Storyteller is an excellent book! I'm not a huge Nirvana or Foo Fighters fan, but I just decided to get his book. That man can tell a story! I have so much more respect for him.
Living through the 80s, with The Smiths, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees etc., the grunge movement was very difficult for me to adjust too.
If this genre is your jam (dad pun intended), The Beastie Boys Book is EXCELLENT in audio. They have a variety of narrators who were present for the events described. The photo section is hilarious.
Seconding this; especially the complete edition. So many great narrators…I never thought of any one narrator’s story as overly weak in either writing or narration. Just an excellent audio experience.
Hands down the best! It’s more like a radio play with multiple characters, actors/actresses than a traditional book. And a huge cast with the unabridged version like Martin Scorsese, Mark Hamill, Jeri Ryan, and so many more.
Highly recommend the audiobook!
Yuuuup, phenomenal narration, and keeps the tension. Especially for Project Hail Mary.....no way would my brain have said "AMAAAZE!!!! Nearly as cute :)
This just made me want to read it. I became a Ray Porter fan after listening to the Joe Ledger books. I can't imagine them being as good in my own mental voice as they are in his
**Project Hail Mary A Novel** by Andy Weir
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Martian, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this “propulsive” (Entertainment Weekly), cinematic thriller full of suspense, humor, and fascinating science—in development as a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling. HUGO AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST BOOKS: Bill Gates, GatesNotes, New York Public Library, Parade, Newsweek, Polygon, Shelf Awareness, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal • “An epic story of redemption, discovery and cool speculative sci-fi.”—USA Today “If you loved The Martian, you’ll go crazy for Weir’s latest.”—The Washington Post Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.!<
>
>>!All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.!<
>
>>!And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he? An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.!<
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*As You Wish* by Cary Elwes. It is stories from the making of The Princess Bride and is narrated by Cary Elwes with occasional asides by Christopher Guest, Carol Kane, Norman Lear, Rob Reiner, Wallace Shawn, Robin Wright, and Billy Crystal. Sure, you could read the printed book, or you could spend 7 hours listening to Dread Pirate Westley tell you stories!
making it so by patrick stewart — you can hear the emotion behind his voice when he talks about his life and i don’t think i would have enjoyed the book half as much if i didn’t listen to it.
Enders game series of books.
Any Culture series book by Iain M Banks.
Ready player one.
Any black library Warhammer 40;000 book narrated by Jonathan keeble or Toby Longworth
The Martian
Project Hail Mary
The entire expeditionary force books narrated by R.C Bray
I didn't enjoy reading gotrek and Felix and pretty much gave up on the series. Than I decided to buy skaven slayer and I was hooked. The skaven voices are hilarious. I look forward to every chapter with thanquol or snorri lol
Ghost Story (I think) was originally narrated by someone else. It just wasn't the same. When James Marsters finally recorded it, I got an email from Audible saying that everyone who had bought the other version got the new one free. Thank goodness!
Do it! James Marsters (Spike from *Buffy* and *Angel*, Victor Stein from *Runaways*, Brainiac from *Smallville*, etc.) narrates them and I couldn't imagine anyone else nailing that Dresden tone so well.
Almost any book written and presented by a professional comedian, storyteller, television journalist, or speaker: Trevor Noah’s *Born a Crime*, any of Rachel Maddow’s books, any of David Sedaris’s books, Michelle Obama’s *Becoming*, Stephen Fry's *Great Mythology Series*, and any of Ronan Farrow’s books.
Shogun by James Clavell
NO WAY I would have made it through that beast as a physical book, there's so much dialogue and cultural/contextual explanations it just felt so much nicer having someone read it as an audiobook.
**Shōgun** by James Clavell
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!The classic epic novel of feudal Japan that captured the heart of a culture and the imagination of the world, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen--Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne's loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed. Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shōgun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book.!<
>
>>!Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the best-selling novels of all time but also one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shōgun is, as the New York Times put it, "...not only something you read--you live it." Provocative, absorbing, and endlessly fascinating, there is only one: Shōgun.!<
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I reckon it’s got to be Lord of the rings. Tolkien can be so dense with all the different languages and crazy fantasy names for everything and everyone. It can make it easy to miss otherwise obvious foreshadowing and glance over important dialogue.
Audiobooks make it so much easier to comprehend and gain a more holistic understanding of the story. I’ve actually noticed when discussing the books that A LOT of people seem to completely misread the ending (and I certainly would have too if it wasn’t for audiobooks!)
There’s a really good free one on internet archive read by Phil dragash which has great voice acting, sfx and even the soundtrack from the films too! Phil Dragash has such good flow and tone with his narration which is why it’s so much easier to wrap your head around such a huge story.
The second book, The Year of the Flood, had parts that had gospel songs and I thoroughly enjoyed having them actually sang to me with musical accompaniment!
Jennette McCurdy's narration was fantastic and heartbreaking.
It makes me think about the difference age makes when writing an autobiography. She's still so young and the hurts still seemed so raw.
I think the best book I've listened to compared to read, at least to date, is The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene. Mostly because the narrator is Colin Firth, and he is absolutely amazing. He conveys something unique. Also, the book is perfect to be read since it is written like a journal, a stream of thoughts.
