Audiobooks under 4 hours

Although longer books can pull you into a whole new world for several weeks, there’s something deeply satisfying about completing an entire book in a few hours. Short audiobooks are the perfect companion for a flight, road trip, or day at the beach. Plus, they can help you multitask, allowing you to dive into a story while cleaning the house or preparing a meal.

Children can also benefit from listening to short audiobooks. Great books help develop their imagination in so many ways. Furthermore, audiobooks promote a better understanding of words, build richer vocabulary, and nurture the love for reading.

To help narrow down the choices, we’ve gathered our top picks for audiobooks that you can complete under 4 hours.  

Excellent short audiobooks under 4 hours

Thanks to Amazon’s Audible services, there’s an abundance of short listens of all genres. Everything from exhilarating sci-fi short stories and magical fairy tales to empowering feminist essay collections are available.

Here are the best books that last under 4 hours.

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

“Red at the Bone” begins at a coming-of-age party in Brooklyn for 16-year-old Melody. She’s wearing a beautiful dress, which was custom-made for her mother. However, her mother never got to wear this dress because she fell pregnant with Melody. This short book gives you an insight into everything that happened in Melody’s family before her party.

This poetic story will take you on a journey of exploring class, education, identity, sexual desires, and the life-altering consequences of parenthood. “Red at the Bone” is read by a full cast that excels at bringing each character to life.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

“Convenience Store Woman” is the story of Keiko Furukara, a woman who has felt like a misfit for the first 18 years of her life. But after taking a job at the Smile Mart convenience store, she finally finds a place that feels like home. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough for her friends and family, so they start breathing down her neck about settling down and finding a proper job.

Keiko isn’t ready to go down without a fight and devises a plan to get all of them off her back. Essentially, this book is about a woman fighting to live on her own terms.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

“The Poet X” is an award-winning young adult novel in verse. Considered one of the best audiobooks of the 21st century, it charts the journey of Xiomara Batista as she struggles to find her voice. Xiomara starts as a timid girl who feels invisible in her surroundings. Over time, she pours her feelings into poetry and joins a slam poetry club at school.

If you aren’t a fan of poetry, you might’ve skipped a lot of good books so far, but this shouldn’t be another one. Every book lover who’s found a way to live their truth through works of fiction should download this audiobook right now.

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

“Look Both Ways” is a must-listen for readers who love a full cast of narrators. This audiobook features as many as 10 narrators, sharing 10 brilliantly interconnected stories taking place on children’s walks home from school. This National Book Award finalist is wickedly funny yet piercingly poignant, making it the perfect middle-grade or young adult listen.

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

“Binti” follows the titular character’s journey as she gets invited to attend Oomza University, the galaxy’s most prestigious school. She is the first of her people to receive this incredible opportunity, but attending this school comes at a cost. Besides leaving her family behind, Binti will have to make several sacrifices to save the galaxy when an alien species attacks.

Thanks to a dynamic plot and the captivating narration by the beloved Robin Miles, the two hours and 30 minutes will fly by.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Thanks to the hugely popular animated feature film, you probably already know Coraline’s story. This audiobook allows you to experience this haunting story as it was initially written.

You’ll follow Coraline as she discovers a new world behind a wooden door in her house. The world feels eerily familiar yet much more sinister. This twisted version of Coraline’s world has everything her world has, including her parents. However, the “other” parents turn out to be possessive and reluctant to let her return home.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

“The Alchemist” has rightly earned the title of a modern classic. This bestseller introduces you to a young Andalusian shepherd who travels to Egypt, searching for buried treasure. In Egypt, he meets the Alchemist, who makes him realize that the true treasure was within him all along.

This inspiring audiobook is narrated by a celebrity – the iconic Jeremy Irons.

All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

 “All Systems Red” is the first part of the binge-worthy sci-fi series “The Murderbot Diaries.” This novella introduces a bad-tempered security droid that hacks its programming and gains control of itself. Interestingly, the droid’s first instinct isn’t to take over the planet, as people fearing technology might assume. Instead, it’s to watch TV and be left alone. Pretty relatable, huh?

Speechify

Once you discover the joys of shorter audiobooks, you’ll probably never want to stop listening to all that you can. With Speechify, you can even turn your study materials or the latest news articles into a listening experience.

This powerful text to speech program allows you to convert virtually any text into an audio file and export it for later use. By using text to speech technology, Speechify can transform any digital or physical text into audio files perfect for listening while working, driving, studying, cooking, or relaxing.

Plus, you can change the narrating voice and speed to best suit the text and your preferences.

Make your multitasking dreams come true today, and try Speechify for free.

FAQ

Who is the author of “The Girl Who Drank the Moon”?

Kelly Barnhill is the author of “The Girl Who Drank the Moon.”

Who is the author of “A Brief History of Seven Killings”?

Marlon James is the author of “A Brief History of Seven Killings.”

What are the benefits of audiobooks?

Audiobooks allow you to retain information better, improve focus, build critical listening skills, and improve time management.

Can audiobooks help you learn how to read?

Audiobooks are highly beneficial in obtaining vital literacy skills.