Grab your ear buds and turn on one of these stories so good you won’t want to turn it off! This list is packed full of audiobooks so good that they were turned into movies! From action and suspense to mystery, romance, or light hearted reading, this list has a little bit of everything!
This post is sponsored by Audible. My recommendations, thoughts, love for reading and books turned to movies is all just me!
I am so ready for summer. And by so ready, I mean I pretty much checked out completely about three weeks ago. After a long winter, stuck inside, and lots of snow the sunshine and warm breeze are like an old friend I haven’t seen in far too long hugging me tight. I am moving from school year mode where we have multiple school schedules, lots of activities to shuttle to and from, and all the other commitments sandwiched in between, to the somewhat more relaxed pace of summer.
Summer is my favorite but we really don’t operate on a schedule for those lazy summer months, and when we don’t have a schedule, as silly as it may sound, it is sometimes hard to make time for those extra things you love to do like read, since you don’t have the same time you are doing things or have downtime each day.
I always love to have a summer reading list. We do it with our kids, and I love it just as much for me. When we are bouncing around and doing all sorts of different activities, pool days, or vacations, it is so helpful to have a list of books on hand for when I am ready for a new read. With all the craziness though, I find it even easier to keep up with my list by listening to audiobooks on Audible.
What I love about Audiobooks is that I can listen while I am doing a lot of the things I have to get done anyway. Swimming lessons? Pop on the ear buds while I wait. Piles of dishes after a bunch of kids came over to play? Put it on the speakers in the kitchen while I am cleaning up. Road trip? My audiobook makes the trip fly by! The best part is that you can access your Audible account from all of your devices so you never lose your place in your book, no matter how quickly or leisurely you are listening or how many times you need to change places you are listening.
If you haven’t tried Audible, you can grab a free 30 day trial to see how it works for you! They have such a comprehensive library with seemingly endless selections, that anything you want to read will likely be found there. Plus I love that it recommends other books people have downloaded that are similar to what I am reading so I always find so many new reads for my list.
15+ Audiobooks Made into Movies
With all the new releases out for summer, I have a lot of audiobooks on my list that are inspired by movies, because I have a rule that I can’t see a movie unless I have read the book first! Some are old but I loved them, and some are new releases so I want to make sure and get it read so I can get into the theater. There is tons of variety in this list, so hopefully it will keep you entertained and your audiobook list full through road trips, days at the pool, and all of your summer activities!
- The Glass Castle– This book is highly anticipated by many because the book is so deeply loved! It is a memoir that retells the story of a woman who who grew up in a highly dysfunctional family. Even though she struggled constantly, she learned to love unconditionally despite all of the circumstances life can bring.
- The Help– This well loved book recounts the era of segregation and how that looked in a small southern town. It will make you laugh, cry, swell with pride and tear up in disappointment. The narration is so powerful, that you won’t feel like you are listening to an audiobook, but instead sitting around the table in Mississippi listening to three women tell you their story.
- Wonder– This heartwarming story is one that you can enjoy with your kids and all leave with simple life lessons on empathy. Auggie is a normal kid with a facial deformity that leaves his appearance anything but normal. Having been homeschooled up to this point, he starts the 5th grade in mainstream school as we listen to how his deformity impacts not only him but the other students, teachers, family and friends. This is a beautifully written story of family, friendship, acceptance, and the never-ending struggle to fit in, with the heart-lifting message of spreading love and joy.
- The Girl on the Train– If you like plot twists, suspense, and a story to have you sitting on the edge of your seat this might just be the audiobook for you. In this fast paced book, Jess sees what she thinks is the perfect couple each day as she passes their house on the train, but in a strange twist of fate, she becomes entwined in their their story.
- The Queen of Katwe- This is another great audiobook to listen to your kids this summer! It is the astonishing true story of Phiona Mutesi, a teenager from the slums of Kampala, Uganda, who – inspired by an unlikely mentor, a war refugee turned missionary – becomes an international chess champion.
