Young Adult Fiction for Adults discussion

I generally read books in print, but I also like to have one book I can listen to so I am encouraged to do housework at the same time. The problem is that I know a book on audio is only as good as the reader makes it. I've seen some audio books mentioned on other threads, but thought I would put it out there as to which books on audio you would recommend.

I've listened to all the HP books, the Bartemaeus trilogy, a plethora of stand alones, and I'm almost finished with the Book Thief, so any other books that you would specifically recommend on audio would be fabulous.

Becca wrote: "I generally read books in print, but I also like to have one book I can listen to so I am encouraged to do housework at the same time. The problem is that I know a book on audio is only as good as ..."

I've never actually listened to audiobooks but I was told that the audio version of 'Of Mice and Men' is pretty good. It's read by Gary Sinise apparently.

Becca - I thought Water for Elephants was really good in audio. The Stephanie Plum and Anna Pigeon books are good as well, none of which is YA though.

Becca wrote: "I generally read books in print, but I also like to have one book I can listen to so I am encouraged to do housework at the same time. The problem is that I know a book on audio is only as good as ..."

Yes, I cannot stand a bland narrator!! Or when the voice doesn't match the age. That makes it so hard for me to finish.

I don't mind if they aren't YA. I read tons of books from other genre/categories.

Thanks guys! Keep them coming. I'm making a list.

Don't get me started! I love audio books. My all time favorites like Sheila are the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. I also loved The Help, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Meg Cabot's Mediator or Princess Diaries series, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Unwind, Water for Elephants, Shiver, Graceling, Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, Graveyard Book. Ella Enchanted, Bridget Jones, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Angela's Ashes, and all the John Grisham's books. IS that enough. In my defense I warned you NOT to get me started.

Oh, good thread! I'm just started to get into audiobooks because they make my long commute much more interesting. My favorite so far was Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman. I loved the British accent.

On a sidenote, I heard a clip of audiobook for The Host and thought it was terrible. The voice didn't match the character at all.

Ha! See I am not the only one that thinks the Host audio book sucks. I said I disliked the Host narrator that on my audio book group and some lady almost chopped my head off! That narrator sounded 50-60 years old - not in her late teens!
Neil Gaiman is a wonderful narrator and I look forward to listening to all his audio books.
p.s. Everyone here must listen to The Help on audio - it is the best audio book ever.
p.s.s. isn't there already an audio book thread on here??? I could have sworn there was.

There's been bits and pieces of audio book discussions on other threads, but I didn't find one that was just for audio book discussions.

THANK YOU for the recommendations! Yay! I'm almost done with The Book Thief on audio and I wanted some choices as to what to request next. You all are awesome!

I'm hoping I can get enough recommendations to keep my house clean for a month. Or two.

I have ordered The Golden Compass. Even tho I have already read it and seen the movie - I know I missed some stuff.

Heidi wrote: "Ha! See I am not the only one that thinks the Host audio book sucks. I said I disliked the Host narrator that on my audio book group and some lady almost chopped my head off! That narrator sound..."

Ugh. I can't believe someone liked it enough to defend it!

And I just put The Help audiobook on hold in the library. My mother's been pushing this book for awhile, and I've heard really great things, but I just can't find the motivation to read it. Audiobook sounds like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, I'm #48 on the waitlist for 6 copies...

eek! sounds like my wait for Catching Fire. Good thing I bought it. I'm slowly climbing up the list for Incarceron too.

Laura wrote: "Heidi wrote: "Ha! See I am not the only one that thinks the Host audio book sucks. I said I disliked the Host narrator that on my audio book group and some lady almost chopped my head off! That ..."

Ohhh Laura I am so excited for you (even though you are #48) you are going to love love love it. The three actresses they got are excellent. Speaking of excellent - I love the girl that reads the part of Skeeter on The Help, she also read Shiver, and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. She should have read The Host. What a waste!

Laura wrote: "I have ordered The Golden Compass. Even tho I have already read it and seen the movie - I know I missed some stuff."

I plan to listen to this too. I ordered The Giver and it is already ready for me, but after I listen to that I plan to get The Golden Compass. I will let you know how it is on audio - I have never read the book.

Anything narrated by Neil Gaiman or Jim Dale is fantastic.

Kellee wrote: "Anything narrated by Neil Gaiman or Jim Dale is fantastic."

Agreed!

