Audiobook Recommendations

[GA]

Didn't see a thread for this already so I thought I would start one.

I've been listening to the Swordspoint audiobook and so far it is pretty good. It is almost a radio play, with a full cast, sound effects and transitional music.

What would you recommend?

[Eliste]

If you haven't read the Dresden files and can find the ones read by James Marsters, he does a great job- getting better with each book.

[PointyEars42]

Eliste wrote: "If you haven't read the Dresden files and can find the ones read by James Marsters, he does a great job- getting better with each book."

I preferred his Codex Alera series instead, but because of the content rather than the nature of the audiobook. The author sheds those stupid but detective-noir-appropriate ideas about woman, for one thing. Damn, but I hated the one Dresden book I listened to.

Regency Romance: Venetia by Georgette Heyer (read by Richard Armitage... and recommended not just because it's read by Richard Armitage. 55%. 60% at most. His voice is rather built for the time period.)
Contemporary Romance: Julie James' FBI/US Attorney series
History/Comedy: Since you liked Ellen Kushner reading her own work, try Mark Gatiss reading his The Vesuvius Club. Authors reading their own work is always a good thing, but when they're also an experienced actor as well?
Steampunk: Gail Carriger's Soulless series had lousy audiobooks, but they've gotten it right for the YA companion Etiquette & Espionage.
Fantasy: Robin Hobb's "Liveship Traders" series
PNR/Urban fantasy: Jax Garren's How Beauty Met the Beast. Its a mash up of both B&TB tv series and handles physical disabilities/disfigurements sensibly, but on the down side you rather have to do all 3 books in a row since they really should have been one book.
Fantasy/Comedy: Stephen Fry narrating the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... its astonishing how many distinct characters he can voice in one scene without resorting to exaggerated accents.

[Vicky]

One of my favorite audiobook narrators is Davina Porterwho is probably most known for doing the unabridged readings of Outlander. I know Outlander wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but Davina Porter has ~150 books under her belt and she really is an amazing narrator and I'm sure anything she does would be well worth the listen!

The Golden Compass has a full cast recording that's rather good.

The Clockwork Century series (starting with Boneshaker) has some great audiobooks. I've listened to books 1-4 and though they all have different narrators I've enjoyed all of them.

There is a group of narrators who do many of Orson Scott Card's books - Stefan Rudnicki, Scott Brick, Gabrielle De Cuir, and Emily Janice Card, among others. Even if you don't want to read OSC, these narrators are quite prolific (especially Scott Brick who has over 500 audiobooks under his belt).

I have to disagree with PointyEars42, because I really enjoyed the Soulless audiobooks. The narrator really felt like Alexia's voice to me. I wasn't as impressed with Etiquette & Espionage, though I would still recommend it. To each their own! :)

[Anne]

I drive 3 hours a day for work so I listen to LOADS of audiobooks.

My favorite so far is the 'In Death' series by J.D. Robb. I listened to all 37 in a row and started again!

I also really enjoyed the Dresden Files read by James Marsters. :)

[Shannon]

I have a long commute too, so I'm a big audiobook fan. I just finished Lolita, voiced by Jeremy Irons who did a *fantastic* job. I'm also a big fan of Barbara Rosenblat, who's an amazing narrator, and particularly enjoyed her performance in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. Neil Gaiman narrates a good number of his own books (not American Gods or others that rely on him doing a non-British accent), and he does a good job of it, he's a very good storyteller.

A lot of it comes down to personal taste. I generally prefer female narrators over male, mostly just because men seem to have a harder time imitating women's voices convincingly (which gets doubly weird if the book has sexytimes). And if a book/series is iconically regional, like the Sookie Stackhouse series, I like hearing it with all the accents. Overall: Find a book you want to read anyway, listen to a sample, and think "Do I want to listen to this voice for 11 hours?" 20? 40+? A bad book is unlikely to become a favorite no matter how good the author is, but a terrible author can ruin a good book. Audible breaks down reviews by Overall, Performance, and Story, so it's worth peeking at the reviews and finding out if people just hated the narrator or what.

[Jeanie]

I really love the Ilona Andrews series, Kate Daniels; and Renée Raudman reading them is just fantastic and consistent.
I also liked Joe Manganiello reading Patricia Briggs Series: Hurog Duology. It is very early in her work, but I can listen to that story over and over.
Recently, I enjoyed a romance novel "Prince of Midnight" by Laura Kinsale. The reader Nicholas Boulton was fantastic and voicing so many different characters.

[Shannon]

Jeanie wrote: "I really love the Ilona Andrews series, Kate Daniels; and Renée Raudman reading them is just fantastic and consistent.
I also liked Joe Manganiello reading Patricia Briggs Series: Hurog Duology. ..."