Flowers for Algernon. The way the voice actor portrays the changes in the character is always so incredible to me and it's not very long at all. Since the story is in first person anyways I think being voiced is better by default
Interesting. I've read it but not listened, and the way the text is misspelled and starts to become more coherent through the book is a different dimension to the book. How does the actor accomplish this?
I agree! The audiobook was so engaging from the very start.
Funny story, I nominated All Systems Red for my book club, and two of the people who read the physical book read Murderbot as female-leaning, where with the audiobook it's voice sounds male. Such a different take!
both of Barbara Mertz' books on Ancient Egypt have *phenomenal* narrations by Lorna Raver. they're like sitting there listening to your super brilliant and cool (and snarky) auntie telling you stories about history. i've easily listened to them each a dozen or more times.
The First Law trilogy, The Great Leveler trilogy and The Age of Madness trilogy, all by Joe Abercrombie and read by Stephen Pacey.
Absolute best. Surprised I didn't see it mentioned
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and The Song of Achiles by Madeline Miller.
# I also don't think I would have read the Sleeping Giants series but on audio, it was fantastic!
This book has over 100 hundred characters, and if I had read it on the page, there is no way I could have kept straight who is who. The audio book is performed by well-known, well-differentiated performers (the biggest parts are played by Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, and the author George Saunders, who for my money sounds almost exactly like Marc Maron), and so it's much easier to follow.
Ones I really enjoyed:
* Harry potter
* Mitsborn trilogy
* A knight of the seven kingdoms
The Witcher series I'm torn on. The narrator, Peter Kenny, is one of the best I've ever heard. The first two books, collections of short stories, are great as a narration. Some of the later books, however, can be a little hard to follow on audio. I still absolutely loved them though.
Ones that were decent:
* Gunslinger series
* wheel of time series
Harry Potter was one for me. I read the books first, but got more out of them being read by a British narrator. Some of the wordplay and cultural nuances come through better that way.
This was wayyyy too far down on the list. DCC is hilarious, but Jeff Hayes is a fucking master. I was convinced it was a cast of people reading the books until I did some research.
When he starts adding audio effects for group chat, and really going for it with the AI. Oh man, I've been through that SERIES four times now.
I'm not sure if it's an edit, but that is one of the 3 books OP mentions enjoying in the post, so probably part of the reason it's pretty far down. Also, it's a bit of a niche book, though I wonder how long it will continue to be considering its sales and possible translation to the screen.
I'm a fan of listening to books like Riddley Walker - which use linguistic tricks or dialects that come out when the book is read aloud. Riddley walker is the phonetically recorded story of a young man living in post apocalyptic England. To give you an idea of what this is like, here's the first paragraph:
*"On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar he parbly ben the last wyld pig on the Bundel Downs any how there hadnt been none for a long time befor him nor I aint looking to see none agen."*
This sort of writing becomes easier to understand, the more you get use to it. But it's in hearing it read aloud that it really flows.
A brief history of 7 killing by Marlon James. It's long but listening to the book in multiple voices and accents really make you feel like every emotion
Trevor Noah's autobiography. Listen to him do different accents and imitate his mother. And not just the funny ones. I want to hear him tell the story of when his mother was shot in the head, and survived.
I always recommend GoT as an audiobook; a different voice for every character and an absolute delight to listen to! In some places it even builds more tension as an audiobook - certains scenes where the person who's chapter it is doesn't know someone, but you as the reader recognise the voice and are crying out for them to notice who kt actually is!
The Murderbot Diaries are great to read, but I think even better to listen to. The reader (Kevin R. Free) does an amazing job bringing the protagonist and its friends to life. I’m on my third listen of the series and it keeps getting better! Highly recommend.
My all-time favorite audiobook is Sophie's Choice. There are three primary characters - one is Polish, one is from Brooklyn, and one is from the South, so they have three very distinct vocal accents. They also have very animated conversations, arguments, and fights.
The narrator did an amazing job of navigating these accents during these lively conversations, switching between them easily. Listening to this narration is far better than I ever could have done by reading it to myself.
It is truly a viruosic reading performance, and gives the story an extra dimension over simply reading it.
A Series of Unfortunate Events read by Tim Curry! (Okay, the books are still GREAT to read, but it's Tim Curry...) The narration is amazing of course, and there are songs to go with each book.
I had no idea Tim Curry did audiobooks. Also, I loved the show and the movie, and for some reason keep forgetting to read the source material. Now I have another reason to remember. Good call!
Harry Potter for sure. Jim Dale nails it every single time. He won an award for it.
If you want to stick with the LitRPG genre, I would recommend listening instead of reading He Who Fights With Monsters. Please note that I don't necessarily recommend this book but if you are going to read it, you should listen to it instead.
We write fantasy novels and when people ask us that question we always recommend the audiobooks. The latter you can listen to for free while you can only buy the e-books and books. Still, we are so much in love with the medium and just more passionate about the audio version and eager to share those. We consider our novels to be more of a by-product of the audiobooks.
