Best audio books you can recommend?

[VenusInBlurs]

I couldn't find a current audio books thread so I'm hoping this isn't a duplicate of an existing one.

I'm bed bound for the coming month and a friend has kindly given me 12 Audible credits to use while I'm recuperating I love her

Normally I'm a prolific Audible listener while I'm driving.
As an example I listened to 117 books last year in addition to good old fashioned reading.
I've read most of the classics, I enjoy original thrillers, good real life books ie A Life Of Crime and Unnatural Causes,Marian Keyes or Taylor Jenkins Reid and the latest Dawn O'Porter type books.

I'm listening to The July Girls now.

Any suggestions for good listens or books you've enjoyed recently? And why?
Anything at all, it doesn't matter if it's not something I'd usually like as long as you think it's good and you really liked it.

Good housekeeping are giving an audio book free each month if you fancy a magazine to read. Good offers on subscription

And there is currently a 2 for 1 sale on Audible...

Off the top of my head I've really enjoyed

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters narrated by Juliet Stephenson

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier read by Anna Massey

The Girls by Lisa Jewell read by Gabrielle Glaister

The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker read by Peter Firth.

I think the good narrators make all the difference.

I like non fiction 20th century history as well!

IQ84 & Lianne Moriarty good here too.

Please let us know some of your faves too! Hope you make a fast recovery. I have loved

The goldfinch
The hearts invisible furies
Any Sarah Waters
Any Amy Tan
Eleanor & Park
Why be happy when you could be normal
Currently on the crimson petal & the white-vg

Will have to check my account as I've gone blank!

Oh and

Life Class and Toby's Room by Pat Barker read by various

'West Cork' on Audible was really fascinating. When I began it I didn't realise it was a true story which makes it tragic. I was very absorbed by it.

I can't see a 2 for 1 Sale on audible though think I've bought all I want from the bogof sales

My favourite of the last year is
Where the crawdads sing

Also in no order

Restoration - Rose Tremain
The examined life
Our endless numbered days
The power of one (and sequel-Tandia)
A little life
His bloody project
Circe & song of Achilles
The silent companions
Asking for it
Everyone brave is forgiven
All the Neapolitan novels - my brilliant friend etc, (but speed needs to be 1.5 imo due to narrator)
Jess Kidd & Sally Rooney - both great!

Yy to west Cork. Also not audible but the podcast of S town is great

I wonder if I might not have loathed The Goldfinch as much if I’d listened to it

I know why the caged bird sings, Maya Angelou, her autobiography, was very good.

Btw you can get audiobooks for free from the library but the choice is a bit limited.

If you belong to a library you can listen to audio books for free.

I’m “rereading” terry Pratchett in audiobook form at the moment. Previously enjoyed rereads of lots of Dickens, Eliot, Gaskell and Trollope in audio form. They are long and meaty books

I loved the narration of fingersmith, and the rivers of London books are well read. Burial rites by Hannah Kent was excellent. Also Robert Galbraith

I'm currently listening to the complete BBC radio series of John Le Carre's Smiley book, read by Simon Russell Beale and the cast. Really good, especially enjoying then in order.

“If you belong to a library you can listen to audio books for free.”

I do this too but I have to fill in a lot of gaps with paid for books

Michelle Obama’s book was actually relatively light on the politics. I listened to it (I don’t listen to much) but I guess the White House was perhaps less than a third of the book. I very much enjoyed it, as much for hearing about her background and her family growing up and her work life balance issues.

Forgot to add: even if I’ve read it already, I can go time and time again to Michael Palin Reading his travel books. Whereas i’ve found the narrators of Bill Bryson’s books to be... patchy. Not all narrators are born equal, and getting the author to read their own book doesn’t always work.

I often search by reader rather than author.

I've enjoyed listening Juliet Stevenson (various classics), Anton Lesser (bbc dramatisations of the Falco stories, Philip Pullman's Ruby in the Smoke series and an unabridged reading of the Illiad), Martin Jarvis (mostly Just William and Dickens, but I'd listen to anything he read), and Stephen Briggs (Discworld).

Black Widows was a great thriller by Chris Brookmyre. It is told from 2 different viewpoints by 2 great narrators.

The Better Angels of our Nature by Steven Pinker was brilliant. It's such a huge book that I'd have probably skipped bits if I had tried to read it but the narrator really held my attention.

I've also enjoyed audio books of Anne Cleeves' Vera novels and Shetland novels. Not sure why I'd never got round to trying them before (books or tv version) but they were really good.

Through the wall is a new one out by Caroline Corcoran - I've read it and loved it https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Through-the-Wall-Audiobook/0008335117

Not audiobooks, but Audible has Cabin Pressure (radio sitcom) available, and to my mind it's probably the best radio sitcom ever.
Also:
Americanah
Girl, Woman, Other
Educated

Agree about cabin pressure! I have that on CDs

The narrator makes or breaks an audiobook, I’ve returned loads for poor narration

My pet hate is male narrators who make female characters sound like they are permanently simpering

Some male narrators are very good at not doing that and some women aren't great at doing Male characters. David Suchet is surprisingly good at doing women and Juliet Stephenson is good at doing men.

Talking of podcasts, it's not all True Crime of course. Also, there are plenty of fiction podcasts too!

My pet hate is male narrators who make female characters sound like they are permanently simpering

God yes. See the bloke who reads 1984

“Some male narrators are very good at not doing that and some women aren't great at doing Male characters.“

That goes without saying