As you all know, June is Audiobook Month (you all know this, right? We all run in the same kind of circles), and I could not be more jazzed to celebrate one of my favorite ways to read! Summer is all about driving, taking long walks, lounging by the pool—all things that can only be improved with a perfect book in your ears.

I’m an O.G. book on tape listener, so I’ve appreciated the craft for decades (but please don’t ask me how many). But compared to other prestigious book awards, they’ve only relatively recently started handing out awards for audiobooks. The first Audie Award was handed out in 1996, only 2 years before Audiobook Month was founded, and the rest, as they say, is history.

The amount of work that goes into producing an audiobook is staggering, from narration to production, and not to mention the author actually writing the book. Some of those audiobooks have risen to the top of the pile—and we’re spotlighting 10 recent audiobook award winners that you won’t want to miss!

If you want to shut up and drive...

Cross the Line by Simone Soltani
Narrated by Vikas Adam and Nerissa Bradley
🏆Award: AudioFile Golden Voice Award 2025, Vikas Adam, Narrator

Vikas Adam has been recognized for his entire body of work, which includes this brother’s best friend Formula 1 romance that also has chronic illness representation. This one will certainly get you waving the green flag.

Dev Anderson is in need of a win... big time. Some bad social media has led to him being on the cusp of losing sponsors and the ownership needs him to either shape up or be out. When he bumps into Willow, the little sister of his best friend, at an event in Monaco, he knows that she can both help him (get his reputation back in line) and hurt him (as she’s already the girl who got away once). Can they ignore the brewing feelings or are they about to get lapped by love?

If you need to find a way forward...

Please Pay Attention by Jamie Sumner
Narrated by Erin Moon
🏆Award: AudioFile Earphone Award - June 2025

This novel in verse really lends itself to an audiobook format, and Erin Moon has been recognized for her performance of this incredibly difficult, important story.

After a school shooting traumatizes Bea and her remaining classmates, she must figure out how to move forward in a world that wasn’t built for her. Bea has cerebral palsy, and uses a wheelchair to navigate her school, which loses all sense of safety after a school shooting takes the lives of her teacher and several classmates. Will she be able to regain her confidence and begin to heal? Broken into parts before and after the terrifying event, this is a story of resilience and advocacy, told in a way that's emotional, raw, and poetic.

If you’re feeling hello, gorgeous...

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
Narrated by Barbra Streisand
🏆Award: 2025 Audies Award Winner

Barbra Streisand needs no cute little intro, but she does deserve all of the praise for her narration of this sweeping autobiography.

It’s over 48 hours long and the longest audiobook on this list, but when you’re THE Barbra Streisand, you can fill every second and still have listeners knowing there’s more left on the cutting room floor. Even a casual fan of Babs will be interested in this exploration of her life, career, love life, and of course, lots and lots of Hollywood gossip. Don’t rain on anyone’s parade; check this one out as soon as you can.

If you need to escape to a new world...

Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer
🏆Award: AudioFile Golden Voice Award 2024; Kate Reading, Narrator

This book is actually the fifth in a series, but they’re all narrated by Kate Reading, 2024 AudioFile Golden Voice Award winner, and Michael Kramer, who are actually husband and wife IRL. I would recommend starting with the first in the series, The Way of Kings.

Wind and Truth closes out the first two story arcs of The Stormlight Archive series, answering many questions fans have been asking, while also adding a few more. With only ten days to prepare for the upcoming contest of champions and the future of Roshar on the line, we find our characters in many different places. Kaladin and Szeth journey to Shinovar, sight unseen, to heal Heral Ishar. Adolin is fighting battles in Azir, Sigzil and Venli on the Shattered Plains. Jasnah is in Thaylenah. All the while, others are scattered, moving the chess pieces to ensure the success of their missions. If this all sounds a bit out there and confusing, we’ve had four other big books before this, so again, head to the first book and get swept away!

If you’re tired of the grind...

Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read
Narrated by Nikki Massoud
🏆Award: AudioFile Earphone Award - June 2025

Sometimes the truth reads like fiction, and Nikki Massoud has managed to make this true with her reading of this deep dive into multilevel marketing (MLM), earning her an AudioFile Earphone Award.

