Wednesday, January 11, 2023

A Few Good Voices

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Audio books have really become the rage in the book world these days, and I am all on board with that. William Kent Krueger, for instance, has a novella coming out in March, THE LEVEE, as an Audible exclusive, and will be here to tell us about it!


Humans have been listening to stories, after all, much longer than we've been reading them, and I think the act of listening satisfies on some basic subconscious level. Some of our readers, however, have expressed reluctance to embrace audio books, and I will confess that it has been a sort of slow blossoming for me, but now I listen as much, if not more, than I read print. If you're just dipping your toes into audio books, you might start with listening to something well-loved, so that you can settle into the rhythm, enjoy the characters, and not feel impatient to get on with the plot. Jim Dale's wonderful narration of the Harry Potter books is a great introduction.



Also, if you're reluctant to add the regular Audible subscription to your monthly expenses, there are other sources that don't require it, including libraries and Chirp, which has great deals daily. 

And then there's the matter of choosing narrators. This is so subjective! A voice that is honey to one person's ears may be vinegar to another's! Good voice acting requires a huge amount of skill. It's not just getting the tone and accents right. For me, one of the biggest factors is whether the narrator can make characters of the other gender sound believable, and some narrators are masters at this. I always listen to the sample before I buy an audio book.

Here are a few narrators that I think are outstanding:

I have to begin with my lovely Gerard Doyle, who reads my books (also as Michael Deehy, so don't be confused) as well as Mick Herron's Slow Horses series and Adrian McKinty's books, among others. Gerard won an Audie (the audio book version of the Oscar) for his reading of my novel IN A DARK HOUSE.

Then there's Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, who reads Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London books. I am in love with this man's voice, it's that simple. I could listen to him all day, and often let him read me to sleep. He's a very talented stage and screen actor--you may have seen him most recently as the angel Balthamos in the His Dark Materials series.

James Langton, who reads Charles Finch's Charles Lennox books, as well as Elly Griffith's Midnight Men series (except for the most recent one) is so good.

I've been listening to more female narrators recently, so here are a few I've really liked. 

You cannot beat Julia Whelan, oh my goodness, she is amazing, and her narration of her own novel, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, was one of the highlights of the year for me.



Elizabeth Jasicki, Evie Dunmore's narrator, is terrific.

Davina Porter reads the Outlander series, brilliant.

Ditto Jennifer Ikeda who reads Deborah Harkness's books.

Victoria Fox is great, too, and I love her narration of Julie Caplin's books.

And at the moment I'm listening to January LaVoy reading Alix E. Harrow's THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY and she is excellent. She reads Nora Roberts' THE HIDEAWAY (among other Nora Roberts books,) which is about an audiobook narrator and I'm going to have to indulge in that even though I've read the book.

And now I'm turning you over to our wonderful back-blogger Judy Singer, who is just as big an audio nut as I am! 

JUDY: I always listen to the sample before I buy the book. Some voices may be music to someone else’s ears, but I am careful to listen first and decide for myself.

Talented Narrators:

Men:

Shane East: British accent, sexiest voice ever, reads lots of romances especially Louise Bay

Gerard Doyle: Versatile British accents, reads Deborah Crombie’s series

Titus Welliver: American actor in Bosch series, reads a few of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch books

Jim Dale: British accent, reads Harry Potter; just a pleasure to listen to him read those books

Scott Brick: American, reads Janet Evanovich-Lee Goldberg Fox and O’Hare

Zachary Webber: American, great voice, reads lots of romances

Andrew Eiden: American, reads Wait for It by Jenn McKinlay. Really good voice!

Jason Clarke: American, great voice

Sebastian York: American, great voice

James Langton: British accent, reads Elly Griffiths’ Brighton Mysteries.

 

Women:

Andi Arndt: American, reads lots of romances, girl next door voice

Angele Masters: Versatile British accents, great with male voices and distinct voices for different characters, reads Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell

Elizabeth Jasicki: reads Evie Dunmore’s series, outstanding voice!

Amanda Ronconi: American accents, New York, New Jersey reads E. J. Copperman’s ghosts series

Barrie Kreinik: American, excels in European and British accents, good male voices; read Rhys’s The Venice Sketchbook.

Allyson Ryan: American, lots of good accents, versatile, reads Jenn’s Library Lovers and her Bluff Point series.

These are just a few of the terrific narrators I have encountered. I am very fussy about an accent if it is one I would recognize, like New York versus Boston. Please don’t mix them up! But generally, I couldn’t tell the difference between the Southern American states’ accents or any of the English accents so that is something you will have to decide for yourselves. If you expect to hear New Orleans and it is Alabama and that bothers you…

DEBS: So many great suggestions, Judy! Readers, do you have any favorite narrators to share? We'd love to expand the listening community!

