Stories have the power to entertain, educate and empower us, but sometimes we just want to listen to a story to feel good. Whether it’s a fictional story with escapism or an inspirational real-life autobiography, certain stories have the ability to uplift your mood.
We have listed down the most popular uplifting audiobooks to give you some inspiration in life.
Why should you listen to audiobooks?
Some people think that listening to audiobooks is like cheating on your brain, but it isn’t true. Listening is very much the same as reading a book. The only difference is that you can listen to the audiobooks while doing the household chores, or driving, or walking the dog. Select your audiobooks mindfully rather than listening to anything on audio. Look for the best audiobooks of all time that can enhance your life, make you feel good about yourself, open up your brains, and inspire you to become a better version of yourself.
Here is the list of top 10 audiobooks that can make you feel happy, no matter what situation you are in.
- Becoming
Becoming by Michelle Obama is undoubtedly one of the best feel-good audiobooks by none other than the talented former-First Lady. This audiobook will surely uplift your spirits with an inspiring, intimate, powerful, and empowering memoir of the former first lady. Becoming by Michelle Obama has also won the 2020 Audie Award in the category of Autobiography/Memoir.
She has written her memoir with an excellent work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling. Through her audiobook, you can get a better understanding of all the experiences that have shaped her life from childhood. While listening to the audiobook, you get to travel through Michelle’s entire life starting from her childhood years living on the South Side of Chicago, her adult phase balancing her life as an executive and a mother, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address.
Best about this audiobook
I found the audiobook both moving and worthwhile. The most important thing to notice in the memoir is Michelle Obama has not used self-pity as a sympathizing element.
The autobiography is written with a clarity of vision. While writing, she has focused on practical insight and empowerment rather than political scores.
- Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Green Gables is the perfect pick for people who want to listen to happy audiobooks to uplift their mood. Written by Lucy Maud Montgomery and narrated by Rachel McAdams, the audiobook is the first story in the Anne of Green Gables series. Rachel McAdams is a popular face from The Notebook, Spotlight, and Midnight in Paris, and his spectacular reading makes the story even more grasping.
The story is about two old siblings, sister Marilla and brother Matthew Cuthbert and their adopted child Anne. They wanted to adopt an orphan boy to help them with their chores around the farm, Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. However, mistakenly, they get a feisty and imaginative redheaded girl Anee, who completely changes their lives with her uncompromising spirit. The story then unfolds into a series of hilarious misadventures.
Best about this audiobook
A great reading of a great story. The audiobook is completely unabridged, hence, the whole story of Anne and Marilla’s beginning is included in it.
The writing is beautiful, carefree, light, and fun. All the characters feel real.
- Grown Ups
Grown Ups is the latest number 1 bestseller from award-winning Irish author of The Break and The Woman Who Stole My Life, Marian Keyes. It is one of the best picks for people who love women’s fiction stories. The number-1 Sunday Times Bestseller, story is about a family with magnificently messy and brilliantly untangled lives. It is the perfect antidote for your adult life.
The story is about Johnny Casey and his two brothers Ed and Liam. The three different brothers are married to very beautiful, talented, and different women Jessie, Cara, and Nell. Together with their kids, they spend a lot of time together. Every occasion is a celebration in their lives, be it a birthday, anniversary, or even a weekend. The turning point comes in the lives of these people when Ed’s wife Cara gets a concussion and can’t keep her thoughts to herself. With one careless remark, Cara starts spilling out all the secrets of the family.
Best about this audiobook
Just finished listening to the story and I absolutely loved it till the end. The best grown-up story I have ever heard. Unlike other stories that have the main character, a plot, and a happy ending, this story is different, it has behind the scenes, messy, and imperfect lives of 3 brothers and their families.
The story talks about messy adult relationships, insecurities, and secrets that we all have but hide. It is a must-read if you are a Keyes fan.
- Nothing Much Happens
Our mind is the busiest part of our body. However, it also needs a place to rest. If you are struggling to sleep, anxious the entire day, or even awake in the middle of the night, you should definitely listen to Nothing Much Happens. Kathryn Nicolai has written this book with the timeless appeal of classic bedtime stories that are the healthy way to ease your mind before bedtime so that you can sleep in peace. It is one of the best mood uplifting audiobooks that you should listen to while working or traveling. She has used her years of experience as a meditation and yoga teacher in this book.
All the stories in this audiobook revolve around a fictional city in which there are many sweet moments of joy that you may find in the commonplace. The narration of Kathryn evokes the distinct comforts offered by each of the four seasons and gently calms their listeners for a good sleep.
Best about this audiobook
The stories are well-written and very relaxing. I find comfort and peace whenever I listen to Kathryn’s stories.
I just loved the mindful exercises, yoga stretches, and recipes that are included in the audiobook. This audiobook is highly recommended for people who struggle with sleep, loneliness, and anxiety.
- Greenlights
Listen to this number-one New York Times bestseller Greenlights that has been an inspiration for millions of listeners. Written by the Academy Award-winning actor Mattew McConaughey, this audiobook is written with unconventional wisdom and unflinching honesty. He has written his autobiography with all the lessons he has learned the hard way about living with satisfaction. He named his autobiography Greenlights as he believes it is a guide to catch more green lights and to make you realize that eventually all the yellows and reds turn green.
