by Chantel Guertin
Gigi, Listening follows a romance bookstore owner on an impulsive trip to England in order to meet the audiobook narrator who has stolen her heart. If you’d love to get into audiobooks and don’t know where to start, here are some great audiobooks to start with!
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, narrated by Tom Hanks
There’s a whole backstory as to how the author asked Hanks to read her moving novel, which I read and then decided to listen to the audiobook. The book is already one of my favorites, but Hanks’ narration of this story, told by young Danny, is so moving.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, narrated by a full cast
I’m pretty sure half the world has already read this book (so did I), but the audiobook is fantastic, particularly if you’re thinking of re-reading the book before watching the show comes out. It’s a full cast narration that includes Jennifer Beals and Judy Greer. Love.
Spare by Prince Harry, narrated by Prince Harry
I love listening to memoirs when they’re read by the author—it adds so much to the story to hear them read their thoughts aloud. This one’s no exception.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, narrated by Gretchen Rubin
I’ve been a fan of the Happier podcast since it launched in 2015, and I’ve read all her books, but I recently revisited the audiobook version. If you’re new to Rubin, I also recommend The Four Tendencies—it gives great insight into yourself.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, narrated by Natalie Naudus
Natalie Naudus narrates Gigi, Listening, so I wanted to hear her read another book. I was so happy to hear her narrating this funny rom-com, which I’d already read and loved.
From the Canadian TV personality and author of the instant hit and PopSugar Beach Reads Selection, Instamom, comes a touching and witty novel about a woman who takes an impulsive trip to England to meet the man behind the audiobook narrator she’s fallen for. Touching and funny, with emotional depth, this life-changing journey is perfect for fans of Kate Clayborn, Christina Lauren, and Sophia Kinsella.
“Completely charming!” —Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After
Gigi Rutherford loves love stories. She reads them, she sells them at her romance bookstore, and she could spend hours imagining the meet-cutes of every couple she encounters. But when it comes to her own love interests, Gigi is out of stock. Instead of enduring bad date after bad date, these days she’d rather curl up with her favorite audiobook and the only man who makes her heart skip a beat: Zane Wilkenson, the smooth-voiced narrator Gigi is convinced is her soulmate.
Then, she’s presented with the chance of a lifetime: a ten-day bus tour through the English countryside, an ocean away from her bookstore—all in the presence of Zane, in person, as he leads the tour.
But when Gigi arrives at the bus terminal in London, Zane is nowhere to be found. Until he shows up, she’s stuck with an eclectic group of fellow travelers: recently widowed and chatty Charlotte;
trivia-obsessed Francis; Jenny, a true-crime-makeup YouTuber documenting every detail for her subscribers; and Sindhi and Roshi, a long-married couple who can’t stop bickering. Then there’s the brooding bus driver, Taj, who Gigi finds infuriating yet also incredibly alluring . . .
With heart and charm, warmth and humor, Chantel Guertin explores the meaning of love and family—and how, sometimes, the journey to yourself is where you’ll find everything you’ve been searching for.
May New Reads