Audiobooks discussion

While looking at friends' reviews this morning, I remembered Pepy's Diary, produced by Highbridge Audio and read by Kenneth Branagh. It was one of the best audiobooks I've experienced. It puts me in a good mood just remembering it. My review is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42...

I wanted to come here and tell you all about it but then realized there was no topic for the best audiobooks we've ever heard. So, I'm starting one. Hope that's ok, Grumpus. If not, please move my note elsewhere.

So, what are your favorite audiobooks of all time? I'll be back with more of mine. But, I'm really looking forward to hearing about yours.

I'm sticking with Motherless Brooklyn as read by Frank Mueller as the hands-down best narration I've enncountered! Richard Poe's reading of The Ha-Ha is up there, too. I'll likely post again here when I can come up with a couple more "all time" favorites.

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns narrated by Dick Estell. I listened to it for the first time in the 80's and it was the one that got me hooked on audiobooks. I've listened to it at least three times and bought copies for friends. It's one of the great American novels and on the top of my Favorites list.
The recording I listened to (Books on Tape) is hard to find. There's a CD version by Tom Parker that came out later but I haven't heard that one.

The audiobook that hooked me on the form forever was Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and read by Ruby Dee. I've found since that actors are frequently not good audiobook narrators but Ruby Dee is certainly an exception. She did male and female voices with such a smooth transition that I totally forgot that they were originating in her. This also worked particularly well for me because the book is in dialect and I have a hard time reading it for myself. I just checked Amazon and this audiobook is still available. Think I will see if my library will order it so I can listen to it again.

I agree with you about Pepys' Diary, Barb. I think we listened to the same tape; it went the rounds of Constant Reader on year. One of my favorite all-time audiobooks was Empire Falls by Richard Russo. It was by Recorded Books narrated by Ron McLarty. It may have been the book, it may have been the recording, but I remembered the characters and the details of that book for a long, long time (still do, to some extent). There was also a wonderful interview with Russo afterward that added so much to the whole experience.

Michael at Goodreads already started the best/worst of Listopia
so Barbara what is this? Ok, I get it, this is where we get serious. Not like The Worst Books Of All Time Putting Dan Brown, Salinger and Austen etc on this list just make no sense.

So I dug deep to think of a best of and came up with this for an audiobook.
Peckham's Marbles

It is not my very best book, but it is a book that I have pulled up many times when I needed some light humor/fluff and a good laugh. Like movies there is very few movies/books that you can see/listen to over and over. If you like Peter De Vries humor and writings, this might be a good companion. My take/your choice.

So far, my favorite audio book (available on netlibrary) has been The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillippa Gregory. There were 3 narrators for the three main characters - Lady Rochford, Catherine Howard and Anne of Cleves (wives 4 and 5 of Henry the VIII) - and each one really seemed to fit the character.
Flo

My top fav in The Historian. I "read" the book first and loved it. When I heard the recorded version was like a mini production I gave the abridged a try for free from OverDrive. Listening to it was even better than reading it.

I just finished THE LIFE & TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID written and narrated by Bill Bryson. It went straight to my favorites list. Being a baby-boomer who grew up in the midwest enhanced my enjoyment no doubt, but his dry wit and delivery style are exactly to my taste. I laughed out loud throughout and will listen to it again some day I'm sure.

Oh, I agree, Jenny. Thunderbolt Kid by Bryson is outstanding. Have you listened to his In a Sunburned Country, also read by him? He also did an audiobook production A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail which is, unfortunately, abridged but still excellent.

I loved Life & Times too! I just finished his Shakespeare: Life as a Stage and was a little disappointed to be lacking in the "Bryson-ness" which I love in his other works. My husband & I always pack "Tales from a Small Island" (sorry if I potentially butchered that title- just writing from memory) when we have long road trips. It's one of those that never seems to get old and still makes you laugh out loud. I am 99% sure that it's unabridged. Excellent!

This is a completely biased piece of information as I produced the following title for Rattling Books, the audiobook company that I founded and run.

Montreal Stories by Mavis Gallant narrated by Margot Dionne, the unabridged audio edition was selected by AudioFile Magazine as one of the 12 Best Fiction audiobooks of 2007.

You can hear an audio clip on the Rattling Books site for it.
http://rattlingbooks.com/Product.aspx...

Margot (the narrator) had worked with Mavis Gallant on a play of hers years ago and so knew the author and was also a great fan of her writing. The recording process was peppered with asides informed by this experience. It infused the whole process with a different light.

I do lots of driving and so am a little obsessed with audio books - they keep me sane, it is as simple as that. But the best I've ever heard were Julian Barnes's two novels Talking It Over and Love, Etc. Each has three actors reading the book for each of the 'to camera' talking head pieces that those books are composed of. Naturally, you do need to do them in that order - they are the one story after all. These books are not for the faint hearted - emotional rollercoaster rides that they are - but Barnes is at this witty and sardonic best here. And the three voices - pure magic.

