I love audiobooks. I listen to them to while i'm working, or driving, or playing video games (not all three of those at once of course), and they are a great way to consume stories. Some of these are of course higher quality than others. What's been the best one you've listened to? This can include what you thought of the story, but not just that. How was the voice acting, and editing, and maybe even sound effects?
For me, the best one I have listened to is called The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. It's a powerful about a true crime podcast host reporting on a rape trial. During the parts of the story where she is hosting her show, they actually make it sound like you're listening to a news podcast. There is even this one scene where she is playing a recording of someone she got off of her phone, and it sounds like it's sounds like a real recording, complete with the background noise. The whole thing felt more like a radio drama than a normal audio book.
by TheAres1999
26 Comments
Piranesi – it’s a short listen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor has such a soothing storytelling voice.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy read by Stephen Fry! Quintessential British humor is my favorite! Mr. Fry nails it.
I loved the Audible version of David Copperfield narrated by Richard Armitage!
Born a Crime and Good Omens
I loved how Janette read her book “I’m glad my mom died”. I don’t know if I would enjoy the printed copy of this book as much as the audiobook.
“Black Cake” was also good – the descriptions were sometimes too long for me but I enjoyed how the dialogues were read in different voices and accents.
The Glass Castle. It’s a memoir read by the author. I still have her beautiful voice in my head.
The Martian works great as an audio book.
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy read by Douglas Adams. And Dirk Gently the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul, read by Douglas Adams are my two favorites. I have listened to them easily a hundred times each.
On the non-Douglas Adams side, i absolutely adored Samuel West reading The Day of the Triffids. Listened to it probably 15 times. Indira Varma did an amazing job of reading the Witches books of Terry Pratchett. And Kristin Atherton did an amazing job of reading Howl’s Moving Castle!
The Sandman was more of an audio play complete with large cast, sound effects, and score. It was probably the most amazing audiobook production I’ve listened to, so immersive and I loved James McAvoy as Morpheus.
In terms of just audiobook, James Marsters did a fantastic job with the Dresden Files books. He IS Harry Dresden to me. He couldn’t record one book due to other obligations and they got a fill-in – the contrast was so jarring fans demanded a re-recording with Marsters, and got one.
Discworld audiobooks are very good and very funny.
World War Z is also a great audiobook. Lots of different actors doing the narration.
The first law series by Joe abercrombie read by Steven Pacey. The books are great fantasy novels and Pacey really gives each character a distinctive voice.
There is a character that is missing teeth and speaks with a lisp because of it but when he is thinking he has no lisp. Little things like that make it fantastic
I’m about 55 hours into Andy Serkis reading *The Lord of the Rings*. Terrific so far, but we’ll see how the final 10 hours go. 🙂
The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir, read by Moira Quirk. Absolutely first-rate narration of a series that isn’t entirely straightforward in it’s presentation.
11.22.63 by Stephen King. Craig Wasson’s narration is excellent.
Edit: I also loved Shantaram read by Humphrey Bower, his voice is perfect for the book.
Lincoln in the Bardo. It’s more of an audio play than a traditional audiobook and has about around 100 voice actors in it, but it’s amazing. I’ve listened to it about 5 times and always hear something new.
I really enjoy listening to David Sedaris reading any of his books. He’s great with imitation. I loved Colin Jost’s A Very Punchable Face too.
Project Hail Mary is so good. I loved the Martian and was unsure about this book but it’s damn awesome.
Also, the three body problem.
Dungeon crawler Carl is the only one I’ve come across that is a must listen. Prefer reading over listening but the story truly comes to life.
Surprised that I haven’t seen anyone say Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. One of the first audiobooks I listened to and it’s just amazing. Full cast too!
One I haven’t seen mentioned:
Pet Semetary read by Michael C Hall
David Sedaris *Me Talk Pretty One Day*
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeymoon as narrated by Cathleen McCarron. Her accent paired with this novel is perfect.
The Murderbot novellas … Excellent books read by the perfect reader
The Dungeon Crawler Carl series is so perfectly done I have to give it a shoutout.
Circe and The song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Both the narrators for these books were fantastic and so pleasant to listen to. I literally sat for hours in the dark just listening. With other audiobooks I like to do other activities while I listen. Not with these. They demanded my full attention.
Harry Potter read by Jim Dale. I have listened to a lot of audiobooks and he is by far my favorite narrator of all time.