We are big book readers/listeners. I (Chrissie) always have one book going on my Kindle, and one on my Audible. I listen to an Audible any time I get in the car alone (I lean towards fiction, historical fiction, and biography/autobiography), whether for a short drive or a longer one. When headed out on a road trip I make sure I have a great option ready to launch that will also appeal to others in the car.
So here are each of our recs for Fab5 Audible books.
Chrissie’s Fab5 Audible Picks:
I’ve recommended books based on who’s riding shotgun with me on the road trip, as the passenger makes a big difference to my recommendation!
Traveling with my husband: Beneath a Scarlet Sky
Based on a true story, the book is about a courageous young Italian man and his true-life experiences during WWII. It’s a great read (and apparently being made into a movie).
Other option for traveling with my husband: Stories I Only Tell My Friends
Rob Lowe’s autobiography is a must listen-to for anyone who grew up in the 80’s, as he tells the stories of his childhood and rise to stardom. Great road trip book.
Traveling with one of my young adult sons:Born a Crime
Trevor Noah narrates this autobiography of his younger life growing up in South Africa. It’s thoughtful, it’s funny, it’s inspiring. It’s a must-read. And his voice is magic.
Traveling solo:The Mountains Sing
A friend recommended this to me a year or so ago and now I tell everyone to read it! It’s a beautifully written novel about a grandmother and her granddaughter and their lives in Vietnam during two different wars. I couldn’t put it down.
Traveling with a girlfriend: Lessons in Chemistry
I read this a year ago, right before it became ‘the book of 2022’, and quickly saw why it was going to be such a bestseller. It follows a female scientist in ‘50’s America as she battles all of the stereotypes of women to find a way to be ‘allowed’ to use her brain as she navigates life.
Traveling with a parent: Running with Sherman
I tell everyone to read this book. My husband (a runner) will tell you it’s about a runner prepping a rescued donkey for a race. I will tell you it’s about the Amish community the runner (and donkey) live in, the community that lives for this endurance burro race in Colorado, and how this donkey ends up having such a huge impact on so many people. My husband and I both loved it.
PS. Besides Verity, which is on my to-read list, I’ve read all of Jo’s recs below and LOVE all of them! Elephant Whisperer is one of my all-time favorite books!
Joanne’s Fab5 Audible Picks:
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I’ve listened to this audible twice. Tom Hanks reads it masterfully, bringing each character alive. It’s got a little bit of everything: family drama featuring a mother who abandoned her kids, a tight sibling bond between a sister and brother, an evil-stepmother, all surrounding an obsession with an iconic family home.
Verity by Colleen Hoover. We listened to this as a family on a 10-hour drive and sat in the stationary car at our destination to hear the ending. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. How can this arrangement go wrong? It can and does in so many ways!
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony. I was captivated by this story! When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of “rogue” wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But, he was the herd’s last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn’t take them. I learned so much about these huge yet sympathetic creatures and the characters that took them in.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. I’m a huge Amor Towles fan and loved Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow. His latest book is a great audible as each chapter is narrated by a different character. Set in June 1954, it follows brothers Emmett and Billy Watson who plan to leave their home in Nebraska, and travel along the Lincoln Highway, America’s first transcontinental highway, to San Francisco, where they hope to start a new life. Of course, it isn’t as easy as all that and a few other characters join in to complicate the journey.
Me by Elton John and read by Taron Egerton, who played him in the movie Rocketman. I love a good rocker autobiography and Elton provides. What a life he has lived! It is amazing he is still alive. I had no idea he was besties with Billie Jean King and Lady Gaga among others and had a squash court in his house, unusable as it was filled to the brim with boxes from his shopping addiction. But, he overcame his many addictions, started an AIDS foundation, found love, became a father, and all this makes Me a great underdog story.
