Every year thousands of our readers vote for their favorite books of the year in the She Reads Awards. Find out more about the books that were nominated and see which book was voted the Best Audiobook of 2022.

The winner of the Best Audiobook of 2022 is . . .

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

This unflinchingly honest, humorous, and heartbreaking memoir explores Jennette McCurdy’s life as a child star and her complicated relationship with her mother. Since she was six years old, McCurdy’s mother was determined to make her a success. Amongst other things, this meant heavily restricting Jennette’s diet, encouraging her to endure extensive makeovers, and reading her diaries and personal emails. After being cast in hit Nickelodeon series iCarly, Jennette’s mother was overjoyed, while Jennette’s mental health began to deteriorate. Suffering from anxiety, eating disorders, addictions, and unhealthy relationships, things continued to get worse when Jennette’s mother died of cancer. Now, after quitting acting and starting therapy, Jennette shares her own journey of resilience, healing, and self-discovery.

The nominees for Best Audiobook of 2022 are:

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

When Eleanor Bennett passes away, she leaves a confusing and mysterious inheritance for the two children she leaves behind, Bryon and Benny. Along with a voice recording, Eleanor leaves a black cake that’s made from a family recipe which contains a long history. In the voice recording, Eleanor details a heartbreaking story about a young swimmer who flees her home island after being accused of murder. Eleanor reveals long-hidden secrets, including ones about a long-lost child. Byron and Benny’s beliefs of their family, their lineage, and themselves are challenged by their mother’s revelations. Will the estranged siblings be able to piece their once-close relationship back together, discover the truth about their mother’s history, and carry out her last request for them to “share the black cake when the time is right”? This evocative novel depicts a journey of a family forever changed by the actions and decisions of its matriarch.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Narrated by Julia Whelan, this audiobook will make you feel like you’re right there in Sunshine Falls with our favorite book lovers. A high-powered, successful literary agent, Nora Stephens is known for her work ethic, her candor, and her dedication to her clients. But when her younger sister Libby begs Nora to take a trip with her to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, she reluctantly agrees. Nora knows that Libby’s hoping this trip will turn out like one of her favourite romance novels and Nora will transform into a more laid-back version of herself – maybe even fall in love with a charming smalltown bartender. But what she doesn’t expect is to run into Charlie Lastra, a handsome but callous editor from back in the city. When Charlie finds himself in a position to edit one of one of her client’s books, Nora proposes they work together. For the rest of her month-long stay, Charlie and Nora explore a relationship they never expected—one that might compel them to rewrite their own stories.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

When Carrie Soto retires from tennis, she has twenty Grand Slam titles, numerous shattered records, and a reputation for being ferocious. But six years after she hangs up the racket, Carrie watches Nicki Chan steal her record at the 1994 US Open. At thirty-seven, Carrie decides to return to tennis and be coached by her father for one final year in attempt to reclaim her title. Even facing new obstacles—hateful media outlets, a slower body, her conflicting feelings for fellow athlete Bowe Huntley—she’s determined to be the best. Performed by a full cast (Stacy Gonzalez, Mary Carillo, Patrick Mcenroe, Rob Simmelkjaer, Brendan Wayne, Max Meyers, Reynaldo Piniella, Vidish Athavale, Tom Bromhead, Heath Miller, Julia Whelan, and Sara Arrington), this riveting glimpse into the world of tennis will have you rooting for Carrie Soto through it all.

Finding Me by Viola Davis

Narrated by the author herself, this audiobook is a poignant reflection centered around self-love and the power of expression, creativity and authenticity. In this honest and heartfelt memoir, renowned actress Viola Davis opens up about her personal life, her career, and the journey that helped her discover who she truly is. Starting in a small apartment in Rhode Island, Davis’ story follows the events that led her to the stage in New York City, where she found her voice and her purpose.

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon

At just four years old, Molly’s mom, little sister, and cousin were all killed in a terrible car accident while her dad was driving. Left to be raised by her grieving father, she grew up in a very lackadaisical environment, where she used comedy to cope. It became clear that Molly was genuinely talented, which led her to develop her comedic skills in New York City. Soon after, she became a well-known household name for her role on Saturday Night Live. These pages are filled with funny behind-the-scenes encounters with the rich and famous and shed new light on the life story of this funny lady.

 

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Read by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finn, Carrie Coon, and Key Taw, this audiobook is a truly suspenseful experience that will keep listeners on their toes until the very end. Olivia McAfee never thought she would end up back in her small New Hampshire hometown, but after fleeing her abusive husband, she didn’t have many other options. While Olivia and her son Asher adjust to their new lives, Lily Campanello and her mother also find a fresh start in Adams, New Hampshire. Then Lily and Asher cross paths at school, and it’s not long before they’ve fallen for each other. But one day, Olivia receives a phone call and discovers that Lily is dead and Asher is being questioned as a person of interest. Olivia doesn’t want to believe Asher had anything to do with Lily’s death, but she can’t deny that he has some of his father’s temper in him. And as the case unravels, Olivia begins to question how well she really knows her son.

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez

Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo is a popular congressman representing the gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga, his sister, is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers. Their lives are alluringly public, but it isn’t until Olga meets Matteo that she must face the long-held secrets of her family. Olga and Prieto’s mother, Blanca, a Young Lord-turned-radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives. Set in 2017, painted across New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico’s history, this story confronts political corruption, familial strife, and the very notion of the American dream, all while asking what it really means to weather a storm.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Bird Gardner knows not to ask about his mother and her poems. With both of his parents experts in literature and language, Bird is familiar with the laws created to preserve “American culture” – laws that allow for the relocation of children of nonconformists and for the removal of books construed as unpatriotic. So even though Bird has grown up renouncing his absent mother and her work, when he receives a puzzling letter with a mysterious drawing, he becomes determined to find her. His journey pushes him to re-examine the folktales he once knew, investigate a secret network of librarians, learn about the lives of children who were taken, and finally leads him to New York City, where a revolution is brewing. Our Missing Hearts is a novel about the power of love, art, and the stories we tell our children.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

At eighteen years old, Tova Sullivan’s son, Erik, inexplicably vanished on a boat in Puget Sound. Now, thirty years later, Tova works the night shift cleaning the Sowell Bay Aquarium, trying to keep busy after her husband’s passing. There, she forms an unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus, who knows more than anyone can believe. Marcellus has solved the mystery of Tova’s son’s disappearance, and now he must find a way to reveal the truth to her before it’s too late. A heartwarming tale about grief, captivity, friendship, and remarkably bright creatures, this story narrated by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie is sure to leave readers touched and longing for their own cephalopod companion.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

In this dual timeline story, Civil Townsend hopes to make a difference in her community by working as a nurse at the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic in 1970s Alabama and serving those desperately in need of care. But when one of her first jobs involves putting 11 and 13-year-old girls on birth control when neither girl has even kissed a boy, Civil is compelled to fight this injustice. Years later, Dr. Townsend is ready to retire but these stories from her past refuse to stay hidden.

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

After her dreams of being a movie star were cut tragically short, Sewanee Chester began narrating audiobooks to support herself and her sick grandmother. When she’s given the opportunity to narrate a romance novel with Brock McNight, the hottest voice in the industry, she decides to take the job despite her cynicism towards the romance genre. As they begin work on the book, Sewanee and Brock form a strong connection, and it’s not long before Sewanee starts dreaming again. But when secrets are exposed and harsh realties come to light, Sewanee must learn to risk everything to experience a life of love and acceptance.