104 comments:

  1. I haven't listened to a lot of audiobooks, but I've always enjoyed listening to Suzanne Toren . . . .

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  2. I was beginning to like listening to books when driving somewhere of some distance and then Covid happened. I really would like to start listening again, so the list of favorite narrators by you, Debs, and you, Judy, are helpful. I have had an Audible account for quite a few years, and I have a library of books there already, but I will go through it and see who the narrators are for my books chosen already. I know I have three credits to spend right now. One of the ways I thought I'd use Audible is to walk and listen, but I need help in how to do that--what to use to attach my phone to my person so I don't have to carry it and any other advice.

    Oh, and I know I would enjoy the audio experience if I just get into the habit of it. I used to love to listen to CBS Radio Mystery Theater in the early days of my marriage when husband and I would be driving somewhere, like to visit my family, at night. Husband Philip enjoyed it, too.

    I've been a proponent of children listening to stories out loud since my children were little. I loved the teachers who would read out loud to them, and, of course, I read out loud to them, too. I also had lots of story/book tapes for them. Yes, tapes, cassette tapes. I'm that old. Children are 39 and 35. Children's author Kate DiCamillo had a post of FB that I shared today, and I'll include it in a separate paragraph below.

    Kate DiCamillo's post:
    I signed for a package last week.
    The delivery guy said, “DiCamillo?”
    I said, “Yes.”
    “Wait,” he said. “Did you write Because of Winn-Dixie?”
    “I did.”
    “Oh, wow,” he said. “My third grade teacher read that book to us. I’ll never forget it.”
    And then he smiled at me—this radiant, beautiful smile—and I suddenly saw him as an eight-year old kid, sitting in class, listening to a story.
    That man’s third-grade teacher is out there somewhere, and I wanted to let her know this: he remembers. He remembers you reading to him.
    Happy New Year.

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    1. Heartwarming story, Kathy. Reading out loud to kids is most important to me after feeding them.

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    2. Kathy, it sounds like you have a great library of audiobooks already. Dive in and soon you'll know exactly who your favorite narrators are.

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    3. I read that story on social media, Kathy and loved it! I flashed back to my own third grade teacher, Mrs. Girard, reading Charlotte's Web to us.

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    4. Kathy, thanks for sharing the DiCamillo story. I used to read to my nephews' kindergarten classes--I remember one little boy especially, who would practically crawl into my lap, he was listening so hard. I suspected that he didn't experience this at home.

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    5. When the kids were little and we had a 18 hour drive to come ‘home’ (2 day’s worth of “are we there yet”), I would get audiotapes and then cds of mysteries from the library and play them en route. They listened to things like Michael Connolly – not sure that was a good choice, but titles were limited. Then came the Harry Potter series. We had book 2 – unread by anyone. In the car were 2 adults, 1 16 year old, a 15 year old, and a 5 year old. Put the cd in as we left the driveway. It finished as we drove in the driveway here two days later. There was not a peep in the car, and pee-stops were “hurry up so we can get back to the book”. Amazing!

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    6. Pockets and earbuds, Kathy! Although I don't actually listen to books while walking, because I like to pay attention to what's going on around me.

      I loved the DiCamillo story, too. It made me remember my wonderful third grade teacher reading Charlotte's Web to us. I wonder if they still read that in schools?

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    7. I’m a newly retired librarian in California and I can say that here they do still read Charlotte’s Web to third graders. I used to have teachers whose rooms opened onto the library say they enjoyed hearing me read aloud to classes (to toot my own horn, they liked that I did “voices”; I don’t know how else to read them!). I still remember my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Rogers reading “A Wrinkle in Time” to us! Lastly, I love Kate DiCamillo! ~ Pat S.

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    8. I love hearing your memories of being read to in school. There are so many distractions for kids today, but I hope there's always time made for reading out-loud via person or audio tape. Judy, I think you're right, that I just need to dive in and get started.

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  3. I absolutely agree that a narrator can make or break a book. Especially if they decide to get involved in acting and start chewing or crying for us. Ugh!

    For me the hands down best narrator I have encountered in my listening is Jayne Entwistle, who narrates the Flavia de Luce books by Alan Bradley. She is Jane. After the first couple of books, I realized I was listening as much for her narration as I was for the stories themselves. And I couldn't imagine trying to read one of the books in the series because I was so spoiled by her narration.

    I don't have an audible account, but I do have access to three library systems, so I am usually able to get what I need from them.

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    1. Oh, I am checking that out later. Mark. I am excited when I find someone who really fits the part!

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    2. Thanks for that suggestion, Mark! I'm a few books behind in the series so will very much look forward to trying the audio!

