Language bestsellers

Cultish

The Language of Fanaticism

By: Amanda Montell
Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
Length: 8 hours 21 minutes

“Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on Libro.fm. Entertaining, informative, and a must-read (listen to) for anyone interested in Cults, MLMs, Fitness, the English language... etc. Read more

Dear Writer

Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life

By: Maggie Smith
Narrated by: Maggie Smith
Length: 6 hours 38 minutes

“A perfect (yes, perfect) blend of craft, inspiration, art and reflection. Whether you need a reference guide to shape your writing or a syllabus for specific deep dives your verse or prose needs, this book will give you both. While frugal with her words, Maggie Smith is always generous with her gift. Read more

Wordslut

A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language

By: Amanda Montell
Narrated by: Amanda Montell
Length: 6 hours 56 minutes

“Read by the author, Amanda Montell takes you on a feminist history of the English language. Wordslut is witty, engaging and eye-opening to the inherent misogyny baked into the history of the English language. Read more

On Writing

A Memoir Of The Craft

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill & Owen King
Length: 9 hours 6 minutes

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WRITING with fresh testimonials from fellow writers about why they love Stephen King and On Writing—and a few new words on the joy of writing from King himself.

*ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME*

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s... Read more

Learn Spanish with Paul Noble for Beginners – Complete Course

Spanish Made Easy with Your 1 million-best-selling Personal Language Coach

By: Paul Noble
Narrated by: Paul Noble
Length: 13 hours 20 minutes

No grammar tests. No memory drills. No chance of failure. Welcome to Learn with Paul Noble – a unique, tried and tested language learning method that has been used by almost a million people to speak fluently and confidently in no time at all. This course covers European and Latin American Spanish. Take a... Read more

Enough Is Enuf

Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell

By: Gabe Henry
Narrated by: Johnny Heller
Length: 5 hours 49 minutes

A brief and humorous 500-year history of the Simplified Spelling Movement from advocates like Ben Franklin, C. S. Lewis, and Mark Twain to texts and Twitter.Why does the G in George sound different from the G in gorge? Why does C begin both case and cease? And why is it funny when a philologist faints, but not polight to laf about it? Anyone who... Read more

The Science of Storytelling

By: Will Storr
Narrated by: James Clamp
Length: 6 hours 51 minutes

How do master storytellers compel us? There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story, but few have used a scientific approach. In The Science of Storytelling, Will Storr applies dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to our myths and archetypes to show how we can tell better stories, revealing, among... Read more

Learn French with Paul Noble for Beginners – Complete Course

French Made Easy with Your 1 million-best-selling Personal Language Coach

By: Paul Noble
Narrated by: Paul Noble
Length: 12 hours 37 minutes

No grammar tests. No memory drills. No chance of failure. Welcome to Learn with Paul Noble – a unique, tried and tested language learning method that has been used by almost a million people to speak fluently and confidently in no time at all. Take a simple, relaxed approach to learning a language that has been... Read more

Before and After the Book Deal

A Writer’s Guide to Finishing, Publishing, Promoting, and Surviving Your First Book

By: Courtney Maum
Narrated by: Courtney Maum
Length: 10 hours 35 minutes

“Even better than answering the questions a writer is afraid to ask, this book more importantly answers the questions a writer may not know to ask. Filled with anecdotal examples (both negative and positive), humor, and a lot of common sense advice, this book covers everything an aspiring writer might need to know, including how to deal with... Read more

The Mother Tongue

English and How It Got That Way

By: Bill Bryson
Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin
Length: 10 hours 44 minutes

With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson—the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent—brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells... Read more

How to Read a Book

The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading

By: Mortimer J. Adler & Charles Van Doren
Narrated by: Edward Holland
Length: 15 hours 25 minutes

A CNN Book of the Week: “Explains not just why we should read books, but how we should read them. It’​s masterfully done.” —Farheed Zakaria

Originally published in 1940, this book is a rare phenomenon, a living classic that introduces and elucidates the various levels of reading and how to achieve them—from elementary reading, through systematic... Read more

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

Essays

By: Alexander Chee
Narrated by: Daniel K. Isaac
Length: 8 hours 28 minutes

An essay collection exploring his education as a man, writer, and activist—and how we form our identities in life and in artAs a novelist, Alexander Chee has been described as “masterful” by Roxane Gay, “incendiary” by the New York Times, and “brilliant” by the Washington Post. With How to Write an Autobiographical Novel, his first collection of... Read more

Kingdom of Characters (Pulitzer Prize Finalist)

The Language Revolution That Made China Modern

By: Jing Tsu
Narrated by: Jing Tsu
Length: 11 hours 18 minutes

What does it take to reinvent a language?

