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Woe to the year that has a new David Sedaris book and it doesn’t land on this list! Sedaris is a founding father of the current audiobook renaissance; The Santaland Diaries taught a lot of listeners the power that a strange little man’s supreme comic timing can bring to a text which is already extremely funny on paper. In his new collection, life before and during the pandemic goes on and Sedaris is there to record it, a little older but still so strange.

A wry reflection from a gay Republican operative who watched his party become unrecognizable, except that he can see how he helped put it on that path. A mix of insightful observance, genuine mea culpas, and catty score-settling, this is one of the best political books of the last few years because it matches the tone of the times. It’s not breathless gossip or written in faux stentorian tones or normalizing by-the-book reportage. It’s angry and confused and truth-seeking in a world with few remaining norms. And Josh Bloomberg’s narration feels like the thoughts are being formulated in the moment, as in a particularly informative one-sided conversion, and I love having those.

I’m not sure exactly what genre this is, but whatever it is, it’s cozy — one of the biggest trends we’ve got going. This is the second volume in this series and that allows Becky Chambers to do less world building and more world luxuriating. One thing I love about audiobooks is that I often form associations with where I was while listening (when reading physical books, I was almost always in the chair, or possibly in the other chair). I listened to most of A Prayer for the Crown-Shy in Mount Tabor Park, luxuriating.

This book, as written, has a distinctive narrator who brings the reader into his skewed perspective which divulging little about his prior life. Jonathan Dee’s novel utilizes numerous tropes from books that could be characterized as avatars of toxic masculinity and twists and interrogates them. The book doesn’t satirize them, but it does simultaneously undermine and fear them. But all that’s in the background while the main narrative works a successful neo-noir. Narrator Chris Andrew Ciulla is able to bring that narrative to life while allowing the space to consider the background themes. This is an audiobook in which both sides are doing two things at once, and doing them very well.

This novel is a bit discursive and more than a little charming. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it if I had read the physical book, but it’s definitely the kind of novel that I love to listen to. A man remembers a remarkable teacher — there isn’t much more that, but it’s Julian Barnes, so there doesn’t have to be — and Justin Avoth enrichens everything with his delivery.

When I pressed play on this one, I thought: “wow, what fabulous character actress did they get to narrate this?” It was the author, Elizabeth McCracken, who is not a character actress but is fabulous, including as a narrator of this short novel. She insists at multiple times that this is a work of fiction — reader: I doubt it — but the truth of her performance is unquestionable.

Speaking of voice! Speaking of authors narrating their own work! Speaking of novels of dubious levels of fiction! Speaking of less world building required in the second (and superior) volume! May I present: Either/Or, written and read by Elif Batuman.

This is the only work of nonfiction on this list that isn’t a personal narrative, but Dan Charnas is so invested in telling the story of his subject’s life and legacy, that it feels very personal, indeed. This is one of the best books of 2022, hands down, so it’s a great bonus that the audiobook — which uses some subtle production techniques to illustrate music theory and give the feel of a well-made podcast — is also one of the best of the year, hands down.

Truly, this may be the book of the year, if sales and impact are any guide (not to be proscriptive, but they definitely are). Shocking, moving, often very funny, and told by someone who is gifted on the mic. Seriously, I can’t believe you haven’t listened to this yet.

Yes, another book by an actress! I have a type! Betty Gilpin (who I know best from the late, lamented Glow) has written a wild and fearless collection of essays that are so perceptive and smart and hilarious. Look, this list is unranked — and I can’t believe I’m saying this when David Sedaris is on the list — but Gilpin’s delivery is the best: funny, self-aware, piercing. I have a type!