It is no surprise to my regular readers that I am a BIG audio book fan. I wasn’t always this way but about a year and a half ago I discovered that there are so many different ways to listen to them that they actually help me make time for books I wish I could get to. I know many of you have said that you have trouble concentrating on audio but here is how I do it:
- In the mornings while I get ready I have a book going in my IPOD in the speakers and I listen while I prep for the day
- In the kitchen cd player while I cook or while I clean
- In my IPOD with ear buds while I mow the lawn in the summer
- In my car while I drive…. it really passes the time and I find I enjoy car rides so much more and when I have to travel alone – it is ideal!
My biggest audio dilemma is choosing them. I can be a real audio snob. I am a firm believer that the narrator can make or break a perfectly good book. I never knew this would be the case until I experienced bad narration.
This is where you come in – those of you who have experienced great audio – I am asking for your assistance. What I am currently experiencing is that I am need of good audio – and I do not know what to choose for fear of the “bad experience”. I would like to make a 2011 audio play list based on your recommendations. If I listen to that audio I will mention that you recommended the audio in my review.
Please share hear the audio books you have LOVED. A few of you left me suggestions on the Monday What Are You reading Post and I thank you for that. Due to your recommendations, I am now listening to The Art of Racing in The Rain (thank you Margaret of Just One More Chapter, Please)
I plan to make a list of your recommendations and put them up on my sidebar so others can look at what has been recommended for audio as well. I will also include audio that I have particularly enjoyed too.
Book Journey 
This might not be what you’re looking for, but there is a radio theater version of The Magician’s Nephew that is fantastic. I listened to it quite a few times when I was little.
That sounds interesting Steph – thanks!
So far, I have only listened to YA on my iPod. This is both good and bad. It’s great, because YA books are usually on the lighter side and doesn’t require 100% of my attention, so it’s great to listen to while I cook, clean, garden, take down x-mas decorations, etc. BUT, you run the risk of a whiney teenager’s voice in your ear. Not fun.
My two favorite YA audiobooks so far are Beautiful Creatures (AMAZING reading) and The Iron King/The Iron Daughter.
I’ve heard great things about the audio for Will Grayson/Will Grayson (two different guys read each part)
That is why I like an opinion on the audio before I commit Alison… I do not want to pay for an audio that leaves me going “wha?”
That has happened a couple times already 😀
Real quick…you named your Nook?
Yes, Snooky. Why? 😛
The only two audiobooks I have liked are The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and The Help by Kathryn Stockton. I have tried out a lot from the library but did not like the narrator. 🙂
I have heard great things about The Help audio Brittanie – first time I heard about the GLPPS audio! Thanks!
I am trying this year to get through The Wheel of Time books (there are only 13 of them, some are about 40 hours long – oh my). They are read by Kate Reading, who is a wonderful reader. But last week I started The Host and she was also doing that, had one heck of a time getting into The Host, if fact I had to stop because I was getting confused, I kept thinking it was The Wheel of Time.
I had a little iPod shuffle and clip it on my shirt and do my housework, some days I have a really clean house.
I have an IPOD shuffle too Marageret – I use mine for the gym – it is the only item I listen to music on. 😀
The Wheel of Time sounds like a huge commitment! I will be interested in hearing about your progress!
For Juvenile/YA, I really enjoyed the reading of Rick Riordan’s The Red Pyramid. The story was fun and the two readers (voicing a brother and sister in alternating chapters) were excellent.
I also loved the audio book of Jasper Fforde’s The Eyre Affair. The books are awesome and I’ve loved them for years, but I recently picked up the audio book for a road trip and the reader is awesome (and British). You lose a bit of the quirky things you get from the text, but it’s still worth the listen!
Lil Rae, thank you for that suggestion! I have been wanting to read The Red Pyramid. Audio would be the prefect way to go. Have you listened to the other Riordin books on audio? I wonder how they are.
Some of my favorites, in audio books, have been:
– I Thought You Were Dead; Pete Nelson
-Freedom; Franzen
-The Commoner; Schwartz
-Girl in Translation – Kwok
Thanks Diane! I have looked at Freedom a few times but was unsure how it would be. 😀
One of my favorite books is “Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton. I have loved it on audio as it captures the South African English cadence ?!. The narrator captures so beautifully the poignancy of the story in the reading.
Thanks Linda – a great suggestion!
Ooh now I have some great ideas to get me started! Thank you everyone and of course Sheila! xox
Me too Rebecca – the best suggestions come from those who listen to them 😀
Love audio books! I think the reader makes the book in a lot of cases — anything read by Davina Porter, Jonathan Cecil (his narration of PG Wodehouse’s books is amazing!), or Martin Jarvis are probably going to be good. 🙂
Thanks Cori – I have yet to follow a narrator but I have wanted to…. some of them are so amazingly good!
Oh and I want to toss in a couple of my own that were fantastic:
The Kite Runner – read by the author was INCREDIBLE!
The Passage was so good too!
I love audio books and listened to more than 60 last year! As another commentor said, Guernsey was really good. I’m listening to ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ right now–Barbara Rosenblatt narrates and I like her. By far, my favorite narrator is Scott Brick. Love his voice!!!
I read We Need To Talk About Kevin a long time ago but was really impressed by it. I bet audio was sooooo good.
Orlagh Cassidy is my favorite narrator that I’ve found. A great audio book that I can recommend is Born Round which is read by the author Frank Bruni.
Thanks Amused -a new title for me! 😀
The key to a good audio book is both the story and the reader.
I have been listening to all the Preston and Childs books on audio tape.
That’s true Esme. Preston and Childs? Ok 😀
I don’t know if you like nonfiction, but 127 hours is narrated by the actual person who experienced being trapped in a Utah Canyon Aron Ralston. I think you should listen to it…its my best audio pick from last year.