After a meteoric rise, China today is one of the world’s most powerful nations. Just a century ago, it was a crumbling empire with literacy reserved for the elite few, as the world underwent a massive technological transformation that threatened to leave them behind. In Kingdom of Characters, Jing Tsu... Read more

The Ten Rules of Reporting

Journalism for the Community

By: Alan Sunderland
Narrated by: Alan Sunderland
Length: 3 hours 44 minutes

An essential guide for reporters and aspiring reporters: the former editorial director of the ABC shares the secrets of good reporting from his life-long career in journalism.

Journalism is changing.
 
The demand for information about the world we live in has never been greater. But those charged with obtaining it are under constant pressure.... Read more

Next Steps in Italian with Paul Noble for Intermediate Learners – Complete Course

Italian Made Easy with Your 1 million-best-selling Personal Language Coach

By: Paul Noble
Narrated by: Paul Noble
Length: 7 hours 36 minutes

No grammar tests. No memory drills. No chance of failure. Welcome to Learn with Paul Noble – a unique, tried and tested language learning method that has been used by almost a million people to speak fluently and confidently in no time at all. Take your Italian to the next level with Paul Noble's simple, relaxed... Read more

101 Conversations in Simple Russian

Short Natural Dialogues to Boost Your Confidence & Improve Your Spoken Russian

By: Olly Richards
Narrated by: David McNeill & Elnara Salimova
Length: 2 hours 34 minutes

Real Russian people don’t speak like your textbook… so it’s no wonder you feel unprepared when it’s your turn to speak! Try the StoryLearning method, and dive into a real-world, gripping drama between six characters that helps you learn authentic spoken Russianin the process. Created by Olly Richards, internationally-renowned language teacher... Read more

Caterina Travels to Italy

Conversational Italian for Travelers

By: Kathryn Occhipinti
Narrated by: Kathryn Occhipinti, Maria Vanessa Colapinto, Marco Martinoli, Anna Venzon & Lorena Caminiti
Length: 2 hours 49 minutes

Caterina Travels to Italy is a collection of dialogues that tell the story of a fictional Italian-American woman as she travels to Italy and then spends time there with Italian relatives. The story is a part of the Conversational Italian for Travelers series of books that was created for the beginning Italian student who wants to learn, “all the... Read more

The Piano

Oxford Bookworms Library Level 2

By: Rosemary Border
Narrated by: Multiple Narrators
Length: 59 minutes

One day, a farmer tells a farm boy to take everything out of an old building and throw it away. 'It's all rubbish,' he says. In the middle of all the rubbish, the boy finds a beautiful old piano. He has never played before, but now, when his fingers touch the piano, he begins to play. He closes his eyes and the music comes to him - and the music... Read more

Pimsleur Norwegian Level 1

Learn to Speak and Understand Norwegian with Pimsleur Language Programs

Comprehensive: Book #1

By: Pimsleur
Narrated by: Pimsleur
Length: 16 hours 28 minutes

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Norwegian
With Pimsleur you’ll become conversational in Norwegian — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve learned, so you can put it... Read more

Learn Spanish: Survival Phrases Spanish

Lessons 1-60

By: Innovative Language Learning & SpanishPod101.com
Narrated by: SpanishPod101.com
Length: 7 hours 25 minutes

Learn Spanish easily and quickly with Survival Phrases Spanish!
60 lessons total.Are you traveling to a Spanish speaking country soon?Do you have Spanish speaking friends or a partner?Do you work in a Spanish speaking company?Then learn Spanish with this quick and easy lesson series that won't take away time from your busy schedule!
Download the... Read more

