MY FAVOURITE AUDIOBOOKS
Audiobooks have quickly become one of my favourite ways to get some reading in when I cannot physically hold a book and do a task at the same time. I wouldn't recommend running on a treadmill while trying to hold a book and read it at the same time. It will only end in tears and possibly a broken limb or phalange. I quickly found out that audiobooks helped pass the hours or distract my mind from exercising. Seriously. I love listening to an audiobook while running. It distracts the mind from the slog at hand, especially if you go running outside or on a treadmill. Game changer. You're welcome.
I personally prefer to listen to audiobooks through Audible for no other reason than the fact that the Scribd app kept crashing and seriously overheated my phone. I did not want to risk my phone and so decided to stick with Audible.
In today's post, I share with you some of my favourite audiobooks from my collection of 43.
T H E S E V E N H U S B A N D S O F E V E L Y N H U G O -
T A Y L O R J E N K I N S R E I D
T A Y L O R J E N K I N S R E I D
NARRATORS:ALMA CUERVO, JULIA WHELAN, ROBIN MILES
I first listened to the audiobook for this book last March (2019) and instantly fell in love with it. The book came with some serious hype and since I love old Hollywood circa Katharine Hepburn era, I felt that this book would be right up my street. I didn't own a physical copy of it and decided to go down the audiobook route. I do not regret that.
From the first minute, I was hooked. I loved the voices that were used for each character. Some chapters were from Monique's perspective and others from Evelyn's point of view. Each narrator had their own way of speaking. Monique's narrator was a more casual voice whilst Evelyn's was more sophisticated and refined, speaking from a place of wisdom and experience. Most of the book is told from Evelyn's perspective - those were my favourite parts. When I was first listening to this (and when I listened to it again earlier this year), I did not want to stop listening. Whenever I could, I was listening to this audiobook. I felt as if Evelyn Hugo herself was recounting her life to me. I felt as if she was a real actress telling her life story. Taylor Jenkins Reid created characters so vivid that I wanted to find Evelyn's films and watch them and find Monique's articles to read them. I honestly want the book that Monique wrote at the end of the book. If Rainbow Rowell can post two books based on the fanfiction that Cath wrote in 'Fangirl', surely Taylor Jenkin Reid can bank on the authorised biography of Evelyn Hugo but from a third-person perspective. I would pre-order that in a heartbeat.
From the first minute, I was hooked. I loved the voices that were used for each character. Some chapters were from Monique's perspective and others from Evelyn's point of view. Each narrator had their own way of speaking. Monique's narrator was a more casual voice whilst Evelyn's was more sophisticated and refined, speaking from a place of wisdom and experience. Most of the book is told from Evelyn's perspective - those were my favourite parts. When I was first listening to this (and when I listened to it again earlier this year), I did not want to stop listening. Whenever I could, I was listening to this audiobook. I felt as if Evelyn Hugo herself was recounting her life to me. I felt as if she was a real actress telling her life story. Taylor Jenkins Reid created characters so vivid that I wanted to find Evelyn's films and watch them and find Monique's articles to read them. I honestly want the book that Monique wrote at the end of the book. If Rainbow Rowell can post two books based on the fanfiction that Cath wrote in 'Fangirl', surely Taylor Jenkin Reid can bank on the authorised biography of Evelyn Hugo but from a third-person perspective. I would pre-order that in a heartbeat.
S C Y T H E - N E A L S H U S T E R M A N
NARRATOR: GREG TREMBLAY
In 100% transparency, I wouldn't call Greg Tremblay a great voice actor; I personally do not believe that he has a great repertoire of voices at his command but man, does he know how to captivate you with his narrator's voice. I don't know what it is about this audiobook series that had me hooked from the get-go.
Tremblay has a voice that commands your attention. Scythe was the first audiobook where I can definitively say that I was captivated. I practically listened to this entire audiobook in one day. I did not want to stop listening to it. I needed to know what was happening to these characters because Tremblay's voice brought this entire world to life in such a vivid way that I didn't want to leave it. His voice and Shusterman's words created characters that I became invested in.
