Booksology Compared to 2024, the top nonfiction audiobooks of 2025 were published much more recently, with most of them just released in the last few years. Celebrity memoirs dominate the list, with most authors publishing their own audiobooks. Next, let’s compare the top nonfiction list to the overall audiobook list.
Premium Global Top Audiobooks of 2025
- 4th wing Written by Rebecca Yaross, narrated by Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
- lights out Written by Nabessa Allen, narrated by Elena Wolfe, Jacob Morgan
- iron flame Written by Rebecca Yaross, narrated by Rebecca Soler, Teddy Hamilton
- Courtyard of thorns and roses Written by Sarah J. Maas, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
- Court of Fog and Fury Written by Sarah J. Maas, narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
- mother’s house Written by Shari Franke, narrated by Shari Franke
- wedding people Written by Alison Espack, narrated by Helen Laser
- Wings and Ruined Courtyard Written by Sarah J. Maas, narrated by Amanda Lee Cobb
- quicksilver Written by Callie Hart, Narrated by Stella Bloom, Anthony Palmini
- Great Big Beautiful Life Written by Emily Henry, narrated by Julia Whelan
Top New Audiobook Releases of 2025
- mother’s house Written by Shari Franke, narrated by Shari Franke
- Great Big Beautiful Life Written by Emily Henry, narrated by Julia Whelan
- tenant Written by Frieda McFadden, narrated by Will Damron, Christine Lakin
- deep end Written by Ali Hazelwood, narrated by Will Damron, Christine Lakin
- please say you remember me Written by Abby Jimenez, narrated by Christine Lakin, Matt Lanter
- The Clash Written by Frieda McFadden, narrated by Leslie Howard
- caught up Written by Nabessa Allen, narrated by Teddy Hamilton, Kasi Hollowell, Jason June
- atmosphere Written by Taylor Jenkins-Reid, narrated by Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan, Taylor Jenkins-Reid
- Everything is tuberculosis Written by John Green, narrated by John Green
- Troubled summer romance Written by Ali Hazelwood, Narrated by Elizabeth Lamont, Eric Nolan
- a careless person Written by Sarah Wynne Williams, narrated by Sarah Wynne Williams
- a golden summer Written by Carly Fortune, narrated by AJ Bridell, Carly Fortune
- fearless Written by Lauren Roberts, narrated by Cecily Bednar Schmidt, Chase Brown, Jared Zeus, Lauren Roberts
All three of these lists are based on data, so it’s interesting to see the listening habits of Spotify users. A typical top list of audiobooks includes only a few nonfiction titles. And just like last year, the list is very white. But Spotify’s audiobook editors have once again supplemented these data-driven lists with curated lists aimed at helping listeners expand their musical horizons. There’s an editor’s list, Best Debuts, Best Indies, and several different genre lists. Compared to last year, we expanded our list of nonfiction to include memoir, self-help, celebrity, history, and general nonfiction. Expanding this editing feature has been my biggest request since last year, and I’m grateful that Spotify has pushed itself to include more types of audiobooks and different genres of nonfiction.
If you’re interested in more diverse titles, check out Libro.fm’s list of audiobooks by popular BIPOC women writers. It includes: good dirt Written by Charmaine Wilkerson, narrated by January Lavoie. Harlem Rhapsody: Written by Victoria Christopher Murray, narrated by Robin Miles. Sucker Punch, Essays by Sucker Punch, Narration by Sucker Punch. Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools by Mary Annette Pember.
While perusing Spotify’s 2025 list, I noticed that the audiobook narrator’s name was not listed in the list view. To see the narrator for each audiobook, you’ll need to click through to learn more about each title. Narrators are essential to the success of an audiobook, and I wish they were featured more prominently. This also helps listeners follow their favorite narrators and discover other titles they’ve appeared in.
Spotify is still late in the audiobook game compared to its biggest competitors Audible and Libro.fm. Over the past two years, the company has made great strides in providing a unique experience for audiobook lovers. But they have a lot of room to make up. Only time will tell if their efforts to make Spotify a hub for all your music needs will be successful.
You can find me on my Substack Winchester Ave, Instagram @kdwinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to contact me at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For more book content, check out my article on Book Riot.
