Audiobooks discussion

I'm looking for Audiobooks that will grab my interest quickly (blame A.D.D!)... any suggestions?

The Martian is wonderful on audio and I even found the science part interesting because of the way it's narrated. Its first sentence is certainly dramatic!

Usually I have to listen to the beginning of an audiobook several times to anchor it in my mind, keep the characters straight, etc etc.
I didn't have to do that with Shantaram. Here is the first sentence....."It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured."

A lot depends on the kinds of books you like... fantasy, thriller, literary fiction, romance, etc.
I'm a huge fan of Ready Player One...and I agree with the rec for The Martian.

Maggie Steivater's books The Scorpio Races and The Raven Boys hooked me from the first sentence. I also love the narrators. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is also a wonderful audiobook.

The Martian and Ready Player One are amazing books as well. RP1 has a slow start with a lot of info dumping but it is well worth it! and it's read by Will Wheaton!

The Percy Jackson series are great on audio, they are funny and have ADD characters in them. The best ones are The Olympians series (5 books) and the follow up series Heroes Of Olympus. The narrators are so great and they make you laugh a lot.

That's a good idea, feel free to try YA or kids' books, as they generally move fast.

My first audiobook experience was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It hooked me right away.

The Harry Potter series as read by Jim Dale was my first audio experience. Absolutely wonderful.

I would also recommend the Jasper Dent trilogy (book 1 I Hunt Killers), I listened to all three of those back-to-back because the story sucked me in so much.

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is a very compelling audio book.

For me I don’t really think it was a single book. It was a gradual rediscovery of reading over a period of time.

I was doing a lot of studying for a series of professional exams, and I found my mom’s favorite author in audio at my tiny hometown library, and picked one up on a whim. Janette Oke was the author and I couldn’t tell you the book. It was on cassette and I could listen on my commute and t gave me a way to read when I didn’t really feel like I had time to read otherwise.

Monster Hunter International & Ready Player One

Thank you everyone for your recommendations! My wishlist is filling up!

Stephen King back in the early 90s. I was listening to taped audiobooks and his were the only unabridged ones at the time. My first one was Needful Things.

For me it was In Sunshine or in Shadow. I loved the variety of narrators and it was a great introduction to audiobooks. That was in 2015 and I've been addicted ever since.

Though when I was a kid we used to get books on records and then on cassette tapes from the library, so I guess the love started a long time ago...

I know it wasn't the first, but the one that sticks in my mind was Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. If you've never heard/read it, please don't compare it with the movie (which was horrible).

I've been hooked on audiobooks ever since.

The audiobook that grabbed my heart and never let go is a little heard of novel Soon I Will Be Invincible. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... It's one of the few audiobooks I have listened to multiple times and enjoyed it every time. As others have mentioned, it's all about taste and preference of genre. This book has just over 12,000 ratings with an average rating of 3.68, so it's not the most raved over book on GR. However, I loved the action, humor, and personal stories in this superhero novel.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was a radio show from the BBC in 1979 or '80, which is when I heard it. I was already a big fan of radio, and this brought it to another level, along with Ken Nordine's 'Word Jazz.' They both were broadcast on Friday nights. Perfect way to unwind from the week, and get in a right frame of mind for the weekend.

I highly recommend the remastered series, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy: Primary Phase, which includes an interview with D.A himself at the end.

My recent love affair with audiobooks was kindled by Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things. I was recovering from brain damage, and it was hilarious to me. Still is.

I loved the “Still house lake” series. The last book was ok but the first 2 I couldn’t wait to get back to. There’s also a 3rd book coming out.

I am listening to The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and cannot stop listening.

Just name a few...

The Illuminae Series...I think it's best on Audio


Daisy Jones & The Six...was soo good!


Sadie


Contagion...second book (immunity) just came out.


Fantasticland...a horror pick


Also, Ready Player One was pretty good, but it might not be for you if you're young...lots of 80's references.

Ender‘s Game or
Ready Player One
if you like SciFi.
RPO is very 80s but so does ‘Stranger Things‘...

@kristi: I already bought (like many other audibles) Ness‘ The Knife of Never Letting Down, but want to listen to it later because the finished movie will probably hit the movies in 2020...
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt2076822/

Enough time to listen to the trilogy before ...

11/22/63 by Stephen King had the best narrator. It's a fabulous book, too!

The Observations did that for me. Usually, author narration isn't a great idea, but she nailed it here!

I've recently discovered Max Porter and listened to his book Lanny which grabbed me instantly. It had lots of snippets of the various voices of the village read in different voices, thinking or speaking short lines and instantly immersed me in the atmosphere and humanity of the place. For that reason I feel like it reads better as an audio book, than a physical book, it was an experience that made me smile. It was the first audio book that I had to go and buy the physical copy after listening to it. I felt the same about his short story/poem Grief is the Thing with Feathers

Halfway to the Grave
Night Huntress Series, Book 1
by Jeaniene Frost

The Omega Strain by Steve P Vincent

I'm a few hours into The Confession by Jessie Burton, narrated by actress Hayley Atwell. I was hooked within a few minutes, because of an overwhelming feeling of being in the hands of a writer and narrator who REALLY know what they are doing. Consumate professionals.

It is just this well-oiled machine that is effortless and satisfying to listen to. Not for a moment have I felt bored or confused or annoyed.