Tremblay has a voice that commands your attention. Scythe was the first audiobook where I can definitively say that I was captivated. I practically listened to this entire audiobook in one day. I did not want to stop listening to it. I needed to know what was happening to these characters because Tremblay's voice brought this entire world to life in such a vivid way that I didn't want to leave it. His voice and Shusterman's words created characters that I became invested in.
T H E S H A D O W O F T H E W I N D - C A R L O S R U I Z Z A F Ó N
NARRATOR: DANIEL PHILPOTT
'The Shadow of the Wind' was such an intimidating book when I first bought it. It came with its own aura as quite a few people of BookTube sang its praises. I was afraid that I wouldn't understand what the book was trying to say or that I wouldn't comprehend what was happening. ¡No comprendo! Pero, cuando I began listening to the audiobook all of those fears melted away. I became enthralled in Zafón's post - WWII Barcelona. I became invested in Daniel's quest to find out what he could about Julián Carax. I was walking those streets of Barcelona with Daniel and Beatriz and I was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, ears open as I listened to all of the stories that came his way.
The book is beautifully translated from Zafón's native Spanish by Lucia Graves. I had previously read 'Marina' by Zafón, which is his Young Adult novel. I thoroughly loved it and I count it as one of my favourite books of all time. Knowing that 'The Shadow of the Wind' was translated by the same person, I knew that each page would be full of Zafón's lyrical and atmospheric writing. What's more, in the audiobook, Daniel Philpott pronounces all of the Spanish names and places correctly. I was nervous that an English narrator would not afford the untranslated Spanish words their due respect but he did and that made the audiobook all the more immersive. I felt as if I was walking down those calles and that I knew Bea (pronounced Bay-ah). Philpott had such a captivating voice that I could listen to him do a dramatic reading of the Yellow Pages. This is the only book in the 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books' series that Philpott narrates. Each subsequent book is narrated by someone different. The sequel is narrated by Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey (Matthew Crawley) and Beauty and the Beast fame.
'The Shadow of the Wind' was such an intimidating book when I first bought it. It came with its own aura as quite a few people of BookTube sang its praises. I was afraid that I wouldn't understand what the book was trying to say or that I wouldn't comprehend what was happening. ¡No comprendo! Pero, cuando I began listening to the audiobook all of those fears melted away. I became enthralled in Zafón's post - WWII Barcelona. I became invested in Daniel's quest to find out what he could about Julián Carax. I was walking those streets of Barcelona with Daniel and Beatriz and I was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, ears open as I listened to all of the stories that came his way.
The book is beautifully translated from Zafón's native Spanish by Lucia Graves. I had previously read 'Marina' by Zafón, which is his Young Adult novel. I thoroughly loved it and I count it as one of my favourite books of all time. Knowing that 'The Shadow of the Wind' was translated by the same person, I knew that each page would be full of Zafón's lyrical and atmospheric writing. What's more, in the audiobook, Daniel Philpott pronounces all of the Spanish names and places correctly. I was nervous that an English narrator would not afford the untranslated Spanish words their due respect but he did and that made the audiobook all the more immersive. I felt as if I was walking down those calles and that I knew Bea (pronounced Bay-ah). Philpott had such a captivating voice that I could listen to him do a dramatic reading of the Yellow Pages. This is the only book in the 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books' series that Philpott narrates. Each subsequent book is narrated by someone different. The sequel is narrated by Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey (Matthew Crawley) and Beauty and the Beast fame.
T H E N A M E O F T H E W I N D - P A T R I C K R O T H F U S S
NARRATOR: RUPERT DEGAS
This book is a beast itself. When I first encountered this book, I knew that it was intimidating. Then I looked up the audiobook and it was an ear numbing 28 hours long. Up until that point, the longest audiobook I had ever listened to was 17 hours, namely 'The Shadow of the Wind'. I loved every single second of those 28 hours and 3-minutes. Rupert Degas brought every single character to life with the numerous accents that he had up his sleeve. I didn't need to be told who was speaking by the narrator because I just knew from Degas' voice. His voice acting was that powerful and nuanced. I highly recommend it.