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  4. I have to admit I am late to get into audio books. I keep meaning to, and then back off. Maybe when our shipping arrives (with the headphones we packed), I'll give it another try. Other writing friends speak so highly of audio books. More than one has mentioned, as Deborah Crombie did, going to sleep to the sound of being read to.

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    1. Elizabeth, mostly I just listen on my smart phone speaker, although I'll use earbuds for the plane.

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  5. Great topic, and it's fun to see Judy Singer "above the fold" this morning!

    I used to only listen to audiobooks on long car trips, especially solo ones. I would scour the sale shelves at Books-a-Million and the library book sale for audio CDs, and a couple times found some on the road at thrift stores like Goodwill. Now they mostly come from Audible or the library. Steve and I found ourselves driving further than we had planned once, just so we could finish listening to Gone Girl.

    When the pandemic hit and we were confined to quarters, I started listening to audiobooks while gardening, or while cleaning indoors. We have a central vacuum system in the new house, and it's quiet enough to listen to audiobooks while I vacuum. Multitasking, the bookworm way.

    All of Rhys's narrators are excellent: Jasmine Blackborow, Gemma Dawson, and Nicola Barber. I second Amanda Ronconi for E.J. Copperman's books, and James Langston for Elly Griffiths' Brighton series, but also Jane McDowell for her Ruth Galloway series.

    A narrator I now look for is Xe Sands, who narrated Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, by Kathleen Rooney, and Objects of My Affection, by Jill Smolinski. Each narration sounds nothing alike, but are perfect for each story. Sarah Shaber's WWII series featuring Louise Pearlie are beautifully narrated by Jenny Hoops.

    And did you know that The Thursday Murder Club is narrated by Lesley Manville? Some of the JRW know Harley Jane Kozak, and she has narrated many audiobooks in recent years, too.

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    1. Thanks, Karen.

      I know you listen to books as much as I do and now I am going to look for the books and narrators you recommend.

      What do you think about when you think VOICE? It isn't just about singing. Just as you recognize the voices of authors in the way they write or actors' voices, we come to expect something specific in audio series, too.
      I agree with you completely that Rhys has great narrators. There was a lot of controversy when the original narrator of Her Royal Spyness books passed away and many readers were disappointed by her replacement. I think she is terrific but sometimes it's just a tough act to follow, the bar being set so high.

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    2. So true about voice. Our book club once read a book by Toni Morrison, and I absolutely could not find the book at any of my usual places, so I borrowed the audiobook from the library. The author had narrated it herself, and it was AWFUL. Super slow, and not easy to follow. I speeded up the narration, but I still couldn't stand to listen to her voice and I abandoned it.

      Some authors do really well narrating their own work; Michael Pollan comes to mind. But others should let the pros do the job.

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    3. I'm going to have to listen to Manville read The Thursday Murder Club, even though I've read the book! What fun!

      I was so disappointed that James Langston wasn't narrating Elly Griffith's Midnight Hour that I couldn't listen to it. I'm sure the female narrator is good, and I understand why she might have switched, because the female characters have grown more prominent in the series, but I was all geared up for Langton!

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  6. The first audiobook I listened to was EB White reading Charlotte's Web on three or four cassette tapes. We listened to that a lot driving to Quebec and back to visit my sister when my sons were young. His voice, his story. Perfection.

    Otherwise I don't listen to audiobooks unless on long solo car rides, which I haven't done in four or more years. The female narrators of my two cozy series are fine, I think, but perhaps not stellar.

    It's a niche profession and an amazing skill to keep characters and genders apart. I've narrated my two Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine stories for their podcast, and it's hard! Luckily both stories had very few characters in them.

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    1. Many narrators are actors who belong to acting guilds. They have trained for years. I admire your gumption at narrating that podcast, Edith.

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  7. Kings River Life did podcasts of two of my stories, read by the same talented actress, Donna Beavers. Donna ably portrayed kids to seniors when she read the dialogue. Strange and gratifying to hear my written words read outloud.

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  8. This is so interesting and I am a very slow adapter! It sounds like having the right narrator could make a big difference in sales--going in either direction. John listens ALL THE TIME, but I just downloaded Carl Hiaasen's book about golf from the KW Library last week. So fun while walking the dog--he is the narrator. How do you feel about authors reading their own books?

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    1. I listened to Matthew McConaughey reading his autobiography, Greenlights. I love his movies! I did not finish the book.
      Cathy Ace narrates her Cait Morgan series. I am sure that her character sounds exactly like she imagines Cait sounding. She does a credible job with the other voices, too. Do you want to narrate your own books?

