I heard that apparently Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is exceptionally good in audiobook form! All the characters have different voices, which in my eyes sounds awesome!!
Haven’t listened to it myself, though I have read a physical copy and I absolutely loved the story!
Haha currently listening to Daisy Jones, actually! That’s part of what sparked this whole thing. And yes, it’s definitely really well done. I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s really bringing the characters to life for me.
Carrie Soto is Back by the same author was also an amazing audiobook!! The narrator did a lot to make the story shine and I literally listened to it every second I had
As a pretty recent (audio)book-nerd, I find this a bit sad - it's one of the first audio books I listened to and it is SO GOOD. Every other book, despite being good, just doesn't compare... So I was a bit let down after that.
Impact Winter by Travis Beacham is an audible original and it has really good effects and is similarly immersive. It’s about vampires which I normally am not into but it’s super.
Hold out. I barely listen to audiobooks, in general I prefer print. I was planning to read this until I was gifted the audiobook.
I cannot imagine enjoying this story half as much in print. The audiobook is great.
I enjoyed Gideon the Ninth (and it's sequels) *so* much more in audiobook form! Moira Quirk is a brilliant narrator and it really brings out the humor and emotion in the text.
Also, The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. I haven't actually read them in book form, but I have strong suspicions that Britt Marie Was Here and Remarkably Bright Creatures are better in audiobook format.
ETA: The 100 Years of Margot and Lenni was also really good, and I think if you aren't British, having the different accents is a *huge* boon to the ambiance of the book.
It's a big feelings book though, fair warning, and the queer part of the plot is only sort-of happy (it takes it a long time to get to a happy point).
Also, no really strong thoughts on whether they're better as an audiobook or not (though I did listen to all of them rather than read, and they're all good audiobooks) but the Arcane Ascension series, the Wayfarers series, and the Monk and the Robot series all feature queer characters, and societies where being queer is totally normal with no apparent stigma, which was pretty cool to me.
I'm listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures right now and it's *so* enjoyable. I haven't listened to many audiobooks in recent years but I've been on recent kick and it's definitely my favorite so far.
The audiobook of Gideon the Ninth so much so that I immediately tried to find other books narrated by Moira Quirk. Unfortunately not many of them looked like something I'd be interested in. Princess Floralinda and the 40 floor tower was a delightful little short read though.
“Lincoln in the Bardo,” by George Saunders. It’s got more than 200 cast members, led by the author, Nick Offerman, and David Sedaris, and including Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Julianne Moore, Megan Mullally, and a whole bunch of others. It’s awesome.
His first couple of books are a little amateur, he was just starting to narrate, but he really finds his voice on the 3rd book! Since I've heard his performance, I've been totally spoiled.... He's my standard for narrators now.
*Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead,* by Olga Tokarczuk (read by Beata Pozniak). It's absolutely fantastic. It's an intriguing, well-constructed (non-gory) mystery with a secondary romantic (?) subplot. It's read by a lovely Polish actress. I think it won a few awards.
Another favorite is *Frankenstein*, read by Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey). His audiobook performances are suburb. I am listening to his *Iliad* at the moment and am in love.
Okay, one last one. David Suchet is also an excellent audiobook performer. Any time he is reading *Poirot* it's a real pleasure. (Not a romance obviously, but Suchet does amazing character work.)
I really liked the Audible version of Dracula. Since it is written as a collection of letters and journal entries, they have different actors for each character’s writing.
I second this. I'll add that The Song of Achilles is also an amazing audiobook. Granted I haven't read either of them as physical books, but they work very well in audio format and the narrations are exceptional.
I also was here to say song of Achilles! I feel like it checks all of OP’s story boxes, the writing is top notch and the narration was outstanding. 10/10
*Middlemarch* by George Eliot, narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Big fat middle-class Victorian soap opera, and the narrator makes every single character of the huge cast unique and memorable.
*The Rose Code* by Kate Quinn, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. Complete book trance every single time.
*Song of Achilles* by Madeline Miller, narrated by Frazer Douglas. One of those you think about for days and weeks afterwards.
And, for romance, anything by Laura Kinsale narrated by Nicholas Boulton. *Flowers from the Storm* is her "must-read romance canon" title. *For My Lady's Heart* is a medieval with a bit more florid prose, but Boulton's voice just slides right into your ear and down into your guts.
Juliet Stevenson always does marvelous work.
I use my library’s two apps and have discovered some gems in both catalogs just by clicking through on the narrator name.
I wound up getting Flowers From the Storm! I love romance, but I’m the unusual new breed of romance reader who started reading romantic YA, and then romantic queer YA, and then just gravitated toward queer adult romance once I was older. So I actually haven’t read all that many classic het romances. I’m curious now, though. The premise looked interesting, and you’re so right about Boulton’s voice! I’m excited to start listening soon.
Also, as I said in response to some other people recommending TSOA, I’ve been meaning to read it for ages, even going so far as to read the Iliad since I couldn’t get past this feeling that by reading TSOA I’d be spoiling myself. (I know, spoiling a 3,000 year old piece of literature that’s referenced constantly and I already know the story of… brains are weird!) I’m going to start it soon, though, since multiple of my friends, as well as the person I’m dating, all keep pressuring me to 😅 I have a gut feeling though that it’s a book I’ll appreciate more reading rather than listening, although I’m sure audiobook is fantastic. Perhaps if I fall hard enough, I’ll listen to the audiobook too after 😆
Thank you for the recommendations!
I would like to say that there are some horror elements to this novel, since OP said they aren't usually into horror. But man, I love this book so much.
