Audiobook recommendations- shall we share our highlights & duds??

[Movingonmymind]

So far, I have loved The Paying Guests, Christmas Carol (narrated by Tom Baker), Pompeii by Robert Harris. Also non-fiction Pompeii by Mary Beard and Born to Run. HATED Harry Quebert affair as badly-written, sexist tripe and also a cheapy Northanger Abbey download with a really clangy narration- should have forked out for the Juliet Stevenson narration. Wondering what next and any alternative sites to Amazon/audible?

[Becca19962014]

I have an unabridged version of mansfield park which is favourite Austen and is very well done.

I have a drama adapation of tale of two cities which I got from the works a couple of years ago which I really enjoyed.

I can recommend the chronicles of barchester which were dramatised on radio four - obviously abridged but I enjoyed them.

I finally found a copy of the hobbit and Lord of the rings radio dramatisations which I enjoy and last year an unabridged reading of all the books. I love both these versions though i appreciate not everyone likes Tolkien.

I have two audio collections for austen and Dickens. Both have various books on but they are abridged down to two or three hours. They are ok.

At the moment I'm about to start listening to sense and sensibility and sea monsters which I bought in a charity shop yesterday for £1 - I don't have high expectations!

I love audio books. I have loads! I'm drowning in CDs and books

[Movingonmymind]

Thanks, shall chrck those out . Struggle to find a working cd pksyer in this house so limited to £££ audio doenloads.

[Gliblet]

If you can access Youtube, look up an account called "Free audiobooks for intellectual exercise" - they've put up audio versions of a lot of out-of-copyright books. I've mostly listened to the HP Lovecraft audiobooks from their list and they're very well read.

If you see a copy, I got my mum Brian Blessed's autobiography as an audiobook for Christmas, read by the man himself - it's an excellent recording. And if you see it available anywhere the BBC did an adaptation of Alan Garner's 'Weirdstone of Brisingamen' years ago read by Robert Powell. I had it on cassette but would pay good money to get my hands on a digital/downloadable recording. Quite apart from the story being fabulous Robert Powell is an excellent narrator.

[Movingonmymind]

Thanks, found that- seen a couple of those via Google search before, think it's all down to the quality of the individual narrator. Am quite fussy and impatient, i think!

Love Robert Powell, but can't find his version , BBC is missing a trick there. Also Brian Blessed, shall check out that autobio, thanks!

[Movingonmymind]

Listening to a sample of BB, fab! Never heard such a breathless, energetic rendition, so much joie de vivre. And he's a trained undertaker?!

[verona]

I download audiobook from my local library with overdrive app. Choice and quality
a bit limited but it's free.

[Movingonmymind]

Wpw, really? Had no idea- seem audiobookd there but not to download, shall check mine now.

[applecatchers36]

Alan Cummings autobiography ' not my fathers son' was powerful. Lot's of twist & turns, great narration. Enjoyed it a lot.

[Movingonmymind]

Love his character in the Good Wife. So he's Scottish. Who knew?! Another one for my wish list, thanks!

[Quogwinkle]

I loved Alan Cummings' autobiography Not My Father's Son too. I had no idea he had had such a dreadful childhood. But it isn't a misery memoir (which I don't like).

For me, the best audio book last year was A God In Ruins by Kate Atkinson, read by Alex Jennings. Was superb.

Sometimes I like to download the classics for free from Librivox, which you can get as podcasts via iTunes. And audio books from the library via Overdrive.

[antimatter]

I a mgoing to write about successful purchases here...

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlo James is one of the best I've listened to for a while
7 narrators are making it such a great book to listen to it is almost like a play.
I can highly recommend it.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy - another very well written book with suitable actor who read it. I can recommend it too.

NW by Zadie Smith - 2 narrators made this book came alive, worth listening to.

Kiss, kiss by Rhoad Dhal - I haven't read it before but somehow knew plots of 2 stories. Very atmospheric.

Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin
I think is very well narrated. I learned a lot about Dickens and his family.

[florentina1]

My favourites
Anthony Trollope The Way we Live Now and The American Senator
Anything by Edith Wharton
Also
The Other Typist
Mrs sinclair's Suitcase
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
little Paris Bookshop
Hello from the Gillespies.
North and South

[CoteDAzur]

I would recommend the audiobook of The Thousand Autumns Of Jacob De Zoet. The narration is outstanding. Dutch accents, Japanese accents - all flow brilliantly.

[Movingonmymind]

Great to get all these recommendations

[jessplussomeonenew]

Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys read by Lenny Henry is brilliant - perfect match of reader and story.

[hagsrus0]

I have particularly enjoyed:

The Aubrey/Maturin series narrated by Simon Vance

The Pratchett books by Stephen Briggs - the earlier ones by Nigel Planer are fine, but the Briggs "voices" work better for me

Norah Lofts - everything I've listened to so far have been excellent.

Should add that I particularly value narrators who don't over-dramatise to the point of lowering the voice to the point of being barely audible during confidential conversations etc since I'm usually listening while out walking.

[Movingonmymind]

My list grows by the minute

[Quogwinkle]

Susan Hill' s Simon Serrailler series is well narrated too. I really enjoyed these. And The Paying Guests and Fingersmith both by Sarah Waters.

[Movingonmymind]

Yes, Sarah Waters is such an excellent writer. And Juliet Stevenson a fine narrator. Hard to know what to go onto after The Paying Guests.

[Andcake]

The goldfinch ( just brilliant)
The miniaturist
Girl on a train
The circle
My best of the year 'the bone clocks' just wish it never ended
Hating 1Q84 which is a shame as I have loved every murikami I have read as a book)

[Quogwinkle]

Agree with Andcake - The Bone Clocks is amazing.

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton was a long and involving novel, read really well. I don't think I would have got through it otherwise, and I ended up rather enjoying it in spite of its sometimes incomprehensible astrology references.

[Movingonmymind]

Also loved the Miniaturist, found Girl on the Train gripping but so-so. Tempted by the Bone Clocks, just been listening to the audio sample.

[antimatter]

I loved 1Q84. As much as Murakami's other books.
I couldn't get into the Miniaturist. Must try again.
The Bone Clocks - I don't know why but I got bored of it and stopped half way through.

As for Luminaries - I had to give it 5 goes. But once it started flowing I couldn't het enough of it.
I love Julie Stevenson's as narrator too.

[fatowl]

I'm listening to Americanah on Audible at the moment - great narrator IMO

[gailforce1]

I am enjoying Bill Bryson reading his most recent book The Road to Little Dribbling.
And can also recommend The Help and Harvest (Jim Crace).