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The four new audiobook releases I’m recommending to everyone
From Gisèle Pelicot's memoir, read by Emma Thompson, to a novel about Cleopatra, read by Adjoa Andoh, these new Audible releases are must-listens
Audiobooks have never been so popular. A recent study by the National Literacy Trust found that 44.5 per cent of young people listen to books as a gateway to literature, while audio revenue for UK publishers has surged since 2023.
From prize-winning novels brought to life by A-list actor narrations, to explosive memoirs by the likes of Matthew Perry and Prince Harry, the best recordings offer audio immersion into other worlds.
The popularity of fiction and non-fiction is split pretty evenly. Crime, thriller and fantasy genres consistently top bestseller lists, while self-help guides, history books and biographies all prove popular. Reflecting the physical book charts, Rebecca Yarros’s dragon fantasy Onyx Storm, Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games prequel Sunrise on the Reaping, Richard Osman’s latest cosy crime caper, We Solve Murders, and Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory were last year’s top titles.
The prevailing app is Amazon Audible, which has 800,000 titles, and starts at £5.99 per month. Right now, the platform is offering a 30-day free trial for new customers, which includes one free audiobook of your choice. Whether you’re new to audiobooks or looking to boost your reading in 2026 (yes, I’m in the camp that counts audiobooks as reading), this month’s new releases leave you spoiled for choice.
Read more: Still thinking about Heated Rivalry? Here’s where to listen to the sequel
Gisèle Pelicot’s powerful memoir, A Hymn to Life, is narrated by Emma Thompson and recounts the widely-reported horrors she endured at the hands of her ex-husband. Belle Burden’s engrossing and beautifully written memoir, Strangers, also explores marital betrayal, narrating the fallout of her husband’s affair.
When it comes to fiction, Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi reimagines the famed Egyptian queen as a complex and human political powerhouse in the ancient world, while Patmeena Sabit’s Good People is a crime mystery with the local community playing detective. Here’s everything you need to know about this month’s best new Audible listens.
Gisele Pelicot became a global feminist icon in 2024 after she waived her right to anonymity in the French court. In a case that shocked and appalled the world, her ex-husband received the maximum sentence of imprisonment for repeatedly drugging and allowing dozens of other men to rape his wife for nearly a decade. Pelicot’s memoir recounts both the assaults and the life preceding them, from her two careers and retirement in the South of France to her three children. The seven hour audiobook production is read by Emma Thompson.
Saara El-Arifi’s novel Cleopatra is told as a first-person memoir, setting out to reclaim the narrative surrounding the ancient Egyptian queen. Instead of focusing solely on her death, romances and role as a ‘seductress’, it portrays her as a compassionate, powerful and politically strategic queen, protecting her kingdom and children. Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh brings the pages to life in the audiobook recording.
A postmortem of the breakdown of her marriage, Belle Burden‘s memoir Strangers begins with her husband of 20 years announcing he was leaving. Delving into their seemingly happy marriage, its sudden end and his affair, the novel has the pacing of a true crime novel. It’s deeply personal and evocatively written, with Burden lending her own voice to the reading – adding extra intimacy.
Part crime mystery, part state-of-the-nation novel, Patmeena Sabit’s debut Good People follows the Sharaf family. Afghan refugees who have achieved the American dream living in Northern Virginia, after fleeing their country during the Russian invasion, their world is turned upside down by the suspicious death of their eldest daughter, Zorah. When the community plays detective, the family is forced into the court of public opinion. Narrated by a full cast on Audible, the novel’s multiple perspectives are brought to vivid life.
Looking for more recommendations? Discover more of the best audiobooks in our expert guide
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