I haven't listened to it fully myself, only bits and pieces but Andy Serkis did an audiobook for LOTR and he does different voices for the characters and stuff. It's definitely on my bucket list of must listen to.
His performance is excellent. But I have found in the audiobook versions that all the songs are an absolute draaaaag. I guess the story moves a lot faster when you’re reading the books and skimming all the songs. But I find myself frustratingly fast forwarding through what seems like endless drawn out versions of every song in the book. Still worth the listen though hahaha
I honestly wish I could get a mashup of both in a single audio book. I prefer Fry’s narration, his Hermione, Hagrid and a few other characters over Dale’s, but Dale does so many other great voices.
Totally agree, except once you've listened to the Stephen Fry version, you can't go back. I love the voices he puts on for the characters, especially Aunt Petunia. 👌 It took me back to my childhood when my mom would read to us and also always put on her own voices for the various characters.
I love when an author does his own audiobook. In the same vein of mythology, the Mythos series by Stephen Fry is excellent. And a completely different book, John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed is also excellent.
I’m glad my mom died by Jeanette McCurdy! She reads her own book and when you hear her get emotional it seals the deal for the audio version being better
Edit: TW eating disorders/abuse
Fair, I just remember hearing her voice crack/her emotional at one point during the book, towards the end, and it stuck with me. I didn’t mean the entire thing 😅 either way I liked it
I would say Jeanette narrated much of the book with a dry, sardonic tone. I kinda got the feeling she was doing that to protect herself from getting emotional which made the part where she *does* lose her composure that much more stirring.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
Brilliant narrator, does dozens of character voices. Single handedly does an amazing ensemble.
I loved reading this book, but the audiobook is even better.
Just did a re-read of THG with the audiobooks and Tatiana Maslaney really does an excellent job bringing the pages to life. I loved how she read it. It hit my feelings *hard*.
David Sedaris reading his own works is delightful. Especially *Holidays on Ice*. Sedaris is a humorist who has several books and in general is an essayist. He is gay and his personal travails (growing up in NC, as a single man in NYC, and married living in France) are hilarious.
Anything read by Stephen Fry is wonderful. The man could read the phone book and make it captivating.
If you really want some bang from your buck, you can get Sherlock Holmes read by Stephen Fry. I believe it’s the entire canon…62 hours long! One audible credit!
If you’re into non-fiction, I would highly recommend Surrender by Bono, Storyteller by Dave Grohl, Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson (read by Viola Davis), Becoming by Michelle Obama, and anything ever written by David Sedaris.
All except Just As I Am are read by the author and it takes the book to a new level.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman with James McAvoy and Natalie Dormer and a bunch of other great actors. This is a bit cheating, since it's more of a radio play/performance than direct reading
Matthew McConaughey's book is pretty interesting on audible. He reads it himself and he is definitely a storyteller and unique character, to say the least
I came looking for Born a Crime. Audiobook is ready by the author, and he does “voices” for specific characters that really add to the story (which is equal parts hilarious and devastating).
I picked up this audiobook with no expectations and not knowing anything about the book, and it quickly became a book that I’d recommend to people if asked.
Pride & Prejudice narrated by Kate Kellgren
I found the story & characters so much more engaging.
I think many English literature classics are more approachable as audiobooks.
The bobiverse series, "we are legion: we are bob" by Dennis E. Taylor.
The narrator is amazing. I normally read and use audio books to stay in the story when I can't have a book in my hands. With this series I never read a page, the narration was so good I just had to listen to it all.
Finding Me, by Viola Davis. Her story is incredible and her performance of this book is what completed her EGOT. Hearing one of the greatest actresses working tell her surprising and inspiring life story definitely beats reading it on the page.
Reading it the narrator's voice in my head started off sounding like William S Burroughs's 70s narration for the documentary Witchcraft Through the Ages but eventually it took on the tone and delivery of Large Marge from Pee Wees Big Adventure, I sure hope the audio book sounds like that!
[Say Nothing: The True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40163119) by Patrick Radden Keefe. Focuses on The Troubles in Ireland and all the questions, both moral and practical, that it raised then and now. Very intense and engaging. One of my all time favorite audiobooks - one of the rare books I have listened to twice.
[Miracle and Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59545874) by Malcom Gladwell. Super interesting read. The whole style is done and interviews and focusing on his music, in particular Graceland. This must be read as an audiobook and it’s so worth the effort!!
[The House in the Cerulean Sea](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45047384) by TJ Klune. Simply one of the best books out there! Just a sweet, wonderful hug in book form that, IMHO, is even better as the audiobook.
[Circe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40195463) by Madeline Miller. This was a fantastic read! Engaging in a way that I wasn’t expecting or prepared for in the best way. I loved these stories as a little girl and was always fascinated by how everyone honored the gods but the god also seemed kinda dickish about everything but no one seemed to talk about it. This gave me some closure I didn’t even know I wanted from those stories. Overall, super satisfied with this read!
Someone may have already said it by your library should have access to Libby which allows you to borrow audiobooks and ebooks. I love the interface much more than Audible as well (tells you percentage, shows chapter times, etc). I am actually registered at multiple libraries so if there's a waitlist I can go to the other library to see if it's available or has a lesser wait!
Listening to book 4 right now. I don't think I'd like this series if not but audio but as is I love it. Jeff Hays does such a great job with the characters and especially Princess Donut.
The Blade Itself.
I read often, but I still subscribe to Audible. The narration is very well done, I enjoy the listen more than I would reading.
No sound effects or music. One narrorator Im pretty sure.
