From gripping thrillers to poignant memoirs, the 21st century has had no shortage of unforgettable books. To celebrate the standout storytelling of our modern era, we're launching Best of the Century So Far-a curated audiobook collection of titles released each year between 2001 and 2025, hand picked by our North American audiobook editors.
For the Record caught up with a few of the editors behind the collection to discover which books earned their personal number one spot, and why these stories should be on everyone's radar.
Ling Ma's Severance (2018) is truly one of my favorites of all time. It's a razor-sharp, bleakly funny reckoning with what it means to sleepwalk through work, routine, and the end of the world-and the most unputdownable indictment of late-stage capitalism I've ever read. -Katie del Rosario, Associate Director, Audiobooks Editorial
Any list of my all-time favorite books would have to start with Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad (2010). At first glance, it's the story of an aging punk rocker's descent into obscurity as he's battered by the inevitable passage of time-but the book's magic is in its reminder that our stories live on, in the fabric of memory, long after we're gone. -Zack Knoll, Senior Editor, Audiobooks
Piranesi (2020) by Susanna Clarke is a singular experience. It's dreamy and labyrinthine, with a tinge of horror, all anchored by one of the most endearing protagonists you'll ever meet. The audiobook, which I've listened to three times, no less, is a treat for the ears. Who can resist narration by Chiwetel Ejiofor?! -Lena Yang, Senior Editor, Audiobooks
A forever favorite-and pure magic in audio-The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017) by Taylor Jenkins Reid sweeps you into a world of love, sacrifice, and heartbreak. -Annie Pritchard, Senior Editor, Audiobooks
I have to go with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2008) by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. It's everything I love in a book, and the multi-cast audiobook really elevates it. It's epistolary (told through letters) so each character is sharing their own perspective. You get all these different voices and a kind of intimacy that's hard to achieve outside of an epistolary novel. This style of storytelling is my favorite. -Jamie Belardo, Managing Editor, Audiobooks
Did your favorites make our list? Check out the Best of the Century So Far audiobook collection on Spotify now.
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