Listening Is Reading
When the narrator(s) makes the book even better. For new listeners and audiobook elites, here is a range of different genres and narrators that excel at audio perfection.
created by notbillnye
last updated October, 2025
Comments
Thank you for the list! Bookmarking for future reference! Iâm gonna go through this like it was a quest
That's actually the best news ever!!!
in whisper Can you magick in a quest thatâs audiobook related?
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I think Project Hail Mary, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, and Remarkably Bright Creatures
YES YES thank you!!
I recommend The Whitewash by Siang Lu. It's written like an oral history with a 14 narrator cast. Incredibly well done.
Oh heck yeah! A big cast is rare, but it's typically so well done. Thanks for the suggestion!
LOVE to see audiobooks getting their flowers! I have a lot of favourites but Iâd be a fool not to mention the locked tomb audiobooks (or anything by Moria Quirk - I see blood over bright haven there) make the experience of the book so much better! Whilst I originally read the series with my eyes, whenever I do a re-read itâs always audiobooks these days. The choices that woman makes are unparalleled. I also recently loved the narration of The river has roots, songs and sound effects are worked into the story, itâs SO immersive
Tbh I thought about adding Gideon the Ninth too, I personally was like "there could never be too much of Moira Quirk" but I second guessed myself, so YES ABSOLUTELY ADDED.
Haven't read The River Has Roots, but I will add it as well! I love when the audiobook adds effects that create that atmosphere
Was going to mention Gideon! Moira is an absolutely incredible narrator!
Oh I love Moira Quirk. I want her to give my eulogy.
I can only listen to so much so please share recommendations, specifically highlighting the narrator and the story! đ«¶đ»
This is a great list! How about: a. These Summer Storms (Sarah MacLean) narrated by Julia Whelan
Yes, the queen of narration!! I feel like I could add all of her discography, she's that good đ€Ł
Agreed 100x!!!
I believe Julia also goes by Sophie Eastlake.
This is such a cool list, thank you for making it
Of course! I know some people struggle with getting into audiobooks so I'm hoping this list is a nice start!
The Favourites (written by Layne Fargo) - lots of different narrators, including figure skater Johnny Weir!
oh that's super cool! I'll add it forsure!
Omg thank you!!! Iâve been searching for a list like this for so long. Every Reddit post contains the same 4 or 5 books being recommended over and over again.
Oh yay!! I find the same issue, but with help from other users, I think there are a lot of different options for different interests âșïž
Bookmarking this list!! Thank you for making it. A recommendation: I enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club audiobooks. So wonderfully narrated. Books 1 and 2 are read by Lesley Manville and Books 3 and 4 are read by Fiona Shaw. Their readings are delightful.
Oh awesome! Thanks for recommending, Iâll add them!
This is such a good list! I love audiobooks, so I'm definitely bookmarking this! đ€
Oh yay, thank you!! I mainly read via audiobooks, so Iâm biased đ đ€Ł but I know some readers struggle with audiobooks so I hope this helps provide some good starts
Yeah, it might help some people overcome their bias regarding audiobooks. đ§ I mostly read via audiobooks too đŹ
Yes!! Here to encourage bc I think audiobooks are one of the best ways to read, and high respect for narrators!
Yes. They can make or break an audiobook, for sure!
I adore audiobooks. There are so many talented narrators!
Yes!! They can really make a story even better!
I'd recommend basically anything narrated by: January Lavoy, Bahni Turpin, Kevin R Free, Avi Roque, Vico Ortiz, Julia Whelan, Kirsten Potter, Steven West, Michael Crouch...
Yay! I'm so excited to see this list. I'm still getting into audiobooks. Right now, they've all been mostly non-fiction. I was a bit underwhelmed by a lot of the narrators Dx, it made me so sad how monotone a lot of them were, and I kept comparing them to the narrators I used to listen to when I was younger.
Yay, well hopefully this list will help you find some new ones! While I mostly via audiobook, almost all of the NF I read is audiobook so I feel you on the monotone. I added a few NF that I liked, but if you have suggestions please let me know!
The two I can think of off the top of my head is Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope and "All the Real Indians Died Off" and 20 Other Myths About Native Americans
Oh wonderful, I will totally add them :)
I am an audiobook girlie and I love this list!! Julia Whelan has done some of my favorites. Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour is a fantastic audio.
Oh yay!! Julia Whelan truly is a godsend! I didn't know that was her!! I'll def add it :)
Sheâs fabulous!
Omg thank you so much for this list! Especially since mutliple books here are on my TBR. And i soooo agree with Lights Out, I listened to the audiobook and had the time of my life, it was so much more funny like that. Absolutely loved it!
