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Audible users - recs please

46 replies

AliasGrape · 20/12/2025 12:05

I have an audible subscription and a few credits to use. I find I do much better with audiobooks these days, have them on when I’m driving/ walking and for half an hour through headphones before bed.

Yesterday finished The Hallmarked Man the most recent Strike one and I feel a bit bereft. I found this one really good on audio (the one before last just did not work at all) and I really was drawn in and looking forward to my next chance to listen each day.

Looking for my next listen but nothing is grabbing me.

Have very wide tastes, not particularly fantasy though not ruling it out 100%. Nothing too bleak or depressing - I did skip forward a couple of gruesome passages in the Strike one. But what’s important is it has to really work in the audible format and have a great narrator (I really enjoyed the Richard Osman books in this format for example, suspect I wouldn’t have enjoyed them as much had I read them ‘properly’).

I also don’t particularly like the ones that are more like plays, with all the different character voices and sound effects - I really do just want to be told a story. Don’t mind if there’s 2 narrators but not more.

Other things I’ve loved in this format - memoirs eg Educated, and a few years back remember really enjoying both Americanah and An American Marriage as audiobooks. I also loved the audible version of David Copperfield that Richard Armitage read.

Anything seasonal/ Christmassy would be good, but also recs for next year too.

Thank you.

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DPotter · 20/12/2025 12:24

Janice Hallet - crime based books written as emails, letters, reports between people. Her first one was 'The Appeal'. Particularly enjoyed her last one 'The Killer Question'.

Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shalak

AliasGrape · 20/12/2025 12:34

DPotter · 20/12/2025 12:24

Janice Hallet - crime based books written as emails, letters, reports between people. Her first one was 'The Appeal'. Particularly enjoyed her last one 'The Killer Question'.

Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shalak

Oh yes I’ve read the appeal and I think I’ve got another of hers in paperback, but not the latest so I’ll look for that on audible thank you!

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Megsdaughter · 20/12/2025 13:05

Anything narrated by Davina Porter. I have all the Outlander ones, but she has done other books. She is just brilliant

Rictasmorticia · 20/12/2025 13:07

Peter Grainger Detective Smith Series
Ruth Jones By your side (includes loss of child)
Count of Monte Cristo
Barchester Chronicals
Magpie Murders

2DemisSVP · 20/12/2025 13:09

If you like Bob Mortimer, he narrates his books and they’re brilliant. Not just the fiction but also his autobiography is a great listen. And the Avocado Hotel has different narrators for each of the characters, Sally Phillips, Paul Whitehorse and Julie Maisey. So good and very funny. Really works as an audiobook.

AliasGrape · 20/12/2025 13:18

Thanks all, working through these recs now!

@2DemisSVP - love Bob, and have read his autobiography but would definitely be happy to hear him read it too.

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Dappy777 · 20/12/2025 15:09

Listen to Brian Blessed read his autobiography Absolute Pandemonium. It made me laugh so hard I had to pull the car over.

I'd also recommend Stephen Fry reading Sherlock Holmes or P. G. Wodehouse. Bliss.

Michael Maloney has a wonderful reading voice. Try Maloney's recording of Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall (the first half is about as funny as a novel can be. John Betjeman said that after Waugh read it to him he knew he'd never hear anything funnier).

Maloney also recorded a short novel by Aldous Huxley called Crome Yellow, which is wonderful and possibly my favourite novel off all time.

Michael Hordern reading M R James is also a treat.

CutFlowers · 20/12/2025 17:21

I also really enjoyed An American Marriage as an audiobook. For similar reasons, I really liked Shuggie Bain, Milkman, My Friends and The Return by Hisham Matar, Girl, Woman, Other & My Name is Lucy Barton in this format as I think the audio added to the characters and sense of place. I have also just bought A Complete Works of Dickens (or at least half of them as it is in two parts) for one credit - bargain.

FirstCuppa · 20/12/2025 17:24

I really enjoyed Hamnet and also The Power by Naomi Alderman on audible.

helpfulperson · 20/12/2025 17:27

I love the Michael Palin ones and he narrates these himself.

AliasGrape · 20/12/2025 17:33

FirstCuppa · 20/12/2025 17:24

I really enjoyed Hamnet and also The Power by Naomi Alderman on audible.

Ooh Hamnet is a good shout as I have it on kindle too and am just not getting round to it somehow.

Thanks all there’s some great suggestions I’m keeping a list for the credits I have and then each month.

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Keepingongoing · 22/12/2025 20:43

Just came across this thread. I can’t listen to an audiobook if I don’t like the narrator. If you enjoyed Americanah, I wonder if you might like Half of a Yellow Sun by the same author. It is harrowing in parts, but so, so good. Get the unabridged version narrated by Zainab Jah, she is brilliant. I also just very much enjoyed Stoner, again narrated brilliantly by Alfred Molina.

ElizabethVonArnim · 22/12/2025 21:27

Michael Sheen’s narrations of Philip Pullman’s books are great. Much better than the old ones where Pullman read the books himself!

cloudjumper · 22/12/2025 22:11

I loved the audiobook of Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. Agree with Michael Sheen reading The Book of Dust trilogy, excellent.
The Magpie Murders series is great. Loved Demon Copperhead, although it’s quite harrowing.
Anything read by Adam Lazarre-White!

Santasbigredbobblehat · 23/12/2025 11:34

Magpie Murders and Hawthorn series by Anthony Horowitz.
Rivera of London series. Magic realism, but amazing narration.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
Procession by AS Byatt beautifully narrated by Samuel West.

AltitudeCheck · 27/12/2025 19:22

I have enjoyed all the Taylor Jenkins Reid books on Audible, the 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the 6 in particular.

SilverShadowNight · 27/12/2025 19:41

I would also recommend the Hawthorn and Horowitz series by Anthony Horowitz, and the Rivers of London Series narrated by Kobna Holdbrook Smith.

Thisisthedawningoftheageofaquarius · 27/12/2025 19:45

Agree with Hamnet, the Bob Mortimer books (long shoe is just out and it’s great); also have you read demon copperhead? Fantastic on audible!

lollypop42 · 27/12/2025 19:50

anything by graham norton, lovely stories and he narrates them all. And also, Michelle McDonagh. i have been disappointed by so many audio books

KittytheHare · 27/12/2025 19:50

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0DD9778NZ?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=library_overflow
Listening to this currently and irxx so great.

lollypop42 · 27/12/2025 19:51

ooh yes @Thisisthedawningoftheageofaquarius Demon Copperhead is a great shout

mustytrusty · 27/12/2025 21:54

I’ve just recently finished working my way through the Slough house series by Mick Heron. Really excellent narration, great characterisation and wit too.

MewithME · 27/12/2025 22:01

I would second the Mick Herron Slough House books. Love the TV show and the audiobooks are great.

Anything read by Richard Armitage. My favourites are Joy Ellis Jackman and Evans series but can be a bit grizzly in places.

Love LJRoss books read by Johnathan Keeble. He's v good. They're rather silly but have a nice bit of humour in them.

Bob Mortimer books are silly too but good fun.

I also enjoy some of the freebies... I've got Lisa Jewell's The Night She Disappeared on the go.

Aworldofmyown · 27/12/2025 22:09

Remarkably Bright Creatures.