Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list books from authors they are unfamiliar with. While this is an interesting idea, and one I might come back to later, I’m instead going to continue my recent trend of discussing books from the first half of the year and highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of 2026. This is a continuation of my Top Ten list from a couple of weeks ago that featured my favourite overall novels from the first half of 2026.
I have a great deal of love for the audiobook format, and it is one of the main ways that I tend to check out books. I have long been a major fan of audiobooks, and it is amazing the various ways in which listening to a book can enhance your enjoyment. An excellent audiobook can really bring you into the story, and I find that listening to a book enhances the amount of detail that you can take in. In addition, other features, such as captivating voices, music and sound effects can really make an audiobook something special, and there some great examples of the format I have enjoyed throughout my life. This year alone I have listened to a ton of outstanding audiobooks, includes some of my favourite books from early 2026. Because I love this format so much, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight my favourite audiobooks from the first half of the year.
To pull this list off I had a look at all the 2026 releases that I listened to on audiobook to figure out my favourites. It turns out that I have already gone through quite a few this year so there was a large collection of potential additions to this list, which I was eventually able to whittle it down to the best ten audiobooks. There is a bit of a crossover with my previous Favourite Books from the First Half of 2026 list, but I think there are enough new additions to make this list worthwhile. I made sure to feature only the very best audiobooks on this list, and, in addition to the quality of the baseline novel, I also looked at audiobook production and narration. This includes whether the audiobook has outstanding narration or uses music and sound effects to enhance the plot. Keeping these criteria in mind, I came up with the following strong Top Ten List and associated Honourable Mentions, and all the audiobooks listed below were exceptional listens that come very highly recommended by this blog.
Honourable Mentions:
Jigsaw, written by Jonathan Kellerman and narrated by John Rubinstein
A captivating addition to Jonathan Kellerman’s long-running Alex Delaware series. John Rubinstein does an amazing job bringing Kellerman’s characters to life throughout this excellent mystery.
Warhammer 40,000: Chem Dog, written by Callum Davis and narrated by Richard Reed
Callum Davis provides an excellent debut to the Warhammer franchise, with Chem Dog. A very fun read that comes across perfectly on audiobook, especially with talented narrator Richard Reed on board.
The Right to Remain, written by James Grippando and narrated by Jonathan Davis
James Grippando continues his fantastic Jack Swyteck legal thriller series this year with the very clever The Right to Remain. I had an outstanding time listening to The Right to Remain on audiobook, especially with Jonathan Davis (one of the best Star Wars narrators) reading it out.
Warhammer 40,000: Ghost Legion, written by Mike Brooks and narrated by Alex Lanipekun
Another great Warhammer 40,000 audiobook from earlier this year. Ghost Legion was a fantastic sequel to Brooks’ previous novel Harrowmaster, with a new narrator reading it out.
Top Ten List:
A Parade of Horribles, written by Matt Dinniman and narrated by Jeff Hays
Let’s start this list off with one of the more outrageous, epic and highly entertaining audiobooks of 2026, A Parade of Horribles. The eighth book in Matt Dinniman’s deeply impressive Dungeon Crawler Carl series, A Parade of Horribles is an outstanding and hilarious new entry in the series, which sees the surviving protagonists forced to compete in a series of deadly, whacky races as they continue to traverse the dungeon. Not only was this a particularly awesome book by itself, but it also had an exceptional audiobook version. Now, if you know anything about the Dungeon Crawler Carl series then you know that the audiobooks are the best format to enjoy the stories in thanks to the excessive range of entertaining and distinctive voices from narrator Jeff Hays. Hays has so much fun providing all the awesome voices in A Parade of Horribles and his brilliant take on the characters and crazy events was just perfect. While, as an Australian I have ‘thoughts’ about the accent he gave to some giant kangaroos, the rest of the voices he came up with were so damn good, with an unhinged AI and a certain talking cat being impressive highlights. Also, there are some exceptional musical chapters and other inclusions in this audiobook, which make A Parade of Horribles worth listening just on their own. Honestly, A Parade of Horribles’ audiobook was on a whole other level, and if you haven’t started listening to Dungeon Crawler Carl, you are missing out!
