Daisy Jones & The Six

Without a doubt, Daisy Jones & The Six is one of the most riveting full cast audiobooks I’ve listened to in a long time (even my husband, who hates romance, got invested in the storyline).

It’s the kind of audiobook you’ll want to listen to in one sitting (if you can) because the narration fits the characters perfectly (author Taylor Jenkins Reid had a huge say in picking the giant cast). The book is laid out like an oral history. And the band it follows feels so viscerally real (despite all the tropes of sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll), you’d be forgiven for YouTubing Honeycomb live performance (which I did on more than one occasion).

Most of the main characters were grating (with the exception of Camila). And while that normally turns me off, I loved that about Daisy Jones & The Six. It made the story all the more real.

Sadie

First things first, Sadie is an extremely dark book (insert every trigger warning under the sun here). Somehow, I thought it would be light (as it’s marketed as a young adult novel) but nope. This book is tough to swallow (and I still haven’t fully stomached it).

But that being said, Sadie is hands-down one of the best full cast audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. The book is set up like a true-crime podcast and as a result, it’s the kind of title that needs to be listened to not read.

It’s a story of revenge and abuse and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. But it’s also a thriller that keeps you on your toes (you find yourself rooting for the narrator trying to find missing 19-year Sadie).

Orange World

I’ve been a longtime fan of Karen Russell (ever since reading Swamplandia, followed by Vampires In The Lemon Grove). Russell’s short stories are quick to digest (and the stylistically creepy-but-comedic setup reminds me of Tim Burton’s films).

Each story in Orange World is taken on by a different narrator. And weird doesn’t even begin to describe the tales they wind. The characters find themselves in kooky, crazy, bloody, horrifying situations but Russell’s words are woven so beautifully, you won’t be able to pull away!

Six Of Crows

I’m completely obsessed with Six Of Crows. It’s a young adult heist novel written by the brilliant Leigh Bardugo (the kind of author whose writing you can’t get enough of). The storyline follows a group of criminal con artists led by Kaz (whom I’m decidedly in love with so far, despite all his flaws).

It’s worth a read for the characterization alone. And Six Of Crows feels like an adult novel (if you had told me the teens were in their late twenties, I wouldn’t have batted an eye), which adds to the charm. This is the kind of book that you can quickly devour audiobook or no audiobook (but that doesn’t mean we don’t love the narration as well).

Poirot’s Finest Cases

Although I hold David Suchet in the highest regard as the best Poirot, John Moffat did an excellent job in the BBC radio productions that have since been compiled into Poirot’s Finest Cases. This is hands-down one of the most entertaining full-cast audiobooks I have ever listened to (and as they are cozy mysteries, they aren’t heavy and can be listened to in one sitting).

Poirot’s Finest Cases is a full-cast audiobook set which I didn’t realize upon purchase (so you’ll receive The ABC Murders, After The Funeral, Death On The Nile, Peril At End House, The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, Murder On The Orient Express, Three Act Tragedy, and Mysterious Affair At Styles all at once).