10 of the Best New Nonfiction Audiobooks for Adults

Coming straight from the Head of Research at Shakespeare’s Globe, London (pun intended), this audiobook is like a personal guided tour through Shakespeare’s history. Except this time, we’re not hiding in the costume closet. Tosh explores Shakespeare’s England, showing a culture far more comfortable in its queerness than we have previously been led to believe. It’s a breath of fresh air on a topic continuously denied for too long. And it’s a lot of fun too.

History tends to favour the hero men, relegating most female or nonbinary characters to support roles or even villains. For some of us, that’s a good thing — and Tiffin enjoys highlighting the mastery of Bad Girls in Ancient Greece! Her debut book is perfect for anyone interested in Ancient Greece. It reads like a podcast, diving into the history and giving it context with the social environment.

Not meaning to take away from your enjoyment of watching the Olympics, but how well do you really know what you’re watching? Trans rights have always been part of Olympic history (and administration), dating back to World War II and continuing to today. This riveting audiobook brings all the facts and showcases why we need to acknowledge true history in today’s social climate. Pickens’ measured voice is the perfect delivery for Waters’s research: a clear voice with even clearer facts.

If you have ever watched a Māori or Polynesian Haka, then you know the power of pride and respect that emanates from the movements and the culture. You can hear that same strength in Tui’s voice, reading directly from her memoir and sharing insights into her childhood and later life as a Rugby hero. I strongly recommend some tea breaks while listening to this. It will move you.

Most travel influencers make it look easy to take off and travel full-time. Ruiz, on the other hand, shares her experience of working a full-time job and shaping her travel around that. That same relatable nature resonates through her voice in the audiobook. It’s part memoir, part inspiration, as Ruiz tells her story across 12 months of travel and life experiences.

I am all for celebrating difference, and Rogers shouts this loud and proud. While I must confess to not following her social media accounts, I can’t help but appreciate her brutal honesty in this audiobook. Rogers starts her chapters with affirmations, leading into personal stories and experiences that challenge her yet empower her to do better and aim higher. I genuinely came out of this audiobook feeling stronger, and that’s a huge plus on any day.

The Mafia is real, and de Boer has moved right into the middle of it. It’s easy to think you’re listening to a thriller novel or TV Drama, but this is real life, nonfiction: “It happened in my town.” Sanne de Boer is an experienced Dutch journalist living in Calabria (Italy) who was surprised to discover a darker side to her neighbourhood. Her research is impeccable, detailing the impact on her local community and its connection with her home in The Netherlands. An unstoppable force with an unstoppable audiobook.

Scams happen every day worldwide, and every victim says the same thing: I didn’t expect it to happen to me. This audiobook provides insight into how people fall victim to scams, or more particularly, “catfishing” — the creation of a fake identity with the intent to trick someone. For Akbari, there was no loss of money or assets. Instead, there was a deep questioning of why? — not just why it happened to her, but why this story matters to us all. This is a true crime investigation into what makes a “catfisher” and what makes us susceptible to them.

Kimmerer walks in two worlds: a Potawatomi woman (the Indigenous people of the Great Plains) and a professor of plant ecology, familiar with the tools of science. There is a lyrical blend of her native spiritual wisdom, inspiring a deeper scientific study into how it works in nature. It’s hopeful and gentle, giving a real sense of guidance that we, too, can balance between two worlds. There is also an audiobook version available for younger readers, which is worth sharing with the kids. 

Parker’s earlier book, Humble Pie, was the first mathematics book to be a Number 1 Best Seller, mostly because he encouraged us to laugh at maths. Parker is back at it with Love Triangle, taking everything we hold dear in society and breaking it down to its simplest form: the triangle. Just like my high school maths teacher, Parker weaves his magic and produces amazing stories from the world of trigonometry. Unlike my high school maths teacher, Parker presents it in a way I understand and enjoy. For maths lovers, this is the ideal audiobook. For maths haters, this is still the ideal book. You’ll probably laugh more than the others.