Let’s Talk Bookish – The Makings of a Great Audiobook – Throwback April 2022

Let’s Talk Bookish is a Friday post, created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where we discuss a prompt about Bookish topics.

Since this week’s topic is a Freebie about Great Audiobooks. This topics was chosen by MIKAELA @ MIKAELA READS.

Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, what makes a good audiobook?

I listen to a lot of audiobooks. I just did a count using 2022’s completed list and about 75% of all the books I read were audio versions. I have a lot of opportunity to listen to books at work and I take full advantage of it! A good audiobook to me is one that can keep my attention (I am easily distracted).

Is it the narrators or does it depend on the genre?

Usually, it’s a combination of excellent narration with an engaging story that does it for me. Although, I’ve found some books that I could not stand reading brought to life by a great narrator. I’ve also found some narrations that were truly horrid that ruined books for me that I had to wait months to try and read again on paper because the narration changed my inner narrator voice too much.

What are some of your recommendations for amazing audiobooks?

Johanna Parker – Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

James Marsters – The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Jim Dale – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
>> He also did a great Harry Potter narration (which I would argue is better done than Stephen Fry’s version)

John Lee – Fallen Dragon (and other books) by Peter F. Hamilton

Kate Reading & Michael Kramer – Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson
>>This duo also read The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (finished by Brandon Sanderson).

Patrick Rothfuss – The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

Many Narrators – World War Z by Max Brooks
>> This one is filled with talented voice actors including Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner, Mark Hamill, Alfred Molina, Simon Pegg, Henry Rollins, Martin Scorsese, and Max Brooks himself.

Jim Frangione – Black Dagger Brotherhood series (and spin-offs) by JR Ward

Frank Muller – Many Stephen King books, specifically The Dark Tower series

Eva Kaminsky – Gunnie Rose series by Charlaine Harris

Tanis Parteneau – The Sixth World series by Rebecca Roanhorse

Lisa Flanagan – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Peter Kenny – Sword of Destiny (and the other Witcher books) by Andrzej Sapkowski