Last year was the first time I tried Audible, and I am still loving it! Though my work commutes are much shorter now, I still fit in listening to audiobooks at various times throughout the day. I have taken a break recently due to being sick, but I’m hoping to finish out my current book quickly to start a fresh set of listens in 2018. Here are my 2017 Audiobooks with a brief overview/opinion of each. You can also check out my 2016 Audiobook list if you’re looking for recommendations (to read or listen!)

This one was so good, I listened to it twice! I strongly recommend this book to re-evaluate the things we tend to obsess over/care about that really do not deserve our precious time and attention, which is a great outlook for starting a new year with.

This book was the shortest one yet (only 45 minutes in length) and full of everything that makes sense to me as a woman. What seems like common sense is unfortunately ignored or intentionally restricted to keep women on a lower rung than men. I am hopeful that though slow, the tides of feminism and equality will continue to wash over the world so that the the futures of our daughters and granddaughters will be better.

Another great one with some important and inspiring essays by a wonderful writer. I look forward to reading more of her work.

I had not read Robb Wolf’s first book, The Paleo Solution, and did not know that he was basically the founder of this movement until I heard about this book. It was quite informative and reassuring to know that our current epidemic of obesity is not our own fault, but there is still a lot we can do about it. A great book for anyone looking to improve their health and well-being in the New Year and for the long term.

This was one of my favorites! I love Trevor Noah’s comedy and perspective on America as a South African. He details his unique experience growing up as the child of a white father and black mother during Apartheid. I love the mixture of extremely funny moments in his life, his crazy mother (crazy in a hilarious but also scary way), and the final, heartbreaking and traumatic chapters detailing an intense experience in his youth. I highly recommend this one!

I LOVE Amy Poehler, especially since “Parks and Rec.” Her autobiography was entertaining enough, but I felt there were a lot of details about her time working with other comedians (obviously an important aspect of her career, but a bit boring for me to listen to). And now there are even planing to make a video game with all the characters of Park and Rec, if it all goes fine it will be launching in elitist games, You can look here for more information and gaming options. Still, it offered an interesting insight into the making of a successful female comedian.

This book was love at first sight, from beginning til end. The writing reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Jhumpa Lahiri, whom I have written about before. The characters are lovely and fascinating, and you feel a connection with each and every one of them. Their pains and joys are so real, it’s like you know them personally. I ended this book thinking, what a perfect novel!

I downloaded this book after a recommendation from a close friend whom I love discussing great books with. If she liked it, it surely must be good, and that it was! This true story was an eye-opening glimpse into child labor in the United States, and it followed the incredible journey of one very hard-working young Chinese girl. And talk about a plot twist!!! But you’ll have to check it out for yourself to learn what happens =)

This book was a refreshing interlude from some of the emotionally heavy books mentioned thus far. I’ll admit, I still love some YA fiction, and I’m not ashamed! I especially loved relating to the Indian characters in this book. It was just the cutest, even if trite at times. I often found myself grinning from ear to ear, as if I were back in high school! This would make for a good, lighthearted beach read.

Apparently I was into comedians’ lives this year! This was another intriguing and hilarious look into the life of Kevin Hart. Like Trevor Noah, Kevin’s mother played a huge role in his success. He takes us along through numerous mistakes and failures that ultimately lead to good decisions and the development of a maturity and work ethic that get him to his current extremely successful state. This is another inspiring autobiography, and a pretty funny listen since Kevin narrates it himself!

I downloaded this based on hearing about it on social media. I got through it, but I really did not enjoy it. The main reason is that this book is SO not my genre: sci-fi fantasy stuff. It is certainly very different from anything else on this list, and different from what most people are used to reading. It’s very dark, and I can do dark, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Can I say swoon??? This book was so masterfully woven together. It is one of the best stories I have ever heard, and as I posted on my instagram, it is a true epic in every sense of the word. The story covers many generations of two families in Africa and the United States. It has the feel of a traditional African story with elements of magical realism. I couldn’t stop listening, but I only wish it included a visual family tree so I could keep track of all the characters and how they fit in.

This was another one of my favorite, favorite books. I know, it sounds like I said that a lot this year, but I just lucked out with so many great stories! I could not stop listening to this book. Normally, I would listen in the car, but I found myself wanting to listen to it at home in the evenings, while folding laundry, while cooking, pretty much during every spare minute until I got through it. It was lovely and gorgeous, and I am definitely going to listen to Celeste Ng’s other novels.

This is the current Audiobook I’m listening to. I started following astronaut Scott Kelly on instagram while he was still living his year in space, and I loved the stunning #earthart photos he would post. I was hoping to finish his book before the New Year, but my body has been revolting against me (again), so I took a break from listening since I have not been out and about much. Instead, I actually picked up a physical book, When Breath Becomes Air, one I’ve been meaning to read for a long time but couldn’t muster up the nerve to (because I’m sure it will make me cry!) I figured now would be a good time to read something that would make me end my pity party over silly viral respiratory infections, and that no matter how uncertain or stressful things may seem, living in the present is the best thing to do.

Do you have any book recommendations for me? I’d love to hear!

Wishing you all a Happy 2018!