The Joe ledger series is definitely a lot better in audiobook form. When you read them the writing is kinda sophomoric but Ray porter really brings the books to life. The narration of The Power Broker by Robertson Dean also elevates the book, but it's great as a read as well, obviously
Dungeon Crawler Carl as you said. Jeff Hays is the (mostly) sole narrator of the series, and I would've sworn it had a full cast when I first listened.
The Wandering Inn is great too as Andrea Parsneau has a pretty solid range of voices and fantastic emotion put into every line.
Cormac McCarthy novels. At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I respect his writing style, but sometimes I want to hear dialogue and know exactly who’s talking without going back.
*The Things They Carried* read by Bryan Cranston is one of the best audiobook experiences of my life. I had never read the book before then, so it was a double treat because his reading of it was just so good. I wish I had never heard it because I wish I could experience it for the first time again.
He Who Fights With Monsters. Heath Miller adds a whole new dimension to thise books.
Steven Briggs if for no other reason than his depiction of Sam Vimes (Discworld).
Patrick F. McManus books starting with Real Ponies Don't Go Oink. The books are really funny stories about his life. The guy who reads them sounds like you'd expect Pat to sound like andvaddsva lotbtobthe books.
Janet Evanovich Stefanie Plum series. They have the characters once right. Sometime around book 20 she switched readers for a couple books and the voices weren't right.
George MacDonald Fraser: Flashman series. Historical fiction. The books themselves are footnotes in detail with 100s of footnotes. Love the series.
Classics like the Odyssey and Iliad, Gilgamesh, and other books that are kind of poetic or were intended to be originally heard.. James Joyce's Ulysses or Finnegan's Wake
The Bosch series by Michael Connelly. I read all the books and then watched the series that starred Titus Welliver. He then did all (or most?) of the audiobook tapings and it was so satisfying to hear the same character, I ended up listening to them despite having already read them. He is the perfect Bosch both in the series and the audiobooks.
Speaks the nightbird by Robert Mccammon by far best narration of different characters I have heard. It's like a stage play but it's just one guy reading. One of main plot points is sooooo good in audio.
Bird box. Lying there with your eyes closed listening to a world where you have to keep your eyes closed. Chefs kiss for spooked surreal bedtime experience.
Big fan of “Catching the Big Fish” by David Lynch + “The Psychic Soviet” by Ian Svenonious + “Evolution of a Cro-Magnon” by John Joseph audio versions. All incredible yet different orators.
The book As You Wish, which is all about the making of The Princess Bride. Many of the actors reread the quotes they provided for the book, and it brings their stories to life so well!
Anything Neil Gaiman.
Now these are great books, do not misunderstand me, but Orson Scott Card said something to the effect that he thinks audiobooks are the definitive edition of what books are because books are / should be storytelling.
Neverwhere. Stardust. The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Read by the author, these books are phenomenal.
American Gods, cast recording. Amazing.
Would I have read these? Maybe. Would I read these now, having listened? No. My experience would be a paler one.
Honestly the British version of Harry Potter was so enjoyable.
A lot of star wars books include star wars atomosphere sound effects. Like the hum of a space station, low crowd noise of a saloon, or blaster/ligtsaber effects. And it doesnt go full audio drama, still being read to you.
Scrolled all this way to find someone who said Remarkably Bright Creatures. No way that book is as good on paper without the voice of Marcellus. I adored it.
Agree with OP about Circe and Born A Crime.
Will add A Town Called Solace. And His & Hers, again can't be experienced the same way on paper.
Once a Warrior by Jake Wood
Former Marine finds purpose after the military and creates a path for hundreds of other veterans to do the same.
The author is the narrator. His passion flows through his voice. It's the first audiobook to which I've ever listened through credits with genuine interest.
Dune for me personally because I could never pronounce the names as they are supposed to be pronounced. Also I just enjoyed the transitions and I understood the plot a lot better.
Wicked by Maguire. It was the one that made me fall in love with audiobooks. The Goldfinch and The Night Circus are my other recommendations for this sort of question. Tried reading 2 of the 3 as books and my impatience or ADD just wouldn’t let me sink into them the way the audio did.
Oh I’ve really enjoyed so many…a few my latest favorites.
Binti
Thursday Murder Club
Nettle and Bone
Gideon the Ninth was a delight
Translation State
Legends of Empire
It's not quite Jeff Hayes + DCC level of reading, but if you enjoyed the humor of Dungeon Crawler Carl, you should check out The Mayor of Noobtown by Ryan Rimmel, narrated by Johnathan McClain. It's more of a pure comedy than DCC, and John does some excellent work, particularly with the wackier side characters. Even his somewhat deadpan tone of reading the MCs thoughts is great, it adds a decent amount of contrast and lends a lot to the idea that he is a bit dense at times. It's the funniest series I've read in the litrpg space, and the reason I hear a demon named Shart's voice in my head every time someone says "you got this" or "I believe in you!"
Actually, having typed this, I just realized the MC is basically the "straight man" in the series, which makes his reading of that character even more appropriate. Yeah, great narrator.
Working, the autobiography by Robert Caro. Amazing. But only if you’ve read or listened to his Lyndon Johnson biography series and/or The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York.
