New Year, New Nonfiction Audiobooks to Explore!

There’s something about a new year that makes us want to be “better.”

It’s probably because humanity has been making New Year’s resolutions for over 4,000 years. That’s nearly the dawn of civilization!

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Our first hopeful vision board creators were the ancient Babylonians. As part of their 12-day religious festival Akitu, these forward thinkers pledged to the gods they would improve themselves in the coming year. Their promises included things like paying back debts and returning borrowed items… with the looming threat of divine punishment if they didn’t comply. Even the king wasn’t immune to the annual pressure to improve!

During Akitu, the current Babylonian ruler would be stripped of his royal clothes and placed in front of Marduk, their chief god, and in a public ceremony. He had to swear he led with honor the entire year before being slapped across the face by a priest.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Humankind thankfully moved away from this kind of “ritual humiliation,” but that doesn’t mean things got any cushier.

Bust of the god Janus, Vatican museum

The Romans soon gave us Agonalia Ianuarias, also called “The Festival of Janus.” These early revelers may not have publicly embarrassed their ruler for the sake of tradition, but they did dabble in quite a bit of animal sacrifice. These rituals pushed through the entire month of January with other celebrations like the Kalends and Saturnalia following after the first of the year.

And these are only two of the many celebrations we’ve invented along the way to commemorate the New Year. Some may be long-gone, like the Ancient Egyptians’ Wepet Renpet while others still remain, like Persia’s Nowruz and China’s Lunar New Year!

Rituals and customs come and go, but we still strive to be more mindful of our health, more knowledgeable in our chosen fields, and more curious about the world around us each year. Unfortunately, as life gets busier and more complicated, finding time to grow and learn feels increasingly difficult. Work demands pile up, daily responsibilities multiply, and that stack of books you swore you’d get through? It just keeps growing and growing and…

Wait! Don’t panic and give up just yet.

Audiobooks are here to help you actually follow through on all those goals AND keep your sanity in the process.

Commuting to work? That’s learning time, friend.

Folding laundry? Perfect time to dive into a memoir.

Going for a walk? Explore a new read in a new part of the greenway!

So, go ahead. Take your New Year’s resolutions by the headphones and get ready to make 2026 the year you tackle every goal you set your mind to.

Keep reading to explore a few of our top nonfiction audiobook releases based on your personal 2026 goals!

In 2026, I’d like to…

BECOME A GLOBAL CITIZEN

Want to understand the world beyond your own backyard? These Culture Smart! travel guides will transport you to new places, introduce you to different cultures, and help you see the globe through fresh eyes… er, ears! Currently the ONLY dedicated travel series on audiobook, this entire collection is a veritable globe full of adventure with new countries like Costa Rica, Romania, and the Dominican Republic coming soon!


Written by: Paul Norbury Narrated by: Charles Armstrong	Written by: J. Rotheray Narrated by: David de Vries	Written by: Barry Tomalin Narrated by: Peter Noble	Written by: Jillian C. York Narrated by: Kate Udall
Provides practical tips and invaluable insights to help make your visit to this culturally rich nation a more meaningful and successful experience. Learn more>	With a wealth of tips on communicating, on socializing, and on navigating the unfamiliar situations that you are likely to encounter, this guide will help you to get the very best out of your time in the Land of Smiles. Learn more>	An insider’s guide that introduces you to Italian history and culture while providing vital information and practical tips to help smooth your path in different social situations. Learn more>	Chapters on history, values, attitudes, and traditions will help you to better understand your hosts, while tips on etiquette and communicating will help you to navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas. Learn more>

DIVE INTO NICHE TOPICS

The best learning happens when you follow your curiosity down an unexpected path. These audiobooks explore fascinating subjects you might never have thought to investigate—making you the most interesting person at any dinner party!


