I’m sharing my 5 favourite audiobooks with you today, but before that, let me give you a little intro…

If you know me at all, then you know I love reading. I crave diving back in to whatever good book I’m reading a couple of times a day.

When I discovered audiobooks I felt like I had been granted an extension to my reading time. Being physically active didn’t stop me any longer, as I could now listen in while doing mundane tasks, while I was walking, and while I was driving. H-E-A-V-E-N.

Without further ado, here are my favourites.

1. The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood

I was just blown away by this audiobook. The narrator’s voice and narrative emotion made me instantly fall in love with this title. The harrowing, moving story set in Gilead, tells the tale of Offred (this is not her real name), a woman forced into the role of a Handmaid after the US government was under a terrorist attack leaving the President and most of the Congress dead.
I’ve been recommended this book tens and tens of times, and I can now understand just why. Pick it up and read it. It won’t disappoint.

2. The Testaments, Margaret Atwood

Many have waited long years to read this book (30 to be exact!) – hence I feel I’m lucky to have been able to read (listen? :-)) to the sequel for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ right after I finished it. The ending to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ screams closure, and this book gives you just that.
The story picks up 15 years later, 15 years after Offred stepped into a van without her knowing if she was being imprisoned, set free, or killed. I won’t spoil it for you, so all I will say is that the story is a cleverly wound narrative of three female narrators from Gillead, and although it certainly won’t top ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, it is a must-read following the first book.

3. Everything is Figureoutable, Marie Forleo

You’ve got to be familiar with Marie Forleo to fall as intensely in love as I did with this audiobook. Marie’s one of the inspirational, multi-talented women I follow and look up to. When it comes to business, she’s seen and done it all – from humble beginnings, to being onstage with Oprah (yes!). ‘Everything is figureoutable’ is a mantra that Marie over and over – and here she teaches how to implement this powerful, life-changing way of thinking whatever or wherever you are struggling.
Her distinct, powerful voice and her fearless attitude make this audiobook come to life.

4. Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes

I was a Shonda Rhimes fan before I listened to her audiobook, then after I listened to it…well, let’s say that I am more devoted than ever.
Having written and directed ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, besides other top TV shows such as ‘Private Practice’ and ‘Scandal’ to name a few – if you don’t know about Shonda Rhimes by name yet you for sure know about her work.
The TV superstar talks about how her life changed spectacularly when she decided to start saying ‘YES’ to whatever came her way and especially what scared her to death.
This lady is a real sassy superstar. I adored her tales of ‘badassery’, her sharing her most vulnerable moments, and the raw, real truth about being a working single mum and killing it in TV industry. ‘Year of Yes’ ranks extremely high on my list of favourite audiobooks – I can’t help but want more!

5. The Tattoist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris

I was a wee bit unsure about this title. Well, to be very honest with you, most of the books I have reviewed here were not ones I would have usually picked up. However, I could very well delete and start something else at no extra cost, so that gave me the encouragement to experiment a little bit. And boy am I glad.
Right from the very beginning, the bestselling novel (which is based on a true story) had me hooked. I literally couldn’t bring myself to stop listening. In this story, a Slovakian Jew called Lale falls in love with a girl he tattooed at a concentration camp. The (excellent) narrator goes on to read the heart breaking story of how this man with a big heart sought to carve out a relatively comfortable life for himself despite the circumstances, all while caring for those around him by sneaking in food and medicine to help the other prisoners survive.
‘The Tattoist of Auschwitz’ is moving, expressive and addictive, all rolled into one.

Would you like to listen to a few of these audiobooks for free?

If you’d like to give audiobooks a try, I have an exclusive offer for you. BookBeat, which is the audiobook app that I use, have created an offer for my blog readers to get a 30 day trial completely free of charge. To sign up, you can go here. There are no commitments, you can cancel anytime (although I know you won’t! 😆 ).
Give it a shot and try out one of my favourite audiobooks – and make sure to let me know if you love it as much as I do!

Screenshot what you’ve listened to & loved, upload it to Instagram and tag me @themamamanual. I’ll share your favourites so we can all add super new audiobooks to our to-listen-to list!

PS: I’ve been asked, countless times, for my very best storage tips for putting away shoes and bags. They do take up quite a bit of space, so you need to get a little bit clever with this one. Join me live later on today at 4:30pm Malta time (GMT +2) on the Mama Manual Facebook page!