Gad Saad tops US audiobooks chart

Gad Saad moved to the top of the U.S. audiobook chart in the latest weekly sales snapshot, with *Suicidal Empathy* ranked No. 1 for the week ending May 15, according to an Associated Press list published by Squamish Chief and other outlets on May 19. Belle Burden’s *Strangers* ranked No. 2 on the same list, keeping a memoir title near the top of the market. (squamishchief.com) The weekly ranking was presented as an “Audible best-sellers” list, offering a fixed view of what sold across that reporting week rather than a live chart. (audiobookstore.com) ### How did Gad Saad get to No. 1 so quickly? May 12 is the release date listed for the audiobook edition of *Suicidal Empathy*, which means Saad’s title reached No. 1 within days of publication in the week-ending May 15 chart. (audible.com) The audiobook is narrated by Saad and published by Broadside Books, according to retail and distributor listings. The Associated Press chart entry identifies the full title as *Suicidal Empathy* and credits Saad as narrator. That matters in audio, where author-read nonfiction often sells as a direct extension of an author’s public profile and media following, though the chart itself does not break out unit sales. (squamishchief.com) ### What does No. 2 say about the rest of the market? Belle Burden’s *Strangers* held the No. 2 position in the same weekly ranking, with Random House Audio listed as publisher and Burden as narrator. Publisher materials describe the book as *Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage*, and Penguin Random House says it was an “instant #1 New York Times bestseller” in print. (audiobookstore.com) The top of the list was dominated by nonfiction rather than celebrity fiction or franchise fantasy. In the AP ranking carried by WTOP, Mel Robbins’ *The Let Them Theory* was No. 3 and Lena Dunham’s *Famesick* was No. 4, reinforcing that memoir and ideas-driven titles were clustered near the top in that sales week. (squamishchief.com) ### Is this the same thing as Audible’s live bestseller page? Audible’s own website maintains a live bestseller chart that it says is updated daily. That ranking is different from the AP-distributed week-ending list, which is a dated snapshot tied to sales through May 15 and published several days later. (squamishchief.com) The distinction matters because a weekly chart captures a defined launch window. A fast debut can reflect concentrated first-week buying, while the daily bestseller page can move more quickly as new releases, promotions and listener behavior change. That comparison is an inference drawn from the different chart formats described by the sources. (wtop.com) ### Was Belle Burden already selling before this week? May 1 is the week-ending date on an earlier AP audiobook chart in which *Strangers* ranked No. 1 in nonfiction. Two other AP chart pickups from April and early May also placed Burden’s memoir near the top, showing that the book had already established sales momentum before Saad’s release week. (audible.com) January 13, 2026 is the publication date listed for the audiobook edition of *Strangers* by Random House Audio. That longer runway helps explain why Burden’s title appears as a holdover seller rather than a same-week debut. (audible.com) ### What comes next for this chart? Audible’s live bestseller page will continue to change day by day, while the next comparable AP weekly audiobook snapshot will cover the following sales period after May 15. Saad, Burden and other nonfiction authors near the top will be the names to watch in the next week-ending list carried by AP partner outlets. (audible.com) (audiobooksnow.com) (squamishchief.com)