From celebrity memoirs to thrillers, these audiobooks have our attention.
If there's one season that feels truly book-ish, it's fall. The minute temperatures drop, we'd love nothing more than to spend our days curled up on the couch with the latest titles from our favorite authors and publishers. But if the return of packed schedules and holiday prep has you seeking a hands-free way to dive into your TBR list, you're not alone. Below, we've rounded up 18 audiobooks we're excited about this fall.
Itching for a gripping celebrity memoir? Lisa Marie Presley's "From Here to the Great Unknown" is the one for you. Narrated by Julia Roberts and Riley Keough -- Presley's daughter and co-writer -- it traces the highs and lows of Presley's life, from her Graceland childhood to motherhood and everything in between. Alternatively, if you're a fiction person, Sally Rooney's latest novel is flying off the shelves (and onto a few of our editors' fall reading lists). As for mysteries, we're eyeing some brand new releases, like Rumaan Alam's highly anticipated thriller, "Entitlement." And for good measure, a Nora Ephron classic narrated by none other than Meryl Streep. These reads will have you on the edge of your metaphorical seat while conveniently allowing you to accomplish all of your busywork at the same time. And they're all available in audio form via Audible.
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With an Audible Premium Plus membership, listeners gain access to audiobooks, sleep tracks, meditation programs, podcasts and exclusive originals, as well as the option choose one title from an extended selection of best sellers and new releases each month, which you can keep in your library forever.
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While Lisa Marie Presley's memoir was just released, it's already a national and New York Times bestseller. In 2022, Presley asked her daughter and co-writer, Riley Keough, to help her finish the book. But Presley died just a month later, leaving Keough to finish it herself. Using tapes that her mother had recorded, Keough conjured Presley's varied stories in a way the publisher describes as "painful" yet "incandescent."
Shop TODAY writer Emma Stessman says she "love[s] listening to memoirs because it's always great to hear the person's story in their voice" and is especially excited to read this one. "I'm always a fan of a celebrity memoir, so I knew immediately when I saw that Lisa Marie Presley's book was coming out -- and that it would be narrated by her daughter Riley Keough, along with Julia Roberts -- that it was one I'd want to listen to. I can't say I'm a huge Elvis fan but it gave an interesting peek into parts of his life, particularly his relationship with his daughter and what it was like living at Graceland. While it's short, it's not light by any means. It's emotional, especially to hear tragic events of Lisa Marie's life told by Keough, as well as the audio clips from Lisa Marie herself. Still, I found it to be incredibly interesting and impactful. It carried a lot of important messages about motherhood, grief and intergenerational trauma."
This New York Times bestseller is a fast-paced mystery that follows Evie Porter, a woman who's been given a name and location by a mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, whose real identity is kept from her. Evie envisions a different life for herself, but for now, she has to make sure she's outrunning her past and ensuring that there's plenty of life ahead of her. According to the publisher, "the stakes couldn't be higher."
Shop TODAY social media editorial assistant Annie Shigo "love[s] to read thrillers on audiobook" and this one was no exception. According to Shigo, "The narrator did a great job of using her voice to show all the twists and turns in the story. It had me on the edge of my seat!"
If you thought Nora Ephron's storytelling couldn't get any better, this audiobook might surprise you in the best way: It's narrated by Meryl Streep. In it, Streep brings Ephron's characteristic wit to life, somehow making the breakup of a seemingly perfect marriage a humorous ride.
This fall, Shop TODAY editor Vivien Moon is itching to listen to Meryl Streep's narration. "I've been a Nora Ephron fan for a long time (I mean, who isn't?) and I am a big biography lover, so this has been on my 'books to read' list for a long time," she says. "I have a hard time with audiobooks because I love physically reading a book, so it has to be the right subject matter with the right voice. Knowing that Meryl Streep is the voice for this book (which I know will break my heart) makes me extra excited to listen to it. With a writer as masterful as Ephron and a voice as powerful as Streep's, it's a winning combination -- I just know it."