M E L M O T H - S A R A H P E R R Y
NARRATOR: EMILIA FOX
'Melmoth' was a surprise for me. I listened to this on a whim towards the end of 2019. I needed an audiobook for a work shift where I could listen to something for close to 6 hours and I found myself wanted to listen to something narrated by Emilia Fox. I've been a fan of Emilia Fox for close to ten years and have listened to a few audiobooks narrated by her, mostly Phillippa Gregory books. Though those books were not really my cup of tea, I did enjoy Emilia's narration style but I wasn't necessarily blown away by it. It was fine to pass the time and for 2009, they were fine.
Fast forward: ten years.
From the very first sentence, Emilia's voice had me hooked. The very first sentence had her narrate in a foreign accent. Much of Emilia Fox's roles have never veered far from British or American characters. Some lesser-known indie roles have her put on a different accent but nothing like the accents she employed in 'Melmoth'. Most of the action of the book takes place in and around Prague, crossing the European continent with some characters from farther afield. This is where I was surprised by how much Emilia has developed as a narrator since those early audiobooks of 2009. I was absolutely enthralled with the story. I didn't want to stop listening and if anything threatened my listening experience, I practically stood with my Air Pod pressed into my ear. Emilia really brought this book to life and it was such a surprise for an audiobook that I picked on a last-minute whim.
As much as I am a fangirl, I am completely transparent when it comes to what I think of their roles and their performances. I'm not a sycophant. If I didn't like a performance, I won't say that I liked it. I honestly loved this audiobook.
'Melmoth' was a surprise for me. I listened to this on a whim towards the end of 2019. I needed an audiobook for a work shift where I could listen to something for close to 6 hours and I found myself wanted to listen to something narrated by Emilia Fox. I've been a fan of Emilia Fox for close to ten years and have listened to a few audiobooks narrated by her, mostly Phillippa Gregory books. Though those books were not really my cup of tea, I did enjoy Emilia's narration style but I wasn't necessarily blown away by it. It was fine to pass the time and for 2009, they were fine.
Fast forward: ten years.
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| CREDIT: @emiliarosefox on Instagram |
As much as I am a fangirl, I am completely transparent when it comes to what I think of their roles and their performances. I'm not a sycophant. If I didn't like a performance, I won't say that I liked it. I honestly loved this audiobook.
J A C K D A W S - K E N F O L L E T T
NARRATOR: EMILIA FOX
Just like with 'Melmoth', I picked 'Jackdaws' on a whim because I needed an audiobook to listen to during work and I fancied something from Emilia Fox. 'Jackdaws' is hands down, my favourite audiobook from Emilia Fox to date. I was hooked from beginning to end. I loved it so much that I purchased a physical copy of the book before I had even finished listening to it.
Again, Emilia Fox uses such an array of accents; French, German, American and several different British accents (one accent even reminded me of Jane Horrocks' character, Bubble, from Absolutely Fabulous). Each accent made me want Emilia to play a character with that accent in a project apart from the audiobook. I will admit that a couple of the accents were slightly on the caricature side but those were only for tertiary characters that appeared and disappeared just as quickly. They didn't distract from the action or overall mood of the book. Similar to Degas, I didn't need to be told who was speaking and what time; I only needed to hear Emilia's accent and instantly know, 'Yes, that's Ruby. That's Flick.' That is truly the sign of a great narrator. It was superb from beginning to end.
Just like with 'Melmoth', I picked 'Jackdaws' on a whim because I needed an audiobook to listen to during work and I fancied something from Emilia Fox. 'Jackdaws' is hands down, my favourite audiobook from Emilia Fox to date. I was hooked from beginning to end. I loved it so much that I purchased a physical copy of the book before I had even finished listening to it.
