The Next Best Book Club discussion

I've been listening to The Black Tattoo read by John Lee. This is my first audio read by the gentleman, and I find I am completely soothed by his voice. He does a great job emoting the characters and has wonderful inflection. His reading style pulls me back in time to the days when we sat in a circle in the library listening to our teachers bring characters to life.

This started a train of thought about other audio readers I greatly enjoy. Perhaps my favorite is Jim Dale. He read the entire Harry Potter series as well as The Night Circus. He also has this winning quality of giving life to characters. I listen to audio books when I drive, and Jim is may favorite traveling companion.

For me, John Lee has joined the ranks of Jim Dale for my favorite audio friends. I'm curious to find more books read by each and am tempted to speculate I would enjoy any book read by either, simply because I am so enamored with the quality of their voices.

Now I pose two related questions and an off shoot to you.

Who are your favorite audio readers?
Why?
Do you think the style of the reader impacts your affection for the book itself? (e.g. If you loved the book in audio, do you think you would have the same feelings had you physically read it yourself?)

In the interest of multiple feedback, I am also posting this to the Comfort Reads audiobook discussion board. If you're a member of both groups, feel free to respond to one or both.

Simon Vance - I dont' know what it is about his voice, but I feel like i'm there - he did all the Millenium trilogy books by Steig Larsson - i've even gone out and bought books by him that I normally wouldn't read because he was the narrator

Davina Porter - she was my first audiobook narrator for the Outlander series that I listened to - she doesn't a good scottish accent (at least IMHO) - this was one series of books I had read prior to listening and I think I loved it as much in audio as I did in reading

Jim Dale is wonderful.

I also really like Barbara Rosenblat for the Amelia Emerson series. But then, when I hear her somewhere else, I still picture Amelia, Emerson, et al in my mind.

Ann Flosnik is also quite good. Not shrill but still emphatic.

Oh man, you have to listen to Ron Perlman narrate a book! He is my favorite. I am extremely picky, and have a hard time liking many of the narrators I listen to, but his voice and his reading style is amazing.

Check him out reading CITY OF THIEVES.

As for the second question - yes, the narrators voice can influence me for or against a book. If their voice or their character voices grate on me, or if they have strange upticks at ends of sentences... the book beings to bother me. I always wonder, had I read the book first, would I feel the same way?

Scott Brick is great. I listened to him read the audio version of The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.

Also, Jim Dale, who read (or should I say "performed") the Harry Potter series of audiobooks, was amazing. He was so much fun to listen to.

Dee wrote: "Simon Vance - I dont' know what it is about his voice, but I feel like i'm there - he did all the Millenium trilogy books by Steig Larsson - i've even gone out and bought books by him that I normal..."

Simon Vance and Davina Porter! Wow, those were the two I was going to mention also! Davina Porter also read the "Isabel Dalhousie" series by Alexander McCall Smith. I also thoroughly enjoyed Edward Herrmann's (remember Herman Munster?) reading of Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson. I also love it when one of my favorite author's reads their own work, like Barak Obama, Bill Bryson, and Barbara Kingsolver (Small Wonder).

I think the narrator's voice can make a huge difference in the enjoyment of the book. I'm also able to get through some books on audio that I might not read otherwise.

I forgot Susan Erickson as well, she does mostly genre fiction - most predominently the In Death series by JD Robb...but if you look for her on audible, she has over 100 audiobooks listed - the wide variety of voices that she has is just amazing

So many great recommendations. Thank you! I look forwarding to exploring new audio artists (and authors) in 2012!

Krista wrote: "Perhaps my favorite is Jim Dale. "

I'm so with you on this one! I just LOVE the way Jim Dale reads/performs books!

John Slattery (from Mad Men) reading Duma Key. I don't listen to audio books that often but his voice is very soothing and the story is wonderful.

Excellent, Rachel! I have so many King books to catch up on and Duma Key is one of them. I look forward to trying this audio!