love it: “Project Hail Mary” is on alotof online lists of best audiobooks. And the fact that it’s been made into a movie starring Ryan Gosling (scheduled for March 2026 release) should be enough to pique your interest. By the author of “The Martian.” —Recommended by LeAnna Efird , Andrea Walden-Morden and reddit.com reviewers; winner of the 2022 Audie Awards Audiobook of the Year No. 3: The Harry Potter boxed set (seven books) Author: J.K. Rowling Narrated by: Jim Dale (American version) and Stephen Fry (British version) Running time: Varies, between 8 hours, 18 minutes (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) and 27 hours, 2 minutes (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”). Totals: nearly 117 hours of listening for the American version and 124 hours for the British. (Heck, you could easily finish all seven by spring.) Plots: Harry Potter , Hogwarts, flying cars, dastardly demons. Good vs. evil. Love conquers all. Oh, come on. Do we really have to tell you more? For shame. Why you should love them: Harry Potter is a literary phenom, and even if you’ve already read the books and/or watched the films, you owe it to yourself to get the full experience. You can’t go wrong with either version: Jim Dale’s theatrics are a treat, while British actor Stephen Fry brings us into the wizarding world as Rowling intended. Full cast editions — featuring actors like Kiera Knightly as Dolores Umbridge and Kit Harington as Professor Lockhart — are now available for preorder. (But we find it difficult to believe they’ll be any better than the Fry/Dale versions.) —Recommended by Barbara Ellis , goodreads.com and libbylife.com reviewers No. 4: The Murderbot Diaries (seven books) Author: Martha Wells Narrated by: Kevin R. Free , plus a dramatized version Running time: Varies, from 3 hours, 17 minutes (“All Systems Red”) to 4 hours, 24 minutes (“Fugitive Telemetry”) Plot: In a future time, a “killer” security android takes out his governing module and goes rogue, watching space operas and weighing in on the vagaries of the human species while protecting — and actually getting to like — them. And they kinda like him, too. Why you should love it: Timely, certainly, since it dwells on sentient robotics and artificial intelligence. But listen to it because you will quickly fall for the quirky robot who is on a journey of self-discovery. (Choose the Kevin R. Free versions over the dramatized readings.) —Recommended by Jonathan Shikes , Barbara Ellis , reddit.com reviewers No. 5: ‘My Friends’ Author: Fredrik Backman Narrated by: Marin Ireland Running time: 13 hours, 22 minutes Plot: Four teens grow up in poverty, violence and neglect, forging a bond that lasts their lifetimes. Twenty-five years into the future, an 18-year-old girl will be saved by two of them. Why you should love it: The writing, the character development, the flow, the pathos. It pulls you in quickly and never lets go. Everything you want out of a novel. This is Fredrik Backman (author of “A Man Called Ove” and “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry”) at his best. —Recommended by Barbara Ellis and audible.com No. 6: ‘Bossy Pants’ Author: Tina Fey Narrated by: the author Running time: 5 hours, 32 minutes Plot: Autobiographical essays by the actress (“30 Rock”), writer (“Mean Girls”) and comedian (“SNL”). Why you should love it: Well, she’s quick-witted, sarcastic, smart and funny as hell. That ought to do for starters. ( New York Times bestseller, Audiobook of the Year at the 2012 Ausie Awards) —Recommended by Beth Rankin No. 7: ‘Everything is Tuberculosis’ Author: John Green Narrated by: the author Running time: 5 hours, 35 minutes Plot: Green tells the story of Henry Reider , a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone , and through him advocates for global health care reform. Why you should love it: In its review, The Associated Press wrote: “The real magic of Green’s writing is the deeply considerate, human touch that goes into every word.” Well said. A New York Times and Washington Post bestseller. —Recommended by Katie Langford No. 8: ‘The Correspondent’ Author: Virginia Evans Narrated by: Maggi-Meg Reed , Jane Oppenheimer and others Running time: 8 hours, 36 minutes Plot: Sybil Van Antwerp uses letters (correspondence) to make sense of the world, and always has. She writes to family members, friends, authors, universities and others, trying to make sense of things, complain of injustices, express remorse. Why you should love it: This one will catch you by surprise. It starts out slow, and the format takes a little getting used to, but you soon settle in for the lovely ride. It’s a quiet treasure. —Recommended by LeAnna Efird and Barbara Ellis ; a New York Times bestseller No. 9: ‘The Stand’ Author: Stephen King Narrated by: Grover Gardner Running time: 47 hours, 47 minutes (the uncut version) Plot: A post-apocalyptic fantasy about the struggle between good and evil. On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas ; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder. Why you should love it: Sure, King has plenty of novels that would be great to listen to, but none more timely than this, even though it was first published in 1978. Yay, good guys! Yay, Boulder! —Recommended by Barbara Ellis , audible.com and reddit.com reviews No. 10: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ Author: Jane Austen Narrated by: Marisa Abela , Harris Dickinson , Glenn Close and 12 others Running time: 4 hours, 34 minutes Plot: Elizabeth Bennett , Mr. Darcy , heaving bosoms, unrequited love in the 1800s. Happy ending. Why you should love it: Well, it’s a classic, for starters. You think you know the story, but you owe it to yourself to listen to this fantastic production and performances. —Recommended by Kristen Kidd , libbylife.com And more to consi…

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