Learn Italian - Level 2: Absolute Beginner Italian

Volume 1: Lessons 1-25

Innovative Language Series - Learn Italian from Absolute Beginner to Advanced #2 #02

By: Innovative Language Learning & ItalianPod101.com
Narrated by: ItalianPod101.com
Length: 3 hours 34 minutes

Finished with Introduction to Italian? Advance to Absolute Beginner Italian!
Welcome to Absolute Beginner Italian, Volume 1
Before you take that trip to Italy, get a solid foundation of Italian first!
Start speaking Italian in minutes and grasp the language, culture, and customs in just minutes more with Absolute Beginner Italian, a completely new... Read more

Bird by Bird

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

By: Anne Lamott
Narrated by: Anne Lamott
Length: 6 hours 36 minutes

“At first, I thought she might be just a tad pretentious, but some of the exercises she mentions are truly helpful for reinvigorating your writing and also triggering your memory. It’s incredible what you can remember, especially once you get writing about it. I seriously recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the craft of writing,... Read more

1000 Words

A Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All-Year Round

By: Jami Attenberg
Narrated by: Jami Attenberg, Kamali Minter, Joy Osmanski & André Santana
Length: 4 hours 55 minutes

“Are you an artist? Stop right here and pick up 1000 Words. Read or listen to a little each day to refresh your outlook and commitment to creating. It's positive and challenging and just perfect for helping you make progress on your art. Definitely a new favorite for me. Read more

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need

By: Jessica Brody
Narrated by: Jessica Brody
Length: 10 hours 49 minutes

The first novel-writing guide from the best-selling Save the Cat! story-structure series, which reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any novel a success.

Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing.... Read more

Fluent in 3 Months

How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World

By: Benny Lewis
Narrated by: Benny Lewis
Length: 6 hours 19 minutes

Benny Lewis, who speaks over ten languages—all self-taught—runs the largest language-learning blog in the world, Fluent In 3 Months. Lewis is a full-time "language hacker," someone who devotes all of his time to finding better, faster, and more efficient ways to learn languages. Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any... Read more

Superbloom

How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart

By: Nicholas Carr
Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
Length: 9 hours 30 minutes

“This one examines human communication in its many forms and posits that HOW we communicate dictates WHAT we communicate. Is it too late to limit the speed and reach of social media? If so, how do we shape our selves and our society before the algorithm shapes everything for us? A great audiobook, but I find I want to refer back to certain... Read more

Say What You Mean

A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication

Shambhala

By: Oren Jay Sofer
Narrated by: Oren Jay Sofer & Mark Bramhall
Length: 10 hours 59 minutes

Find your voice, speak your truth, listen deeply—a guide to more meaningful and mindful conversations.

We spend so much of our lives talking to each other, but how much are we simply running on automatic—relying on old habits and hoping for the best? Are we able to truly hear others and speak our mind in a clear and kind way, without needing to... Read more

How to Tell a Story

The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth

By: The Moth, Meg Bowles, Catherine Burns, Jenifer Hixson, Sarah Austin Jenness & Kate Tellers
Narrated by: Meg Bowles, Catherine Burns, Jenifer Hixson, Sarah Austin Jenness, Suzanne Rust, Chloe Salmon & Kate Tellers
Length: 10 hours 8 minutes

“Do you have a story to tell? For over 25 years, The Moth has been bringing masterful storytellers to stages and radios across the country, and in this book they finally put their process of sourcing, shaping, and performing stories onto the page for all. How to Tell a Story reminded me why I believe in the power of stories to change the world,... Read more

Smart Brevity

The Power of Saying More with Less

By: Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen & Roy Schwartz
Narrated by: Mark Chamberlin
Length: 3 hours 1 minute

Brevity is confidence. Length is fear. This is the guiding principle of Smart Brevity, a communication formula built by Axios journalists to prioritize essential news and information, explain its impact and deliver it in a concise and visual format. Now, the co-founders of Axios have created an essential guide for communicating effectively and... Read more

Story Genius

How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)

By: Lisa Cron
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Length: 9 hours 36 minutes

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story.

