The commuter reading problem
Two constraints. First, you read in 25-to-45-minute sessions, not in long evenings. Second, you do not always have hands free (the car) or attention free (the bus during rush hour). These picks are engineered for both constraints.
For the car commute (audio)
Lee Child's Make Me works because the prose is engineered for audio: short sentences, clean dialogue, no slow descriptive passages. Bill Clinton's My Life works because Clinton self-narrates several chapters and the production quality is excellent. Atomic Habits works because self-improvement content benefits from immediate post-commute application.
For the train commute (print or e-reader)
Short-chapter thrillers are your best friend. James Patterson's chapters (and the Patterson collaborations like Ellis's The Murder House) are 4-6 pages each; perfect for stop-to-stop reading. Lee Child's Reacher chapters are 8-12 pages. The Rhys Bowen Royal Spyness and Kerry Greenwood Phryne Fisher mysteries are similar.
For series readers
Series mysteries pick up where you left off without requiring you to re-establish character or setting in your head. Bowen's Royal Spyness, Greenwood's Phryne Fisher, and Evanovich's Stephanie Plum all reward reading in order, but each individual book is contained enough to read with weeks between sessions.
Audiobook platform notes
If you commute by car five days a week, Audible Premium Plus pays for itself within two months. If you commute by train and want DRM-free MP3s you can transfer between apps, Libro.fm. If you already pay for Spotify Premium and only consume 10-15 hours of audiobooks a month, the bundled Spotify Audiobooks hours are functionally free. See our audiobook platform reviews for the full breakdown.