My unsolicited opinions present… 5 star Audiobooks
There have been so many books that I might’ve given up on because I was too fatigued to read them but the audiobooks saved me from missing out on a great story, and may have even enhanced what it would’ve been otherwise with just reading it!
My family used to play audiobooks on long road trips which I always loved. I also used to have a suspect attention span so audiobooks were the only way for me to pay attention and finish a book. Going to the library to pick out audio CDs was my favorite! Some naysayers will still say that listening to a book is “cheating” but I wholeheartedly disagree. Instead of your brain reading the words to you, someone else does! And you can put clothes away while you listen!
The voice of the audiobook can also make or break what is a great book but the voice is grating or they do too much by MAKING A MEAL out of what should be simply delivering a story by trying to put on performance. Here are the audiobooks that had me hooked.
The one that started it all…
This is the first audiobook that completely blew me away. I believe we were road tripping to Destin, Florida when my parents played this. It has a full cast and sound effects! I was hooked from the jump. This one will always be special to me!
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, narrated by Jim Dale
Jim Dale has the perfect voice to narrate these. And his distinct character voices and some that stick with you! These will always be a favorite.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, narrated by Julia Whelan
Julia Whelan does a great job at delivering a story by exuding emotion into what’s happening in the story without overdoing it. I also love her narrations of Emily Henry’s books. Her narration of The Great Alone totally hooked me! It got me through digitizing a decade’s worth of files at my last job. Forever in her debt.
Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn, narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Rosalyn’s British charm totally adds to the fun of this series.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, narrated by Miranda Raison
This story is written in first person and Miranda’s voice fits exactly what Elizabeth Zott’s character is.
Make it Sweet by Kristen Callihan, narrated by Ava Erickson and Jacob Morgan
It is rare that a romance audiobook with two voices be as wonderful as this. In a male female love story, the male will try to use a traditionally feminine voice for when the female speaks and vice versa and it makes me cringe. These narrators do not and they also fit the characters of Emma and Lucien well. This made a very long 19 hr road trip go by relatively quickly.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, narrated by Jennifer Kim and Julian Cihi
This is such a unique story! The narrator switch during that chapter was also a really cool surprise.
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater, narrated by Madeleine Leslay
Leslay has a charming British/Scottish accent that is perfect for the whimsy of this lovely and wholesome story.
A Game of Thrones narrated by Roy Dotrice
This narrator reminds me of Jim Dale! He has unique voices for the characters but in a way that brings charm and isn’t distracting. His voice is so distinct that when I rewatched the show, I recognized bus voice as one of the side characters in the show!
House of Earth and Blood, Crescent City book narrated by Elizabeth Evans
Elizabeth Evans narrates the entire Crescent City AND Throne of Glass series. She does such a good job of putting emotion into the narrative and being subtle when narrating the men versus women.
A Court of Thorns and Roses series (dramatized edition) narrated by a full cast
The performances are great and I love the main narrator. The only qualm I have is that Gwyn and Emerie’s voices should have been switched in ACOSF . It really does feel like you’re listening to a movie! This one had less of the things that were a bit cringey in previous graphic audios for the earlier books- the literal growling from the males when they got mad and the noises during bedroom time. It was too much and cringey! But this one eases up on those things and is great.