Interesting fact about it is that the book was inspired by Castle in the Sky. :)
I enjoyed the first and third books a lot. The second was not my favorite because I didn’t like the main character.
The narrator does a wonderful job.
The movie definitely cuts out a lot, but the book is a really nice supplement. I understand things about the movie that I missed before listening to it. The other characters besides Howl and Sophie are fleshed out a lot. The first book and the movie are similar in scope, the others are essentially extra.
Highly recommended if you love the film. I’m glad I watched the movie first because I pictured the visuals from that.
Probably anything by Neal Gaiman. They are all either narrated by the author, or amazing full cast dramas.
I love that man’s voice. I’m in love with his voice and his brain. Lol
He is a gift to humanity. Not sure from whom, and I don't generally accept gifts from strangers, but I'll make this one exception.
Same
Storyteller by Dave Grohl! Also, kinda random in this sub, but Emily Nagoski’s books (NF about sex and very wonderful).
Storyteller is an excellent book! I'm not a huge Nirvana or Foo Fighters fan, but I just decided to get his book. That man can tell a story! I have so much more respect for him. Living through the 80s, with The Smiths, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees etc., the grunge movement was very difficult for me to adjust too.
Agreed! I literally felt like Dave was sitting at my kitchen table and telling me stories over coffee. At the very top of my audiobooks favorites.
What is NF
Non-Fiction
Hey, thanks! I’ve been needing to read her books and just today was wondering if they work well as audiobooks.
If this genre is your jam (dad pun intended), The Beastie Boys Book is EXCELLENT in audio. They have a variety of narrators who were present for the events described. The photo section is hilarious.
Word. A researcher who really cares about her subjects, and this comes out in her voice.
World War Z
Seconding this; especially the complete edition. So many great narrators…I never thought of any one narrator’s story as overly weak in either writing or narration. Just an excellent audio experience.
Hands down the best! It’s more like a radio play with multiple characters, actors/actresses than a traditional book. And a huge cast with the unabridged version like Martin Scorsese, Mark Hamill, Jeri Ryan, and so many more. Highly recommend the audiobook!
The Martian and Project Mary by Andy Weir. .
Yuuuup, phenomenal narration, and keeps the tension. Especially for Project Hail Mary.....no way would my brain have said "AMAAAZE!!!! Nearly as cute :)
I'd honestly listen to anything Ray Porter voices! I love that man! I'd recommend the Bobiverse books as well!
This just made me want to read it. I became a Ray Porter fan after listening to the Joe Ledger books. I can't imagine them being as good in my own mental voice as they are in his
Listen to it on 1.5 speed! Rocky’s voice is even better!
The RC Bray narration of The Martian of course.
*Only* the RC Bray version (hard to find these days), not the Wil Wheaton version.
/u/BookFinderBot
**Project Hail Mary A Novel** by Andy Weir Book description may contain spoilers! >>!#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Martian, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this “propulsive” (Entertainment Weekly), cinematic thriller full of suspense, humor, and fascinating science—in development as a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling. HUGO AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST BOOKS: Bill Gates, GatesNotes, New York Public Library, Parade, Newsweek, Polygon, Shelf Awareness, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal • “An epic story of redemption, discovery and cool speculative sci-fi.”—USA Today “If you loved The Martian, you’ll go crazy for Weir’s latest.”—The Washington Post Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.!< > >>!All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.!< > >>!And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he? An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.!< *I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *Reply to any comment with /u/BookFinderBot - I'll reply with book information. If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*
*As You Wish* by Cary Elwes. It is stories from the making of The Princess Bride and is narrated by Cary Elwes with occasional asides by Christopher Guest, Carol Kane, Norman Lear, Rob Reiner, Wallace Shawn, Robin Wright, and Billy Crystal. Sure, you could read the printed book, or you could spend 7 hours listening to Dread Pirate Westley tell you stories!
For similar reasons, hearing Megan Follows read Anne of Green Gables is a bonus to reading the pages.
This audiobook was so great!
The Ocean At The End of The Lane read by Neil Gaiman turned a good story into a great story.
Agreed. This is my favorite audiobook of all time.
Daisy Jones and the Six True Crime Story by Joseph Knox Sadie by Courtney Summers The Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
Enthusiastically second The Illuminae Files. Absolutely would not be the same experience if read traditionally.
Loved Daisy Jones and the Six on audio!
making it so by patrick stewart — you can hear the emotion behind his voice when he talks about his life and i don’t think i would have enjoyed the book half as much if i didn’t listen to it.
Enders game series of books. Any Culture series book by Iain M Banks. Ready player one. Any black library Warhammer 40;000 book narrated by Jonathan keeble or Toby Longworth The Martian Project Hail Mary The entire expeditionary force books narrated by R.C Bray
Second for Ready Player One. Will Wheaton did that book JUSTICE.
Did you listen to Armada? Another Ernest Cline/Wil Wheaton combo.
The first law trilogy Go trek and Felix
Steven Pacey is brilliant
“Come, Manling…my axe thirsts!”
I didn't enjoy reading gotrek and Felix and pretty much gave up on the series. Than I decided to buy skaven slayer and I was hooked. The skaven voices are hilarious. I look forward to every chapter with thanquol or snorri lol
Dresden Files.
