Hi Friends! Admittedly, I haven’t had much time (or motivation) to read as of late, aside from audiobooks, so I thought I’d do a little recommendation post on some of my favorite audiobooks. We’ve come a long way from when this blog was first launched, and I started to give audiobooks more of a shot. Training my brain to slowly get used to audiobooks, and realizing that audiobooks worked a lot better for me if I was doing other things (like crafting, or exercising) at the same time really did wonders.
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Narrated By: Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer, Pablo Schreiber)
It’s not often that “I’m reading [insert title of the book]” is followed up with “You should give the audiobook a try; it’s SO good”, and yet that was what everyone kept telling me for Daisy Jones. When I reread Daisy Jones and the Six, I decided to listen to the audiobook — I mean a full cast, and a snippet of what Taylor Jenkins Reid thought the songs would sound like? How could I not give it a go? And I loved it!
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (Narrated By: Adeel Akhtar, Natalie Simpson, Adrian Scarborough, Emma Fielding, John Owen-Jones)
One of the first audiobooks I started out with was Les Misérables — And you might be thinking: why would someone start off their audiobook journey with a 65 hour long audiobook? The answer is simple; it’s a story that I’ve read several times before, and one that I’m incredibly familiar with through various adaptations. I loved that all five narrators have been involved in some production of Les Misérables or other, Adeel Aktar, Natalie Simpson, and Emma Fielding were all in the BBC television series (my own criticisms of that adaptation aside), Adrian Scarborough was in the 2012 film, and John Owen-Jones has played Jean Valjean on both Broadway, and the West End. It’s definitely a long audiobook, but it pays off!
Romeo and Juliet by Wiliam Shakespeare (Narrated By: Folger Theater Cast)
I love listening to plays; it’s as similar as one can get to how they’re meant to be experienced without watching a recording or seeing something in person. The Folger Theater production of Romeo and Juliet is just spectacular, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly. I’ve been meaning to check out some of their other productions too!
Thank You for Listening by Julia Wheelan (Narrated by: Julia Wheelan)
I’ve heard lots and lots about how amazing Julia Wheelan’s narration is, but never got a chance to try it for myself until I picked up her book — Thank You for Listening, a charming romance about two audiobook narrators. And Wheelan excels at her craft; it’s so evident that she’s infused her love of narration into the story. Thank You for Listening is a story that’s made for audiobook, and meant to be audiobooked-only, I’m certain of it. I’m sure it’s a lovely book to read in print (or in e-book), but the audiobook listening experience is something so special.
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer (Narrated by: James Fouhey)
A couple of my bookstagram friends (remember when I was active on that? Yeah, me too. One day I’ll go back) loved The Darkness Outside Us, and I figured I’d give it a go via audiobook. I’ve realized that I really love (and can also tell) when audiobook narrators have done theater in some capacity, and realized that James Fouhey was in Puffs!
The Mirror Visitor Quartet by Christelle Dabos (Narrated by: Emma Fenney)
The Mirror Visitor series was another one that came highly recommended from a couple friends, and I just adored it. It’s so cozy, and I loved Dabos’ worldbuilding — Emma Fenney’s narration makes it all the more easier to get lost in, and to imagine the world of Ophelia.
The Iliad by Homer (Narrated by: Audra McDonald)
It feels a little like cheating to claim this as one of my favorites, given that I’m only partially through The Iliad right now, but I’ve been loving Audra McDonald’s narration. I mean, Emily Wilson’s translation, and six time Tony winner Audra McDonald? What more could a girl ask for?
The Odyssey by Homer (Narrated by: George Blagden)
I’d been trying to read The Odyssey for ages — In fact, I picked it up first in June of 2022, but then got sick and never picked it back up. And when I found out that George Blagden (who I loved in Les Misérables as Grantaire, and the West End revival of Company) narrated The Odyssey, I knew I had to give it a go! I’m obviously biased, but I did really enjoy his narration of The Odyssey.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (Narrated by: Liyah Summers)
I’m not much of a high fantasy reader, but I’ve realized that I do enjoy them a lot more when I’m audiobooking them. It’s a lot easier for me to imagine different worlds, and I really loved Liyah Summers’ narration. I’d previously purchased a physical copy of The Priory of the Orange Tree, and had picked it up (and put it down) a couple times; it wasn’t until I audiobooked it that I was able to get through it — and ended up loving Priory.
Yes, I love audiobooks…and Julia Whelan 🙂