I recently went on a longish car trip and took some audiobooks with me. I haven't really listened to too many of these in the past (my car has a CD player and most of the audiobooks at my library are still on cassette tapes) but I found some good sales and have purchased a few in the last 6 months or so.

I was interested in finding out what audiobook performances just blew you away...where the actor/reader just added so much to the book experience that you prefer or almost prefer the audiobook to the print book.

For myself, I doubt that I will ever buy another David Sedaris print book again...I would miss his voice bringing out the comedy in the stories.

Also, I listened to The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke recently, and found that the formal, somewhat archaic style that she uses in her stories is most difficult for me to sit down and read (I get bored), but I had absolutely no problem remaining fascinated during the audiobook performance. I am planning on attempting Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell again...this time in audiobook where I might get a little farther!

What audiobooks do you recommend based on what the performance adds to the story?

I have to say that Duma Key was one of these for me. John Slattery read this one, and his reading was amazing. I would highly recommend it. I read it back in April, but it made such an impression on me that I am dying to listen to it again.

My friend Kandice has listened to it multiple times as well. It's THAT good. :)

David Sedaris is hysterical!!! I often recommend that everyone should try to tune in to 'David Letterman' when he is on because, after the interview, he does a reading ... ROFLOL!!!

Have you ever seen his sister, Amy Sedaris?!! She is an actress and is insane, seriously ... SO FUNNY! She has also written a book or two!!!
(Really makes you wonder about their parents :P)

My favorite reader is Campbell Scott. He's read Cell, The Shining. The Abstinence Teacher, Brokeback Mountain, Be Cool, Tropic of Cancer and Honeymoon that I've heard. I think his voice and delivery improves almost every book I've heard him read. Well, you can't really improve King, but you know what I mean.

Having gushed over him, I will also admit my children do NOT like his reading voice. No accounting for taste. LOL

And, yes, Becky's right about Slattery. Not only was his reading of Duma Key magical, I listened to him read Exit A A Novel, which I would never have finished had I been actually reading it. His voice was what made the story work.

I think if, I ever get my car back, I will have to try one of these!

If you haven't listened to them already, I would try the Harry Potter books on audiobook. In America Jim Dale reads them and the UK Stephen Fry does. I've listened to three or four of the American ones, but Jim Dale is excellent. You can buy the whole set of 7 on CD off of amazon for roughly $270, which I dream of doing some day.

Middlesex was wonderful on audio. Check out Chapters.ca, which has the audio verion for $7.99 Can.

i second (third?)John Slattery and Duma Key. The audiobook for World War Z is awesome. Better if u haven't read the book because it's abridged but with an all star cast like Alan Alda, and a bunch of other people.

Rachel wrote: "i second (third?)John Slattery and Duma Key. The audiobook for World War Z is awesome. Better if u haven't read the book because it's abridged but with an all star cast like Alan Alda, and a bunch ..."

Oh yes!! I agree. The audio for that one was great.
Look at this cast:

Max Brooks
Alan Alda
Carl Reiner
Jürgen Prochnow
Waleed Zuiater
Dean Edwards
Michelle Kholos
Maz Jobrani
Mark Hamill
Henry Rollins
Eamonn Walker
Ajay Naidu
John Turturro
Rob Reiner
Jay O. Sanders (credited as "Jay O'Sanders")
Dennis Boutsikaris
Becky Ann Baker
Steve Park
Frank Kamai
John McElroy

I have been looking all *over* for something like this thread. I'm driving from Texas to North Carolina in two weeks by myself, and then flying from NC to Europe. So I have over 28 hours of travel one way to do. I have the audio books for Virgin's Lover, Ender's Game, and The Heretic's Daughter. I'm going to have to see if my library has Duma Key and World War Z. Thank you so much!

I am listening now to Kitchen Confidential Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, read by the author and very entertaining. (not for the faint of heart, however... language and situations can be perceived as R to X rated)

I loved The Enchanted April, which I listened to thru www.librivox.org

Where are you going in Europe Kristin? (I live in Rome).

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society great audio book also Stupidest Angel by Chistopher Moore had me in stitches

Belgium, Germany, and France. :) I'm *really* excited. I want to try to go to Rome for my birthday next year. I hear its beautiful.

I bet you are excited. Have a great trip. Rome is beautiful, but choose the season well. Autumn/winter is rainy and summer hot. spring and early summer the best.

I thought Neil Gaiman did an excellent job doing the voicework for "Graveyard Book". I'm currently listening to "The Historian", which is also well done.

I'll second Jim Dale as a great reader. I listened to all of the Harry Potter books on audio, and he is such a wonderfully expressive reader that it really added something to the stories. He has done some other audio books, mostly kids' novels, that I am currently working my way through.

Bird wrote: "I'll second Jim Dale as a great reader. I listened to all of the Harry Potter books on audio, and he is such a wonderfully expressive reader that it really added something to the stories. He has ..."

I third this selection. I'm not one for listening to audiobooks much, but listening to this guy has definitely encouraged me to try more. (And, I have 2 on my TBR list at the moment of which I'm now excited). :)

Liz wrote: "If you haven't listened to them already, I would try the Harry Potter books on audiobook. In America Jim Dale reads them and the UK Stephen Fry does. I've listened to three or four of the America..."

Liz and Jennifer, I'm voting with you on Jim Dale. I couldn't afford to get the $270-US set, so I've been
purchasing one unabridged Harry Potter book at a time as I get a 15% off coupon from b&n on top of my membership. He has an award-winning voice.
Also, Bianca Amato & Jill Tanner narrate the unabridged version of THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane
Setterfield, and they do a marvelous job. All have
British accents, so that must be the key to readings
that hold the listener's attention to the end.

I'm not much into audio books, but am currently listening to Michael Chabon read his newest book, Manhood for Amateurs The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son. I've loved just about everything I've read by him, and enjoyed getting to see him and his wife (Ayelet Waldman), so listening to him read his own book seemed like a natural progression in my love of Chabon, lol.

It has then made me wonder if audio books read by the actual author are routinely good, or if it's just luck of the draw? On one hand I would think only an author would be able to tell his or her own story the way he or she meant for it to sound. However, on the other hand some people's voices... just don't work, which might detract from the story.

In any case, I recommend Chabon's book on audio. He's a fun guy and I'm thoroughly enjoying listening to him tell his stories. I find Sedaris the same way - I don't particularly care for his stories that much, but I would only want to hear him read them.

I think it is hit or miss on author's reading their own stories, El. They may know how it should sound, but many of them aren't voice actors enough to pull it off.

I did like Neil Gaiman narrating his own stories in Fragile things. I got Neverwhere on clearance recently, so I'll see how I like him in a longer format.

I would like to check out World War Z, but it makes something inside of me twitch to know that the work has been abridged. I probably should actually read the book first, THEN listen to the audio...sort of like I do with movie adaptations.

Another Good Audio is Rococco By Adriana Trigani

Loved Barbara Rosenblat's reading of the Amelia Peabody series, and Nigel Planer's rendition of the Discworld books. Both are quick, light, and VERY entertaining.

Jen, I felt the same way about WWZ, but the audio is really more of a dramatization than a straight reading of the text in different voices.

It's very good though.