11 Audiobooks for Road Trips

by Donna Huber

I have a little road trip planned for this summer, and I'm already thinking about what book I will listen to on the drive. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, so I thought I would give you a few recommendations of my favorite reads. I really like listening to memoirs and nonfiction, so I have a few of them on this list. I also tried to recommend a variety of lengths. My road trip will only be about 4 hours one way, and I'm not sure if I'll choose two shorter books for a longer one that I can listen to half on the way to the mountains and then the other half on the way back. That's what I did last year.

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Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

12 hours 48 minutes; dystopian

If you have a family road trip planned, this is a book that will be enjoyed by the whole family. I've only listened to the Hunger Games series. If you have a longer road trip planned and need several books, it would be fun to binge the series. It can probably be read as a stand-alone if you haven't read the original trilogy, but you will get more out of it if you have (or at least watched the movies), as there are mentions of several people who show up in the original books.

This is Haymitch Abernathy's story, and it explains so much of how he became who he is in the original books of the series.

Buy Sunrise on the Reaping at Amazon

Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews

15 hours 34 minutes; romance

Since there isn't a new beach read from MKA this summer, I dove into her backlist and listened to Spring Fever. It was originally published in 2012, so it didn't feel like an older novel really. It was a little more of a romance novel than some of her more recent novels, but it was still a great listen.

If you grew up drinking Cheerwine soda, then this book will be a bit nostalgic for you - it was for me. The family-owned soda company in the book isn't named Cheerwine, but you can tell that is what it is. 

Buy Spring Fever at Amazon

Death at the Highland Loch by Lydia Travers

9 hours 20 minutes; cozy mystery

Cozy mysteries are fun books to listen to on road trips. They don't usually require a high level of concentration, so you won't be overly distracted while driving. Death at the Highland Loch is the first book in a new series set in Scotland - if you wish you were traveling abroad instead of roadtripping, you can pretend you're at a country home in Scotland while listening to this mystery. Read my full review. 

Buy Death at the Highland Loch at Amazon

The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson

7 hours 52 minutes; memoir

If you love WWII historical fiction then you really need to read this memoir. I love listening to memoirs because it really feels like the person is telling you their story. You know as an SOE agent Pippa had a interesting war, but her life growing up in Africa was just as interesting. Read my full review.

Buy The Last Secret Agent at Amazon

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

11 hours 10 minutes; historical fiction

If you are taking a road trip with a group of girlfriends, this would be a fun book to listen to together. It is all about the characters. It would also give you something to discuss over dinner as the 1960s was an interesting time for women and I'm sure there will be things about each of the characters that you can identify with. Read my review.

Buy The Book Club for Troublesome Women at Amazon

A Billion Butterflies: A Life in Climate and Chaos Theory by Jagadish Shukla

9 hours 30 minutes; memoir

Before you head out on your trip, you will probably be looking at the weather forecast. If you want to learn how we are able to predict the weather days out, then this is the book to listen to. It isn't just a science book but also a memoir. I learned just as much about Indian culture and politics as I did about climate science. Read my review. 

Buy A Billion Butterflies at Amazon

Let's Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen

12 hours 51 minutes; biographical fiction

You don't have to be a Barbie fan to enjoy this book (I'm not). I loved the historical story behind creating Barbie and the Mattel company. I was totally absorbed in the story, but you'll still be able to focus on the road while listening to the bool. Read my review.

Buy Let's Call Her Barbie at Amazon

Head Cases by John McMahon

9 hours 36 minutes; police procedural

This book is a mix of police procedural and psychological suspense. It reminded me of the television series Criminal Minds. It is the first book in a new series and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Read my review.

Buy Head Cases at Amazon

Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak

6 hours 1 minute; WWII biography

Propaganda Girls shares the story of 4 women who worked in the Morale Office (should have been called demoralization office) of the OSS (the precursor of the CIA) during WWII. I've recommended it to several people. It is a great, quick read. I love reading WWII fiction, but I'm starting to want to read more nonfiction. I've encountered some of the women in this book in fictional stories I've read so it was fun to get more of their own stories. Read my review.

Buy Propaganda Girls at Amazon

The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges

9 hours 57 minutes; fantasy

I enjoyed this story so much more than I thought would. Myra is a very likable character. And her interactions with Alex are adorable. And even though I don't usually care too much for magical realism, but I was really drawn into this story. Read my review.

Buy The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone at Amazon

The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers

13 hours 3 minutes; WWII biographical fiction

I grew up watching Julia Child cook on PBS but I knew nothing about her beyond the television kitchen set. It was a fun book where I also learned new things about WWII and Julia Child. If you have the time, this book would pair well with Propaganda Girls, as it shares the lives of a couple of women who are secondary characters in this book. Read my review. 

Buy The Secret War of Julia Child at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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