These Are the Top Audiobooks of 2023

Well, folks. It’s the pointy end of the year, which means that we’re being inundated with roundups from just about everyone right now. There are a few, however, which are genuinely pretty interesting to review. Like, for example, the best audiobooks of the year. Audible and Apple Books have each shared which audiobooks have performed best in 2023, and it’s a pretty fascinating mix.

Best audiobooks of 2023

Audible shared a few breakdowns from its audiobook wrap-up for the year. We were particularly keen on the most popular titles and genres, which we’ve shared with you below.

Top 5 Audible audiobooks of 2023 (based on sales in descending order):

• Spare by Prince Harry
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Never Finished by David Goggins

Top genres (in no particular order):

• Science fiction and fantasy
• Personal development
• Mystery, thriller and suspense
• Romance
• Biographies and memoirs

Apple Books has instead split its list into two categories, Fiction and Non-fiction. Here are the best audiobooks of 2023, according to Apple’s data.

Top Non-fiction audiobooks of 2023 on Apple Books 

1. Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear
3. Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins
4. Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
5. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Top Fiction titles of 2023 on Apple Books 

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

No real surprises there. Interestingly, The Woman in Me and Spare made an appearance on both top lists, which is consistent with Audible’s commentary on audiobook trends for 2023. It shared that “Aussies are choosing audio as their preferred format for celebrity memoirs due to the uniquely intimate nature of listening to celebrities’ stories, usually in their own voices” and added that the genre saw a 19 per cent boost this past year.