Good audio book readers

[WWGD]

Just listened to Meryl Streep do Tom Lake and she is amazing. Who do you like?

Gosh a lot.

Ones that come to mind are Georgina Sutton, Edward Petherbridge, Tracey Anne Obernann, Juliet Stevenson, Robert Bathurst, Luisa Bradshaw-White, Johnathan Keeble, Anna Massey. Their voices particularly suit the books that I listened to.

My favourite ever was Peter Firth reading Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy. But, very disappointingly, no longer available to buy.

I also love to listen to Alan Bennett reading his autobiographical works.

How could I forget? Martin Jarvis. His reading of A Night to Remember is masterful

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith reading the Rivers Of London series. He is an absolute genius and his vocal range - which covers all the characters distinctly - is amazing.

Came on here to say exactly this, love him!

Anna Bentinck
Daniel Weyman

I have enjoyed the Seven Sister Series. Different narrator for each sister, but great stories interwoven with real life events in different continents.

Every sister, is very different!

I've been listening to Stephen Fry reading PG Wodehouse short stories. He does different voices wonderfully - very funny. I listen to it to go to sleep and only get around five minutes in before I drift off.

I've also enjoyed Greg Wagland reading Sherlock Holmes short stories - he's free on Spotify under Magpie Audio.

Robert Glenister the Comoran Strike series

Cormoran

My idea of heaven is laying in a hot bath listening to Stephen Fry read Sherlock Holmes or P. G. Wodehouse. I wish he'd record Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray as well.

The best audiobook recording I have ever heard is Michael Maloney reading Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall. I also remember listening to a brilliant reading of Aldous Huxley's Chrome Yellow, but I can't remember who it was.

Oh, and Mark Gatiss reading M. R. James (perfect for Christmas).

Juliet Stevenson is my favourite, and Anne Hathaway reading the Wizard of Oz is terrific. A bit niche, but Zara Rahm reading Jodi Taylor's books. Michael Horden reading the Narnia books.

Davina Porter reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. She is just perfect.

Simple - Sam West and Timothy West. Head and shoulders above the rest.

Was here to say this.

Also Julia Whelan reading anything at all.

So much to look up here thank you!!

I loved Mark Gatiss' narration of Dracula.

Another vote for Robert Glenister and Julia Whelan.

Paterson Joseph doing Kate Atkinson’s Normal Rules Don’t Apply.

Everyone on The Unfinished Harauld Hughes by Richard Ayoade.

Haven't listened to any of the above but agree that a good narrator makes all the difference. I find there are so many poor ones, god knows how they get hired to do this - whiny voices, mispronunciations, wrong sentence stress, etc etc. I usually give up as it's too distracting or annoying. I guess using trained actors is perhaps not affordable for some but ffs I could do better than many of the ones I hear.

I'm listening to Tom Selleck reading his new autobiography "You never know". I love his voice, it's like a warm hug.

Some of the new Terry Pratchett ones are really good - Indira Varma does the witches books and Jon Culshaw does the city watch ones - both are excellent. However, I tried to listen Unseen Academicals the other day, read by Colin Morgan, and he was so dreadful I gave up after a few chapters. His voices were both irritating and completely wrong for the characters.

Caimh McDonnell's books are hilarious and made doubly so by the very talented narrator, Morgan C Jones. Give them a whirl, you won't be disappointed!

Annie adlington reading Martina Cole , absolutely fab

Love this thread - just to add I sometimes use the BBC sounds app and listen to the Radio4 book at bedtime on catch up when I'm in between audio books as I am now. .

Just finished Stephen Hogan reading Sebastian Barry's Old God's Time. Gorgeous.