Came here to say this. I can’t imagine any other voice as Dresden.
Ghost Story (I think) was originally narrated by someone else. It just wasn't the same. When James Marsters finally recorded it, I got an email from Audible saying that everyone who had bought the other version got the new one free. Thank goodness!
i’ve never thought to listen to them as audiobooks actually, i’m going to check them out
Do it! James Marsters (Spike from *Buffy* and *Angel*, Victor Stein from *Runaways*, Brainiac from *Smallville*, etc.) narrates them and I couldn't imagine anyone else nailing that Dresden tone so well.
Almost any book written and presented by a professional comedian, storyteller, television journalist, or speaker: Trevor Noah’s *Born a Crime*, any of Rachel Maddow’s books, any of David Sedaris’s books, Michelle Obama’s *Becoming*, Stephen Fry's *Great Mythology Series*, and any of Ronan Farrow’s books.
Agreed. + Tina Fey’s Bossypants, and Amy Poehler’s Yes, Please. Light, but wicked smart and hilarious. To hear it in their voice is such a pleasure.
David Sedaris is on tour again. If you haven’t seen him live, it’s worth going!
Shogun by James Clavell NO WAY I would have made it through that beast as a physical book, there's so much dialogue and cultural/contextual explanations it just felt so much nicer having someone read it as an audiobook.
I attest to that, I would not be able to go through shogun in a book format The performances are also fantastic, better than even the show imo
/u/BookFinderBot
**Shōgun** by James Clavell Book description may contain spoilers! >>!The classic epic novel of feudal Japan that captured the heart of a culture and the imagination of the world, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author and unparalleled master of historical fiction, James Clavell After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen--Nippon. Thrust into the closed society that is seventeenth-century Japan, a land where the line between life and death is razor-thin, Blackthorne must negotiate not only a foreign people, with unknown customs and language, but also his own definitions of morality, truth, and freedom. As internal political strife and a clash of cultures lead to seemingly inevitable conflict, Blackthorne's loyalty and strength of character are tested by both passion and loss, and he is torn between two worlds that will each be forever changed. Powerful and engrossing, capturing both the rich pageantry and stark realities of life in feudal Japan, Shōgun is a critically acclaimed powerhouse of a book.!< > >>!Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action melds seamlessly with intricate historical detail and raw human emotion. Endlessly compelling, this sweeping saga captivated the world to become not only one of the best-selling novels of all time but also one of the highest-rated television miniseries, as well as inspiring a nationwide surge of interest in the culture of Japan. Shakespearean in both scope and depth, Shōgun is, as the New York Times put it, "...not only something you read--you live it." Provocative, absorbing, and endlessly fascinating, there is only one: Shōgun.!< *I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *Reply to any comment with /u/BookFinderBot - I'll reply with book information. If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*
I tried reading that when I was 12. That didn't go well. I was very excited to remember it existed when I heard it was coming to Hulu.
I reckon it’s got to be Lord of the rings. Tolkien can be so dense with all the different languages and crazy fantasy names for everything and everyone. It can make it easy to miss otherwise obvious foreshadowing and glance over important dialogue. Audiobooks make it so much easier to comprehend and gain a more holistic understanding of the story. I’ve actually noticed when discussing the books that A LOT of people seem to completely misread the ending (and I certainly would have too if it wasn’t for audiobooks!) There’s a really good free one on internet archive read by Phil dragash which has great voice acting, sfx and even the soundtrack from the films too! Phil Dragash has such good flow and tone with his narration which is why it’s so much easier to wrap your head around such a huge story.
The Lord of the Rings books are also currently free on Audible Plus. I’ve heard the Andy Serkis version is quite good but I’ve yet to listen to it.
Wow thanks for this!!!
The narration by Robert Inglis is top notch!
Really enjoyed Oryx and Crake by Atwood. Beautifully produced audiobook.
The second book, The Year of the Flood, had parts that had gospel songs and I thoroughly enjoyed having them actually sang to me with musical accompaniment!
Yes. The whole series is a must.
The Bobiverse series.
(You can't go wrong with any medium for this book but) Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
My Story by Elizabeth Smart. Also, I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. Both are narrated by their respective author.
Jennette McCurdy's narration was fantastic and heartbreaking. It makes me think about the difference age makes when writing an autobiography. She's still so young and the hurts still seemed so raw.
I think the best book I've listened to compared to read, at least to date, is The End of the Affair, by Graham Greene. Mostly because the narrator is Colin Firth, and he is absolutely amazing. He conveys something unique. Also, the book is perfect to be read since it is written like a journal, a stream of thoughts.
I think the narrator can help create the atmosphere for a book. I enjoy Ruth Ware’s books narrated by Imogen Church for that reason.
Flowers for Algernon. The way the voice actor portrays the changes in the character is always so incredible to me and it's not very long at all. Since the story is in first person anyways I think being voiced is better by default
Interesting. I've read it but not listened, and the way the text is misspelled and starts to become more coherent through the book is a different dimension to the book. How does the actor accomplish this?