Warhammer 40,000: Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords, written by Denny Flowers and narrated by Harry Myers
I doubt anyone familiar with my blog is going to be too surprised that there are going to be a lot of Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks on this list. I have a lot of love of Warhammer fiction, and the audiobook formats are always the best way to enjoy these epic and entertaining novels. As such, one of the big entries on this list is the outstanding 2026 audiobook Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords. The latest novel from Denny Flowers, Warlord of Warlords was an addictive and awesome read that focused on the entertaining ork faction and their legendary new leader. Filled with humour, over-the-top action and some very interesting dives into ork lore, Warlord of Warlords was a great book on its own, but his was further enhanced by the excellent audiobook version. Much of this is down to the narration of Harry Myers, who frankly portrays the orks better than anyone else in the current stable of Warhammer audiobook narrators. His booming, laddish voice for the orks was just golden, and listening to a whole bevy of orks fight and scheme made for such an outstanding audiobook. A wonderful listen guaranteed to get a chuckle out of any Warhammer fan.
Twelve Months, written by Jim Butcher and narrated by James Marsters
When pulling together a list of the best audiobooks of 2026, there is no way I can exclude Twelve Months by Jim Butcher. The long-anticipated 18th entry in Butcher’s Dresden Files series, Twelve Months showcases the dark fallout from the epic novel Battle Ground, with a particular focus on the mental trauma of the series protagonist. Twelve Months was one of Butcher’s most impressive reads, and it’s unsurprising that the audiobook version was also quite exceptional. Not only does Twelve Months’ emotional narrative become even more impactful when read out, but this audiobook also sees the return of the legendary James Marsters as narrator. Marsters, who has narrated all the Dresden Files books, has long figured out the best way to portray all the great characters in this series, and his work in Twelve Months was impeccable and captivating. I especially love how Marsters handled narrating the anguish and despair of the point-of-view protagonist, and this was one of his best audiobook performances. A standout audiobook from a series with so many amazing listens.
Red Empire, written by Jonathan Maberry and narrated by Ray Porter
It’s a rare year when one of Jonathan Maberry’s outstanding novels doesn’t appear on my regular lists of best audiobooks. This is because Maberry’s over-the-top books are so perfectly crazy and the awesome action and fantastic characters really come across when read out, especially with the very talented recurring narrator Ray Porter on the job. Maberry’s latest novel, Red Empire, was a particularly epic audiobook, which not only featured an excellent story, but because it has some of Porter’s best narration. I only just finished Red Empire today, and it is one of my favourites from his current Rogue Team International series, especially with some cool revelations about some key characters and some powerful tragedies loaded into the plot. An exceptional novel with an even more impressive audiobook.
Pretenders to the Throne of God, written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by David Thorpe
One of the more compelling and thought-provoking fantasy audiobooks of 2026 was Pretenders to the Throne of God by the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky. The fourth book in Tchaikovksy’s incredible Tyrant Philosophers series (City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds and Days of Shattered Faith), Pretenders to the Throne of God told the complex tale of personal struggles, humorous brushes with authority and alternating motivations, all set to the background of a besieged fantasy city. A highly addictive read, loaded with moving character arcs and elaborate fantasy elements, Pretenders to the Throne of God was so damn good as both a novel, and an audiobook. Narrator David Thorpe expertly captures Tchaikovsky’s witty tone with his voice work, and I loved how he perfectly voiced all the unique characters, bringing their complex struggles to life. This was such an amazing audiobook, and I cannot recommend this series enough.
Warhammer 40,000: Hive, written by Dan Abnett and narrated by Toby Longworth
While some of the Warhammer 40,000 audiobooks of 2026 are great because they are fun and funny, this next entry, Hive, was particularly amazing because it dove into the grimdark roots of the universe. One of the longest and most complex Warhammer audiobooks, Hive was an exceptional read by one of the franchises best authors, Dan Abnett, that dove into conspiracies, rebellions and plant-ending plots in one of the franchises’ gigantic hive cities. A sprawling novel that wove multiple unique character arcs into one gripping narrative, Hive was so damn good, and I was deeply impressed with how amazing it came out in the audiobook format. The always amazing Toby Longworth, who has narrating most of Abnett’s many Warhammer books, did another incredible job in Hive, voicing the entire massive (and I do mean massive) cast, on his own. Not only does each character get their own voice, but Longworth perfectly captured the distinctive slang, language and accents of the hive city, enhancing the setting and allowing you to really envision the city and its trouble inhabitants. I was absolutely enthralled with this wonderful audiobook, and Hive is Warhammer fiction at it’s very best.
