Starting and finishing a book in a single day can be supremely satisfying, but it’s harder than it sounds. Finding time to dedicate to reading isn’t easy, never mind several hours at a time. Audiobooks make reading more accessible, whether you’re trying to fit in a read on your commute or you aren’t able to see the text on a page.
All the audiobooks on this list are less than five hours long, so you can finish them in a single day. They’re bestsellers amongst listeners on Libro.fm, an audiobook seller that supports independent bookstores with every purchase, and include award-winning science fiction novellas, short self-help books, essay collections, and more.
“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Libro.fm
“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” is a remix of “Stamped from the Beginning,” a detailed history of racist ideas and how they continue to permeate American society. This short book was written for readers 12 and up to understand why racism still lingers, why these ideas have no merit, and how to inspire an antiracist future.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 11 minutes
“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Libro.fm
Written as a letter to his son, “Between the World and Me” is a story of Coates’ journey to understand America’s history with race and the challenges that still exist in the present. This powerful read weaves personal experiences with an emotional narrative to answer some of the greatest questions about race and how to survive in a world still impacted by racism.
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 35 minutes
“The Gifts of Imperfection” by Brené Brown
Libro.fm
This quick read is a self-help book aimed at letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be by reframing the issues we face. It encourages readers to live a wholehearted life by embracing that no matter what we accomplish, we are enough.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 31 minutes
“Why Fish Don’t Exist” by Lulu Miller
Libro.fm
“Why Fish Don’t Exist” is a fable-like nonfiction read based on the true story of a man who discovered nearly a fifth of the fish we know today and whose thousands of discoveries were ruined by lightning, fire, and an earthquake. From this anecdote, author Lulu Miller unraveled a message of how to persevere even when all seems lost.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 55 minutes
“I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness” by Austin Channing Brown
Libro.fm
“I’m Still Here” is a memoir about Austin Channing Brown’s experiences growing up in Black in a world she believes is made for whiteness despite championing diversity. This book is about her journey to find self-worth and self-love while experiencing racial hostility in majority-white schools, communities, and organizations.
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 54 minutes
“This Is How You Lose The Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Libro.fm
In this sci-fi romance read, two time-traveling agents from rival factions begin an unlikely correspondence and find love in a dying world. As their bond grows deeper, Red and Blue know only one side can win the war in this emotional and moving award-winning novella.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 15 minutes
“A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers
Libro.fm
Centuries ago, the working robots of Panga gained self-awareness and walked away from society, leaving humans to rebuild society in their own way. Now, in this cozy and hopeful novella, one of the robots has returned and asks a tea monk: “What do people need?”
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 8 minutes
“The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin
Libro.fm
Published in 1963, “The Fire Next Time” is comprised of two letters written in the emerging civil rights movement, 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It calls on readers to attack racism in America with direct, personal, and moving prose. It’s also James Baldwin’s most popular book according to Goodreads reviewers.
Audiobook Length: 2 hours and 25 minutes
“All Systems Red” by Martha Wells
Libro.fm
The first in the “Murderbot Diaries” novella series, “All Systems Red” a team of scientists are conducting research, accompanied by their requisite security android. Now self-aware, the android has hacked its own module and refers to itself as “Murderbot” and hopes to find the hacker when a nearby mission goes dark and danger lies ahead.
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 17 minutes
“How to Keep House While Drowning” by KC Davis
Libro.fm
This quick self-help read offers six principles through 31 daily thoughts to help readers approach home care without the guilt, shame, and anxiety that can shroud imperfection or incompletion. This read is great for those who struggle to stay clean and organized while dealing with stress, burnout, or other mental health challenges.
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 3 minutes
“The Deep” by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes
Libro.fm
“The Deep” is an award-winning fantasy/sci-fi novella about the underwater society built by the descendants of enslaved, pregnant African women who were thrown overboard by slave owners. Yetu, a historian, remembers the pasts too tragic for others to hold and, under the weight of it all, flees to the surface to discover the world they left behind so long ago.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 1 minute
“My Sister, the Serial Killer” by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Libro.fm
In this thriller read, Korede is determined to stick by her sister’s side, even when she’s called to clean up Ayoola’s mess once again — a third boyfriend killed in “self-defense.” But when Ayoola begins to date Korede’s crush, she worries she may have to sacrifice one person to save the other.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 14 minutes
“The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love” by Sonya Renee Taylor
Libro.fm
“The Body Is Not an Apology” is a feminist self-help book that aims to help readers, especially women, break free of the hatred and shame they’ve been taught to feel about our bodies. It looks at how many different industries and aspects of society have taught them self-hatred and how radical self-love can help heal themselves and others.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 49 minutes
“Artificial Condition” by Martha Wells
Libro.fm
In this second book in the “Murderbot Diaries” novella series, a self-aware android only has vague memories of the dark past of the massacre that earned it the name “Murderbot.” It teams up with another android to venture to the site where it once went rogue to find out what happened and why.
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 21 minutes
“Fugitive Telemetry” by Martha Wells
Libro.fm
“Fugitive Telemetry” is the award-winning sixth book in the “Murderbot Diaries” novella series. In this story, Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station and must assist security in the investigation, suspecting the GrayCris Corporation may be behind it.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 24 minutes
“Interior Chinatown” by Charles Yu
Libro.fm
Willis Wu views himself as a “Generic Asian Man,” even in his own life. When he’s thrust into the spotlight, Willis finds himself discovering the history of Chinatown, his family, and what it all means for him, in this National Book Award winner about immigration and assimilation.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 20 minutes
“Rouge Protocol” by Martha Wells
Libro.fm
The third book in the “Murderbot Diaries” novella series, “Rouge Protocol” follows Murderbot once more as it investigates the past of GrayCris, a corporation that may be behind the death of countless humans. Meanwhile, the authorities are searching for Dr. Mensah’s SecUnit (Murderbot) and blaming the doctor for the corporation’s crimes.
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 46 minutes
“Little Weirds” by Jenny Slate
Libro.fm
Narrated by the author, “Little Weirds” is a collection of essays, letters, and memories of all the delightful “little weirds” in her life, including emotional horniness, a dog who appears in dreams as a spiritual guide, and a French-kissing rabbit. Readers love this listen for its whimsical nature and highly encourage listening to the audiobook version of this memoir to get the full experience.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 19 minutes
“I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are” by Rachel Bloom
Libro.fm
This collection of funny personal essays began by wanting to feel “normal,” but realizing nearly everyone shared her feeling of being different. From female friendships to OCD, Bloom explores the relatability of being not normal with an honest and light-hearted voice.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 51 minutes
“Exit Strategy” by Martha Wells
Libro.fm
In this fourth book of the “Murderbot Diaries” space opera novella series, Murderbot is heading home to submit evidence that would not only help Dr. Mensah, its former owner, but condemn the GrayCris Corporation. When its return home isn’t as easy or straightforward as the android would have hoped, it sets off on a rescue mission once again.
Audiobook Length: 3 hours and 46 minutes
“The Undocumented Americans” by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
Libro.fm
After the 2016 election, DACA recipient Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, one of the first undocumented immigrants to graduate from Harvard, decided to write about being undocumented. This memoir combines a memorable narrative with the stories of courage and resilience from undocumented immigrants across the United States.
Audiobook Length: 4 hours and 53 minutes
