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5 Best Audiobooks I Listened to in 2023

Listening to audiobooks is reading.


I listen to audiobooks, podcasts and recorded webinars almost all the time when doing other things such as walking, driving or doing housework. For me, this is a great way to make good use of my time.


Here are some things about listening to audiobooks:


  • Most of the books I listen to are non-fiction. Sometimes I buy the book after listening to it, read it slowly and underline it!

  • I make note of ideas on my phone for future reference. I then go back and write more detailed notes which I often use in my work and my writing.

  • For non-fiction, I prefer audiobooks that are read by the author.

  • For fiction, I generally either read or listen to an author. I will rarely read a book by an author and then listen to another by the same author. For example, I love the J.D. Robb mystery series and I only ever listen to the books.



In 2023, it so happened that the best audiobooks I listened to are older titles. It was not intentional. Here are my top 5:


The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu

A beautiful book about what really matters in life written by two spiritual masters. This makes a great gift (I have already gifted it twice). The audio is also special, because it is read by three different people to represent the three different voices (the author, Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu) and it feels very real as if they are speaking to you.


If you care about your health and wellbeing, you need to get this book. I admit that after listening, I became a Dr. Amen fan on social! As someone who has seen very closely how it is to live to autoimmune conditions and dementia and as a follower of Dr. Mate Gabor, I absolutely loved this book. Lots of practical tips and explanations so that we can all live a healthier and happier life.


Only available as audio and read by the author, this is based on somatic principles as taught at the Strozzi Institute and developed by the author. As somatic coaching is something I am passionate about and want to learn more, I was truly engaged with the content and recommend it to every leader. Here is a beautiful quote from the book: "We build and transform through our practices, that is the power of discipline and that is how we achieve great things."


I read the first book by Shefali Tsabary as a new parent, many years ago. This time around, I listened to the audiobook read by the author, not as a parent, but as a coach and as a leader. It turns out that while the title implies the book is about parenting, it is about so much more. One of the reasons I am so passionate about helping others live more intentionally and want to see more young people, earlier in their careers have access to coaching is because I believe the earlier we start to take care of ourselves and deal with all of the limiting beliefs and trauma we have suffered, the higher the chance we won't pass those on to our children and of course, in the process we will become better leaders and more effective professionals.


This is a classic as far as leadership books go and Simon Sinek is someone to follow if you are not already. Simplicity at its best and yet, very profound. As so much of my work this past year centered around "my why" and helping others find theirs, I listened to this audiobook right at the end of the year. Having read it for the first time many years ago, just as expected it felt very different this time. And that's always the case with books, as is with experiences. We change with time and our experience with one book today is different than it was some years ago.


I have a very long audiobooks list for 2024 as expected and I will continue to share my favourites. And if you didn't know, you can get audiobooks for free at your local public library via Overdrive (Libby), cloudLibrary or Hoopla.

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