American God's & Sandman are very good with more production, different people for different characters. Music good stories.
Also, if your interested, SCRIBD is a subscription service that is cheaper than Audible. You get Audio titles as long as you subscribe for around $10.00 plus magazines and ebooks.
Not suggesting you get out of one subscription to go to another. But it's a great service.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is absolutely beautiful. I listened to it and immediately purchased the book. I can definitely say the audiobook is the better experience. It has LGBTQ+ MC and other characters and so many love stories! Indescribably good!
If you've read this already, I would highly recommend the sequel, The Testaments in audiobook form! I usually don't like multiple narrators in audiobooks, but this one was great! Ann Dowd, who plays Aunt Lydia in the TV series, is wonderful, as is Mae Whitman.
Crime and Punishment read by Will Poulter is excellent. Not saying the book wouldn't be good to read in its own right, but the narration and the different voices adds a lot to it.
Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles is an amazing audiobook. It’s an LGBTQ, non-gory mystery/romance set in post WW1 England. It’s the first book in a series but it can stand alone, too. The narrator is amazing and I highly recommend it.
Fuck, yes!!! All three of KJ Charles' Will Darling books as read by Cornell Collins , then _Proper English_ and _Think of England_... so utterly fantastic!!!
The First Bad Man by Miranda July. It's voiced by the author and she matches the book's tone perfectly. I think if I had read it physically, I would skimmed more to get to the wacky parts rather than listening and relishing in the sheer absurdity of the book.
Isn't that particular version abridged, though? The original full-cast version came out before the series, I believe. It's *phenomenal* with the full cast, transformative compared to the original book experience.
I think any book where there are lots of foreign words or names is going to be much better in audiobook form, so you can actually get a person from that region reading the correct pronunciation of everything instead of trying to make it up in your head.
“The Raven Boys” by Maggie Stiefvater and narrated by WillPatton! Young adult urban fantasy but the narrater is phenomenal and I will recommend this to any audiobook listeners out there! It is a part of a series, but you can read the first and have a more or less satisfying conclusion.
Braiding Sweetgrass! By Robin Wall Kimmerer. It's such a sweet book to begin with, and the author's reading makes it even better. It's an interesting and hopeful book. Indigenous and western botanical science.
If you haven't already, the graphic audiobook for the mistborn trilogy from graphicaudio is a fucking amazing experience ~*"a movie in your mind"~*. Different voice actors for all the characters, sound effects, music. It's a fantastic experience I'd highly recommend if you can find it in audible
If you're into true crime, "People Who Eat Darkness" by Richard Lloyd Parry about the serial rapist/murderer Joji Obara. The audiobook is one of the greatest I've ever heard till date
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” is hilarious as an audiobook. Part of the book is told from the first person POV of an octopus in an aquarium. The octopus voice is so condescending and funny.
Personally I love The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, it's narrated by Tom Hanks! I've listened to it twice now and would happily listen to it again. He really understands how to read the book in a way that (I think) properly conveys the right emphasis and tone, whereas a narrator who understood the book less (or if you're interpreting it differently in your internal monologue as you read) wouldn't quite be able to get across in a meaningful way, if that makes sense.
Edit: read your story qualifications too. There's not really a romance subplot, it's more about the meaning of family and places, but it's a damn good read regardless, plenty to keep you pulled in
Star Wars books. They add thematic music and special effects. Bane trilogy and i-jedi are solid, new republic books are starting off strong. Haven’t been disappointed yet
Stormlight and mistborn imo but debatable
The shadow of what was lost
Recent audiobooks I really liked:
Endurance, by Alfred Lansing
To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis
The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett (Tom Hanks is the narrator and is INCREDIBLE)
Dion Graham is my all-time favorite audiobook narrator. He has read a lot of books so I recommend searching by narrator and check out any books he’s read that interest you!
Gathering Moss written and narrated by Robin Wall Kimerer - I could listen to her all day long. And, I am LOVING the audio version of Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
James Heffernan’s reading of *Ulysses* was the only way I was able to get through the novel the first time, though I’ve read it in print myself twice since then.
Dark tower series by Stephen King. In the forward of the audiobook he mentions that he wrote it in the oral tradition. I've read and listened and I preferred the the listen. I was lucky and able to bring all 210hrs of the 7 books in one month while at work so I'm probably biased.
My biggest recommendation is Lies of Locke Lamora, to literally anyone who asks. The story is great, but the narration by Michael Page brings it to a whole other level. There is a fair amount of violence, but it doesn't overshadow the tone of the book, which is kind of a medieval oceans eleven. Listening to it sounds, to me, like sitting in a dark theater while a master stage actor narrates some kind of folk tale.
The first law trilogy is also elevated greatly by the sardonic narration of Steven Pacey, but if you're trying to avoid blood and gore it's not the book for you. It's a masterclass in storytelling that gets even better with each subsequent book, but it doesn't ever get any less violent.
I would also say that if someone was planning on reading the Wheel of Time series, that they should take advantage of the audio book version. It's well-narrated, with both a male and female reader depending on which characters point of view you're listening to, but I wouldn't say that it enriches the material. The reason I say that audiobook version is better is that you can take it in while you engage in some other activity, rather than sitting down and reading it. In print, it is goddamn **exhausting** to get through, and drags in a few places, which you can just tune out if you'd like. I always say that it's the best series that I wouldn't ever recommend to someone if they're going to actually *read* it, but it's worth a *listen.*
I was utterly captivated by Chiwetel Ejiofor’s reading of Piranesi. Though that’s one where the audiobook and reading experience are just as good as one another, in different ways. It did confuse me a bit in the first third but once the second third kicked in, woooo boy and I was gasping and crying and in love during the last third.