The memoir is the result of all the diaries he has been writing since childhood. The audiobook takes you through the fifty years of McConaughey’s life of thoughts, graces, and beauties of brutality. The story is about how to have less stress, how to be fair, how to have fun, how to hurt people less, and how to be a good man.
Best about this audiobook
Amazing audiobook with a clever and funny storyline. As a fan, I enjoyed listening to the life story of Matthew McConaughey from his mouth only.
This is a remarkable audiobook by an already renowned artist. It is both a memoir and a life guide, perfect for anyone who likes to listen to a good man’s adventure story.
- Ruby Wax’s No-Brainer: It’s All in the Mind
If you want to know how your brain works, why you get stressed, how you feel pain, and what makes you addicted, then Ruby Wax’s No-Brainer is the perfect pick for you. Written and narrated by Ruby Wax, this is the best audiobook on neuropsychology. For this audiobook, Ruby Wax met with many brain scientists across the UK and USA to learn more about this complex organ.
In this audiobook, Ruby talks about her own difficult childhood and her struggles with depression. However with all these sad things in her life, Ruby makes you laugh out loud with her frank observations and anarchic questions about life. She also met other authors like Carla Valentine and Alex Beard, Professor Tim Spector, and game expert Gabe Zichermann to dig really deep into the functioning of the brain.
Best about this audiobook
The audiobook gives great information in an interview format. Her life story about depression was very helpful.
I listened to this audiobook while doing my daily walks and learned some of the great strategies about life. It has been very helpful to me as I have a son who is struggling with depression.
- Emma
If you want calm and peace in your life, you should listen to this audiobook Emma by Jane Austen. One of the best in classic literature and fiction, Emma is a sparkling comedy story of love and marriage. Jane Austen has done flawless work in creating a character like Emma who is beautiful, clever, rich, and single. Beth Kesler with her narration breathes new life into the character of Emma.
Emma Woodhouse is a rich and single woman, who is more than content with her life. She is not seeking either love or marriage in her life. However, she loves to interfere in the romantic lives of others. In her attempt to find a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, she faces consequences that she never expected.
Best about this audiobook
I have been a great fan of Austen, but Emma is a very refreshing and different story. I usually listen to this story while doing my household chores as the story soothes me and calms my mind.
The story is very entertaining as Emm is always interfering with others’ love lives and trying to match-make. One thing that makes the story worth listening to is to find out the clues that the author gives in between the story about the real situation.
- Wow, No Thank You
Wow, No Thank You has won the Best Lambda Literary Award in the category of bisexual non-fiction. The audiobook contains a raunchy new collection of hilarious essays that are rip-roaring, edgy, and unabashedly. This number-one New York Times bestseller is written by none other than Samantha Irby who has also written We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. This is the most riotous, relatable, and unflinching story of Irby, drawing upon her life’s hilarious particulars.
The audiobook takes you through the life of Irby, her insecurities about her own skin in her forties. After leaving her job as a receptionist in a veterinary clinic, she has published many successful books. Samantha has left Chicago after being friend-zoned by Hollywood and moved into a new house in Blue Town in the middle of a Red State with her wife.
Best about this audiobook
Every time I listen to the essays by Irby, I feel freer and happier. She is very funny and brings light to literally everything.
Irby has written this book with wisdom and such honesty about herself. I have not come across anyone funnier than her.
- Down Under
Down Under is a classic audiobook on Australian travel literature. Bill Bryson has written this great travel story of all time. It is an adventurous travel story that is heartwarming, written with an excellent combination of confusion and curiosity. William Roberts has narrated the story in a dramatic style that adds life to it. With this audiobook, you get the best combination of Bryson’s storytelling and energetic narration of Roberts.
In this audiobook, you will get to listen to the details of the history, culture, and weird bits of a great country, Australia in an inimitable style of Bill Bryson.
Best about this audiobook
The audiobook has all the information for a person visiting Australia. It has all the content about what he might expect and experience in the country.
I loved this audiobook which is funny and engaging at the same time.
- 488 Rules for Life
With 488 Rules for Life, Kitty Flanagan has tried to make the world a more pleasant place to live. The audiobook contains an antidote to every little thing that annoys you. Do not consider this as a self-help audiobook because it is not you who needs help, it’s the other people around you who do not know the rules. It is time to change those people who asphyxiate you on public transport with their noxious perfume cloud and leave one useless square of toilet paper on the roll.
You can listen to this audiobook as a comprehensive guide to modern behavior. Hopefully, people will listen to Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life and our world will become a much better place to live soon.
Best about this audiobook
I find Kitty easy and simple to listen to in this audiobook. The audiobook is very funny and true.
This audiobook was great to listen to while doing chores around the house. So many of the rules mentioned in the audiobook need to be implemented by many people.
Conclusion
The list contains some of the best mood uplifting audiobooks that are so good that you will want to just sit in the driveway for 5 more minutes, finish washing more dishes, or want to fold another load of laundry.