The audiobook was fantastic!! I think some books are almost written for audiobook format. Hopefully some others on this list are enjoyable! âșïž
I was gonna fight you if you didnât add the tomato book
best believe it was the first one on the list
The Witches of Eileanan by Kate Forsyth has an amazing reader.
So does The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
Great to know! I read The Bear and The Nightingale but I need to listen to it then đ I'll add them, thank you!
Angele Masters does an excellent job with Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series!
Good to know, thanks for the suggestion! Iâll add it!
Thank you for making this list. I would like to propose All Systems Red and in general the whole Murderbot series by Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin R. Free. I found him excellent in narrating Murderbot's point of view and inner monologue. Also I found Daniel Philpott did a great job with narrating The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin and The Dead of Winter by S.J. Parris. Damian Lynch also did an excellent job on the Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne, as did Keval Shah on the hilarious Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis.
Iâll definitely add them! Iâm still getting into sci-fi so Iâm happy to take recommendations for audiobooks there! Thank you!!
Another great sci-fi narration is Tim Gerard Reynolds' for the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. Thank you for being so interested and active :-)
Oh perfect! I havenât yet the series yet, but Iâve heard good things. Awesome to know itâs good for audiobook too! đ
I loooooove audiobooks! Thanks for making this! Margot Has Money Problems was good on audio, read by Elle Fanning and she is going to play the main character in the upcoming adaption so it's like a sneak peek!!
Oooh very cool!! I havenât heard of it, but Elle Fanning is a star! Iâll add it, thanks for the suggestion :)
I love this list and have a recommendation! Carmen Maria Machado narrates her memoir In The Dream House and I thought she did an amazing job and made me appreciate the book so much more
Oh nice! I love when authors narrates their memoirs, it typically makes it that more special. I'll add it!
I'd add The Atlas Six, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and The Night Swim by Megan Goldin!
Ooh I listened to the Atlas Six, totally agree! Thanks for the suggestions, Iâll add the other two!
Youâve sparked a rabid fever here. đ Iâll weigh in on my choice: Robert Petkoff is fabulous in Kresley Coleâs Immortals After Dark series. Twenty-one books written over 20 years.
Ooh wonderful!! Iâll add it! And yeah, I found audiobook nerds donât play around with their fav narrators đ
Yah, Iâve recently started keeping a list of those I donât hear as often. Wish Iâd started sooner.
HIGHLY recommend the audiobook version of What My Bones Know. She includes real audio recordings of her therapy sessions - it was really well done.
Thatâs amazing!! I had no idea, Iâll need to up it on my plan đ Iâll add it, thanks for the suggestion!
Iâm going to recommend one more narrator: Charlie Thurston in Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Not everyone likes him but I think heâs perfect in this book. He doesnât have an Appalachian accent IRL, but seems to have captured it in his narration here.
Oh nice! I've heard the book is amazing, but I haven't heard anything about the audiobook. I'll add it! đ
I once again have to add my two cents, but this is how you lose the time war qualifies for me. if anyone couldn't get into it; it is narrated by two people and i think it makes it sm better.
Oh!! I'll def add itâI haven't read it yet, but I might try it for audiobook then!
THANK YOU for this list! I love a good handheld book but I drive sooo much so I always need a good audiobook rec!
Oh me too! I commute for work, so audiobooks are my go-to for reading! Glad you like the list đ
Am low key saying this should be a quest đ
Also basically any Graphic Audio book!! It really is like a movie in your head, with all the different voices and sound effects. Not recommended when you want to listen before going to sleep though đ
I wish more graphic audiobooks were more readily available! âčïž
Do you have a recommendation of one??
I am biased towards anything Brandson Sanderson đ The Mistborn trilogy was good, Stormlight archive. But supposedly the Red Rising series is really good from them as well. Same! Iâm in the Netherlands so I have a subscription to Storytel. They have a couple in their catalogue but not enough. And while I enjoy them⊠They are too expensive for me to justify buying separately.
Oh! And for regular audio books⊠Currently reading and listening to The Raven Scholar, and the narration adds so much extra! Especially with the confusing POVs going on đ
Oh oh! BS is so hard for some to commit to, so knowing that the Mistborn is a great start, Iâll add that! Also great to know about The Raven Scholar, I thoroughly enjoyed the physical book but I know some have struggled so maybe the audiobook is a nice solution đ
Be careful about Graphic Audioâmany of their books are abridged
Might I suggest Year of the Reaper?
Oooh yes, I saw you left a review! High fantasy can be challenging for some audiobooks, so I'll happily add it!
The narrator was absolutely impressive.
I just looked him up (Jonathan Myles) and he doesn't have many narrated books, so I'm very interested đ I plan to read it eventually (for you and for my wife)
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