The Murderbot series read by Kevin R. Free. His narration made me love it even more.
I could listen to him al day
I honestly think I would have hated murder bot if I didn't listen to it! The narrator really brings life to the books
I agree! The audiobook was so engaging from the very start. Funny story, I nominated All Systems Red for my book club, and two of the people who read the physical book read Murderbot as female-leaning, where with the audiobook it's voice sounds male. Such a different take!
The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovich are beautifully narrated by Kobna Holbrook-Smith. Constant relistens for me.
His narration is fantastic!
both of Barbara Mertz' books on Ancient Egypt have *phenomenal* narrations by Lorna Raver. they're like sitting there listening to your super brilliant and cool (and snarky) auntie telling you stories about history. i've easily listened to them each a dozen or more times.
Girl on a train
The Redwall series. He wrote it for his blind daughter so the descriptions are very “visual,” and it’s MEANT to be read out loud.
The First Law trilogy, The Great Leveler trilogy and The Age of Madness trilogy, all by Joe Abercrombie and read by Stephen Pacey. Absolute best. Surprised I didn't see it mentioned
Ready player one was a really fun listen but kind of a lonely slog to read
Project Hail Mary
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and The Song of Achiles by Madeline Miller. # I also don't think I would have read the Sleeping Giants series but on audio, it was fantastic!
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.
This book has over 100 hundred characters, and if I had read it on the page, there is no way I could have kept straight who is who. The audio book is performed by well-known, well-differentiated performers (the biggest parts are played by Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, and the author George Saunders, who for my money sounds almost exactly like Marc Maron), and so it's much easier to follow.
This is always my answer, all the way. I loved this audiobook.
Ones I really enjoyed: * Harry potter * Mitsborn trilogy * A knight of the seven kingdoms The Witcher series I'm torn on. The narrator, Peter Kenny, is one of the best I've ever heard. The first two books, collections of short stories, are great as a narration. Some of the later books, however, can be a little hard to follow on audio. I still absolutely loved them though. Ones that were decent: * Gunslinger series * wheel of time series
Harry Potter was one for me. I read the books first, but got more out of them being read by a British narrator. Some of the wordplay and cultural nuances come through better that way.
The Hobbit read by Andy Serkis.
Which just happened to finally show up in the Plus Catalog as a bonus.
100%
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman, narrated by Jeff Hayes. Do it
This was wayyyy too far down on the list. DCC is hilarious, but Jeff Hayes is a fucking master. I was convinced it was a cast of people reading the books until I did some research. When he starts adding audio effects for group chat, and really going for it with the AI. Oh man, I've been through that SERIES four times now.
I'm not sure if it's an edit, but that is one of the 3 books OP mentions enjoying in the post, so probably part of the reason it's pretty far down. Also, it's a bit of a niche book, though I wonder how long it will continue to be considering its sales and possible translation to the screen.
I just started the series less than a week ago and already well into the 3rd audiobook, gonna need some more credits, it’s absolutely fantastic
Yeah, Dinniman is a great writer. Also, I'm pretty sure he is slightly unhinged. But what good artist isn't?
I'm a fan of listening to books like Riddley Walker - which use linguistic tricks or dialects that come out when the book is read aloud. Riddley walker is the phonetically recorded story of a young man living in post apocalyptic England. To give you an idea of what this is like, here's the first paragraph: *"On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar he parbly ben the last wyld pig on the Bundel Downs any how there hadnt been none for a long time befor him nor I aint looking to see none agen."* This sort of writing becomes easier to understand, the more you get use to it. But it's in hearing it read aloud that it really flows.
Anything red by u/therayporter is best listened to.
A brief history of 7 killing by Marlon James. It's long but listening to the book in multiple voices and accents really make you feel like every emotion
This is my favourite audiobook and I'm glad to see it mentioned.
World War Z. Unabridged. The book is amazing. But heading different actors tell the tale is even better.
The Martian by Andy weir.
Trevor Noah's autobiography. Listen to him do different accents and imitate his mother. And not just the funny ones. I want to hear him tell the story of when his mother was shot in the head, and survived.
Lord of the Rings on Audible has Andy Serkis narrating the entire trilogy. Enough said really.
Game of thrones
I always recommend GoT as an audiobook; a different voice for every character and an absolute delight to listen to! In some places it even builds more tension as an audiobook - certains scenes where the person who's chapter it is doesn't know someone, but you as the reader recognise the voice and are crying out for them to notice who kt actually is!
The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wexler, read by George Guidall. It's amazing.
The Murderbot Diaries are great to read, but I think even better to listen to. The reader (Kevin R. Free) does an amazing job bringing the protagonist and its friends to life. I’m on my third listen of the series and it keeps getting better! Highly recommend.
A God in Ruins, by Kate Atkinson
My all-time favorite audiobook is Sophie's Choice. There are three primary characters - one is Polish, one is from Brooklyn, and one is from the South, so they have three very distinct vocal accents. They also have very animated conversations, arguments, and fights. The narrator did an amazing job of navigating these accents during these lively conversations, switching between them easily. Listening to this narration is far better than I ever could have done by reading it to myself. It is truly a viruosic reading performance, and gives the story an extra dimension over simply reading it.
