Audiobook suggestio...
 

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Audiobook suggestions

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I am looking for some audiobook recommendations please.

Not all good books become good audiobooks. I couldn’t finish Dune for example because of the nasal voices of the narrator.

Some books are better as audiobook than on the page. Greenlights by Matthew McConauhey for example was pretty funny, but I don’t imagine I could read the book. Trevor Noah Born a Crime is given an extra layer by his own narration.

So what can you recommend?

I did enjoy:
To Kill a Mockingbird
I have enjoyed some Le Carré, but can’t listen to too much.
Some Steinbeck
varoious titles from Margaret Atwood


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 11:13 am
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If you like the Aubrey-Maturin series I can heartily recommend them as read by Rick Jerrom - he thesps the hell out of them, different voices, accents, sea shanties and all! I thought they were enormous fun.

Other than that, Life After Life by Kate Atkinson read by Fenella Woolgar worked really well. Shuggie Bain was also very good, and probably a lot easier listening than reading if you're unused to Scots on the page.


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 11:24 am
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Steven Fry's narration of the Harry Potter books is excellent.


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 11:25 am
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I listened to Robert Macfarlane's Underland over a weekend last winter - it was really good. In a fiction theme, any rebus books are usually well narrated in my experience.


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 11:34 am
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I don't really do audiobooks now, but back when the kids were small, we had Winnie the Pooh done by Alan Bennett which was fantastically good, and a box set of Roald Dahl CD books done by Simon Callow, James Bolam, June Whitfield, Andrew Sachs etc. It still sits in the glovebox and we'll stick one on for a longer trip.


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 12:02 pm
 Gunz
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I loved World War Z.


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 12:40 pm
 bigh
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Sci fi /fantasy heavy I'm afraid but.

With top notch narration...

Joe Abercrombie books,

The lies of Locke Lamora series,

Expeditionary force series ( in fact most books read by R C Bray)

The Expanse,

The Rivers of London series


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 1:10 pm
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I have pretty bad tinnitus and listening to the unabridged Discworld novels has been a god send to my mental health, both for helping me get to sleep with tinnitus and the fact they are brilliant. I'd go straight in with listening to the Stephen Briggs readings, he does the whole collection and I found switching from Nigel Planar to Briggs a bit annoying.


 
Posted : 07/09/2022 2:05 pm
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Life After Life and Underland downloaded, thanks for the suggestions.

Any more?


 
Posted : 08/09/2022 12:37 pm
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I love audiobooks, & haven’t read a book in years, as I much prefer listening to them

Sci fi /fantasy heavy I’m afraid but.

With top notch narration…

Joe Abercrombie books,

Not listened to this one

Expeditionary force series ( in fact most books read by R C Bray)

The Expanse

Not listened to this series either

+1

Along with “World war Z” from Gunz, I’d add Richard Mathers “I am legend” (neither are like the films).

The Pratchett’s disc world series has just been re-recorded with full cast, but as I’d already started re-listening to the Planar/Briggs versions, so I’ve not tried one yet.


 
Posted : 08/09/2022 4:55 pm
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Steven Fry’s narration of the Harry Potter books is excellent.

I couldn’t finish Dune for example because of the nasal voices of the narrator.

The French versions are also excellent, although the original narrator died after book 4, so the last three are by someone else and sadly some of his voices really annoy me - still I'm determined to finish the series now I've go this far...


 
Posted : 08/09/2022 5:03 pm
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All of the discworld novels are on Audio books and are all excellent.


 
Posted : 08/09/2022 5:03 pm
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zen and the art of motor cycle maintenance


 
Posted : 08/09/2022 5:07 pm
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zen and the art of motor cycle maintenance

I can't find this as an Audiobook on Audible

discworld

I have read most of them already

I tried World War Z... It was ok.

Underworld isn't fiction, so whilst it us well written, I am finding it find to get hooked enough to want to listen.

Life after life was just a depressing list of all the ways a girl/lady could die.

I did finish Generation A by Doug Coupland, which was ok, and was The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer.

Anyone got any other suggestions?


 
Posted : 20/12/2022 4:07 pm
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I have enjoyed some Le Carré, but can’t listen to too much.

Then you need to listen to the 'Bernard Sampson' trilogy of trilogies written by Len Deighton and narrated by James Lailey. They have something of Le Carre about them but with added richness of character and, well added richness. Lailey is excellent.


 
Posted : 20/12/2022 4:18 pm
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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir was a really good audiobook. Just listed on a Euro driving tour for work, passed the time superbly.

In the book, for Ryland Grace (the main character), I just pictured Mark Watney as they are really very similar, but it is a good listen.


 
Posted : 20/12/2022 4:18 pm
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^^^anything by Andy Weir on audiobook is very good

Also the Strike series narrated by Robert Genister - top notch narration!


 
Posted : 20/12/2022 4:31 pm
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Life after life was just a depressing list of all the ways a girl/lady could die

Well, I can see what you mean but that's a very bleak take on it. Alternatively it's an uplifting tale of how none of the bad things are inevitable and there's always a chance to do better.

If it's not put you off Kate Atkinson altogether the Jackson Brodie books are a good listen, I love the way her plotting all starts to come together.

I think what you get from something depends on what you bring to it, hope that's not entirely true in your case!


 
Posted : 20/12/2022 4:31 pm

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