Taylor wrote: "Maggie Steivater's books The Scorpio Races and The Raven Boys hooked me from the first sentence. I also love the narrators. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell..."


I love each of the books you mentioned! They are all sublime, not only as books, but also as audios.

I like to listen to audibles when I am walking my dog. If they are two slow I loose the storyline, so I tend to listen to them at 1.5 to 2X speed.
Some audibles I enjoyed were:

The Dutch House - read by Tom Hanks ( he does an amazing job and should only be allowed to narrate books from now on)

Station Eleven by Emily St John - keep me interested from the get go

The Cuckoo's Calling series by Robert Galbraith
fun detective series with likable characters. Same author as the Harry Potter series

Ready Player One - narration by Wil Wheaton - he does a great job.

Educated by Tara Westover - the storyline is gripping.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Liz wrote: "I like to listen to audibles when I am walking my dog. If they are two slow I loose the storyline, so I tend to listen to them at 1.5 to 2X speed.
Some audibles I enjoyed were:

The Dutch House - ..."

I'm also a big fan of Ready Player One and the Cormeran Strike series by Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling! Both are examples of how great narration adds even more to the experience.

We Are Legion by Dennis E Taylor
sci-fi fantasy space travel. I usually listen to Cozy. But these books really hooked me in.

Taylor wrote: "Maggie Steivater's books The Scorpio Races and The Raven Boys hooked me from the first sentence. I also love the narrators. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell..."

I know you suggested these awhile ago, but I have now listened to both the Scorpio Races and the entire Raven Boys Series....and I loved them!! Thank you so much! I will now have to check out the other suggestion.

Have you listened to Ember in the Ashes? That is my FAVORITE audiobook series (okay, 2nd favorite to Hunger Games with Tatiana Maslany as narrator). You'll recognize the narrators and it is phenomenal. Thanks again!

LEAH⇢ wrote: "Just name a few...

The Illuminae Series...I think it's best on Audio


Daisy Jones & The Six...was soo good!
[b..."

Thank you for all the suggestions, and I'm sorry I'm responding so late! These look great, and I did love "Sadie" so I'm sure the rest are enjoyable.

Also, thank you for saying "if I'm too young I might not get the 80s references"....you don't know me, but I still took it as a great compliment! I grew up in the 80s and 90s so I love pop culture references from those decades! :)

I am currently listening to If Beale Street Could Talk. Not only is the writing sublime, but it is beautifully read by Bahni Turpin.

Reneé wrote: "Taylor wrote: "Maggie Steivater's books The Scorpio Races and The Raven Boys hooked me from the first sentence. I also love the narrators. Fangirl by..."

The Scorpio Races is one of my favorite books and the audiobook is perfect!

Mgoose wrote: "I know it wasn't the first, but the one that sticks in my mind was Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. If you've never heard/read it, please don't compare it with the movie (which was..."

Hah! It was one of my first purchased audiobooks. Around $30 back in the nineties. I still have it.

I am not able to send a link to my books since I am unable to find them. My Dad got me hooked on audiobooks or books-on-tape when I was a little girl and I've been listening to them in whatever format I may. The earliest ones I can remember are all the books by Richard Scarry and the Disney's Wuzzles , specifically, Butterbear's Surprise Guest stands out strongest in my memory. I loved Butterbear. In my early teen years and the first that were not read-a-longs that kept me hooked were any of the Cat Who books by Lilian Jackson Braun

Anything Written by Christina C. Jones...She's an amazing story teller and masterful when it comes to character development...These are very warm and heartfelt stories of life and love

I really enjoyed singer James Taylor's audiobook BREAK SHOT (don't care for the title). His speaking voice is as inviting as his singing voice and he peppers his memoir with bits of his songs and their histories. Some neat behind the scenes stuff involving the Beatles.

I enjoyed Ocean Vuong's memoir ON EARTH WE ARE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS which focuses on his life as a gay asian american guy dealing with sexuality, addiction, literature. The grandmother character is unforgettable. I started by reading the print book but it was by listening to the audiobook that I started to really connect with his story.

Anything by Neil Gaiman. Especially like THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. He has a great voice and delivery. He makes narration look easy and fun.

Wave I listened to it in one long day of gardening and weeping.

I just love that I’m still getting suggestions from this post! I’m constantly updating my wishlist! Thank you everyone!

Dwight wrote: "Anything by Neil Gaiman. Especially like THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. He has a great voice and delivery. He makes narration look easy and fun..."

Yes!

Knife Edge by Simon Mayo is a thriller. Short chapters, limited descriptions so full of story and fast paced 5 stars definitely.

Space Hopper - Helen Fisher - Absolutely adored this book; really well narrated by Sophie Roberts. Highly recommend.

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Reading/Listening to now.

Heavy by Kiese Layman. Finished last week.

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Finished two months ago.

gone girl! I just finished it today!

Morgan wrote: "gone girl! I just finished it today!"

I loved it - regardless of the storyline itself, the narrators did an outstanding job!

I haven't checked to see if Carol Edgarian's book VERA is an audiobook but I absolutely love her book trailer for VERA, which is a fiction book set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. After watching VERA's trailer I decided I have to read it. Take a look at the trailer. I'll bet you'll want to read the book too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2xZt...