I loved Cassandra Clare's City of Bones trilogy as audiobooks. But she describes things so vividly it might be too much fun, distracting to listen to during homework. I agree with Heidi, Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books are great, the voices for Lula and the grandmother are fantastic. I loved The Time Traveler's Wife as audio, having a man and woman read the respective parts was incredible, made it so real and touching. If you like Anne McCaffrey, the Pern books are available, plus I really liked her Freedom's Landing series on audio. Sue Grafton and Diane Mott Davidson's mystery series are also good.

I've also listened to a few Christopher Moore books, they're so funny. I think comedies are great to listen to because you catch the nuances more, instead of skimming past the jokes. In that light, Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker books, read by the author, are still and always my favorite audiobooks. It's also great to listen to books written by comedians, like Kathy Griffin or Chelsea Handler. I also totally adored Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America, it was so smart as funny, I try to get every I know to listen to it.

I have James Patrerson's Maximum Ride on my iPod to try soon. I also heard that Skulduggery Pleasant is wonderful as an audiobook.

I'm lucky because my library has tons of YA books available as audiobooks, so I've been working on my to-read list. I've added Magyk (Septimus Heap, #1), Mister Monday (The Keys to the Kingdom, #1) by Garth Nix, Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles, #1) by Suzanne Collins, Redwall (Redwall, #1) by Brian Jacques, and Into the Land of the Unicorns (Unicorn Chronicles, #1).

I'd appreciate any suggestions or comments you guys might have as well. As many of you have said, the reader can make all the difference, so please let me know if you've heard any of these and loved or hated them.

Wow Cathy - I thought I loved audiobooks! It is good to know I am not alone. p.s. I also love the Goldy series on audio (Diane Mott Davidson), as well as the Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton on audio. I also forgot to add that I like the Georgia books by Louise Rennison on audio.

I am addicted to audiobooks. Every time I enter a library I also beeline for the YA audiobook selection, then move my way up to the adult. I've got a full list of books to listen to!

Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series is totally awesome on audio. I read the first one and have listened to three of them since. If you like Harry Potter, then you might like Septimus Heap. It is one of my favorite series.

The Chronicles of Narnia on audio was mind blowing. It was a full scale production without the visual. There was a whole cast and music and everything. I totally recommend that!

Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events was a blast to listen to also! Tim Curry is just amazing! And every now and then Lemony Snicket narrates the books also.

I listened to Their Eyes Were Watching God for an English class and am so glad I did. It was very good.
I've listened to Christopher Moore's Fool and I have a feeling if I hadn't, I wouldn't have liked the book. I did not enjoy Lamb when I read it, but I'm sure if I heard the audio I would change my mind.

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series is also entertaining. I love the Irish accent.

I've picked up Michael Scott's series for Nicholas Flamel on audio even though I've actually read them and I also have Cassandra Clare's series ready to be listened too. And I'm getting ready to relisten to Sam Enthoven (?) The Black Tattoo which I remember really enjoying the first time I listened to it.

I have found that Julia Roberts and Rachel Leigh Cook should not be aloud to read audio books. I tried listening to a book each of them read, and it just did not work out for me. They were horrible!

Karissa - thanks for all the audiobook mentions! I have actually not listened to any of them. I may try Septimus Heap because I love HP on audio (and own them all). p.s. I checked my library has the first book Magyk on audio, so I added it to my tbl (be be listened to)pile

Thank you everyone! What awesome recommendations! I've listened/read a few of them, but my listen list is growing.

I love audiobooks because: I have five kids, I homeschool, and I work. Putting in a set of earbuds (with a great book on the other end) while I fix supper is almost as good as a trip to the moon for a little me time.

I didn't read every post, so I hope I'm not repeating anything here...I love Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers books on audio. I like to both read and listen to books I really enjoyed...so I did that with this series. Also,on a side note. My state has a state online library where you can check out audiobook downloads. I don't know what other states may offer the same kind of thing.

Mandi- my library offers two places online where I get download audiobooks, which is most excellent. I will check out the Darkest Powers audio, as I think I saw it on audio at my library. p.s. I already said this on another thread, but I loved on audio.

Not necessarily YA - but no really questionable content (well a little Victorian Era adultery) - I just finished the audio of The Forgotten Garden. It was easier to follow than the book because it jumps back a forth between time periods.

...you can listen to a book and do homework? WOW! I only listen in the car - books make Los Angeles traffic bearable!

I need a recommendation for an audiobook that my whole family would enjoy. (8 yr old girl, 13 yr old boy & my hubby & I). We all love fantasy.
(I just ordered Magyk from the library on audio... has anyone listened to this one yet?)

