The Best Celebrity-Read Audiobooks You Can Listen To Now

There are a slew of advantages to reading a physical book. But sometimes, listening to an audiobook can be just as rewarding — particularly when it's read by a celebrity. There's nothing quite like hearing a familiar voice tell tales of despair, hilarity, and everything in between. In the case of autobiographies or personal essays, the authenticity of someone reading their own words in their own way can also be incredibly inspiring.

More people than ever are realizing the joys of audiobooks, too. According to the Audio Publishers Association, U.S. listeners heard an average of 6.8 audiobooks each between 2023 and 2024. And with 149 million Americans having listened to at least one in their lifetime, this style of reading won't be going away anytime toon. But with so many celebs getting in on the memoir game, it can be tough to know where to start. That's why we've compiled the very best celebrity-read audiobooks, available right now, based on Audible reviews and ratings, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter) impact, and sales.

Michelle Williams' depth as an actor made her the perfect choice to get into Britney Spears' headspace and read her deeply personal memoir, "The Woman In Me." The 2023 book detailed tough subjects, like Spears' abortion while dating Justin Timberlake and the trappings of her conservatorship. Though heart-breaking and an incredibly important story to tell, it wasn't just those dark chapters that got fans talking. Williams' (frankly hilarious) re-telling of how Spears claimed Timberlake once behaved in front of Ginuwine went viral, with 17 million plays on X alone. "J got all excited and said so loud, 'Oh yeah, fo-shiz, fo-shiz, Ginuwine! What's up, homie?'" Williams enthusiastically read. Her animated re-telling was so zealous, some X users claimed it inspired them to make this their first audiobook. Including audiobook and e-book versions, in under three months, People confirmed the book sold 2 million copies.

On Audible, "The Woman In Me" has 4.8 stars out of five at the time of writing, and many reviews praising Williams. "Michelle Williams was a perfect choice for this! Listening to it, I can totally understand why it would have been too much for Britney to read it herself," one reviewer wrote. 

Jessica Simpson's 2020 memoir "Open Book" is a deeply personal and no holes barred insight into her experiences with alcoholism, sexual abuse, and self-acceptance struggles. Hearing Simpson's harrowing experiences fall from her own lips adds an extra layer of vulnerability to her story, to the extent some listeners described feeling they'd developed a bond with her. "I was genuinely sad when the book finished, I felt lonely without her voice in my ear as I cleaned the house or drove to work," one person wrote in their Audible review. "This book is so well written and [surprisingly] honest, made all the better having been read by Jessica Simpson herself. Listening to her life story as though you were reading her diary, you feel her pain and cry," another person shared.

What makes Simpson's audiobook even more of a must-listen though is the bonus content. At the end, Simpson included six personal songs. Written and sung by her, the songs offered even deeper insight into her state of mind. On Instagram, Simpson explained she put the songs out there "with connection, peace and compassion for myself." The audiobook sits pretty with 4.8 stars out of five on Audible at the time of writing, and, according to Variety, sold more than 500,000 copies in its first 14 weeks of release. Though it's not clear if that included audiobook sales.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

There's a reason Oprah Winfrey has been on our screens for decades. And she proved why by reading the audiobook for her 2014 release, "What I Know For Sure," a collection of the columns she wrote for "O, The Oprah Magazine." What makes hearing Winfrey read her own advice aloud so rousing is the emotion in the media mogul's voice. When she revisits her old words, there's clear wisdom and knowledge behind her voice. That evokes the feeling that this is a friend sharing pearls of wisdom with another friend. As one of our favorite celebrities confronting aging with confidence, Winfrey certainly has plenty to enlighten us with.

With 4.7 stars out of five, Audible users clearly loved hearing Winfrey read her own words. "Listening to Oprah moved me and I can't wait to relisten," one person shared in their review. Another reader wrote, "Oprah has such an engaging voice! Her narration is so easy to follow and had me smiling, laughing and crying along." "What I Know For Sure" has done so well for Winfrey that she confirmed an updated re-release to celebrate a decade since the book hit shelves.

You may think you know Julia Fox from her high-profile romance with Kanye "Ye" West or her unexpected public confessions (Fox admitting she hasn't had sex in two years definitely falls under that category). But think again. In the audiobook of her 2023 memoir "Down The Drain," she shared heart-breaking details about her life, including her past relationships and drug addiction. Fox got so candid in the audiobook that her revelations became a TikTok trend, as people filmed themselves listening to her while doing everyday tasks. Amongst the shocking recollections? "I get on my hands and knees and scour the carpet for cocaine residue, mistakenly rubbing cigarette ashes on my gums." One video from @kerrinotcarrieokay featured the excerpt and reached more than 3.6 million views — as well as attracting Fox's attention. "Well when u put it this way smh," the actor jokingly commented.

@kerrinotcarrieokay

Down the Drain by Julia Fox. Every other sentence in this book is like the wildest thing I've ever heard in my life. #juliafox #downthedrain #celebritymemoir #audiobooks #celebritymemoirs @Julia fox

♬ Down the Drain by Julia Fox – Kerri Not Carrie

But it's easy to see why so many people chose to listen to Fox tell her story. "I'm so glad I chose to listen to the audiobook because the way Julia reads is so expressive and powerful," one person wrote in an Audible review. "Best heard in her wonderful soft voice, the time just melted away," a second person noted. At the time of writing, the book has an Audible star rating of 4.9 out of five, making it the highest-rated on our list.

Tina Fey is one of the funniest women on the planet, and that comes across in the audiobook version of her 2011 memoir, "Bossypants." Though Fey is an incredible writer (she's written for the likes of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "Saturday Night Live," and "Mean Girls," amongst countless others), hearing her share hilarious anecdotes added an extra layer of hilarity to her hijinks. Fey also took the opportunity to go off-script and adlibbed quips not in the book. "Tina Fey reads her own book excellently; no problem with capturing the authorial voice!" one person wrote in an Audiobook review. "I think performers delivering their own autobiographies is usually better and Tina Fey does it with expression and passion," read another review.

We also adore the way Fey made the "Bossypants" audiobook a truly immersive experience. The "30 Rock" star included a PDF of personal photos and referred to the snaps throughout her narration. Little, Brown and Co. confirmed to AP that "Bossypants" has sold over 3.75 million copies (though it's not clear how much of that figure includes audiobook sales) and it has a rating of 4.5 stars out of five on Audible. It's also one of Mindy Kaling's favorite books!

This round-up is based on audiobooks of any genre read aloud by a well-known celebrity. To assemble our list, we focused on Audible's rating system and chose not to include anything that didn't average a minimum of four or more stars out of five at the time of writing. To ensure we included popular choices that were well-written by the author and well-read by the celebrity, we also analyzed sales data and Audible reviews.

We took social media impact into account, too. We searched X and TikTok to see if the reading had any viral posts, inspired any trends, or had stand-out reviews. To make it onto our list, presented in no particular order, the narrator did not have to have written the book. We did not include pre-orders.