Joe Manganiello reading? It must be hard to hear his voice without seeing his beautiful, shirtless body. I'd have to tape his picture to my dash, and that'd definitely get me in a wreck! ;)

[Jon]

Being visually impaired I chew through an awful lot of audiobooks. Consequently It takes something special to stand out from the crowd. The latest series to do that has been the Witch central books, starting with A Modern Witch.
It's read by Martha Harman Pardee who is absolutely fantastic providing each character with an individual voice and style.
I'll second the love for the Ilona andrews books and follow it up with and of Molly Harper work, all superbly acted.
If your tastes run to slightly more urban fantasy try Simon R Green and his Nightside series all read by the fantastic Marc Veetor.
Finally I'll throw my hat into the ring for Deborah Harkness and her two all souls books. One of the few audiobooks to make me smile and cry in short order.

[Robin]

I have A Modern Witch on audio but haven't gotten to it yet. Thanks for the tip. I'll move it up farther on the TBR pile.

Another series I really like that's had the same reader all the way through and I like is Nalani Singh's psy-changling series.

[GA]

Just finished Shades of Milk and Honey read by the author, Mary Robinette Kowal. Fantastic. Now I want to listen to the rest of the series. Kowal also narrates audiobooks by other authors and I'm curious to try Rosemary and Rue. Now I'm listening to A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent and I'm liking it a lot. I also finished The Dirty Streets of Heaven recently and it was good.

[Brigid]

Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. It's read by Renee Raudman. Really really good.

[Robin]

Brigid (evil owl master) wrote: "Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. It's read by Renee Raudman. Really really good."

I'm with you on Kate and Curran. I always get these from audible when they come out. RR does a really nice job on great material.

[AJ]

If you like free books (books in the public domain) Librivox https://librivox.org/ is a good resource. They also have apps for the different devices.

I like to listen to classics and such while I'm cooking and cleaning.

[Amy]

I thought the audio version a The Night Circus was fabulous. I think Jim Dale was the narrator. I liked it so much I listened to it twice. I almost never do that.

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

GA wrote: "Kowal also narrates audiobooks by other authors and I'm curious to try Rosemary and Rue. "

I love that series, and author, and the audiobooks are good, but that's not how 'my' Tybalt sounds like. Other than that, I am happy with them

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Adult audiobooks:
Spicy to some extent - or possibly smoking hot


Sweet (Slow build romance, little to no nookie)


If you can handle 'older' YA (cleaner stories)

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Contemporary Romance Audiobooks:

[Anna]

I always recommend this book in any format, but Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach is so great. The audio book is fantastic too, I love the narrator, the way she embodies Devi's attitude.

[Katy]

Can I just say THANK YOU FOR THIS DISCUSSION!!!!

I have bought so many disappointing audiobooks, especially in the romance genre, I'd basically given up. Now I'm excited to try again!

[Alana ~ The Book Pimp]

Anyone in the US that wants a free audio from Audible's 'OneBook' program...

no catches other than you must live in US; can only get 1 free audio via this program- total- no membership requirements or anything and the title you pick must be from my library

Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

This is open for all Vaginal Fantasy members. If you are intersted PM me here on GR with an email address and the title of the book you're interested in (*Must be off my specific shelf I linked- there are over 400+ options)

[Stefanie]

Second Davina Porter. She is very good. I will have to think of others. Like another commentor, I am visually impaired, totally blind actually, so I also listen to a lot of audiobooks.

[Victoria]

I also loved listening to Swordspoint with its full cast recording. The sequels are also good, but the first book was my favorite.

One of my favorite listens are the high fantasy series:The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan. I don't know what it is about the narration that I love so much, but it's a great series to listen to.

I also loved listening to The Book Thief. The way the narration is written is perfect for the audio format.

Felicia Day also narrates her book, You're Never Weird on the Internet, which is a lot of fun to listen to in her own voice.

I also second The Night Circus and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[Chandramas (Chiara)]

Jeanie wrote: "I really love the Ilona Andrews series, Kate Daniels; and Renée Raudman reading them is just fantastic and consistent.
I also liked Joe Manganiello reading Patricia Briggs Series: Hurog Duology. I..."

I agree! Anything read by Renée Raudman will make you "feel". No matter what. You feel the character emotions like they are implanted in your brain. (which is awesome)


Plus not a novel but if you read Amy Poehler audiobook is even funnier then the book.

[Jeanie]

I fell in love with the audiobook "The Nothing Girl". I enjoyed it so much, I went searching for any other work by the author, Jodi Taylor. Imagine my pleasant surprise to find she has a wonderful series of books called "The Chronicles of St Mary's". Never has a book (or series of books) urged me to look up historical facts. She puts history in such a fascinating way that makes you want to know more. I urge you to give this series a try (Classified as Science Fiction/Fantasy).

[Shalan]

Simon pegg's Nerd Do Well. He narrated and it was hilarious.