Every one of us knows someone who tried to sell them something they didn’t know that they needed. Perhaps you bought those things (raises hand). Maybe you were the seller. MLMs are as American as apple pie, and they seem to be here to stay. Bridget Read goes deep into the history of MLMs and how they’ve shaped the America that exists today, culturally, politically, and economically. This is a must-read for those who like narrative nonfiction and learning more about this growing industry, especially in the age of social media influence.

If you know you’re innocent...

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks
Narrated by a full cast
🏆Award: 2024 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production for Young Adults

Nick Brooks’ dark academia tale with a full cast narration and complete with score is a must-listen for all fans of the genre.

At the Urban Promise Prep School, boys are turned into men on the path to success. J.B., Ramon, and Trey find the school oppressive with its rules and strict ideals, but are forced to follow so they can hope to have a future, or so they’re told. When their principal is found dead and they end up on the suspect list, they’re forced to investigate what happened to their principal to clear their names. But are they all as innocent as they think? And what was their principal really up to at the school?

If you think about floating away...

Playground by Richard Powers
Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Robin Siegerman, and a full cast
🏆Award: 2025 Audies Finalist

The narration in this audiobook flows like water with the full cast of six narrators guiding you along.

In a not-so-distant future, a mysterious American industry looks to launch floating cities into the ocean off of the coast of a French Polynesian island. It’s up to the residents of the island to decide whether or not to allow this plan to proceed. This book tells the story of their choices while asking important questions about environmental issues, colonialism, survival, and community.

If you just want to say, “yes”...

It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan
Narrated by Hillary Huber
🏆Award: AudioFile Golden Voice Award 2025; Hillary Huber, Narrator

With over 20 years of narration experience, it’s hard to select just one audiobook for Hillary Huber, winner of a 2025 AudioFile Golden Voice Award. But since it’s summer, a beach read seems like the best pick.

Jane was a child star who spent her adolescence on everyone’s screens. Now she’s looking to be taken seriously in an industry that still sees her as a kid, even if she’s all grown up. In a desperate attempt to get her passion project greenlit by executive (and her former crush) Dan, she tells a bit of a fib: She can get the world’s biggest pop star, Jack Quinlan, to write a song for the movie’s soundtrack. With the promise of the single, things move forward, but she’s going to need some help to get Jack on board, which will require spending a lot of time with Dan... Can they both surprise each other with how much they’ve grown since they were young?

If you know the smaller the town, the bigger the secrets...

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Crosby
Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White
🏆Award: 2024 Audie Award Finalist - Thriller/Suspense Winner

It takes a masterful narrator to embody a remote, small place. And Adam Lazarre White is just the person to do it, earning him multiple accolades from the Audie Awards in 2024.

Current maestro of Southern noir, S. A. Crosby, returns with the story of Titus Crown, the first Black sheriff of Charon, Virginia, a seemingly sleepy town. Just as he’s feeling a bit settled, a shooting occurs, which not only rocks the town to its core, but also leads Crown to discover there’s more underneath the surface. Adding to his worries are his own secrets and a brewing feud with some of the town’s fringe groups. Crosby builds worlds that seem so real, and with Lazarre-White's narration, you'll truly feel like you're in the story.

If you want a real-life political thriller...

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
Narrated by Will Patton
🏆Award: 2025 Libby Award, Audiobook of the Year

Would this be a Libby Life list if I didn’t mention that we have our own audiobook award as part of the Libby Book Awards?!

So much has been written about Lincoln’s time as president during the Civil War, but not much has been discussed about his time leading up to the succession of the South from the Union. In this book, Erik Larson, who’s a master of historical nonfiction, tells of the time between the election of Lincoln in November 1860 and the shots on Fort Sumter, South Carolina which started the Civil War. He delves into a time full of tension and unrest, not just for Lincoln himself but also for other important figures in the lead up to that fateful day. Larson always does his homework and his books are as well-researched as they are compelling. This book will give so much more context to that time, but not feel like school, for those who are feeling summer break.

*Title availability may vary.

As a final thought: Anyone who tells you listening to an audiobook isn’t reading doesn’t know what they’re talking about and isn’t worth your time. You know what is worth your time? All of these award-winning audiobooks, which you can find on the Libby app!

RELATED READ: The most popular audiobooks of the year (and all time!)