If you can cope with the rigours of rather strong language then virtually anything by Brookmyre, but particularly Country of the Blind are mandatory. Although, if you embarrass easily by laughing in public you need to be told that Brookmyre may cause you extreme emotional pain. So much so that therapy may be required afterwards. Trains are particularly dangerous places to listen to him. Fighting against laughter at his books can only cause internal damage and is not to be risked. You have been warned.

The best Audio book I have listened to is "It's all over but the Shoutin" by Rick Braggs. He takes you right inside his story. Excellent listen.

It's nice when you can experience a novel in more than one medium and feel even better about it. Carole Boyd is quite busy.

I'm going with Saving Fish From Drowning written and read by Amy Tan. She really brought the narrator character alive.

My favorite audiobook series is the Rabbit Ears Treasury Series. The celebrities that narrate the fairy tales and folktales are so effective and they make these stories extremely interesting to listen to. I especially loved Danny Glover's narration on Brer Rabbit and Boss Lion as he makes it both intense and hilarious at the same time.

This is a tough one. I would have to say Middlesex is prob. one of the best read works I've come across.

Jason wrote: " I would have to say Middlesex is prob. one of the best read works I've come across."

Jason, Absolutely! I wish Kristoffer Tabori narrated more books.

John, I see that way-back-when, you selected Motherless Brooklyn as your favorite audio book. I (hesitantly) began listening to it today, and you're right: Frank Mueller remarkably nailed the persona and mannerisms of the Tourette's-afflicted Lionel.

@Stanley's Mom - Oh I do too! (actually just listened to Knife Music) which is narrated by Tabori with his unique and gravely style.

Jason wrote: "This is a tough one. I would have to say Middlesex is prob. one of the best read works I've come across."

Middlesex sounds like a great story Jason! I'll have to check it out!

Stanley's Mom wrote: "John, I see that way-back-when, you selected Motherless Brooklyn as your favorite audio book. I (hesitantly) began listening to it today, and you're right: Frank Mueller remarkably ..."

The runner up would be The Ha-Ha: A Novel, where the listener hears the words inside the head of a mute protagonist (who cannot read or write, but understands others' speech).

John wrote: "The runner up would be The Ha-Ha: A Novel, ..."

I began reading that book a few years ago, can't remember why I didn't finish. Apparently another one where listening IS the key to enjoyment! I'll add it to the TBR list (which grows every time I visit this site!).

I really loved Les Miserables, narrated by Frederick Davidson, The Power of One, narrated by Humphrey Bower, What is the What, narrated by Dion Graham and the Old Testament, produced by Inspired by Media Group and read by a stellar cast.

Carol, thanks for the comment on Les Mis. I've been contemplating that one on my Audible wishlist. It will take me about a month to get through it but I really loved The Count of Monte Cristo and thought audio was a really great way to take in such a long, long work. (And Les Mis is 10 hours longer!)

Joel, I also listened to The Counte of Monte Cristo - I liked Les Mis so much more, I recommend it all the time; one of my very favorite listens!

The UK versions of Harry Potter audiobooks, narrated by Stephen Fry, are amazing, as well.

Blutiful wrote: "The UK versions of Harry Potter audiobooks, narrated by Stephen Fry, are amazing, as well."

I really wish I could hear them to compare, but Jim Dale is so fantastic I guess that will have to do for me :)

I think my favorites are Cloud Atlas, and I'll add another vote for Middlesex. I love the mix of stories in Cloud Atlas and how they connect. Just beware, each story abruptly ends without warning (sometimes mid sentence), and moves to the next, then later returns for a conclusion. I was sure I had a defective download until I discovered this fact online (or did I all and pester a Librarian...can't remember). Oh, and Life of Pi, very well done.

I also loved "Middlesex" but did not care as much for his other book "The Virgin Suicides". If you like the connective stories you might like "Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout.

I just finished an audio book last night that is now my all time favorite, Johannes Cabal the Necromancer narrated by Christopher Cazenove. It's available via Overdrive at my local library. It's one of those books that I would never pick up and read, I dunno even know why I downloaded the audiobook, but I'm so glad that I did. I'm so in love with it that I can't even properly express my gushing love.

Beryl Markham's West with the Night read by Julie Harris is probably my all-time favorite. I find audiobooks read by actors are, in general, my favorites. Recently I finished listening to Roald Dahl's Boy read by Derek Jacobi, another excellent rendition.

