Since the beginning of 2021 I’ve started to really get into audiobooks. I love reading so much but sometimes you just want to give your eyes a rest and audiobooks are the perfect way to relax and unwind while listening to a great story. Or else, they’re a great alternative to music during your commute or exercise.
I’m very picky with audiobooks and find that if the narrators aren’t engaging, I will abandon the book no matter how good the writing or story is (I’d rather just read the ebook then). However these audiobooks below are amazing and I would highly recommend them if you are looking for works to start with:
Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann; Narrated by David Rintoul
Thomas Mann’s debut novel is one of the best books I’ve ever read and the audible narrator is excellent! His pronunciation is great and he really captures the mood of the novel.
Read my review of the novel here.
Anthony Trollope novels (The Barsetshire and Palliser series); Narrated by Timothy West
I find that Victorian novels translate really well on audiobook because they are often long and very wordy, so a British actor narrating the books makes reading them more “fun”.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas; Narrated by Bill Homewood
This is an excellent narration of the classic. It’s unabridged so it’s super long but perfect for long travels.
Dune by Frank Herbert
The particular audiobook I read was a drama-like audiobook, so it had a cast and background music. It really immerses you in the otherworldly Dune universe.
**Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan; Narrated by Aoife McMahon**
A coming-of-age novel set in a foreign land, involving a love triangle? Yes please! Aoife McMahon’s wonderful Irish accent is perfect for our Irish main character.
The Wolf Den Trilogy by Elodie Harper; Narrated by Antonia Beamish
Excellent narration and story. I devoured this historical fiction series.
My preferred audiobook services are Audible and Scribd. Both are monthly subscriptions where audible lets you keep one audiobook per month while scribd lets you listen to a number of the audiobooks in their catalog per month (in reality I find that scribd lets you listen to around 4-5 per month).
Depending on the type of reader you are, I would recommend one of the two.
Team Audible
- Kindle Owners: If you have a kindle, Audible is much better thanks to Whispersync. When you buy a kindle book, the audiobook will be available to purchase for a lower price and whispersync syncs your reading progress in your kindle and audible account, making it perfect for people who like to read a book in different formats.
- Niche taste: A lot of the more “niche” books just aren’t available on Scribd, making audible the better choice when you are looking for less popular books on audio.
Team Scribd
- Non-fiction lovers: If you are a non-fiction lover, I find that Scribd’s library is excellent.
- Commitment phobes: If you like to read various types of books but it takes you a while to stick with a book then Scribd is much better for you as you are able to work your way through more books.
- Additionally, a scribd subscription also gives you access to a wide array of e-books and magazines.
Get a 30-day free trial to scribd using my code: https://www.scribd.com/g/9pukmv ****
Try Audible Premium Plus and Get Up to 2 Free Audiobooks: https://amzn.to/3eRn1W3