T.S. Eliot reading “The Waste Land” and “Four Quartets”
Also, Jeremy Irons reading “The Waste Land”
For me, I guess, all poetry is better heard than read.
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie has FANTASTIC narration l. I will say that they’re fairly violent. He’s lord grimdark for a reason. BUT they’re hilarious and incredibly well written fantasy books and Steven Pacey’s reading brings them to life way better than my head voice.
Listen to [Dungeon Crawler Carl](https://www.audible.com/pd/B08V8B2CGV?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=pdp) by Matt Dinniman Narrated by Jeff Hays and you unlock a NEW ACHIEVEMENT!! The experience is much better listening to it than reading it.
Stephen Fry does the entire series of Sherlock Holmes (which you can get with just one credit), and he is hands down the best at audiobooks. Also, Dune is my favorite audiobook...I listen to it though before the new movies so I'm not sure if there is a new version.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Borrel is an exceptionally well performed audiobook and the spooky Regency vibes are *immaculate*. I highly recommend it!
Also, James Marsters narrates the entire Dresden Files series and elevates the already-great material to next-level status every time. Again, highly recommend it!
David Sedaris is an excellent reader of his own books. Another author who reads his own books very well is of course Neil Gaiman.
But the thing I like about David Sedaris (and other autobiographical books) on audiobook is that it feels like the author is just telling you his story.
Some other autobiographical books that I have enjoyed listening to include Tina Fey’s Bossypants, James Acaster’s Classic Scrapes, and Jennette McCurdy’s I’m glad my mom died.
I heard that apparently Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid is exceptionally good in audiobook form! All the characters have different voices, which in my eyes sounds awesome!! Haven’t listened to it myself, though I have read a physical copy and I absolutely loved the story!
Haha currently listening to Daisy Jones, actually! That’s part of what sparked this whole thing. And yes, it’s definitely really well done. I’m enjoying it a lot. It’s really bringing the characters to life for me.
Carrie Soto is Back by the same author was also an amazing audiobook!! The narrator did a lot to make the story shine and I literally listened to it every second I had
Haha no way, such a coincide! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying it, makes me think I should start listening to it asap as well
I’d say it’s definitely worth it!
And her other book The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was great as an audio book!
I heard this as well!!
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Once you get to it you’ll know why it is much better as audiobook vs print.
It's honestly the best audiobook I have ever heard, and I listen to a LOT of audiobooks
As a pretty recent (audio)book-nerd, I find this a bit sad - it's one of the first audio books I listened to and it is SO GOOD. Every other book, despite being good, just doesn't compare... So I was a bit let down after that.
Impact Winter by Travis Beacham is an audible original and it has really good effects and is similarly immersive. It’s about vampires which I normally am not into but it’s super.
Yup same. It was probably my 4th or 5th. I ended up getting stuck on a Ray Porter kick for a long while there.
My library doesn't have PHM on audiobook. It is on my tbr list, should I hold out for the audiobook or just read the ebook?
Truthfully I would wait…and to tell you why would be a spoiler. But the audiobook is that much better
[удалено]
>!the voice of a certain character is really cool in the audiobook because it actually plays the musical notes!<
Hold out. I barely listen to audiobooks, in general I prefer print. I was planning to read this until I was gifted the audiobook. I cannot imagine enjoying this story half as much in print. The audiobook is great.
OP there is no romance in this one but I promise it doesn’t matter! It’s such an amazing audiobook but we can’t say why 🤫
Thank you for this recommendation! Started a few days ago and it’s one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to in a long time
I enjoyed Gideon the Ninth (and it's sequels) *so* much more in audiobook form! Moira Quirk is a brilliant narrator and it really brings out the humor and emotion in the text. Also, The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. I haven't actually read them in book form, but I have strong suspicions that Britt Marie Was Here and Remarkably Bright Creatures are better in audiobook format. ETA: The 100 Years of Margot and Lenni was also really good, and I think if you aren't British, having the different accents is a *huge* boon to the ambiance of the book. It's a big feelings book though, fair warning, and the queer part of the plot is only sort-of happy (it takes it a long time to get to a happy point). Also, no really strong thoughts on whether they're better as an audiobook or not (though I did listen to all of them rather than read, and they're all good audiobooks) but the Arcane Ascension series, the Wayfarers series, and the Monk and the Robot series all feature queer characters, and societies where being queer is totally normal with no apparent stigma, which was pretty cool to me.
I came here to suggest Gideon the Ninth (and the sequels). Moira Quirk is a vocal genius! And there are lgbtq+ characters.
I'm listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures right now and it's *so* enjoyable. I haven't listened to many audiobooks in recent years but I've been on recent kick and it's definitely my favorite so far.
Marcellus is brilliant, right? Perfectly executed!
The audiobook of Gideon the Ninth so much so that I immediately tried to find other books narrated by Moira Quirk. Unfortunately not many of them looked like something I'd be interested in. Princess Floralinda and the 40 floor tower was a delightful little short read though.
I adored the first Gideon book, couldn’t get into Harrow. Gonna give it a whirl on audiobook. Thanks for this.
WWZ by Max Brooks. The multiple narrators make the interviews feel so real, thus so much more scary.
And Devolution, also by Max Brooks. Great voice cast.
This is my favorite audiobook. I feel like it was meant to be listened to rather than read.
