Reading on the road: the best audiobooks for road trips

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, narrated by Ariadne Meyers

This is a subtly creepy story of kids on summer vacation on the family island, but with a killer plot twist.

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, narrated by Katherine Kellgren

Full disclosure: a librarian* told us about this delightful series, and recommended it even for grownups. The children in question more closely resemble wild animals than actual children; they were rescued, if that is the word, by the wealthy and well-meaning owners of Ashton Place. Luckily there’s a plucky young governess to handle matters appropriately. Or not.

*Truly, we love libraries and librarians—rumours of any beef between booksellers and librarians are entirely baseless.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, narrated by Jesse Bernstein

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes, narrated by Christopher Raglan

This book is simply marvelous. Fast-paced, smart and surprising, it ties several seemingly unrelated evil acts together in a race against time and a puzzle only one man can solve: The Pilgrim.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known. If you love it and there’s still road ahead, we have good news: it’s part of a trilogy.

The Passage by Justin Cronin, narrated by Edward Hermann

This is also the first of a trilogy. An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions.

The Outsider by Stephen King, narrated by Will Patton

Pretty much anything by Stephen King will do the trick, but this one has had some special accolades, with some calling it a high point of King’s later career.

Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley, narrated by Michael Boatman

It’s easy to fall in love with Rawlins. Easy Rawlins, L.A.'s most reluctant detective, comes home one day to find Easter, the daughter of his friend Christmas Black, waiting for him on his doorstep. Easy knows that this could only mean that the ex-marine Black is probably dead—or will be soon.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara, narrated by Patton Oswalt, Gabra Zackman and Gillian Flynn

The haunting, true account of one woman’s obsessive search for the Golden State Killer, the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by by Elizabeth Gilbert

Multi-talented author Elizabeth Gilbert, most notably of Eat, Pray, Love fame, discusses how to live your best, most creative self—without fear.

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan

This is a brilliant and brave investigation into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs—and the spellbinding story of Pollan’s own life-changing psychedelic experiences.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson, narrated by Roger Wayne

Stop trying so hard to be happy. There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, says Manson. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience.

Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe by Bill Bryson

Bryson brings his special brand of humour to travel writing as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet and heads for Europe, wandering from Hammerfest in the far north, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia.

​Bangkok 8 by John Burdett, narrated by B.D. Wong

Electrifying, darkly comic and razor-edged, this is a thriller unlike any other. It’s thick with the authentic—and hallucinogenic—atmosphere of Bangkok and crowded with astonishing characters, each peculiarly smart and strange.

The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston, narrated by Bill Mumy

Here are the elements of this ripping yarn: a five-hundred-year-old legend; an ancient curse; a stunning medical mystery; and a pioneering journey into the uncharted heart of the world's densest jungle.