"I love reading and listening to books that really get me in the mood for a specific time of year," says senior partnerships editor Francesca Cocchi Zabloudil. "'The Rules of Magic' by Alice Hoffman is one of my favorites and perfect for spooky season."
A prequel to her 2012 best seller "Practical Magic," "The Rules of Magic" follows Susanna Owens, the descendant of a woman who was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man in 1960. Now, at the cusp of the 1960s, Susanna knows there's something different about her children. And when they visit their aunt Isabelle in the Massachusetts town where the Owens family history lies, they begin to realize who they really are before grading back to New York where they each attempt to escape the family curse.
From celebrated filmmaker, artist and bestselling author Miranda July, "All Fours" follows the midlife awakening of a moderately famous artist who takes a cross-country drive from Los Angeles to New York, but thirty minutes after leaving home - where her husband and child remain - she begins a new journey and seeks new freedoms.
I've been wanting to read "All Fours" since it was released in July, but my schedule was hectic this summer and I got behind on my reading goals. That said, I've been getting into audiobooks in an effort to help myself catch up (and to entertain myself while doing my fall cleaning), so this is next on my list. Nearly every writer I admire has read it (with many of them giving it rave reviews) so I have high hopes.
Acclaimed actor and New York Times bestselling author Stanley Tucci chronicles a year's worth of meals to memorialize and reflect on his life and family, asserting that "sharing food is one of the purest human acts." It's the perfect read for fans of Tucci's "Searching for Italy" series.
"Not to be overly punny, but I've been saving this book as a sort of palate cleanser," says deals editor Rebecca Brown. "I find Tucci's voice rhythmic and calming, and I cant wait to just dive into a stressless world of storytelling with a side of pasta."
When child actor Jennette McCurdy, who starred in "iCarly" for from 2007 to 2012, released "I'm Glad My Mom Died" in 2022, she was met with a host of opinions, thanks to the book's controversial title. In the memoir, which balances humor and heartbreak, McCurdy details eating disorders, addiction, her relationship with her controlling mother and her journey to therapy, all with an honest approach that has especially resonated with listeners, as McCurdy narrates the audiobook herself.
Shop TODAY associate editor Sierra Hoeger highly recommends listening to this one for McCurdy's deeply personal narration. "I remember being a little 'late' to reading this book (a.k.a. one of the last of my friends to do so) and decided to listen to it, rather than read it. I'm glad I did, because hearing Jennette McCurdy narrate the autobiography herself made me appreciate the book even more. The content within is a bit upsetting, especially because she was a childhood star whose shows my sister and I watched hours of. It comes at a time [when] many child stars are opening up about the traumatic ways they were treated while the adults in their life turned a blind eye. If you're going to read this one, I highly recommend listening to it, solely for the pure emotion in her voice."
If there's one book that our writers and editors can collectively get behind, it's Sally Rooney's latest novel, "Intermezzo." Following a run of three bestsellers -- "Normal People, "Conversations with Friends" and "Beautiful World, Where Are You" -- this novel follows two brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek, who seem to have little in common. Peter is a 30-something Dublin lawyer who's successful and competent, but struggling in the wake of their father's death. Now, he's balancing relationships with two women -- his first love, Sylvia, and Naomi, a young college student. Ivan, the younger Koubek, is just twenty-two and a competitive chess player at the precipice of transitioning from socially awkward teen to established man, facilitated by a relationship with Margaret, an older woman with her own complicated history. In classic Rooney fashion, this story navigates loss, love and how much one person can really carry.
As fans of Rooney's previous work (and the TV shows that followed!), Stessman, Cocchi Zabloudil and I all have "Intermezzo" on our fall reading lists. Book clubs all over the world are buzzing for it.
We all know and love Ina Garten for her warm presence and delicious recipes, but in her new memoir she grants readers and listeners a fresh, unexpected perspective on her early life. The audiobook is narrated by Garten herself, which makes learning about her journey especially poignant. The book takes listeners through her difficult childhood and into an adulthood filled with love -- from meeting Jeffery to moving to The Hamptons and everything in between. It's a fascinating listen for anyone who's curious about how the celebrated cookbook author and TV host became the woman she is today.