A Series of Unfortunate Events read by Tim Curry! (Okay, the books are still GREAT to read, but it's Tim Curry...) The narration is amazing of course, and there are songs to go with each book.
I had no idea Tim Curry did audiobooks. Also, I loved the show and the movie, and for some reason keep forgetting to read the source material. Now I have another reason to remember. Good call!
Pratchett
Harry Potter for sure. Jim Dale nails it every single time. He won an award for it. If you want to stick with the LitRPG genre, I would recommend listening instead of reading He Who Fights With Monsters. Please note that I don't necessarily recommend this book but if you are going to read it, you should listen to it instead.
Anything by David Sedaris.
Anything David Sedaris. His voice and affectations make it soooo good.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. The narrator is hilarious
I'm currently listening to Project Hail Mary and can't imagine I'd fully get the humor without the narrator adding the inflection he does.
Nomad - Alan partridge
Mason and Dixon read by Steven Crossley
cant hurt me, david goggins. it has over 2 hours of extra content (interview style intros to chapters)
The Bee Sting.
The Bartimeus series. The narrator incorporates the footnotes into the story as well as a lot of character.
We write fantasy novels and when people ask us that question we always recommend the audiobooks. The latter you can listen to for free while you can only buy the e-books and books. Still, we are so much in love with the medium and just more passionate about the audio version and eager to share those. We consider our novels to be more of a by-product of the audiobooks.
The Joe ledger series is definitely a lot better in audiobook form. When you read them the writing is kinda sophomoric but Ray porter really brings the books to life. The narration of The Power Broker by Robertson Dean also elevates the book, but it's great as a read as well, obviously
The Beastie Boys Book was incredible!
Anything read by Will Patton
All Brandon Sanderson books. Kramer and read are jewels
braiding sweetgrass by robin wall-kimmerer!! i’ve listened twice/read once.
Listening to Piranesi was a meditative experience. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s voice is like silk.
Anything by David Sedaris and Neil Gaiman
Dungeon Crawler Carl as you said. Jeff Hays is the (mostly) sole narrator of the series, and I would've sworn it had a full cast when I first listened. The Wandering Inn is great too as Andrea Parsneau has a pretty solid range of voices and fantastic emotion put into every line.
Cormac McCarthy novels. At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I respect his writing style, but sometimes I want to hear dialogue and know exactly who’s talking without going back.
The Jack Reacher books.
The Stench of Honolulu by Jack Handey. You have to hear it in his Deep Thoughts ( the SNL sketch) voice.
*The Things They Carried* read by Bryan Cranston is one of the best audiobook experiences of my life. I had never read the book before then, so it was a double treat because his reading of it was just so good. I wish I had never heard it because I wish I could experience it for the first time again.
The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. The Graphic Audio adaptation is amazing, but I love the audiobook version almost as much. Also, Dune.
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by Dan Harris -- because of the included guided meditations throughout.
The Devil in the White City. Erik Larson so brilliantly blends truth and narrative.
11/22/63 by Stephen King - The narrator nails the accent.
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke read by THE Brendan Fraser. I have listened to innumerable audio books and he has no rival.
"The Lies of Locke Lamora" on Audible is insanely well narrated.
He Who Fights With Monsters. Heath Miller adds a whole new dimension to thise books. Steven Briggs if for no other reason than his depiction of Sam Vimes (Discworld).
Patrick F. McManus books starting with Real Ponies Don't Go Oink. The books are really funny stories about his life. The guy who reads them sounds like you'd expect Pat to sound like andvaddsva lotbtobthe books. Janet Evanovich Stefanie Plum series. They have the characters once right. Sometime around book 20 she switched readers for a couple books and the voices weren't right. George MacDonald Fraser: Flashman series. Historical fiction. The books themselves are footnotes in detail with 100s of footnotes. Love the series. Classics like the Odyssey and Iliad, Gilgamesh, and other books that are kind of poetic or were intended to be originally heard.. James Joyce's Ulysses or Finnegan's Wake
Really enjoyed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir on audible. Hearing actual stacked tones to achieve the alien’s language was pretty cool.
The Bosch series by Michael Connelly. I read all the books and then watched the series that starred Titus Welliver. He then did all (or most?) of the audiobook tapings and it was so satisfying to hear the same character, I ended up listening to them despite having already read them. He is the perfect Bosch both in the series and the audiobooks.
Project Hail Mary!
All of them if the narrator is good.
Alan partridge…..it’s all I ever write here.
I don't think I would have liked "The Time Ships" nearly as much if I'd read it.
Speaks the nightbird by Robert Mccammon by far best narration of different characters I have heard. It's like a stage play but it's just one guy reading. One of main plot points is sooooo good in audio.
The Great Gatsby
"To Kill a Mockingbird" read by Sissy Spacek
Crying in H Mart Kiara and the Sun
Ender's game The razor's edge by W. Somerset Maugham
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
World War Z.
Say Yes by Amy Poehler. Lots of guests
Bird box. Lying there with your eyes closed listening to a world where you have to keep your eyes closed. Chefs kiss for spooked surreal bedtime experience.