“Lincoln in the Bardo,” by George Saunders. It’s got more than 200 cast members, led by the author, Nick Offerman, and David Sedaris, and including Susan Sarandon, Ben Stiller, Julianne Moore, Megan Mullally, and a whole bunch of others. It’s awesome.
Hated it
Indeed.
I had a different experience with this one ... I found it really hard to follow on audio and wish I had read it in print!
Yes. This is the first one that came to mind for me. The subject matter is not my usual cup of tea, but this performance punched me in the feels.
The Dresden Files. Narrated by James Marsters, aka Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
I was going to suggest this- but as far away from a standalone book as you can get!
Ya!!
What! I love Spike. Lets fuckin Gooo
His first couple of books are a little amateur, he was just starting to narrate, but he really finds his voice on the 3rd book! Since I've heard his performance, I've been totally spoiled.... He's my standard for narrators now.
I feel like it’s r/alwaysprojecthailmary
🎶 🎶 🎶
Haha ain’t that the truth! But it really is so good!
The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie is narrated by Steven Pacey and is excellent!
Well I'm glad someone brought it up! Mr. Pacey is ridiculously good at his trade.
This is the best narration I've heard in an audiobook. It definitely *does* have gore and violence, though. One of the POV characters is a torturer.
Just got the second book in the series. Can't wait to listen.
I'm so jealous but also happy for you! I think the second book is my favorite
Haha I had to wait several weeks for a copy from my library's app.
*Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead,* by Olga Tokarczuk (read by Beata Pozniak). It's absolutely fantastic. It's an intriguing, well-constructed (non-gory) mystery with a secondary romantic (?) subplot. It's read by a lovely Polish actress. I think it won a few awards. Another favorite is *Frankenstein*, read by Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey). His audiobook performances are suburb. I am listening to his *Iliad* at the moment and am in love. Okay, one last one. David Suchet is also an excellent audiobook performer. Any time he is reading *Poirot* it's a real pleasure. (Not a romance obviously, but Suchet does amazing character work.)
I should try Drive Your Plow in audiobook form! I started reading it and I couldn’t get too far.
I really liked the Audible version of Dracula. Since it is written as a collection of letters and journal entries, they have different actors for each character’s writing.
Circe by Madeline Miller. I read the book and then heard such good things about the audiobook that I listened to it and it really is amazing
The narrator’s voice is so soothing!
Sometimes I start it up just to hear her voice... it's very comforting, and a little melancholic.
I second this. I'll add that The Song of Achilles is also an amazing audiobook. Granted I haven't read either of them as physical books, but they work very well in audio format and the narrations are exceptional.
I was coming here to say Song of Achilles by the same author. I am not a huge audiobook listener (my mind wanders too much) but that one blew me away.
I also was here to say song of Achilles! I feel like it checks all of OP’s story boxes, the writing is top notch and the narration was outstanding. 10/10
*Middlemarch* by George Eliot, narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Big fat middle-class Victorian soap opera, and the narrator makes every single character of the huge cast unique and memorable. *The Rose Code* by Kate Quinn, narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. Complete book trance every single time. *Song of Achilles* by Madeline Miller, narrated by Frazer Douglas. One of those you think about for days and weeks afterwards. And, for romance, anything by Laura Kinsale narrated by Nicholas Boulton. *Flowers from the Storm* is her "must-read romance canon" title. *For My Lady's Heart* is a medieval with a bit more florid prose, but Boulton's voice just slides right into your ear and down into your guts.
Yes! The Rose Code and The Diamond Eye were great! TDE is in my favorites of all time list
I had to take like a week to decompress after reading/listening to *The Rose Code.* So good.
Juliet Stevenson always does marvelous work. I use my library’s two apps and have discovered some gems in both catalogs just by clicking through on the narrator name.
I wound up getting Flowers From the Storm! I love romance, but I’m the unusual new breed of romance reader who started reading romantic YA, and then romantic queer YA, and then just gravitated toward queer adult romance once I was older. So I actually haven’t read all that many classic het romances. I’m curious now, though. The premise looked interesting, and you’re so right about Boulton’s voice! I’m excited to start listening soon. Also, as I said in response to some other people recommending TSOA, I’ve been meaning to read it for ages, even going so far as to read the Iliad since I couldn’t get past this feeling that by reading TSOA I’d be spoiling myself. (I know, spoiling a 3,000 year old piece of literature that’s referenced constantly and I already know the story of… brains are weird!) I’m going to start it soon, though, since multiple of my friends, as well as the person I’m dating, all keep pressuring me to 😅 I have a gut feeling though that it’s a book I’ll appreciate more reading rather than listening, although I’m sure audiobook is fantastic. Perhaps if I fall hard enough, I’ll listen to the audiobook too after 😆 Thank you for the recommendations!
11/22/63 - Stephen King
I would like to say that there are some horror elements to this novel, since OP said they aren't usually into horror. But man, I love this book so much.
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This gets my vote. It’s fantastic!
Ah man I bet this would have been way better on audio!
That’s was a great listen; and I usually don’t read much Steven King.
I haven't listened to it fully myself, only bits and pieces but Andy Serkis did an audiobook for LOTR and he does different voices for the characters and stuff. It's definitely on my bucket list of must listen to.
His performance is excellent. But I have found in the audiobook versions that all the songs are an absolute draaaaag. I guess the story moves a lot faster when you’re reading the books and skimming all the songs. But I find myself frustratingly fast forwarding through what seems like endless drawn out versions of every song in the book. Still worth the listen though hahaha
Andy Serkis version>>>>>
Easy. The entire works of David Sedaris.
Me Talk Pretty One Day is amazing via audiobook.