Narrated by: Katharine Chin Edited By: Hillary Rodham Clinton; Keren Yarhi-Milo	Written by: Tristan Gooley Narrated by: Tristan Gooley	Written by: Thomas E. Wartenberg Narrated by: Colin White	Written by: Nancy A. Nichols Narrated by: Misty Monroe
Bridges the gap between politics and academia to illuminate how world leaders make decisions in times of crisis. Learn more>	New York Times bestselling author Tristan Gooley reimagines the seasonal calendar not as four distinct phases but as a series of changes evolving moment by moment every day of the year. Learn more>	Tells how films grapple with philosophical ideas such as personal identity, the banality of evil, authenticity, euthanasia, third–party killing, and the power of attention. Learn more >	Nancy A. Nichols, the daughter of a used car salesman, uses the cars from her own life to tell a larger story about how the car helped to define modern womanhood. Learn more >

LEARN FROM THE PAST

History isn’t just about important dates and dead people! It’s about understanding how we got here and what we can learn from those who came before us. These audiobooks uncover hidden stories and illuminate moments from our past that shaped our present.


Written by: Hugh Sebag-Montefiore Narrated by: Alfred McNish	Written by: Tristan Gooley Narrated by: Tristan Gooley	Written by: Thomas E. Wartenberg Narrated by: Colin White	Written by: Nancy A. Nichols Narrated by: Misty Monroe
Tells a largely unknown maritime saga that demonstrated an unparalleled commitment from Allied nations to supporting the Soviet Union during World War II. Learn more>	New York Times bestselling author Tristan Gooley reimagines the seasonal calendar not as four distinct phases but as a series of changes evolving moment by moment every day of the year. Learn more>	A true crime tale of unbelievable friendship, loyalty, criminal genius, and a staggeringly audacious plot to steal one of the world’s most valuable paintings—and return it. Learn more >	The fascinating story of how a forgotten group of airmen—who had spent World War II dropping Allied bombs on Berlin—risked their lives in 1948-49 dropping chocolate bars from the sky. Learn more >

CHANGE MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER

Looking for practical wisdom, inspiration, or a roadmap for personal transformation? These audiobooks offer insights on improving your habits, understanding yourself better, and making meaningful changes that stick. No matter where you are on your journey, each title meets you there and gives you the tools to move forward!


Written by: J. Eric Oliver Narrated by: J.Eric Oliver	Written by: Tristan Gooley Narrated by: Tristan Gooley	Written by: Thomas E. Wartenberg Narrated by: Colin White	Written by: Messie Condo Narrated by: Hillary Huber
The Art and Science of Discovering Who You Really Are University of Chicago professor J. Eric Oliver brings the best of his legendary class, The Intelligible Self, straight to you. Learn more>	Drawing from 30 years of dedicated practice, Tsikki Thau unveils the secrets to attracting your heart’s desires, offering a magical blend of ancient practices and modern techniques. Learn more>	Reframes the familiar concept of love languages as a more fluid and flexible method of communication that we all engage with at different times, in different moods, and with different people. Learn more >	Author Messie Condo is back! And this time, she’s tidied up her language to give you her most approachable organizing advice with none of the clutter of salty, NSFW words. Learn more >

HEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S STORY

Sometimes the most powerful way to grow is by walking in someone else’s shoes. These memoirs and personal narratives give glimpses into lives very different from (or surprisingly similar to) your own. Prepare to laugh, cry, and emerge with a deeper sense of empathy and understanding for a rainbow of human experience.


Written by: Janice Page Narrated by: Janice Page	Written by: Lana Lin Narrated by: Rebecca Lam	Written by: Bjorn Borg Narrated by: Julian Elfer	Written by: Lorissa Rinehart Narrated by: Courtney Patterson
A warm and witty memoir about the ever-changing relationships between mothers, mothers-in-law, and daughters that traverses two continents and multiple generations of two very different yet connected families. Learn more>	Situated between memoir, social criticism, and conceptual art, The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam is an incisive response to a modernist classic and an affecting exploration of the poetics and politics of our times. Learn more>	Idol. Legend. Enigma. For the first time, one of the all-time greatest sportsmen is finally ready to share his astonishing story: the long-awaited tell-all memoir from Björn Borg. Learn more >	The first major biography of Jeannette Rankin, a groundbreaking suffragist, activist, and the first American woman to hold federal office. Learn more >