13 Well Done Audiobooks
Thursday Thirteen #6
I spend a lot of time commuting, although not nearly as much as a used to, thank heavens. I know that lots of folks out there travel longer than they’d like to get from home to work and vice versa. What better way to multi-task and stay awake in the land of boring traffic and no songs that you want to listen to on the radio, than to listen to an audiobook? That way you can find time to read even in the busiest schedule. The only down sides to this idea that I have encountered so far are: 1) encountering really boring productions and 2) finding a book that is so good you don’t want to get out of the car. For the record, don’t try to listen to the Silmarillion on tape. It spends a lot of time jumping back and forth in the storyline, and the reader doesn’t have a very “keep you awake” kind of voice, if you know what I mean. To help you avoid the pitfall of the really boring production, I offer you a list of audiobooks that I think are well done. By the way, if Barbara Rosenblat is reading it, you want to listen to it. Period.
13 Well Done Audiobooks
1. All-American Girl by Meg Cabot (read by Ariadne Meyers)
2. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (read by Anne Hathaway)
3. Sabriel by Garth Nix (read by Tim Curry)
4. O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King (read by Jenny Sterlin)
5. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters (read by Barbara Rosenblat)
6. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (full cast audio production)
7. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (read by Diane Warren)
8. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin (read by Randy Travis)
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (read by Jim Dale)
10. Sharpe’s Rifles by Bernard Cornwell (read by Frederick Davidson?)
11. Justice Hall by Laurie R. King (read by Jenny Sterlin)
12. Sandry’s Book by Tamora Pierce (full cast audio production)
13. Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham (read by Francis Matthews)
Do you have any audiobooks that you love? Please let me know, as I need something new to listen to on my commute.
September 13th, 2007 at 6:39 am
I subscribe to Audible, so I try and listen to an audio book once a month. Mostly, I listen to non-fiction though, as I’m continually having to stop and start listening. I recently downloaded The Secret, but I wouldn’t recommend it as the narrator drove me absolutely crazy! I’ve just posted my first TT post over at http://liveslessordinary.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/thursday-thirteen-my-life-in-scent/
I would love to hear your thoughts on it!
September 13th, 2007 at 7:05 am
Oh I love Audio Books. Walmart has it’s own line (I think they were $5?) if you like the classics.
September 13th, 2007 at 8:00 am
You may want to try personal development audiobooks, such as:
1. The Secret
2. UltraMetabolism
3. How To Win Friends and Influence People (a classic)
4. The 4-Hour Work Week
Simons Opinion
September 13th, 2007 at 8:16 am
Jim Dale reads all the HP books, but his pronunciation is different on some of the same words…drives me NUTS!
And a book read by Tim Curry?? I’m so there!
September 13th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
One of the women in my book club swears that the Stephanie Plum books are a million times better on audio because the reader’s so good.
I wouldn’t know, so I’m trusting her. She’s often right about these sorts of things.
September 13th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
I have the hardest time focusing when I’m listening to audiobooks, which is unfortunate. I’m glad I don’t have to drive across TN like I had to all last year, so I don’t have much need to listen to books on tape now.
September 13th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
I’d like to hear the Sharpe book.
September 13th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
I love audiobooks. I do a lot of driving one day a week and I can usually get through at least half of an unabridged. I tend to listen to mysteries more than anything on audio. I prefer to drink in other kinds of literature.
September 13th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
amypalko - I used to subscribe to Audible, but sadly I had to re-purpose the money. Thanks for the warning about The Secret.
vigilant20 - Thanks! I *do* like the classics. I have a copy of The Secret Garden on tape around here somewhere.
AFPD - Thanks for the suggestions!
September 13th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Janet - apparently Jim Dale was not told how certain words were pronounced until after he’d used them a few times. Once he knew, he began using the correct pronunciation. By the way, Tim Curry also reads a version of Lemony Snicket’s A Bad Beginning.
Susan - Thanks for the suggestion!
erin - good to hear that you have a shorter commute now. Too bad about the audio books.
Nicholas - Trust me. You most certainly would.
KD - Mysteries are my favorite thing on audio. I totally agree.
September 14th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Hmm, it would probably be good for me to listen to mysteries on audiobook, since that would prevent me from peaking at the end, which I’m notorious for doing!
September 21st, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Life of Pi
The Shipping News
Shopgirl
Three of my all-time audio favorites. Better than reading the books!
September 23rd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
[...] Marcia wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptWhat better way to multi-task and stay awake in the land of boring traffic and no songs that you want to listen to on the radio, than to listen to an audiobook? That way you can find time to read even in the busiest schedule. … [...]
September 24th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
erin - I always peek at the end. Mysteries get so exciting, you know?
Jackie - Thanks for the suggestions!