1. "The Hunger Games trilogy read by Tatiana Maslany! These audiobooks are the ones I tell people to listen to when they’re just getting into reading/hesitant about audiobooks. Suzanne Collins’ writing with Maslany’s performance is nothing short of perfection. I listen to them at least once a year."
2. "Andy Serkis played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit films, and also does a masterful narration of the books. I legit have tried to listen to a lot of other audiobook versions for years, and could never get very far. I didn't even think about DNFing his versions."
3. "I listened to Amy Poehler’s Yes Please when I was only a casual fan of her, but by the end I was a full-blown fan! The segment where she explains why she named her book after the phrase 'yes, please' completely changed my perspective on how to approach my work and relationships. I wasn’t too familiar with her career before this, but her stories are fun and relatable, and she has plenty of advice that can apply to anyone. Amy Poehler is a gifted comedian with a comfortable, easy cadence to her reading, and she also invites a number of surprising celebrity cameos to contribute to the audiobook. I always recommend people listen to this one over reading it when they can!"
4. "As You Wish by Cary Elwes. It's about the making of The Princess Bride, and in addition to Elwes' narration, the audiobook includes interviews with Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner, and more."
5. "I'm currently loving Anthony Bourdain's reading of his memoir Kitchen Confidential. Funny, informative, dark."
6. "My absolute favorite is Chiwetel Ejiofor reading Piranesi! Such a nuanced, smooth voice."
7. "The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor was a wonderful thriller in its own right, but Richard Armitage and Gemma Whelan made it all the better! Gemma is a fantastic narrator and I hope to read more by her."
8. "Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. This is the best book I've read in a long time, and his narration of his own book is incredible. It really adds to the effect. This book is hilarious, educational, gripping, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Getting to hear him read it in his own voice is an additional gift."
9. "Michael C. Hall’s Pet Sematary is far and away my favorite audiobook narration ever. He really knocks that out of the park."
10. "Bronson Pinchot was such a tour de force reading Eyes of the Dragon! I ended up hunting down other books he’d narrated just to hear more from him."
11. "Ethan Hawke narrated The Eyes and the Impossible. It was so good I went back and listened to it again when I finished. The funny thing is I didn't know he was an actor until I Iooked him up after listening to the book."
12. "The Things They Carried read by Bryan Cranston. The book is great, but I would listen to Bryan Cranston read the phone book."
13. "I loved listening to Thandiwe Newton reading Jane Eyre even more than I loved reading it myself, and it was already one of my favorite books."
14. Down the Drain by Julia Fox. "It felt like we were having a sleepover and she was telling me her life story. Very intimate and real."
15. "Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen. He reads it himself, and he is such a gifted storyteller it feels less like a book and more like a conversation. I highly recommend it even if you are not a huge fan."
16. "I'm currently reading NOS4A2 by Joe Jill, narrated by Kate Mulgrew. It might be one of the best audiobook performances I've ever heard."
17. "Sense and Sensibility read by Rosamund Pike. I think she narrates a few other Jane Austen novels too. She has a soothing but engaging delivery that aligns well with the characters."
19. "Viola Davis reads Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson. An absolutely wonderful narration! I was so enthralled from beginning to end."
20. "Unruly by David Mitchell. It’s a hilarious but accurate history of British kings and queens. He’s also the author, so he conveys his deadpan humor perfectly. I’ve read a ton of books on this topic, but this one helped much of the history stick better than everything else I’ve read."
21. "Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery read by Rachel McAdams. McAdams perfectly captured Anne's passion, and she captured the personality of the rest of the characters well, too. Fantastic performance."
What audiobook narrators are your faves? Share your recs for the best audiobook performances in the comments or the anonymous form below!
Note: Responses and reviews have been edited for length/clarity.
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