It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story... Read more

How to Take Smart Notes

One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking. 2nd Edition

By: Sönke Ahrens
Narrated by: Nigel Fyfe
Length: 6 hours 14 minutes

This is the second, revised and expanded edition. The first edition was published under the slightly longer title "How to Take Smart Notes. One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking - for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers".
The key to good and efficient writing lies in the intelligent organisation of ideas and... Read more

Win Every Argument

The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking

By: Mehdi Hasan
Narrated by: Mehdi Hasan
Length: 8 hours 11 minutes

This program is read by and contains archival audio of the author from MSNBC, BBC Question Time, Oxford Union, and other sources.

Win Every Argument shows how anyone can communicate with confidence, rise above the tit-for-tats on social media, and triumph in a successful and productive debate in the real world.

MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan isn’t one to... Read more

I Came All This Way to Meet You

Writing Myself Home

By: Jami Attenberg
Narrated by: Xe Sands
Length: 6 hours 44 minutes

Named a Best Book of the Year by: Time * New Yorker * Sunday Times (UK)From New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg comes a dazzling memoir about unlocking and embracing her creativity—and how it saved her life. In this brilliant, fierce, and funny memoir of transformation, Jami Attenberg—described as a “master of modern fiction”... Read more

Rebel With A Clause

Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian

By: Ellen Jovin
Narrated by: Ellen Jovin
Length: 7 hours 37 minutes

For fans of Mary Norris and Benjamin Dreyer, an unconventional guide to the English language drawn from the cross-country adventures of an itinerant grammarian.When Ellen Jovin first walked outside her Manhattan apartment building and set up a folding table with a GRAMMAR TABLE sign, it took about thirty seconds to get her first visitor.... Read more

Wired for Story

The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence

By: Lisa Cron
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Length: 7 hours 59 minutes

This guide reveals how writers can utilize cognitive storytelling strategies to craft stories that ignite readers’ brains and captivate them through each plot element.

Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these... Read more

The Language Instinct

How the Mind Creates Language

By: Steven Pinker
Narrated by: Arthur Morey
Length: 18 hours 55 minutes

In this classic, the world’s expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling... Read more

The Emotional Craft of Fiction

How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface

By: Donald Maass
Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
Length: 7 hours 36 minutes

Engage Your Readers with Emotion



While writers might disagree over showing versus telling or plotting versus pantsing, none would argue this: If you want to write strong fiction, you must make your readers feel. The reader's experience must be an emotional journey of its own, one as involving as your characters' struggles, discoveries, and... Read more

Dreyer's English

An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style

By: Benjamin Dreyer
Narrated by: Benjamin Dreyer & Alison Fraser
Length: 9 hours 38 minutes

“Listening to this is so much fun. Dreyer has a droll wit—occasionally smug, in a charming way—and he turns grammar and style into an entertaining puzzle. And this stuff really does matter! It’s a great listen. I’ve been snorting with laughter having to rewind to hear what I missed! Read more

Pimsleur Chinese (Mandarin) Level 1 Lessons 6-10

Learn to Speak and Understand Mandarin Chinese with Pimsleur Language Programs

Pimsleur Digital: Book #1

By: Pimsleur
Narrated by: Pimsleur
Length: 2 hours 30 minutes

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Mandarin Chinese
With Pimsleur you’ll become conversational in Mandarin Chinese — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve learned, so... Read more

Talk Like TED

The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

By: Carmine Gallo
Narrated by: Carmine Gallo
Length: 7 hours 41 minutes

Ideas are the currency of the twenty-first century. In order to succeed, you need to be able to sell your ideas persuasively. This ability is the single greatest skill that will help you accomplish your dreams. Many people have a fear of public speaking or are insecure about their ability to give a successful presentation. Now public speaking... Read more

The Heroine's Journey

For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture

By: Gail Carriger
Narrated by: Starla Huchton
Length: 7 hours 32 minutes

Tired of the hero's journey?Frustrated that funny, romantic, and comforting stories aren't taken seriously?Sad that the books and movies you love never seem to be critically acclaimed, even when they sell like crazy?The heroine's journey is here to help. Multiple New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger presents a clear concise analysis... Read more