Again, Emilia Fox uses such an array of accents; French, German, American and several different British accents (one accent even reminded me of Jane Horrocks' character, Bubble, from Absolutely Fabulous). Each accent made me want Emilia to play a character with that accent in a project apart from the audiobook. I will admit that a couple of the accents were slightly on the caricature side but those were only for tertiary characters that appeared and disappeared just as quickly. They didn't distract from the action or overall mood of the book. Similar to Degas, I didn't need to be told who was speaking and what time; I only needed to hear Emilia's accent and instantly know, 'Yes, that's Ruby. That's Flick.' That is truly the sign of a great narrator. It was superb from beginning to end.
T H E D I V I N E R S ( S E R I E S ) - L I B B A B R A Y
NARRATOR: JANUARY LAVOY
January LaVoy. JANUARY LAVOY. I have to take my hat off to this incredible voice artist. January is truly an artist with her voice. Like with Rupert Degas and Emilia Fox, January LaVoy has this incredible versatility to her voice that means that I know immediately who is talking without needing to be told, 'said Memphis' or 'Theta said.' I do not need that.
I listened to the entire series on audiobook. I didn't crack a single book cover so the spines of this series are in pristine condition. When I was listening to 'The Diviners', I felt transported to 1920s New York City. I felt as if I was standing right next to Evie, Theta and Sam. I could practically hear the hustle and bustle of New York City. There is quite the cast of main characters throughout the four books and an ocean of secondary and tertiary characters that come in and out. January provides a singularly unique voice for all of them. Every single one has its own voice. I was completely blown away by that. The fact that January had that kind of arsenal is unparalleled with any other audiobook narrator that I have encountered. Hats off to this artist. LaVoy's narrator's voice is so soothing. She originally reminded me of Brenda Strong's voice from her voice overs for Desperate Housewives. I had to check several times that the narrator was LaVoy.
What's more, is that the marriage of LaVoy's voice and Bray's writing brought this whole world to life. For four books, I was hooked from beginning to end; from page one to the very last period on the final page. After listening to 'Before the Devil Breaks You,' I immediately went on to listen to 'The King of Crows' because I needed to know what happened next. I was so emotionally invested in all of these characters. Bray and LaVoy brought these characters to life in such a way that I had never encountered before in a book or audiobook. Whenever I go back to certain places at work, I immediately hear Evie's voice or remember this section of this book in the series. It's that ingrained in my mind.
I certainly want to listen to more of LaVoy's narration repertoire because she has quite the catalogue that crosses genre and fandom. She has narrated several Star Trek publications. I count January LaVoy as my favourite audiobook narrator. Hands down. No competition.
NARRATOR: ELIZABETH EVANS
This is the most recent addition to the list of 'Favourite Audiobooks.' To be fair, I originally didn't like the narrator when I first started listening to it. I was ready to quit listening and physically pick it up. I wasn't feeling it at first and I hated the voice that Evans used for Danika. However, the dynamic delivery kept me listening and I am so glad that I continued on with it.
This whole audiobook (Danika voice aside) was an absolute gem. It had me hooked from beginning to end. Evans was able to create very unique voices for Maas' characters. My favourite voice, in particular, belonged to the Viper Queen. That voice resonated with me - it made me stand up and pay attention. I was ready to say, "Yes, ma'am. Whatever you say ma'am.' The voice vividly conjured up this crystal clear image of this creature that I could hear the moment of her body in her voice. If that makes sense. I absolutely loved it.
Then towards the last four hours of the audiobook, I was sucked into the bubble of the audiobook. I didn't want to hear a thing that did not belong to it. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and I truly felt as if I was living this whole thing with the characters. I was gasping and nearly crying in the middle of my workplace because I couldn't believe what I was listening to. I was right in the middle of the action. I was on tenterhooks. Evans truly brought this audiobook to life and complimented Maas' writing perfectly. I would highly recommend this audiobook and I hope that Evans continues to narrate the series as more books come out of the wood work. .
Let me know in the comments below some of your favourite audiobooks. I'm always on the lookout for new books to listen to.
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