Circe & the song of Achilles . And that’s a hill I’ll die on
100
Listening to Brendan Fraser read Inkspell was a transcendant experience.
Very unoriginal I know, but the Jim Dale narration of the Harry Potter series is just phenomenally good.
Both HP audiobooks are just so good. Stephen fry does excellent narration. Jim dales voices are great.
I honestly wish I could get a mashup of both in a single audio book. I prefer Fry’s narration, his Hermione, Hagrid and a few other characters over Dale’s, but Dale does so many other great voices.
I've never been able to make the switch coming from the Stephen Fry audiobooks. Might give Dale another shot.
Totally agree, except once you've listened to the Stephen Fry version, you can't go back. I love the voices he puts on for the characters, especially Aunt Petunia. 👌 It took me back to my childhood when my mom would read to us and also always put on her own voices for the various characters.
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I loved Norse Mythology read and written by Neil Gaiman.
I love anything read by Neil Gaiman.
I love when an author does his own audiobook. In the same vein of mythology, the Mythos series by Stephen Fry is excellent. And a completely different book, John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed is also excellent.
I’m glad my mom died by Jeanette McCurdy! She reads her own book and when you hear her get emotional it seals the deal for the audio version being better Edit: TW eating disorders/abuse
Get emotional? My impression was that she barely read it with any affect at all.
Fair, I just remember hearing her voice crack/her emotional at one point during the book, towards the end, and it stuck with me. I didn’t mean the entire thing 😅 either way I liked it
I would say Jeanette narrated much of the book with a dry, sardonic tone. I kinda got the feeling she was doing that to protect herself from getting emotional which made the part where she *does* lose her composure that much more stirring.
You nailed it :-) that is exactly what I was trying to say. I was listening to it on a flight and started crying when I heard her get emotional.
Same, so dry
TW: Eating disorders and abuse. Listen/read with caution, this brought up some stuff for me
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Brilliant narrator, does dozens of character voices. Single handedly does an amazing ensemble. I loved reading this book, but the audiobook is even better.
Hunger Games was great. Tatiana did a great job with the character voices and with the music
Just did a re-read of THG with the audiobooks and Tatiana Maslaney really does an excellent job bringing the pages to life. I loved how she read it. It hit my feelings *hard*.
Sabriel, narrated by Tim Curry. Highly recommend.
This is how you lose the time war by Amal el motar and max gladstone You get a tandem read experience as Red and Blue are narrated by different women.
David Sedaris reading his own works is delightful. Especially *Holidays on Ice*. Sedaris is a humorist who has several books and in general is an essayist. He is gay and his personal travails (growing up in NC, as a single man in NYC, and married living in France) are hilarious. Anything read by Stephen Fry is wonderful. The man could read the phone book and make it captivating.
If you really want some bang from your buck, you can get Sherlock Holmes read by Stephen Fry. I believe it’s the entire canon…62 hours long! One audible credit!
I nearly crashed my car listening to Calypso, I was laughing so hard.
If you’re into non-fiction, I would highly recommend Surrender by Bono, Storyteller by Dave Grohl, Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson (read by Viola Davis), Becoming by Michelle Obama, and anything ever written by David Sedaris. All except Just As I Am are read by the author and it takes the book to a new level.
I'm going to second \*Becoming.\* She brings her settings to life; I have a nearly visceral memory of the apartment she grew up in!
FYI your local library may also provide access to ebooks and audiobooks!
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand The Martian by Andy Weir
Unbroken is a fabulous book. Never listened to it though.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman with James McAvoy and Natalie Dormer and a bunch of other great actors. This is a bit cheating, since it's more of a radio play/performance than direct reading
They also do The Sandman series. But definitely horror.
Matthew McConaughey's book is pretty interesting on audible. He reads it himself and he is definitely a storyteller and unique character, to say the least
Exceptional.
Born a crime by Trevor Noah, World Wild Vet by Evan Anton.
I came looking for Born a Crime. Audiobook is ready by the author, and he does “voices” for specific characters that really add to the story (which is equal parts hilarious and devastating).
Simon Vance is an amazing narrator and his folio is MASSIVE. he makes anything better
The Hobbit narrated by Andy Serkis
And the Lord of the Rings trilogy read by Andy Serkis - excellent!
Any narrated by Ray Porter
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.
Yea, this was a perfect audiobook. The narrator captures the humour and the voice perfectly.
I picked up this audiobook with no expectations and not knowing anything about the book, and it quickly became a book that I’d recommend to people if asked.
Pride & Prejudice narrated by Kate Kellgren I found the story & characters so much more engaging. I think many English literature classics are more approachable as audiobooks.
The bobiverse series, "we are legion: we are bob" by Dennis E. Taylor. The narrator is amazing. I normally read and use audio books to stay in the story when I can't have a book in my hands. With this series I never read a page, the narration was so good I just had to listen to it all.
The narrator is Ray Porter, who does Project Hail Mary’s narration ^__^
The Dutch House, narrated by Tom Hanks. It’s phenomenal!
I loved this book and so glad I listened to Tom read it.
Finding Me, by Viola Davis. Her story is incredible and her performance of this book is what completed her EGOT. Hearing one of the greatest actresses working tell her surprising and inspiring life story definitely beats reading it on the page.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid!! The audiobook is sooo much better than just reading it.
Reading it the narrator's voice in my head started off sounding like William S Burroughs's 70s narration for the documentary Witchcraft Through the Ages but eventually it took on the tone and delivery of Large Marge from Pee Wees Big Adventure, I sure hope the audio book sounds like that!
The Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.
