10 Ways to Listen to Audiobooks this Holiday Season

Get into the holiday spirit with fun activities and their perfect audiobook companions!

1. Cross country skiing or snow shoeing
Gliding or trekking through a powdery forest is exhilarating enough, but listening to a suspenseful audiobook makes the experience even more spine-tingling.

Someone Like Me by M. R. Carey, narrated by Robin Miles

Someone Like Me.

Liz Kendall wouldn’t hurt a fly. Even when times get tough, she’s devoted to bringing up her two kids in a loving home. But there’s another side to Liz: one that’s dark and malicious. She’ll do anything to get her way, no matter how extreme. And when this other side of her takes control, the consequences are devastating. But love her or hate her, there are two sides to every story…
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2. Decorating a gingerbread house
Whether you’re making a gingerbread house as a form of home decor or for the sake of a seasonal treat, this holiday tradition is even better with a cozy gingerbread mystery.

Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Leslie MeierLaura Levine and Joanne Fluke, narrated by Suzanne Toren

Gingerbread Cookie Murder.

In this batch of sweet, short murder mysteries, three cooks don’t spoil the broth. New York Times best-selling author Joanne Fluke pens the title story, in which a box of Hannah Swensen’s gingerbread cookies is found near the corpse of her neighbor. Popular co-authors Laura Levine and Leslie Meier offer ‘The Dangers of Gingerbread Cookies’ and ‘Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots,’ respectively.
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3. Writing holiday cards
As soon as I open my mailbox and see handwriting across the envelope — instant happiness! I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, so if you’re writing cards this year, listen to a powerful memoir that will get your memories flowing.

Thanks A Lot Mr Kibblewhite by Roger Daltrey, narrated by Roger Daltrey

Thanks a Lot Mr Kibblewhite.

The frontman of The Who fought his way through school and poverty while assembling the band that would become The Who. Amidst all the music and mayhem, the drugs, the premature deaths, the ruined hotel rooms, Roger Daltrey narrates his personal story, and definitive biography of The Who, remaining sober (relatively) and observant and determined to make The Who bigger and bigger.
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4. Online holiday shopping
Avoid bumping elbows in a crowded mall and listen to an audiobook while finding the perfect gift for the perfect person (like a gift subscription to Audiobooks.com!).

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston, narrated by Marisa Calin

The Little Shop of Found Things.

Xanthe and her mom Flora leave London for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in a historic town. When Xanthe has an intense connection to a silver chatelaine, she has to know more. It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the 17th century where it has its origins and discovers an injustice in its history. If she doesn’t make things right, her mom’s life could be in danger.
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5. Going for a walk in a winter wonderland
Even if you don’t have snow, walking in crisp weather is a great way to get your blood pumping. Listening to this Narnia-esque audiobook will motivate you to keep moving, even in sub-zero temperatures.

The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth, narrated by Moira Quirk and Fiona Hardingham

The Light Between Worlds.

Sisters Evelyn and Philippa were swept away to a strange and beautiful kingdom called the Woodlands, where they lived for years. Ever since returning to England, they’ve struggled to adjust. Ev desperately wants to return to the Woodlands, but Philippa just wants to move on. When Ev goes missing, Philippa must confront her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from.
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6. Making a pot of mulled wine or hot chocolate
Enjoying hot beverages is one of my favorite things about winter. If you’re whipping up a pot of your own, listen to this feel-good audiobook to get you feeling extra festive.

Hope and Other Superpowers by John Pavlovitz, narrated by John Pavlovitz

Hope and Other Superpowers.

It’s exhausting to give a damn these days, isn’t it? Perhaps you’re feeling anguished about what you see on the news or on social media, or by personal circumstances, and are paralyzed waiting for world leaders to rescue us. But what if you didn’t have to wait for someone else? What if you could be the hero? This book is an invitation to anyone hoping to be the kind of person the world desperately needs.
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7. Wrapping presents
I’ve traditionally listened to Christmas music while wrapping presents, but this year, A Town Divided by Christmas got me into the rhythm of wrapping presents early.

A Town Divided by Christmas by Orson Scott Card, narrated by Emily Rankin

A Town Divided by Christmas.

It began with a quarrel over which newborn should be the baby Jesus in the town’s Christmas pageant. Decades later, two scientists arrive to study small-town genetic patterns, only to run up against the invisible walls that split the leading citizens into two congregations that can only be joined by love and forgiveness. And maybe a little deception. There might be some things that people just don’t need to know.
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8. Decorating your home
Every year, I find myself untangling twinkle lights and cleaning up bits of faux snow and pine needles from my house, and every year, it’s worth it. Deck the halls (and the rest of your home) while listening to this fun audiobook.

House of Gold by Natasha Solomons, narrated by Marisa Calin

House of Gold.

Vienna, 1911. Greta Goldbaum has always dreamed of choosing her own path, but the Goldbaums have expectations. Jewish and perpetual outsiders, they know that power and strength lies in family and wealth. When Greta moves to England to wed, she finds herself lonely. Just as she begins to feel happy, war is looming. The family takes opposing sides, and Greta will have to choose.
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9. Curling up by a fire
There’s nothing better than cozying up with a good story. Michelle Obama‘s memoir, Becoming, is so good, you’ll want to make sure you don’t have any distractions around you so you can soak up every detail.

Becoming by Michelle Obama, narrated by Michelle Obama

Becoming.

The former First Lady of the United States invites readers into her world, chronicling her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing motherhood and work and living at the world’s most famous address. Warm, wise, and honest, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman who has steadily defied expectations and inspires readers to do the same.
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10. Driving to look at Christmas lights
There’s little more festive than neighborhood lit up with twinkle lights. If you’re going on a drive to see the displays your neighborhood has to offer, listening to a family-friendly audiobook is a way to feel extra warm and fuzzy.

Homer and the Holiday Miracle by Gwen Cooper, narrated by Gwen Cooper

Homer and the Holiday Miracle.Doctors warned that Homer was unlikely to survive, but against all odds, he grew to save his human mom’s life  and rose to global fame. Now, just two weeks before Christmas, doctors said he wouldn’t make it to Christmas Eve. Homer showed everyone he still had one more miracle left in him and proved again, once and for all, that hope and love aren’t things you see with your eyes. You see them with your heart.
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