AudioFile's Best Audiobooks of 2025

AND SHE WAS LOVED by Andrea Davis Pinkney, read by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Andrea Davis Pinkney showcases her praise poem to Toni Morrison with a practiced delivery, addressing her subject as "you" throughout. Pinkney is gentle in describing Morrison’s youthful love of letters; she deepens her voice as the future Nobelist gains confidence at Howard University. Her voice swells with pride as Morrison conquers the literary world as an editor and writer before turning conversational in her author’s note. Print and audio combine for an experience worthy of Morrison’s life and legacy.

BAD BADGER by Maryrose Wood, read by Chris Devon

English narrator Chris Devon provides a warm background while bringing to life the characters in this simple and compelling tale of friendship. While Septimus loves listening to opera in his cottage by the sea, he knows that he’s a bad badger—and even questions whether he’s a badger at all. For these reasons, he’s both relieved and happy when a gull begins visiting him. Devon provides character to the one-word seagull and infuses Septimus with emotions ranging from anxiety to joy.

HOW SWEET THE SOUND by Kwame Alexander, read by Karen Murray

Every second of this dynamic production—from the bouncing notes of the opening theme to the last snapped finger—creates a musical soundscape. Narrator Karen Murray's sweet and steady tones guide the listener through a history of Black music told in rolling lines of poetry. Murray moves seamlessly from the talking drums of Africa through the origins of the blues, jazz, funk, and soul, and forward to the birth of hip-hop and rap, with many stops in between.

MILLIE FLEUR SAVES THE NIGHT by Christy Mandin, read by Elizabeth Knowelden

Simply perfect! No detail is missing from an enchanting picture-book adaptation that needs no images. An orchestral score is seamlessly layered with the sounds of nocturnal creatures and the frightened murmured voices of Garden Glen residents who are scurrying to light lanterns to keep the darkness at bay. Narrator Elizabeth Knowelden's prim English accent perfectly suits Millie and her mom, the only family with a night garden.

THE POISONED KING by Katherine Rundell, read by Sam West

Narrator Sam West effortlessly sweeps listeners along in this magnificent sequel to IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES. When Anya’s grandfather, the king of Dousha, is murdered and her beloved father is accused of the crime and imprisoned, Anya will do anything to help him. Help comes in the form of Christopher, a guardian of the magical Archipelago where Anya lives, along with a bevy of fantastical creatures. West’s immersive and deeply empathetic performance exemplifies the best of storytelling.

WHALE EYES by James Robinson, read by James Robinson

Author and narrator James Robinson combines his documentary filmmaking skills and familiarity with audiobooks to render his experience with serious visual disability in audio. Sound effects immerse the listener in Robinson’s memories, like the ticking of the school clock as impatient classmates wait while he struggles to read. He sometimes inserts the confused conversations of friends and family who are puzzling out images of the world as he sees it. Robinson's caring outlook and advice on society, specifically the disability community, is, unsurprisingly, visionary.