16 Audiobooks by Irish and Irish-American Authors
By Penguin Random House Audio
This month, we’re paying homage to a host of Irish and Irish-American authors who contribute to culture in a big way. From rock n’ roll memoirs and literary thrillers to powerful non-fiction and personal histories, there’s plenty of luck to be found for us all in these audiobooks, no pot of gold required.
Surrender by Bono
Surrender—the 2024 Audie Award winner for Audiobook of the Year—is an intimate, immersive listening experience, in which U2 frontman Bono tells stories from his life, from his early days in Dublin to playing sold out stadiums around the world. This remarkable audiobook also features exclusive and newly reimagined versions of U2 songs.
Taming 7 by Chloe Walsh
She’s the quintessential sunshine girl. He’s the lovable class clown. But storm clouds are rolling in, and this Tommen boy is about to get serious.
Don’t miss Taming 7, an epic and unforgettable love story in the international bestselling Boys of Tommen series from TikTok-phenomenon Chloe Walsh.
Trust Her by Flynn Berry
Two sisters find they can’t outrun their past in the riveting new thriller from the New York Times–bestselling author of Northern Spy, a Reese’s Book Club pick.
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
Patrick Radden Keefe’s mesmerizing account of the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses a notorious abduction case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never truly been reckoned with.
“[Matthew] Blaney’s sober voice is measured and careful, highlighting the subject matter even as he delivers a powerful performance.”—AudioFile
Iron Annie by Luke Cassidy
An uncompromising, darkly humorous look at life in the criminal underworld of the Irish border from a major new Irish literary voice.
Bright I Burn by Molly Aitken
Experience the riveting audiobook edition of this Irish bestseller, an electrifying historical fiction novel inspired by the true story of the first woman to be condemned as a witch in Ireland.
The Hunter by Tana French
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Searcher and “one of the greatest crime novelists writing today” (Vox), The Hunter is a spellbinding novel set in the Irish countryside.
The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy
In these visceral, stunningly crafted stories by the author of the much-acclaimed Trespasses, women’s lives are etched by poverty—material, emotional, sexual—but also splashed by beauty, sometimes even joy, as they search for the good in the cards they’ve been dealt.
Lazy City by Rachel Connolly
A “truly extraordinary” (Bassey Ikpi) debut novel of modern Belfast that sings a tender hymn to messy love, quiet grief, and the hangovers in between.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Listen to the book behind the Emmy-nominated Hulu series. Connell and Marianne grew up in the same small town, but the similarities end there. Connell is popular and Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation something life changing begins. Normal People takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t.
All Down Darkness Wide by Seán Hewitt
Read by the author, All Down Darkness Wide is a perceptive and unflinching memoir on the burden of living in a world that too often sets happiness and queer life at odds, and a tender and honest portrayal of what it’s like to be caught in the undertow of a loved one’s deep depression.
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Ciara Dunphy has it all—a loving husband, well-behaved children, and a beautiful home in a small Irish village. A picture-perfect life is easy money on Instagram. Then Ciara is found murdered in her own pristine home. Everyone seems to have something to gain from Ciara’s death, so if they don’t want the blame, it may be the perfect time to air their enemies’ dirty laundry.
Orchid and the Wasp by Caoilinn Hughes
Read by the author. In this dazzling debut audiobook, award-winning Irish writer Caoilinn Hughes introduces a heroine of mythic proportions in the form of one Gael Foess. A tough, thoughtful, and savvy opportunist, Gael is determined to live life on her own terms amidst economic and familial collapse.
Grace After Henry by Eithne Shortall
When the love of her life, Henry, is killed in a freak biking accident, Grace feels like she’s lost her own shadow. In his absence, she must put her world back together: she moves into the Dublin dream house they bought together, she returns to work as a chef, she watches TV with her nosy elderly neighbor. But, through it all, she’s ever aware of the growing Henry-shaped hole in her life. Until his long-lost twin brother knocks on her door.
Maeve in America by Maeve Higgins
Read by the author. Maeve Higgins was a bestselling author and comedian in her native Ireland when, at the grand old age of thirty-one, she left the only home she’d ever known in search of something more and found herself in New York City. Together, the essays in Maeve in America create a smart, funny, and revealing portrait of a woman who aims for the stars but sometimes hits the ceiling and the inimitable city that helped make her who she is.
The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes
Read by the author and an all-Irish cast, The Alternatives is the story of four brilliant Irish sisters, orphaned in childhood, who scramble to reconnect when the oldest disappears into the Irish countryside.