I also liked the multiple narrators in George Dawes’ Ravens.
I do like non fiction Serena…. that one sounds very interesting… you scared me though when said 127 hours… I thought that is a LONG audio. 😀
You have to listen to Harry Potter narrated by Stephen Fry. It is magical and fantastic narrated, and Stephen Fry has been called the Potter-perfect narrator:)
I have listened to Harry Potter audio and LOVED it being read by Jim Dale…. now I will have to try one with this narrator – thanks 🙂
I agree with Cori, anything by Davina Porter is fabulous, especially the Outlander series. I also love, love the YA Bloody Jack series read by Katherine Kelgren. She is another fabulous narrator.
Other recommendations:
The Brave by Nicholas Evans
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Nise I remember you raving about the Bloody Jack series on your blog! I forgot about that!
Kristen of Bookworming in the 2ast Century hosting a Bloody Jack Challenge! A perfect time to introduce yourself to the audios!
AHHHH… suggestive selling – I love that!
Wow, do I see that you have a Nook now? Awesome! I also love audiobooks Sheila to the point that if I am halfway home and almost done with one, it bums me out to think that I will have to listen to the RADIO for the rest of my ride! Luckily I was just finishing up Still Missing about 50 feet from my driveway last night so all was well!
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens was awesome. I am not a big Nicholas Sparks fan, but my friend harrassed me into listening to The Wedding and I absolutely loved it! I also really enjoyed Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson.
Jo-Jo, yes… I have a NOOK!!! SSSSQQQQUUUEEEEE!!!! I get a little crazy too if I run out of audio… a bit disgruntled even…. 😀
Still Missing sounds like it needs to go on my list 😀
Yes I have to agree with Jo-Jo, Still Missing by Chevy Stevens is an awesome book. I can’t wait till her next one comes out. (which reminds me, I should do my review on that one)
Thanks Margaret between you and Jo-Jo, I will be adding this one for sure!
I know I ALWAYS recommend this series, but if you hadn’t read The Dresden Files then listening to the audio-books is a great idea… The wonderful James Marsters (a.k.a Spike from Buffy, among other characters) reads them to us and does a brilliant job at characterising the voices. It’s James that got me into the Dresden Files!
P.S. – I forgot to say, start with Storm Front as that’s the 1st one. You used to be able to listen to a few snippets of Jim’s website, but I can’t find them (website has been redesigned).
Thanks Nikki-Ann! 😀
I highly recommend anything that Martin Jarvis reads! Good Omens was particularly wonderful. Also Jeremy Irons reading Lolita or Alan Rickman reading Return of the Native. I also really liked Kate Reading’s reading of The Host. I’m just barely getting into audiobooks so that’s about all the good-performance suggestions I have!
Nice – thanks Amanda – you gave me a whole group of new ones for me to look into!
I just finished listening to Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. It’s YA! I thought it was pretty good.
I have been wanting to read one of her books Vasilly since I met Simone in May!
My Favorite Audio last year was Joshilyn Jacksons – Backseat Saints…its read by the author and she has a deep southern accent. I was almost hypnotized by her narration.
Thanks Tina, that’s the second time I have heard that one recommended! 😀
My Personal Pantheon of All-Time Great Audiobooks:
To Kill a Mockingbird (by Harper Lee; narrated by Sissy Spacek;)
Life of Pi (by Yaan Martel; narrated by Jeff Woodman;)
The Thirteenth Tale (by Diane Setterfield; narrated by Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner;)
In Cold Blood (by Truman Capote; narrated by Scott Brick;)
Shantaram (by David Gregory Roberts; narrated by Humphrey Bowers;)
1984(by George Orwell; narrated by Simon Prebble;)
A Happy Marriage (by Raphael Yglesias; narrated by Grover Gardner;)
The Millennium Trilogy (by Stieg Larsson; narrated by Simon Vance;)
The Dead Trilogy (by Adrian McKinty; narrated by Gerard Doyle;)
Matterhorn (by Karl Marlantes; narrated by Bronson Pinchot)
A very eclectic selection, so you find something that appeals to you!
Also, while not in the Pantheon, I would also recommend:
The Dresden Files (by Jim Butcher; narrated by James Marsters;)
Paul is Undead (by Alan Goldsher; narrated by Simon Vance;)
The Reapers are the Angels (by Alden Bell; narrated by Tai Sammons;)
Waiting for Columbus (by Thomas Trofimuk; narrated by Grover Gardner)
I am Legend (by Richard Matheson; narrated by Robertson Dean)
Thank you so much! There a re quite a few good picks here! I am excited to start looking into them!
The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness is my absolute favorite audio. The narrator Nick Podehl is brilliant! I’m actually interviewing him next month and I’m so nervous about it, it’s like talking to a rock star! It’s really that good. A must listen!
OOH those are words I do not take lightly Danielle! I have to put this one on the list to listen to – thank you! 😀
Do you know how to take your libary CD’s and bun them into one file to listen on your ipod? It’s super easy. I do this with most of my audio books.
Some of my favorites: Booklyn, Her Fearful Symmetry, The Septembers of Shiraz, Strangers at the feast, I’d know you anywhere, The Senator’s Wife, Happiness Sold Seperately.
Good luck and enjoy!
I did not know that Mari! Really?
Thanks for the audio tips!
My favorite audio book ever is Water for Elephants. I can recommend The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, also — I really enjoyed that on.
A very old one — Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (teen book) is on my list of favorites, too.
That is sounding like a must listen Annette! Thank you! 😀
During a long road trip to L.A. and back I listened to “After” by Amy Efaw. Not only was the story line different and wonderful, the narrator was amazing!
New title for me – thanks !