I just finished Girl in Translation. What a wonderful audiobook. The narrator was excellent for this book and I'm just sorry that it's over. I did write a review on Audible's website. Here it is

What a wonderful book. The story of Kimberly, a sixth grader and her Ma emigrating from Hong Kong to Brooklyn. Under the sponsorship and guise of her “well-meaning” Aunt Paula, Kimberly and her mother think they are being looked after. Instead they are used as slave/child labour in her sweatshop making pennies a day and living in Aunt Paula’s heatless, roach and rat-infested apartment slated for demolition. Kimberly goes to school all day and works all evening to help pay back their debt to Aunt Paula, to pay rent, to pay for food. But Kimberly has a gift. Besides being brilliant, she has spunk, guts, and the ability to keep things in perspective. She is a wonderful character, full of pride and heart. Kwok effectively used many Chinese idioms throughout the book that were interesting, thought provoking and gave the reader a glimpse into Chinese culture. This coming of age story takes Kimberly from a caterpillar slug and follows her journey till she emerges as a butterfly. She makes many hard choices along the way and there are questions in the reader’s mind whether those choices were right or wrong, but they are made methodically and with justification, at least in Kimberly’s mind. She thinks with her head and not her heart. Is that the one fault that rules her life? That’s up to the reader to decide.
If there is anything negative I have to say about the book, it is that it was too short. Kwok had an opportunity to uncover so many more layers and I would have eaten them up. I certainly hope she comes out with a sequel and soon.
The narrator was superb and added much personality to this book.

I am currently listening to The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness and Obsessionby David Grann. Grann is a staff writer for The New Yorker and many of these pieces first appeared in the magazine. This is an exceptionally fine collection of true crime journalistic work. I am on my third essay and it is just fantastic. Highly recommended!

My favorite listen was The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. I just finishedMen and Dogs: A Novel.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson is my favourite audiobook ever.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is a very close second as is The Given Day by Dennis Lehane.

Sorry I don't know how to make the titles into links....

I had to ask someone "How do you do that?" myself!

Just above the comment box you should see "add book/author" - you input the title there and it should give you choices to click the book you want. It's been requested by phones using mobile phone apps that we use titles, rather than book covers, which don't display well for them.

John wrote: "I had to ask someone "How do you do that?" myself!

Just above the comment box you should see "add book/author" - you input the title there and it should give you choices to click the book you want..."


Thanx!

Some of my favorite multi-cast audios are The Help by, Kathryn Stockett &The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by, Mary Ann Schaffer.
My all time favorite audios are The Outlander Series by, Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter I've listened to these multiple times I just love Davina's voice and characterizations.

Susie wrote: "Some of my favorite multi-cast audios are The Help by, Kathryn Stockett..."

I just finished The Help, and probably would not have been able to finish the book in written form with the phonetically written dialect, but the performers did a beautiful job. I have many favorites, but I think Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry has to be one of the best-narrated books I've ever listened to. Lee Horsley did such a fine job that I was spellbound even through 36 hours of audio. And I don't read Westerns at all.

Frank Muller is wonderful. I loved his audio versions of Pat Conroy's Beach Music (the audio won multiple awards) and Prince of Tides. Conroy is one of my favorite authors- I read the books myself and years later listened to the audios by Muller... and was amazed.

Here is a list of Muller's readings:
http://www.frankmullerhome.com/bookli...

Sadly, a motorcycle accident put an end to his career in 2001 and he passed away in 2008:
http://www.bitchen.com/muller/bio.html
http://www.frankmullerhome.com/

I agree, Aylin. I still remember sitting in my garage listening to Muller read Prince of Tides. I couldn't stand to turn it off yet. For the longest time, I had Muller's voice in my head as Conroy's. When I heard the real Conroy speak, it was a bit of a shock.

I'm starting to really enjoy audiobooks more and more, and agree on some of the ones already mentioned.

However, I will say I am totally hooked on the Bloody Jack series! The narrator (Katherine Kellgren) adds so much to the whole experience; I can't imagine just reading the book now!

Those are really good Donna Katherine Kellgren does a great job at the narration!

Yay Donna! I keep mentioning Bloody Jack on here too! I am on book 4 now.

Aylin wrote: "Frank Muller is wonderful. I loved his audio versions of Pat Conroy's Beach Music (the audio won multiple awards) and Prince of Tides. Conroy is one of my favorite authors- I read the books mysel..."

Thank you for the list of books read by Muller. The list has given me many ideas for my monthly audiobook purchases. Truly great readers are some mystical combination of intelligence, empathy, insight and vocal cords.

Heidi I wrote: "Yay Donna! I keep mentioning Bloody Jack on here too! I am on book 4 now."

We can start our own fan club! ;)

PS You are ahead of me, but I am stalling for the anticipation!

I'd join that fan club anyway Donna! p.s. the next two are just as good as the first. Oh Jacky!

Aylin wrote: "Frank Muller is wonderful. I loved his audio versions of Pat Conroy's Beach Music (the audio won multiple awards) and Prince of Tides. Conroy is one of my favorite authors- I read the books mysel..."

I couldn't agree more. A fabulous book enhanced by the performance of a fabulous reader.