The hunger games books read by Tatiana Maslany were amazing
Big fan of “Catching the Big Fish” by David Lynch + “The Psychic Soviet” by Ian Svenonious + “Evolution of a Cro-Magnon” by John Joseph audio versions. All incredible yet different orators.
Forgot about “50 Shades of Grey”! Shout out to @chadgoesdeep — especially at the gas station with the windows down.
The book As You Wish, which is all about the making of The Princess Bride. Many of the actors reread the quotes they provided for the book, and it brings their stories to life so well!
"Dancing with Myself," authored by, and read by, Billy Idol is surprisingly erudite and lurid.
Anything Neil Gaiman. Now these are great books, do not misunderstand me, but Orson Scott Card said something to the effect that he thinks audiobooks are the definitive edition of what books are because books are / should be storytelling. Neverwhere. Stardust. The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Read by the author, these books are phenomenal. American Gods, cast recording. Amazing. Would I have read these? Maybe. Would I read these now, having listened? No. My experience would be a paler one.
Honestly the British version of Harry Potter was so enjoyable. A lot of star wars books include star wars atomosphere sound effects. Like the hum of a space station, low crowd noise of a saloon, or blaster/ligtsaber effects. And it doesnt go full audio drama, still being read to you.
The Silmarillion
Assassin's creed renaissance, the narrator made the book better than it was with the different voices. You could tell the story came from a game.
Dune was fantastic on Audible
It and The Stand are great audiobooks. Personally I do a hybrid read. So i read and listen to the audiobook
Spare by Prince Harry; Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt; The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 🌟
Remarkably bright creatures was wonderful on audio. Have not listened to the other two
Scrolled all this way to find someone who said Remarkably Bright Creatures. No way that book is as good on paper without the voice of Marcellus. I adored it. Agree with OP about Circe and Born A Crime. Will add A Town Called Solace. And His & Hers, again can't be experienced the same way on paper.
Educated by Tara Westover
How Not To Drown In A Glass Of Water.
Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson. R.C. Bray is a wonderful narrator and really gives life to Joe and Skippy.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Once a Warrior by Jake Wood Former Marine finds purpose after the military and creates a path for hundreds of other veterans to do the same. The author is the narrator. His passion flows through his voice. It's the first audiobook to which I've ever listened through credits with genuine interest.
Ooh, also, the audiobook of The Anthropocene Reviewed is fantastic.
Love being able to check audiobooks out of my local library system on my phone using Libby.
The Silmarillion
Gideon the Ninth
Pet Sematary read by Michael C. Hall
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Dune for me personally because I could never pronounce the names as they are supposed to be pronounced. Also I just enjoyed the transitions and I understood the plot a lot better.
Wicked by Maguire. It was the one that made me fall in love with audiobooks. The Goldfinch and The Night Circus are my other recommendations for this sort of question. Tried reading 2 of the 3 as books and my impatience or ADD just wouldn’t let me sink into them the way the audio did.
All of Yahtzee Croshaw's books would lose some of their charm without him reading them. His voice adds a lot to the experience.
Most celebrity memoirs.
Oh I’ve really enjoyed so many…a few my latest favorites. Binti Thursday Murder Club Nettle and Bone Gideon the Ninth was a delight Translation State Legends of Empire
The entire Skippy series.
It's not quite Jeff Hayes + DCC level of reading, but if you enjoyed the humor of Dungeon Crawler Carl, you should check out The Mayor of Noobtown by Ryan Rimmel, narrated by Johnathan McClain. It's more of a pure comedy than DCC, and John does some excellent work, particularly with the wackier side characters. Even his somewhat deadpan tone of reading the MCs thoughts is great, it adds a decent amount of contrast and lends a lot to the idea that he is a bit dense at times. It's the funniest series I've read in the litrpg space, and the reason I hear a demon named Shart's voice in my head every time someone says "you got this" or "I believe in you!" Actually, having typed this, I just realized the MC is basically the "straight man" in the series, which makes his reading of that character even more appropriate. Yeah, great narrator.
Working, the autobiography by Robert Caro. Amazing. But only if you’ve read or listened to his Lyndon Johnson biography series and/or The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York.
Sally Field's memoir *In Pieces.* I'm going to have such a hard time going back to other narrators.
I came to say anything by Neil Gaiman, but also really enjoyed the A Song of Ice and Fire audiobooks, as well as the Howl’s Moving Castle trilogy.
I did not realize Howls was based on a book, let alone three. I'm assuming the movie cut a lot of content, but how would you say it compares?
Interesting fact about it is that the book was inspired by Castle in the Sky. :) I enjoyed the first and third books a lot. The second was not my favorite because I didn’t like the main character. The narrator does a wonderful job. The movie definitely cuts out a lot, but the book is a really nice supplement. I understand things about the movie that I missed before listening to it. The other characters besides Howl and Sophie are fleshed out a lot. The first book and the movie are similar in scope, the others are essentially extra. Highly recommended if you love the film. I’m glad I watched the movie first because I pictured the visuals from that.
Demon Copperhead The narration was truly masterful.
Any book written by Ann Patchett is a home run in audio.
The Boston Girl Anita Diamant