Audio book recommendations

[Arcadia]

I have recently joined Audible and listen to books on my commute. I really enjoyed the Robert Webb book, especially as it was read by him and I am a big Peep Show fan. Before that I listened to Elinor Oliphant and a couple of fairly light novels.
Any suggestions for good listens, fiction or non-fiction? Interesting but not too heavy?

My favorites this year were Fingersmith, The Lilac Girls and Americanah.

Currently listening to Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon, which is good and well written. My favourites have been The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker read by Peter Firth, Paying Guests by Sarah Waters read by Juliet Stevenson, and, best of all, last Christmas I listened to Anna Massey reading Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier. The narrator can make or break it

I listen to a lot of audible and agree the narrator can make or break it.

The ones I can recall with especially good narration are

Americanah
The Muse
The Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) detective books - 3 of them

Alan Cumming’s autobiography read by him himself was marvellous.

I have also enjoyed listening to Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series (detective novels set in Weimar, Nazi and Communist Germany)

Oh and I second the recommendation of the Robert Galbraith novels.

If you’re into fantasy I’m currently enjoying the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson but I know fantasy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Thanks all. I have read a lot of the books recommended already - Fingersmith, Americanah, the Galbraith series, but am wondering about listening to books that I have read before (especially if v long time ago - e.g. Rebecca which I probably read as a teenager) because as an audiobook it is a different experience.

I might try the Alan Cummings one but have never heard of him! Is he funny?

He’s an actor and comedian- he played Eli on The Good Wife if you ever watched it. It’s hilarious in parts but also incredibly touching and he has the most beautiful Scottish accent to listen to. Just make sure it’s his biography not the celeb encounters type one because it’s nowhere near as good.

Ok thanks, that sounds good as I found the Robert Webb one funny and moving.

I recently listened to Sue Perkins reading her autobiography and found it good, lots of funny bits, some sad bits too.

I direct audiobooks and one of mine won AudioFile Magazine fiction of the year 2017 so I recommend Refuge by Dina Nayeri

White Tears by Hari Kunzru was also nominated and was the first one I ever directed and is a brilliant book with wonderful narrators —not biased honest—

I didn’t direct Intermission by Hari Kunzru but really enjoyed it, have just finished listening to The Wonder by Emma Donoghue and also highly recommend Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

I had Black Water Lilies by Michael Bussi on a long drive and thought it was fabulous.

I, Alan by Alan Partridge is laugh out loud stuff. I struggled to compose myself getting off a train once because he was in the middle of a Toblerone addiction.

I also listened to Simon Amstell's Help recently, which was fab and I think I will give the Sue Perkins one a go.

I sometimes struggle with listen to novels on their own as my mind can wander and will also read the same book too. I tend to speed up to 1.25 as well as I find some narration really slow and drawn out.

Thanks all, some good suggestions. I read the Alan Partridge when it first came out but did think it would be s good one to listen to!

I've just listened to Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Was completely brilliant.

I enjoyed Norse gods by Neil gaiman (read by him) the rivers of London books - all marvellous.

Americanah is great but it's a long one
The letter by Kathryn Hughes is interesting and not heavy going a love story, historical tale but also contemporary, quite moving
Alan Cummings autobio is very engaging, he had a really hard time with his Dad and some of it was quite dark but a lot about getting away and being true to himself, wanting to be an actor, coming out etc..

Top of my list would be anything Terry Pratchett read by Stephen Briggs.

Then not in any particular order:
Diana Wynne Jones: Howls Moving Castle/House of Many Ways - Jenny Sterlin. Conrad's Fate - Gerard Doyle. Enchanted Glass - Steven Crossley.
Nevil Shute: Most of his books, read by various great readers.
Georgette Heyer: pretty much everything is great, standouts would be: Grand Sophy, Unknown Ajax, Cotillion, The Talisman Ring.
Elizabeth Cadell: everything is fun (The Lark Shall Sing is my fav), some read by her great granddaughter.
Michael J Sullivan: Riyira Revolutions is a complete series, Riyria Chronicles is still being added to, read by Tim Gerard Reynolds
Agatha Christie: all great, best by Hugh Fraser, Emilia Fox and David Suchet.
Sheri Cobb South: John Pickett Mysteries, read by Joel Froomkin.
Amelia Peabody series, read by Barbara Rosenblat.
Angela Thirkell: various (fav was Summer Half)
Dorothy Gilman: Mrs. Pollifax, read by Barbara Rosenblat.
Kerry Greenwood: Phryne Fisher Mysteries, read by Stephanie Daniel.
Charles Finch: Charles Lenox Mysteries, read by James Langton.
James Anderson: Blood Stained Egg Cosy and two more at Alderley, read by Cornelius Grant.
Margery Allingham: all great, but for audible I went abridged for the first time, but only because it's Philip Franks reading.
Marian Babson: Perkins and Tate, read by Steven Crossley.
Ngaio Marsh: all good, favs read by Philip Franks and James Saxon.
PG Wodehouse: all fun but Adventures of Sally is my fav, read by Jonathan Cecil.
Josephine Tey: Brat Farrar and Franchise Affair, read by Carole Boyd.
Jane Austen: all good, various readers.
DE Stevenson: various but fav would be the Miss Buncles, read by Patricia Gillimore.
Miss Read: Village School etc, read by Phyllida Nash

Oops sorry this is getting long, I'd better stop. I get so excited when I get to talk books

Thanks for all those captainjack I will have a look through, I haven't heard of some of those authors.

Anytime Arcadia! I have a little method to finding books that suit me on audible. I head straight to amazon and read all the 1 and 2 star reviews. You can usually tell how people write their (bad) reviews, if the book will suit you. For example if reviewers write that the book is boring, I will keep checking reviews because often a boring book is one with lots of detail (which I do love) whereas if a reviewer says the book kills off the family dog in a violent way then I'm done. You just use your own preferences and match them up with how other reviewers have felt about the book. The four/five stars don't provide me with the same kind of feedback. Hope this makes sense

I'd love to hear how it goes and what kind of books you choose if you get a chance to/want to discuss them.

To Say Nothing of the Dog read by Steven Crossley was my very first audio, it's really great too, got me hooked

I've just downloaded this but can't see the prices anywhere. Are they a standard fee or all different?

They are all different. You need to click on the title in blue or "view full details" in blue to bring up the price, and then choose whether to pay the listed price or use a credit if you want to buy it. I think credits are normally worth £10 iirc, therefore I often try to spend a credit on something worth a high (ish) amount of money.

Try The Girl with all the Gifts by MR Karey
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Both excellent.
I’ve also loved the Mr Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King and a lot of chick lit, sci fi and fantasy that I won’t bore you with cos I don’t know you

Orson Scott Card "Game of Ender"

I'm currently listening to Animal by Sara Pascoe. It's an autobiography about the female body and is so funny, interesting and is making me feel very normal and happy about myself.