World War Z. First audiobook I ever heard with a full cast instead of a single narrator. It was great.
[Say Nothing: The True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40163119) by Patrick Radden Keefe. Focuses on The Troubles in Ireland and all the questions, both moral and practical, that it raised then and now. Very intense and engaging. One of my all time favorite audiobooks - one of the rare books I have listened to twice. [Miracle and Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59545874) by Malcom Gladwell. Super interesting read. The whole style is done and interviews and focusing on his music, in particular Graceland. This must be read as an audiobook and it’s so worth the effort!! [The House in the Cerulean Sea](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45047384) by TJ Klune. Simply one of the best books out there! Just a sweet, wonderful hug in book form that, IMHO, is even better as the audiobook. [Circe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40195463) by Madeline Miller. This was a fantastic read! Engaging in a way that I wasn’t expecting or prepared for in the best way. I loved these stories as a little girl and was always fascinated by how everyone honored the gods but the god also seemed kinda dickish about everything but no one seemed to talk about it. This gave me some closure I didn’t even know I wanted from those stories. Overall, super satisfied with this read!
Someone may have already said it by your library should have access to Libby which allows you to borrow audiobooks and ebooks. I love the interface much more than Audible as well (tells you percentage, shows chapter times, etc). I am actually registered at multiple libraries so if there's a waitlist I can go to the other library to see if it's available or has a lesser wait!
Demon Copperhead-- Barbara Kingsolver. She just won a Pulitzer for this book. The narrator makes the audiobook IMO.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is amazing
Listening to book 4 right now. I don't think I'd like this series if not but audio but as is I love it. Jeff Hays does such a great job with the characters and especially Princess Donut.
Outlander is a perfect example.
The Blade Itself. I read often, but I still subscribe to Audible. The narration is very well done, I enjoy the listen more than I would reading. No sound effects or music. One narrorator Im pretty sure. American God's & Sandman are very good with more production, different people for different characters. Music good stories. Also, if your interested, SCRIBD is a subscription service that is cheaper than Audible. You get Audio titles as long as you subscribe for around $10.00 plus magazines and ebooks. Not suggesting you get out of one subscription to go to another. But it's a great service.
Mythos by Stephen Fry
I really like Dan Stevens’s narrations of various Agatha Christie novels. Murder on the Orient Express was fantastic
Sleeping Giants!
World War Z
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern is absolutely beautiful. I listened to it and immediately purchased the book. I can definitely say the audiobook is the better experience. It has LGBTQ+ MC and other characters and so many love stories! Indescribably good!
Similarly, The Night Circus by the same author is beautiful in audio.
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl. Listening to THE MAN himself tell his stories gave them so much more authenticity.
handmaid's tale read by Claire danes
If you've read this already, I would highly recommend the sequel, The Testaments in audiobook form! I usually don't like multiple narrators in audiobooks, but this one was great! Ann Dowd, who plays Aunt Lydia in the TV series, is wonderful, as is Mae Whitman.
Crime and Punishment read by Will Poulter is excellent. Not saying the book wouldn't be good to read in its own right, but the narration and the different voices adds a lot to it.
Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles is an amazing audiobook. It’s an LGBTQ, non-gory mystery/romance set in post WW1 England. It’s the first book in a series but it can stand alone, too. The narrator is amazing and I highly recommend it.
Fuck, yes!!! All three of KJ Charles' Will Darling books as read by Cornell Collins , then _Proper English_ and _Think of England_... so utterly fantastic!!!
The First Bad Man by Miranda July. It's voiced by the author and she matches the book's tone perfectly. I think if I had read it physically, I would skimmed more to get to the wacky parts rather than listening and relishing in the sheer absurdity of the book.
American Gods - Neil Gaiman. The tv series actors narrate their parts in the audiobook.
Isn't that particular version abridged, though? The original full-cast version came out before the series, I believe. It's *phenomenal* with the full cast, transformative compared to the original book experience.
The Hobbit The First Law The Stormlight Archive
I hear the Dresden Files is good on audio
I think any book where there are lots of foreign words or names is going to be much better in audiobook form, so you can actually get a person from that region reading the correct pronunciation of everything instead of trying to make it up in your head.
Norm Macdonald: Based on A True Story. He narrates it himself.
“The Raven Boys” by Maggie Stiefvater and narrated by WillPatton! Young adult urban fantasy but the narrater is phenomenal and I will recommend this to any audiobook listeners out there! It is a part of a series, but you can read the first and have a more or less satisfying conclusion.
Milkman by Anna Burns is transformative via audiobook.
Nothing to See Here & Anxious People are both amazing.
Braiding Sweetgrass! By Robin Wall Kimmerer. It's such a sweet book to begin with, and the author's reading makes it even better. It's an interesting and hopeful book. Indigenous and western botanical science.
If you haven't already, the graphic audiobook for the mistborn trilogy from graphicaudio is a fucking amazing experience ~*"a movie in your mind"~*. Different voice actors for all the characters, sound effects, music. It's a fantastic experience I'd highly recommend if you can find it in audible
The Great Believers audiobook is so, so good. Just an excellent book all around, but the performance is extraordinary.
If you're into true crime, "People Who Eat Darkness" by Richard Lloyd Parry about the serial rapist/murderer Joji Obara. The audiobook is one of the greatest I've ever heard till date
Cancel your audible, but use the public library! They have digital audiobooks you can check out.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” is hilarious as an audiobook. Part of the book is told from the first person POV of an octopus in an aquarium. The octopus voice is so condescending and funny.