Storycraft

The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

By: Jack Hart
Narrated by: Christopher Grove
Length: 11 hours 11 minutes

From the work of the New Journalists in the 1960s, to the New Yorker essays of John McPhee, Susan Orlean, Atul Gawande, and a host of others, to narratives such as Mary Roach’s Stiff, narrative nonfiction has come into its own. Yet writers looking for guidance on reporting and writing true stories have had few places to turn for advice. Now in... Read more

How To Write a Mystery

A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America

By: Mystery Writers of America
Narrated by: Cary Hite, Caroline McLaughlin, Nigel Patterson, Fred Sanders, Jackie Sanders & Machelle Williams
Length: 9 hours 51 minutes

“While there are some repetitive elements within this book, I cannot help but overlook it for the wealth of information contained within. Everything from plotting and outlining, to character development and self publishing, there’s something in here for any aspiring author! Read more

The Zen Of Writing

By: Natalie Goldberg
Narrated by: Michael Toms
Length: 56 minutes

This dialogue is a very personal exploration into the life of one of our most popular authors on the subject of writing. It overflows with stories about her family, her schoolteachers, her grandmother, and her Zen master. It includes the place she lives now and places she has visited, pilgrimages she has made, and spiritual lessons she has... Read more

Finding Success in Failure

By: Natalie Goldberg
Narrated by: Michael Toms
Length: 57 minutes

Natalie Goldberg recently had her world turned upside down when she made startling discoveries about her beloved Zen Buddhist teacher. In this moving dialogue, with her characteristic honesty, she tells how being forced to look at his failings, as well as the failings of her father, helped her see the light in each of us. Read more

Pimsleur Portuguese (European) Level 1

Learn to Speak and Understand European Portuguese with Pimsleur Language Programs

Comprehensive: Book #1

By: Pimsleur
Narrated by: Pimsleur
Length: 17 hours 59 minutes

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn European Portuguese
With Pimsleur you’ll become conversational in European Portuguese — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve... Read more

Pimsleur Japanese Level 1 Lessons 1-5

Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs

Pimsleur Digital: Book #1

By: Pimsleur
Narrated by: Pimsleur
Length: 2 hours 43 minutes

The Easiest and Fastest Way to Learn Japanese
With Pimsleur, you’ll become conversational in Japanese — to understand and be understood — quickly and effectively. You’ll learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation together through conversation. And our scientifically proven program will help you remember what you’ve learned, so you can put it... Read more

In Other Words

A Memoir

By: Jhumpa Lahiri
Narrated by: Jhumpa Lahiri
Length: 6 hours 52 minutes

“Lahiri traces the origins, tribulations, and tiny victories that have fueled her decades-long courtship with the Italian language in a bilingual memoir that reads more like an intimate diary. The chapters and short stories offer a vivid timeline of Lahiri's turbulent relationship with language, bouncing around from English to Bengali during her... Read more

Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish

A Creative and Proven Approach

By: Margarita Madrigal
Narrated by: Fred Sanders, Jane Santos, Luis Solís, Roxanne Coyne, Yopa Ponce & Jan Rodríguez
Length: 14 hours 18 minutes

Use the English you already know to quickly learn the basics of Spanish with this unique, accessible guide—from one of America’s most prominent language teachers.

Read, write, and speak Spanish in only a few short weeks! Even the most reluctant learner will be astonished at the ease and effectiveness of Margarita Madrigal’s unique method of... Read more

Next Steps in French with Paul Noble for Intermediate Learners – Complete Course

French Made Easy with Your 1 million-best-selling Personal Language Coach

By: Paul Noble
Narrated by: Paul Noble
Length: 7 hours 57 minutes

No grammar tests. No memory drills. No chance of failure. Welcome to Learn with Paul Noble – a unique, tried and tested language learning method that has been used by almost a million people to speak fluently and confidently in no time at all. Take your French to the next level with Paul Noble's simple, relaxed... Read more