- The Martian- This book is so good, it has not only been turned into a movie, but the audiobook is one of the most highly rated on Audible! It is the story of courage, determination and endurance. Mark Watney just became the first person to walk on Mars and now they might become his last steps. Through a series of unfortunate events and failures it seems impossible for Mark to get back, but will he make the impossible possible? This story is packed with the rare combination of suspense and humor that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat one minute and belly laughing the next.
- The Great Gatsby- This is a classic you might have read in High School, but if you are like me, and don’t remember much, it is a great audiobook to listen to so you can pull out details that you never caught in those high school years!
- Gone Girl- If you need something that will make a long roadtrip fly by this summer, Gone Girl is it! This fast-paced psychological thriller alternates accounts of Nick and Amy and how their marriage went toxically wrong. This novel will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but keep you guessing each minute as to who is the good guy and who is the bad.
- Before I Fall- This YA novel is enjoyed by young and old adults alike. It seems that it is you typical book about a teenage girl on a road to self discovery but it so much more! If today was your last, what would you do? How would you live? Samantha Kingston gets a second chance to do it all over and as she untangles the mystery that leads to her death, she gets more than she bargained for.
- 1984- Another classic, this book is often referred to as the ultimate dystopia novel. Even though 1984 has come and gone this listen is still as poignant as ever with our future “perfect” society becoming unraveled with all of the things that aren’t quite so for the people after all.
- Hidden Figures- This uplifting audiobook is one I so look forward to sharing with my daughter when she gets older. It is a story of hopes, dreams and determination and shows that no matter who you are and what obstacles you face, you can achieve your dreams!
- The Mountain Between Us- This unlikely love story begins as two strangers are stranded in a plane crash on a mountain with injuries and little chance to survive. It follows their journey of love and self discovery as they band together to make their way to safety.
- The Choice- This is a classic Nicolas Sparks love novel that tugs on your heartstrings all while keeping your heart full. This story follows a couple through young love, marriage, and family and asks the question of how far would you go and would you make the hard choices for love.
- Inferno- Dan Brown seamlessly fusing codes, symbols, art, and history into this riveting thriller that have captivated hundreds of millions of fans around the world. This thought-provoking novel challenges the norms of history when Robert Langston awakens in the hospital having been admitted for a head wound. He has to unravel the mystery of how and why he got there and uncovers so much more in the process.
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- This trilogy is a murder mystery, love story and family saga all tied into one addictive plot. An unlikely love story evolves as Mikael and Lisbeth are brought together to figure out the mystery of why a young girl disappeared many years ago.
- The Nightingale- This highly rated audiobook is sure not to disappoint! Set in France during WWII, this story follows two sisters who fight against the Nazis in very different but equally important ways.
BONUS
These two books weren’t made into movies, but television mini series, but have both received so many great reviews that I wanted to include them!
- The Handmaid’s Tale- This book has been acclaimed for decades and has been recorded in a special edition with narration from Claire Danes who receives rave reviews. It is a story of a woman that becomes a handmaid, whose place in society is to be used for reproductive purposes for an extremist ruling class who takes over the United States after a terrorist attack ends the government as we know it. This is a story of bravery and risk as she remembers the life she once had and joins the battle to regain.
- Big Little Lies- This number one New York Times best seller, is a murder mystery that follows three moms, their unique friendship and how they uncover the truth of what really happened that night at the school fundraiser.
Don’t forget to grab your free trial on Audible if you don’t have it so you can get some of these great books into your queue! Do you know any must-reads that has been or soon will be turned into a movie that I missed? If so, please let me know in the comments! I am always looking for new reads to add to my list too!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all mine.
Seana Turner says
I am a huge audiobook fan, and have listened to most of these. There are a few new titles to me, though, so I’ll be checking them out. Often, I’m disappointed by the movie versions, so I don’t go and see them. I am definitely a “read the book first” kind of person. Happy summer reading:)