TOP TEN TUESDAY | AUDIOBOOKS

I’m so excited that this topic has come up now, because I just started listening to audiobooks regularly at the end of last year and I’m thrilled to have finally discovered them. I used to have so much trouble focusing – my mind would keep wandering, then I’d miss stuff, and it’s hard to figure out how far to rewind an audiobook. Turns out if I turn up the speed I listen, my mind wanders less. It’s also important to find good narration. I like non-fiction books read by the author a lot of the time, and for novels I really enjoy multiple narrators so that it’s not one person doing a bunch of voices. That rarely works, unless it’s Stephen Fry. So I’m going to start off with some of the audiobooks I’ve listened to and loved, and then share a few I’m excited to get to!

Some of my favourite audiobooks so far:

Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling and narrated by Stephen Fry. Because his voice is amazing when he’s not doing voices, but he also does all the voices.

       

Bedsit Disco Queen and Naked at the Albert Hall written and narrated by Tracey Thorn. I love her voice. I love her writing. I love her.

An American Marriage written by Tayari Jones and narrated by Sean Crisden and Elsa Davis. This book would be brilliant no matter how you consumed it, but the audio really brought it to life for me. It’s set in Atlanta, so having the accents makes it feel like the characters have stepped off the page. It also helps to have male and female narrators because the book is structured into alternating chapters that go between different characters. I have trouble with narrators doing voices that aren’t their gender, it takes me out of it, so having more than one narrator really worked for me here.

Locking Up Our Own written by James Forman Jr. and narrated by Kevin R. Free. This book isn’t hard to read, but it does have a LOT to take in. So it helped to be able to listen and just absorb it all.

   

In Our Mad and Furious City written by Guy Gunaratne and narrated by Ben Bailey Smith and Lou Marie Kerr. Another book where the setting means accents, and the accents really bring it to life. I haven’t finished this one yet, so I can only say that so far it is working a lot better for me in audio than it did in text.

Any Barbara Kingsolver books narrated by the author. I’ve listened to part of a couple, and I love her laid-back drawl, and the sensitivity she infuses her words with. Another voice I find very soothing.

Audiobooks I’ve heard good things about and can’t wait to try:

   

Daisy Jones and the Six written by Taylor Jenkins Reid and narrated by Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer and Pablo Schreiber. This one is a recent release, but I’ve heard a couple of

Milkman written by Anna Burns and narrated by Brid Brennan. Another accent, and I’ve heard that the book can be a very oppressive experience, but that listening to it is much better. I’ve listened to a few chapters and am inclined to agree so far.

       

The Inconvenient Indian written by Thomas King and narrated by the Lorne Cardinal. I really enjoy non-fiction as audio, and this one has been on my TBR for so long. I’ve started a few times, but never made it through to the end. I think listening to it might be a good way to go, plus I’ve heard it has a kind of wry humour that I think will work well read by the author.

Born A Crime written by Trevor Noah and narrated by the author. I particularly enjoy memoirs that are read by the author, because after all, it’s their life. Trevor Noah is a comedian, so he knows how to work an audience which I suspect will help with narration as well. I have heard it’s funny but also an important and unique story.

The Reason You Walk written by Wab Kinew and narrated by the author. I love Wab Kinew, but I have yet to finish his book. I really want to carve out a time when I’m in the right headspace to properly get into it, and when I do, I think audio will be the best way to do it.

I’m very grateful for having discovered the wonders of audiobooks. I find that, with a young child around, it’s one way I can actually get through more books, because I can listen to them while I’m cooking or walking somewhere – times I wouldn’t otherwise be able to consume the same words as text on a page or e-reader. It takes some work to learn how to listen to them without letting your mind drift so you don’t miss anything, but I have found it very much worth the effort.

What about you guys? Do you listen to audiobooks? Or podcasts about books? Do you have any favourites? Share in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.