Laura - I have the audio for Magyk in my tbr pile because it was recommended. It is located in the children's (not YA) section of my library, so I assume it is fine for all ages. I enjoyed Gregor the Overlander on audio, and that is for all ages.

Heidi wrote: "Laura - I have the audio for Magyk in my tbr pile because it was recommended. It is located in the children's (not YA) section of my library, so I assume it is fine for all ages. I enjoyed Grego..."

My son & I actually read the Gregor series... so was trying to get something we hadn;t read yet. :-)

Magyk on audio is awesome! I enjoyed listening to it so much more than reading it. Same with the Leven Thumps series by Orbert Skye. And those are both great family book series. You may also want to try the Bartimaues Trilogy starting with The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathon Stroud. That's a great family friendly fantasy too and the reader is amazing!

One more for family friendly audio, and I mentioned it on another thread just a second ago, but the Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander was awesome.

TY Becca!!

Becca you are not helping my tbl to pile here! I keep adding new ones because of you!

A fun audiobook for the whole family: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (and it is narrated by him which is FABULOUS!)

lol, tbr nothin Heidi. You know you need to have lots to read. Life would be boring without a tbr pile.

Thanks for the rec Kellee, I'll have to look into getting that one for the family trip this summer.

It is very enjoyable :)

A tbr list is just planning for the future.

I recently listened to On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, by Louise Rennison. (It's the second book in the Georgia Nicolson series that started with Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging.)

The narrator did a great job and I think she made the text even funnier. My only complaint would be that I think she sounded older than a 14-yr-old girl, but it was still really good. I've got the third audio book on hold at the library. I'd definitely recommend them for something light and funny.

Kellee - Neil Gaiman rocks a narrator!

Laura wrote: "I recently listened to On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, by Louise Rennison.


I totally agree - I love the narrator and also just completed books one and two on audio. I plan to pick up the third one this weekend. Super cool with knobs on :)

Oh my wow, I totally forgot to suggest the Looking Glass Wars trilogy! It was AMAZING! One of my favorites!
The Looking Glass Wars
Seeing Redd
Arch Enemy

Currently listening to The Giver, and I'm liking it. The narrator is decent, but in my opinion he makes the main character sound whiney. Just finished So Yesterday, the narrator was good, but the book was mediocre.

I'm loving the Ranger's Apprentice audio I've been listening to. I stayed up two hours past bedtime last night listening to it and doing the dishes. My husband thanks whoever it was that recommended it.

Mandi - the Giver narrator was totally a whiner.

Just finished The Looking Glass Wars on audio and it gave the book a whole new dimension! It is really worth listening to vs. reading.

If the Giver narrator is a whiner, you really should just read the book. It was an incredible book. I loved reading it and it only took me about two and half maybe three hours all together. Awesome book!

I think I expected too much of the Giver, and feel that if I would have read it when it was released in the 90's I would have liked it more because I would have been younger and it would have seemed more original to me.

It had a bit of a "Big Brother" feel to it when I first started reading which kind of had me thinking why do people like this book, but there were some things in the book that really stuck a chord with me.

I believe agency is incredibly central to our lives and seeing it basically removed from society was an eye opening experience. The other thing that struck me was the difference between knowing what you are doing and understanding what you are doing. I have never really differentiated between the two, but I will now.

Oh Becca - it had great messages, and was a good book, I am not arguing that at all. I was just not "in love" with it if you know what I mean. p.s. I added Ranger's Apprentice and am hoping my library has it on audio :)

Yep, I know what you mean and I was quite disappointed with the ending since it didn't really wrap up the story and give us an ending, but in a book like that I guess you don't really need one.

I really liked Ranger's Apprentice and I'm on the hold list for the second in the series. I hope it has the same narrator. I didn't check. Just as a head's up though, so far it's been for a little younger of a crowd. Not super deep, just a good story.

Becca wrote: "Magyk on audio is awesome! I enjoyed listening to it so much more than reading it. Same with the Leven Thumps series by Orbert Skye. And those are both great family book series. You may also want t..."

I love the Angie Sage books on audio too (Magyk). Eragon books were great. Gerard Doyal (I think that is how you spell it) is the narrator. I found another book today that he narrates "Gidion Cutpurse" I am so going to listen to it cause he is the reader. Keturah and Lord Death was good to listen to also.

Mindy - I plan to listen to Magyk soon.

Heidi wrote: "Mindy - I plan to listen to Magyk soon."
I have this on my iPod, but haven;t had a chance to listen to it yet.