From the author who wrote the 2020 New York Times bestseller "Leave the World Behind," which went on to become a film starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke, "Entitlement" is another psychological thriller -- this time with money and mortality at the center. Protagonist Brooke is seeking a few things: a sense of purpose, her mother's approval, an engaging social life and financial independence. And now, with a job as an assistant to an aging billionaire who wants to give away his fortune, her desires are more proximate than she expected. It's "a story that confidently considers questions about need and worth, race and privilege, philanthropy and generosity, passion and obsession," per the publisher.
In Anna Montague's latest novel, which was released this month and is narrated by actress Cynthia Nixon, it's nearly Magda Eklund's seventieth birthday. Still in the throes of grief after her best friend Sara's death, Magda reads Sara's journal and finds a final directive: a road trip to celebrate Magda's birthday. With that, Magda heads out on her trip with Sara's urn alongside her. The story unfolds as Magda makes her way across the country, from a women's retreat in Texas to a jazz funeral in New Orleans. This story takes listeners on a wild ride as Magda learns more about her own identity (and Sara's) along the way.
In this work of nonfiction, which is already a New York Times bestseller, climate scientist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson challenges environmental doom with the open-ended, inspiring question: "What if We Get it Right?" Through essays and conversations, data and poetry, Johnson shares solutions for a brighter, more livable future that we can all be a part of.
Already a popular book on Goodreads and a bestseller on the Amazon charts, this mystery is clearly on more than a few fall reading lists. It follows Sydney Shaw, a woman looking for her Mr. Right in the notoriously difficult New York City dating scene. When she lands a new boyfriend who seems perfect (he's a handsome doctor at her local hospital) Sydney thinks she's in luck, but all may not be as it seems. News of a brutal murder just broke and the primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.
From New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir, "Heir" is a young adult novel that intertwines the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, devastation, greed and love, all approaching their situations from different positions. One central character is a girl in the Kegari slums, another is the crown prince of the Martial Empire. Throughout the novel, these characters embark on a journey that may cost them their lives (and hearts), according to the publisher.
"Blue Sisters" is already TODAY-approved, as it was September's Read with Jenna book club pick. It follows three remarkable sisters -- Avery, a recovering heroin addict turned responsible lawyer, Bonnie, a former boxer who's now a Los Angeles bouncer, and Lucky, a Paris-based model -- as they navigate grief in the wake of their fourth sister's death. Now, the apartment they were raised in is up for sale and the three women decide to return to New York in an attempt to save it.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson -- born "Ketanji Onyika," which translates to "Lovely One" -- invites listeners to learn more about her life beyond her acclaimed career. In her memoir, Jackson traces "her family's ascent from segregation to her confirmation on America's highest court within the span of one generation," per the publisher. From a young girl with big ambitions to graduating magna cum laude from Harvard and later being appointed to the Supreme Court, Justice Jackson's story is one for dreamers.
Already a national bestseller, "Society of Lies" follows protagonist Maya, who has just returned to her alma mater, Princeton. She's there for her college reunion and her younger sister, Naomi, who is set to graduate, making this trip extra special. But all goes woefully awry when Naomi is found dead -- and Maya suspects that it wasn't all an accident. In a novel filled with suspense, Maya is forced to interrogate the bonds formed in elite college societies, to consider questions of privilege and to reckon with the responsibilities of familial love.
In "Tell Me Everything," the Pulitzer Prize winning author Elizabeth Strout returns to her regular cast of characters in the town of Crosby, Maine. Bob Burgess, the town lawyer, is involved in the murder investigation of a quiet-living, isolated man who's been accused of murdering his own mother. All the while, Burgess has also fallen into a loving friendship with an acclaimed writer, Lucy Barton, who lives down the street with her ex-husband, William. Lucy and Bob discuss their lives, fears, regrets and hopes, all while they deal with their own set of circumstances. The novel sheds light on love and the ways relationships hold us together, according to the publisher.
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