12 Audiobooks to Help You Start Fresh

With the new year in full swing, now is the perfect time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. Start the year off strong by investing in yourself and turning to inspiring audiobooks that will help you set your goals and intentions. We’ve compiled a few of our favorites below to get you started, or you can browse the full booklist for more healthy listens.

And, if that’s not enough, we’ve got even more inspiring audiobooks for you all for $7 and under! From now until January 25, take advantage of our Health & Wellness sale and make self-care your priority this year.



Inspiring Memoirs


Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu, narrated by Nadia Owusu

In the tradition of The Glass Castle, a deeply felt memoir from Whiting Award–winner Nadia Owusu about the push and pull of belonging, the seismic emotional toll of family secrets, and the heart it takes to pull through.

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Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey, narrated by Matthew McConaughey

I’ve been in this life for fifty years, been trying to work out its riddle for forty-two, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last thirty-five. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.

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Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate, narrated by Christie Tate

Group is the deliciously original debut memoir of a guarded, over-achieving, self-lacerating young lawyer, Christie Tate, who gives listeners a front row seat to the daring, exhilarating, painful, and hilarious journey that is group therapy—an under-explored process that breaks you down, and then reassembles you so that all the pieces finally fit.

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Mindful Practices


Keep Sharp: How to Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay M.D . Gupta, narrated by Sanjay M.D . Gupta

Keep your brain young, healthy, and sharp with this science-driven guide to protecting your mind from decline by neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta.

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Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On, Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life That’s Beautiful Again by Lysa TerKeurst, narrated by Lysa TerKeurst and Gabe Wicks

Have you ever felt stuck in a cycle of unresolved pain, playing offenses over and over in your mind? You know you can’t go on like this, but you don’t know what to do next. Lysa TerKeurst has wrestled through this journey. But in surprising ways, she’s discovered how to let go of bound-up resentment and overcome the resistance to forgiving people who aren’t willing to make things right.

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The Greatest Secret by Rhonda Byrne, narrated by a full cast

Beloved bestselling author Rhonda Byrne launched a global phenomenon with the publication of The Secret in 2006. This life-altering work helped readers understand the untapped powers that reside within. But Rhonda’s journey was far from over as something inside her urged her to seek more wisdom. She spent fourteen years searching until she uncovered the universal truth contained in this audiobook.

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Change Your Habits


Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick by Jen Sincero, narrated by Jen Sincero

New York Times bestselling author Jen Sincero gets to the core of transformation: habits–breaking, making, understanding, and sticking with them like you’ve never stuck before.

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Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol by Holly Whitaker, narrated by Holly Whitaker

Written in a relatable voice that is honest and witty, Quit Like a Woman is at once a groundbreaking look at drinking culture and a road map to cutting out alcohol in order to live our best lives without the crutch of intoxication.

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Atomic Habits by James Clear, narrated by James Clear

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

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Navigating Relationships


Relationship Goals Challenge: Thirty Days from Good to Great by Michael Todd, narrated by Aaron Goodson

Based on the #1 New York Times bestseller Relationship Goals and the author’s wildly popular sermon series, this 30-day challenge helps you take your relationship from good to great!

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Single On Purpose: Redefine Everything. Find Yourself First. by John Kim, narrated by John Kim

The author of I Used to Be a Miserable F*ckThe Angry Therapist, now teaches you how to prioritize your relationship with yourself and live a more meaningful life, whether you’re alone, dating, or with a partner.

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Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow, narrated by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman

An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, Big Friendship will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.

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STAFF PICK: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Title: The Alchemist
Author: Paulo Coelho
Narrator: Jeremy Irons

It is my shared Brazilian heritage with author, Paulo Coelho, which led me to his highly acclaimed novel, The Alchemist. This audiobook clocks in at just over four hours and despite its short listening time, I would not classify it as a light read. This novel took me longer than usual to finish, because unlike other audiobooks which I can listen to while multi-tasking, I had to devote my undivided attention to The Alchemist in order to fully appreciate it.

The protagonist in this novel is a young Spanish shepherd by the name of Santiago. Early on in the novel, he has a reoccurring dream about hidden treasure buried beneath the Egyptian pyramids.  Determined to find it, he sets out on a long voyage across the Mediterranean and Sahara. Along the way, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery; Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote “life is a journey, not a destination” holds especially true throughout the trek. On his quest, he becomes rich in more ways than one as he acquires a plethora of knowledge from those he meets along the way.

The narration of this book was an adventure in and of itself, as Jeremy Irons brought each character to life using distinctive voices.  He used a confidant voice to portray the alchemist as powerful and intelligent, whereas Santiago came across as a free spirit due to the whimsical narration of his character.  Jeremy Irons achieved a perfect harmony between enriching the story and maintaining integrity throughout the narration.

I’ve wracked my brain trying to determine the most influential lesson from The Alchemist; however, it was impossible to choose just one, so I’ve narrowed it down to the top three:

  1. We are all on a journey; some of us know where we’re going and others have yet to figure it out – and that’s okay! As Coelho said “To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation”. This discovery is not to be rushed; everyone works at their own pace. For some, this might only take a year, for others, it could take a lifetime. But one thing is for sure, once you’ve figured it out “…all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
  2. Fear is your biggest opponent. Coelho put it best when he said “tell your heart the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.” When tackling any new challenge for the first time, it is inevitable that you will face uncertainty. This element of unknown can be frightening. However, sometimes it is necessary to step outside of your comfort zone to obtain worthwhile results.
  3. Never give up on your dreams. As cliché as it may sound, if Santiago had given up on his quest to find treasure, he may never have met his wife, or the alchemist.  Instead he learned “the secret of life… is to fall seven times and to get up eight times”. I think we can all demonstrate this resilience in various facets of our lives. Whether that be applying feedback to improve a poor grade in school, never giving up when the opposing team has the lead in a sports game or not letting career setbacks hold you back from achieving your dream job.

Both moving and thought provoking, it’s easy to see why The Alchemist is regarded as one of Coelho’s best literary works.  Not only is the novel is filled with powerful life lessons, but there is also an abundance of allusions, metaphors and symbols.  Can you spot them all?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, share your favorite quote or takeaway from The Alchemist below!