Audiobooks Like The River

10 audiobooks for fans of The River

1. 1

   

   We Are Water

   by Wally Lamb

   Narrated by Wally Lamb, George Guidall, Maggi-Meg Reed, Tavia Gilbert, Richard Ferrone, Edoardo Ballerini, Cynthia Darlow, Therese Plummer, Robin Miles, Sandy Rustin

   ★ 4.03 ABR Score (59.5K ratings)

   ★ 3.84 Goodreads (56.6K) ★ 4.32 Audible (2.9K)

   23h 11m listening time • Released 2013

   A stellar ensemble cast transforms this multigenerational family reckoning into something closer to theater than narration, with each voice bringing authentic depth to competing perspectives on love, loyalty, and secrets.

   Listen Free on Audible
2. 2

   

   The Hour I First Believed

   by Wally Lamb

   Narrated by George Guidall

   ★ 3.93 ABR Score (67.5K ratings)

   ★ 3.84 Goodreads (66.1K) ★ 4.22 Audible (1.3K)

   25h 9m listening time • Released 2008

   George Guidall's measured, empathetic narration transforms Lamb's sprawling meditation on trauma and redemption into something unforgettable. His voice carries the weight of generational pain without ever letting it collapse into despair.

   Listen Free on Audible
3. 3

   

   Sunrise on the Reaping

   The Hunger Games

   by Suzanne Collins

   Narrated by Jefferson White

   ★ 4.90 ABR Score (1.2M ratings)

   ★ 4.5 Goodreads (1.1M) ★ 4.85 Audible (32.5K)

   12h 48m listening time • Released 2025

   Jefferson White's narration transforms this prequel into something unexpectedly intimate—he finds the quiet devastation in Haymitch before the legend, making every loss feel like your own.

   Listen Free on Audible
4. 4

   

   Theo of Golden

   by Allen Levi

   Narrated by David Morse

   ★ 4.85 ABR Score (178.8K ratings)

   ★ 4.57 Goodreads (168.5K) ★ 4.89 Audible (10.3K)

   13h 12m listening time • Released 2025

   David Morse's weathered voice transforms this quiet parable into something hypnotic—each pencil portrait portrait exchange feels like a secret being shared directly with you, making generosity feel less like virtue and more like magic.

   Listen Free on Audible
5. 5

   

   The Hate U Give

   The Hate U Give • Book 1

   by Angie Thomas

   Narrated by Bahni Turpin

   ★ 4.83 ABR Score (1.1M ratings)

   ★ 4.45 Goodreads (1.0M) ★ 4.78 Audible (45.9K)

   11h 50m listening time • Released 2017

   Bahni Turpin's narration gives each character a distinct, lived-in voice that makes Starr's internal conflict feel devastatingly real. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand why this book became a cultural phenomenon.

   Listen Free on Audible
6. 6

   

   The Great Alone

   by Kristin Hannah

   Narrated by Julia Whelan

   ★ 4.79 ABR Score (1.3M ratings)

   ★ 4.46 Goodreads (1.2M) ★ 4.7 Audible (58.5K)

   15h 3m listening time • Released 2018

   Julia Whelan's narration captures the suffocating intensity of a family unraveling in 1970s Alaska, making this survival story feel dangerously intimate and impossible to abandon.

   Listen Free on Audible
7. 7

   

   Small Great Things

   Ruth Jefferson • Book 1

   by Jodi Picoult

   Narrated by Audra McDonald, Cassandra Campbell, Ari Fliakos

   ★ 4.74 ABR Score (478.4K ratings)

   ★ 4.36 Goodreads (444.3K) ★ 4.75 Audible (34.1K)

   16h 14m listening time • Released 2016

   Listen Free on Audible
8. 8

   

   Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures

   Stephen Fry's Great Mythology • Book 2

   by Stephen Fry

   Narrated by Stephen Fry

   ★ 4.68 ABR Score (68.6K ratings)

   ★ 4.31 Goodreads (61.1K) ★ 4.86 Audible (7.5K)

   15h 1m listening time • Released 2020

   Stephen Fry's voice transforms these Greek myths into something irresistible—his wit and warmth make ancient heroes feel urgent and alive, turning 15 hours into pure escapism.

   Listen Free on Audible
9. 9

   

   The Darkest Child

   by Delores Phillips

   Narrated by Bahni Turpin

   ★ 4.59 ABR Score (24.3K ratings)

   ★ 4.38 Goodreads (17.8K) ★ 4.76 Audible (6.5K)

   15h 23m listening time • Released 2018

   Bahni Turpin's narration transforms this brutally intimate family saga into something unforgettable, capturing the quiet resilience of a girl fighting for escape in 1950s Georgia. A devastating listen that earns every one of its 15+ hours.

   Listen Free on Audible
10. 10

    

    My Friends

    by Fredrik Backman

    Narrated by Marin Ireland

    ★ 4.58 ABR Score (421.8K ratings)

    ★ 4.36 Goodreads (413.4K) ★ 4.64 Audible (8.5K)

    13h 22m listening time • Released 2025

    Marin Ireland's narration transforms this story of teenage friendship into something achingly real—she captures the specific cadence of how friends actually talk, making you feel like you're eavesdropping on something sacred.

    Listen Free on Audible