The Hard Line, written by Mark Greaney and narrated by Jay Snyder
One of the best spy thrillers of 2026 for me so far is The Hard Line by Mark Greaney. An excellent addition to Greaney’s long-running Gray Man series, The Hard Line was particularly awesome, loaded with some excellent action, intrigue and interesting character moments. I made sure to listen to The Hard Line on audiobook, which once again features narrator Jay Snyder. Snyder always does an outstanding job bringing Greaney’s espionage vision to life, and his narration adds to the tension of the plot, especially when describing the action scenes from multiple angles. I really loved how easy it is to absorb and become addicted to Greaney’s great stories on this format, and The Hard Line is a must-listen for all audiobook fans looking for an exciting and clever thriller.
30Seven, written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by Scott Brick
Jeremy Robinson is an author who often appears on my best audiobook lists, and I love his complex and intense reads. In 2026 Robinson once again makes an appearance, especially with his unique and dark standalone science fiction thriller, 30Seven. An entertaining and disturbing novel that sets a serial killer loose amid an alien abduction narrative, 30Seven was a great book, whose unique narrative perfectly came across on audiobook. What was interesting with 30Seven is that it featured Robinson’s first collaboration with iconic audiobook narrator Scott Brick. Brick clearly has fun taking a break from his usual thriller work, and he provides an entertaining and haunting narration to this gripping read. I loved how well Brick enhanced this audiobook with his voice work, especially in scenes told from the killer’s perspective. A particularly fun audiobook, it will be interesting to see how some of Robinson’s other audiobooks this year (Parallax and the upcoming Settle Down) stand up to it.
Warhammer 40,000: Da Freebooterz Code, written by Justin Woolley and narrated by Harry Myers
The final Warhammer 40,000 audiobook I’m going to feature on this list, is the comedic goldmine that is Da Freebooterz Code. The second Warhammer novel by Justin Woolley, Da Freebooterz Code follows the alternating views of a bold ork pirate captain and a slowly unravelling rogue trader, as they engage in a brutal space war. One of the funniest Warhammer books I have read, Da Freebooterz Code was an incredible read, that gets even better on audiobook. Harry Myers, the only narrator to appear on this list twice, does another awesome job with Da Freebooterz Code, and once again loved his take on the orks. I particularly loved how, rather than just reusing the same ork voices he had in Warlord of Warlords, Myers went out of his way to make the orks in Da Freebooterz Code sound more ‘piratey’, which was just brilliant. Another exceptional Warhammer 40,000 audiobook.
Operation Bounce House, written by Matt Dinniman and narrated by Travis Baldree
Matt Dinniman is having an exceptional 2026, with two particularly awesome reads. His second for this list, Operation Bounce House, was a clever and heartfelt standalone science fiction novel, that saw a peaceful colony world invaded by destructive mechs remotely piloted by bloodthirsty Earth gamers. A very interesting and moving read from Dinniman, which is also further enhanced by an excellent audiobook version, this time narrated by Travis Baldree. Baldree, a narrator who fans of Dungeon Crawler Carl would be familiar with thanks to his work in The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, does an incredible job at bringing Operation Bounce House to life with his voice work. I really liked the personal and emotionally charged take Baldree had for this audiobook, and it resulted in one of the more moving audiobooks of 2026. A fantastic and powerful final audiobook entry for this list.
Well, that’s the end of this latest list. As you can see, there have been some very good audiobooks out in the first half of 2026. It will be interesting to see which books make the cut later in the year, especially as I currently have several major 2026 audiobooks currently sitting on my phone, waiting to be listened to. While I get to that, make sure to let me know what your favourite audiobooks of 2026 so far are in the comments below.
