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This is a freebie week for the TTT feature, and since I’ve had this post up my sleeve for a few months now, I’m tickled to finally have an excuse to share it. When evaluating an audiobook, it seems like you have to consider more than just the basic writing, character, setting, etc. that you usually do with a book. You also have to consider the voice of the reader and their overall performance. I’ve listened to several books that came alive in a way that words on a page just couldn’t. Conversely, I’ve listened to many that seem to take all of the things I loved about the written version and poo all over it. I find myself on an endless hunt for new audiobook series that have the perfect mix of amazing story and performance, but here are the ones I’ve discovered so far:
Niki’s Top Ten Favorite Audiobook Experiences!
The Harry Potter Series – Jim Dale
The Kingkiller Chronicles – Nick Podehl
The Stormlight Archive – Michael Kramer & Kate Reading
The Gentleman Bastards – Michael Page
The Expanse – Jefferson Mays
The Red Rising Trilogy – Tim Gerard Reynolds
The Dresden Files – James Marsters
The Hunger Games Trilogy – Carolyn McCormick
The Game of Thrones Series – Roy Dotrice
The Riley Jensen Series – Justine Eyer
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- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
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- The Name the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
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- The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
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- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
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- Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
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- Red Rising by Pierce Brown
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- Storm Front by Jim Butcher
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- Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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- A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
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- Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
I think taking a chance on an audiobook is almost more risky than taking a chance on a new book – it certainly costs a lot more (generally) and there’s that extra performance-quality factor to consider. Thank goodness Audible offers guaranteed listens, that’s all I’m saying.
What are some of your favorite audiobook experiences?
The Obsessive Bookseller 
I hate audio books. I get distracted, stop listening, and get lost. That being said, when James Marsters reads me The Dresden Files, I listen.
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Ha ha – yeah I’ve had many a moment where I had to skip back a few lines because my attention span wandered… squirrel! Anyhow, yeah – having an amazing reader like James Marsters really does help with the distractions. And actually, now that you mention it, all the books on my list had that quality which is probably why I liked them so much.
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Hello there! I haven’t tried an audiobook yet. But those novels looks interesting. :)
By the way, you may want to read the Ten Books I am Dying To Read:
http://wp.me/p4ZhSl-dZ. :)
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Hello! If you’re going to try one, I can’t think of a better place to start (especially if you like speculative fiction)! :-)
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Oh! That sounds great! :D
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I’ve actually never listened to a audio book, and I’m not sure I ever will (maybe a short one). I have heard great things about the HP audios though. :) Great list, and thanks for sharing. :)
Here’s my TTT
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I hear that a lot from other readers (that audiobooks just aren’t their thing)… For me, it’s a chance to revisit old series and try new ones without actually committing my reading time to them. It really is about finding the good-quality ones, they make all the difference! :-)
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I love the HP and Harry Dresden audiobooks, the voice actors are so, so good!
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RIGHT?! The readers totally those books come alive in a way that reading him just doesn’t QUITE manage. What fun! I’m glad that you’ve listened to them too. :-)
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I just can’t do audio books – I’m too easily distracted with listening lol. But my husband loves them!! My TTT
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LOL, The first few times I tried one I had that same problem, but now I find myself listening as I cook, as I work out, before I go to bed… practically all the time. All you have to do is get addicted to them ha ha. :-)
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Lol!
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I love audio books when the narration is great, you get to rest your eyes and imagine a movie in front of you.
If you loved Jim Dale’s narration I recommend you listen to him in The Night Circus, it’s a lovely book. Other favorites of mine would be Steven Pacey who narrated The First Law Trilogy and R. C. Bray who narrated The Martian and both are good books.
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