Most of the ‘reading’ I do these days is via audio book. With two small kids and plenty of household chores and driving to do, audio books let me ‘get something done’ without requiring hands & eyes, or full attention… Start with your local library and download the Libby app— most libraries use that— to play them on your phone.
Where to start?
Search your local library for titles and click on any with a digital audiobook download. (Libraries have them on CD too if you’re old school, but digital is so much easier and often instantaneous.)
Recommended books
For fiction, consider the Modern Libraries Top 100 novels list*.
For non-fiction, try their non-fiction list.
*I wouldn’t start with Ulysses, though, unless you know what you’re in for, and it’s probably better to read it physically, with a pile of explanatory notes nearby. Author Henry James left me exasperated, as did Faulkner’s ‘A Light in August’, but otherwise I’ve enjoyed most everything on the list.
Best readers
The vast majority of the professional voice actors recording books are excellent, and some are just superb. You’ll find readers for whom you will listen to anything they’ve read. George Giudall (American) was that person for me when I first started listening to audiobooks in my mid-20s. His Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gilgamesh, and Don Quixote are all fantastic.
David Case (British) is also excellent. Case’s War and Peace and Flashman papers are among my favorites. In general, stay away from authors reading their own stuff, unless you REALLY like the author or the book. Most authors are mediocre readers, and even the authors who do a great job as an amateur sound like a bottom-tier professionals. Like any other acting or theatrical skill, there’s no competition between pros and amateurs in voice acting.
Nadia May’s (British) Anna Karenina is great. She’s a wonderful narrator who has such a thoughtful voice, and did some D.H. Lawrence books that I loved, as well as Howard’s End by E.M. Forester.
Rudyard Kipling’s Kim was read fantastically by Ralph Cosham. His narration and voices for various nationalities and characters were pitch-perfect. Cosham also narrated Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Audio books for kids
There are many audio books out there for kids too. Perfect for a long roadtrip and avoiding screens. The full cast Harry Potter is well-regarded, and Stephen Fry’s rendition of Harry Potter is great (or Jim Dale’s: Seattle library link), as is Fry’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which might be good for teens and young adults.
Archive.org has lots of audio too
You can find free MP3 downloads (or streaming) from archive.org too. I mostly use Archive for ‘old time radio’, but I’ve found renditions of kids’ audio books like this Winnie the Pooh voiced by Norman Shelley. This Arthur Conan Doyle adventure short story– Lost World— about travel to an island with dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures was surprisingly engaging and good for kids or adults.
Librivox, a community of artists and amateurs that read audio books for free, has many recordings on Archive too. I applaud their mission and all of the creators, but many of the narrations aren’t very good compared to the pros. An exception is Clive Catterall‘s narration of Doyle’s medieval historical fiction, Sir Nigel (on Spotify too). (Catterall is also professional.)
Get started listening to books
Make it a goal to log into your local library system and check out or put one audio book on hold, download the Libby app to your phone or computer, find some headphones and start listening.
Happy ‘reading’!