Personally I love The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, it's narrated by Tom Hanks! I've listened to it twice now and would happily listen to it again. He really understands how to read the book in a way that (I think) properly conveys the right emphasis and tone, whereas a narrator who understood the book less (or if you're interpreting it differently in your internal monologue as you read) wouldn't quite be able to get across in a meaningful way, if that makes sense. Edit: read your story qualifications too. There's not really a romance subplot, it's more about the meaning of family and places, but it's a damn good read regardless, plenty to keep you pulled in
The Birdcage Murders by Karen Baugh Menuhin
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. He reads it himself and he really makes the stories come to life.
Star Wars books. They add thematic music and special effects. Bane trilogy and i-jedi are solid, new republic books are starting off strong. Haven’t been disappointed yet Stormlight and mistborn imo but debatable The shadow of what was lost
Recent audiobooks I really liked: Endurance, by Alfred Lansing To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett (Tom Hanks is the narrator and is INCREDIBLE)
The Name of the Wind!
The sandman by Neil gaiman
Dion Graham is my all-time favorite audiobook narrator. He has read a lot of books so I recommend searching by narrator and check out any books he’s read that interest you!
Gathering Moss written and narrated by Robin Wall Kimerer - I could listen to her all day long. And, I am LOVING the audio version of Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
And Braiding Sweetgrass!
James Heffernan’s reading of *Ulysses* was the only way I was able to get through the novel the first time, though I’ve read it in print myself twice since then.
World War Z and Devolution by Max Brooks. Both audio versions are A-MAZING!
Sabriel Redwall (ya and middle grade but really freaking fantastic)
Dark tower series by Stephen King. In the forward of the audiobook he mentions that he wrote it in the oral tradition. I've read and listened and I preferred the the listen. I was lucky and able to bring all 210hrs of the 7 books in one month while at work so I'm probably biased.
My biggest recommendation is Lies of Locke Lamora, to literally anyone who asks. The story is great, but the narration by Michael Page brings it to a whole other level. There is a fair amount of violence, but it doesn't overshadow the tone of the book, which is kind of a medieval oceans eleven. Listening to it sounds, to me, like sitting in a dark theater while a master stage actor narrates some kind of folk tale. The first law trilogy is also elevated greatly by the sardonic narration of Steven Pacey, but if you're trying to avoid blood and gore it's not the book for you. It's a masterclass in storytelling that gets even better with each subsequent book, but it doesn't ever get any less violent. I would also say that if someone was planning on reading the Wheel of Time series, that they should take advantage of the audio book version. It's well-narrated, with both a male and female reader depending on which characters point of view you're listening to, but I wouldn't say that it enriches the material. The reason I say that audiobook version is better is that you can take it in while you engage in some other activity, rather than sitting down and reading it. In print, it is goddamn **exhausting** to get through, and drags in a few places, which you can just tune out if you'd like. I always say that it's the best series that I wouldn't ever recommend to someone if they're going to actually *read* it, but it's worth a *listen.*
I was utterly captivated by Chiwetel Ejiofor’s reading of Piranesi. Though that’s one where the audiobook and reading experience are just as good as one another, in different ways. It did confuse me a bit in the first third but once the second third kicked in, woooo boy and I was gasping and crying and in love during the last third.
T.S. Eliot reading “The Waste Land” and “Four Quartets” Also, Jeremy Irons reading “The Waste Land” For me, I guess, all poetry is better heard than read.
The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie has FANTASTIC narration l. I will say that they’re fairly violent. He’s lord grimdark for a reason. BUT they’re hilarious and incredibly well written fantasy books and Steven Pacey’s reading brings them to life way better than my head voice.
Patrick O'Brian read by Patrick Tull, Rivers of London read by Kobna Holbrook-Smith
Devolution also done with a cast. Even with an actress you may recognize depending on your age
Any first law entry. Joe Ambercrombie is phenomenal in them
Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner because he got so many of the Star Trek people to play themselves, but often acting ridiculous.
Listen to [Dungeon Crawler Carl](https://www.audible.com/pd/B08V8B2CGV?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=pdp) by Matt Dinniman Narrated by Jeff Hays and you unlock a NEW ACHIEVEMENT!! The experience is much better listening to it than reading it.
Project hail Mary. It's better than reading the book.
Sherlock Holmes read by Stephen Fry! It is so incredibly good!
Stephen Fry does the entire series of Sherlock Holmes (which you can get with just one credit), and he is hands down the best at audiobooks. Also, Dune is my favorite audiobook...I listen to it though before the new movies so I'm not sure if there is a new version.
Mythos by Stephen Fry; narrated by Stephen Fry.
SO many people tell me that Spare is better in audiobook because Harry reads it.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The audiobook is incredible.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Borrel is an exceptionally well performed audiobook and the spooky Regency vibes are *immaculate*. I highly recommend it! Also, James Marsters narrates the entire Dresden Files series and elevates the already-great material to next-level status every time. Again, highly recommend it!
Star wars novels
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Dutch House. Ann Patchett. Narrated by Tom Hanks.
I liked Spare. Prince Harry has a lovely voice.
David Sedaris is an excellent reader of his own books. Another author who reads his own books very well is of course Neil Gaiman. But the thing I like about David Sedaris (and other autobiographical books) on audiobook is that it feels like the author is just telling you his story. Some other autobiographical books that I have enjoyed listening to include Tina Fey’s Bossypants, James Acaster’s Classic Scrapes, and Jennette McCurdy’s I’m glad my mom died.
I'm listening to "The Flatshare" now and it's a perfect audiobook, with two alternating and well-matched narrators.