The Best Audiobooks to Listen to While Walking

What better topic to learn about while walking than walking itself? Author Jeremy DeSilva explores the pros and cons of bipedalism, how the ability to walk on two legs affected our evolution, and how walking continues to affect human health and development today.

The race for perfection often seems futile and endless. Instead of getting lost in the struggle, let author Brené Brown and narrator Lauren Fortgang explain why perfection is overrated—and how the ability to embrace your imperfections is what makes you special, relatable, and human.

In Red, White & Royal Blue, the son of the US president and the Prince of Wales go from quarreling rivals (whose bickering wreaks havoc on international relations) to ardent lovers. Ramon de Ocampo's narration brings this delightful, award-winning romance to life.

While the old adage you are what you eat may not be strictly true, psychiatrist and nutritionist Dr. Uma Naidoo shows that food has a bigger impact on our emotional health than you may think. If you are interested in improving your mental well-being as well as your physical health, This Is Your Brain on Food is the audiobook for you.

What is it really like to go through years of intensive training and leave Earth behind? From space chimps and sky-diving to the nasty but necessary business of going in orbit, Packing for Mars tells you everything you ever wanted to know about space travel—and plenty of stuff you probably never even thought about.

Laura Esquivel's historical romance, about a woman who yearns for love and freedom, has been translated into English. Still, there's nothing quite like hearing a story in its original language! Spanish speakers and those looking to improve their Spanish will enjoy Yareli Arizmendi's reading of this modern classic.

Caste is both buzzy—it's a best seller and an Oprah's Book Club pick—and incredibly necessary. Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson explores the history of caste systems in the US as well as abroad, and looks toward putting an end to the unnecessary suffering they cause. Award-winning narrator Robin Miles lends her accomplished voice to this compelling audiobook.

From the best-selling author of My Lovely Wife, this one is for the dog walkers! In Sleeping Dogs Lie, Samantha Downing’s first audio novella, a young dog walker named Shelby brings home an adorable husky only to find his owner on the bathroom floor, dead. As the investigation begins, suspicion falls on the owner, his ex-wife, and Shelby herself, leaving detectives to, ahem, paw through the clues. Dual narration, a tight two-hour run time, and a satisfying reveal make this the perfect pooch-walking thriller.

For much of human history, the field of medicine was not as regulated as one might hope. Quack treatments like cocaine-infused alcohol and cancer-curing arsenic proliferated. This audiobook is equal parts hilarious and horrifying, and Hillary Huber's narration will have you both cringing and chuckling at our ancestors' medical missteps.

After a series of devastating losses, Cheryl Strayed decides to drop everything and hike the Pacific Crest Trail—1,100 miles from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—alone. Despite her lack of experience, she completes the trek and in the process, learns her self-worth. What better memoir to listen to on your own walk, whether a hike in the woods or a stroll around the block?

If you enjoyed Hidden Figures, Dava Sobel's The Glass Universe is a must-add listen to your walking list. Cassandra Campbell's smooth narration introduces you to the many women—dismissively referred to in their day as human computers or a harem—who discovered countless stars and created the modern star classification system.

Most of the time, American history is told from the perspective of the colonizers, not the indigenous people whose land they stole. Native American scholar and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz seeks to correct that imbalance. In this audiobook, you will gain new insights as you revisit familiar historical events from a view that has been long overlooked.

The audiobook of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy is narrated by award-winning actor Andy Serkis, famous for portraying Gollum in the film versions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. His enthusiastic rendering of Bilbo Baggins's great adventure will make even the most ordinary walk seem suddenly wondrous.

Fran Hauser narrates her own book, which is aimed at women who want to advance in the workplace without falling into the trap of being either a weak nice girl or bossy and abrasive. The Myth of the Nice Girl has been lauded as refreshing with excellent actionable advice.

Before watching the Netflix series that it inspired, listen to the audiobook of Shadow and Bone, a fantasy epic about a young woman's quest to save her nation. Then make sure you go on to listen to the rest of the audiobooks in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series, all performed by Lauren Fortgang.

In her hilarious, best-selling essay collection, Samantha Irby covers topics that many women will find familiar and relatable, from dates gone horribly wrong to the difficulties of managing household finances. The author's dry narration is an effective counterpoint to the essays' wild subject matter.

The Words + Music series features two of the best walking companions: an excellent storytelling experience and the vibrancy of music. In this installment, Sting—frontman of legendary new wave rock band The Police—shares memories from his career, his artistic journey, and exclusive recordings of hits like Roxanne and Message in a Bottle.

This mesmerizing audiobook will put you into a pleasant trance, thanks to its dreamlike setting and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s impeccable performance. Follow the story’s eponymous narrator as he winds through a labyrinthine mansion and slowly uncovers the mystery of how he came to be there in this unforgettable fantasy novel.