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    2. See above, Roberta. Judy, I agree completely about Greenlights. Ugh. And he's an actor. But perhaps has a bit too much ego?

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    3. I think voice acting takes a special skill set. Maybe some actors have it and some don't. Julia Whelan, who is such a terrific narrator, is also a TV and film actor, as is Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. I don't think I've tried any authors reading their own books. I'd have reservations.

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    4. No interest in reading my own! I'll leave that to the professionals...

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    5. I am going to try to find Edith's self read story!!

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  9. Not ready for audio books here, because I need the printed word to follow and remember the story. Loved being read to as a child, but the book was usually there in front of me and the reader. I still like being read to, but don’t ask me any questions later. The voice is just a pleasant experience. Just the way my brain works. Elisabeth

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    1. I am pretty much the same way. I think I am paying attention but then I realize my mind has wandered and I've no idea what I've missed. I thought it would be fun to listen to a book while working on jigsaw puzzles but apparently I do not have the right sort of brain for multitasking.

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    2. I think this is one reason I started out listening to books I was familiar with, but I'm thinking that listening may reactivate parts of our brains--always a good thing!

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    3. I agree, Debs. Many of my first listens were books I had already read. Also, I have reread entire series on audiobooks (like yours and Jenn's Hat Shop Mysteries) and it is very satisfying!

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    4. I'm reading Fatal Fascinator--now I wish I'd thought to buy the Audible!

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    5. I am also reading Fatal Fascinator right now. Ha. Great minds...

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  10. Timely topic for me! I think Kathy Reel has hit the nail on the head for me--when I remember how many radio programs I've enjoyed listening to--duh, audio books should've been a no brainer. I can't listen while I drive, though--can't multitask in that situation. And Mark, thanks for the reminder about using library systems. Our local library has a small collection of audiobooks--mostly limited to the same authors over and over--but we do have access to a greater community of libraries. I'm going to use this post to make note of readers/books. Thanks, Deborah and Judy!

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    1. You are welcome, Flora. I am writing down everyone ele's suggestions, too!!

      I have great success finding books through the library's online connection.

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    2. I wish I could say I'd taken more advantage of our library's offerings, but I do use the heck out of my Audible subscription. There are always having sales, daily deals, and offers to buy less expensive credit bundles.

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    3. Also, if you buy a book on Kindle, there is always a Whispersync option for the audio at a much reduced price. This keeps your place as you switch back and forth between the Kindle and the audio.

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  11. I will have to try more audio books--I worry about being distracted if I'm doing something else while I listen. I had a great experience listening to a book when I was on a road trip about 7 years ago. The book was The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In written form, the book was pulled together by a journalist named Douglas Carlton Abrams and he narrated his part in the Audible version, while voice actors played the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop. It was such a great way to experience this amazing book--whose voice we were hearing was always crystal clear and Abrams was a wonderful scene-setter and explainer. I later bought and read the book, but feel that it really should be listened to.

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    1. I listen a lot in the kitchen while cooking and baking. If I have to read directions, I push STOP and read them. Once I know what I am supposed to do, I resume the story. I think I did miss a step in a cookie recipe once at the beginning of the pandemic (which was when we got our Audible subscription). Now I am a bit more cautious, thus STOP.

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    2. Great tip Judy! I have to say, I wasn't driving while I listened, but I did pause it frequently if we had to navigate or talk about something else.

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    3. I listen when I'm cooking and cleaning up in the kitchen, doing chores around the house, folding laundry, in the bath at night, and usually the last half hour or so before I go to sleep. I use my Amazon dot when listening in the bath because I can stop and start on voice command, but otherwise I usually just listen on my phone. And the sleep timer on Audible is a great function.

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  12. I agree with DEBS and JUDY about the British narrators.
    I enjoyed listening to Gerard Doyle read the Slough House books (#1-3 so far), as well as Robert Bathurst who reads Louise Penny's Gamache books. I know Bathurst has won several audiobook awards for his narration.
    Both Lesley Manville (books 1-2) and Fiona Shaw (book 3) do a great job reading Richard Osman's Thursday Club Murders.

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    1. P.S. Memoirs are the other type of books that I like listening to, usually by the author.
      I mentioned actor William Shatner's memoir in a comment a few days ago. I also liked listening to memoirs by Barack and Michelle Obama, and Canadian actors/musicians Rick Mercer, Alan Doyle, Michael J Fox last year.

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    2. I have Barak Obama's new memoir and I do love listening to his voice.

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    3. We listened to Bill Clinton's autobio while driving south one year. It was like having him right there in the car!

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  13. Thanks, Grace. I'll be looking for your suggested books and narrators later, too.

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  14. One more comment, and then I'll shut up (a lot of anxiety energy here this morning).

    When my middle daughter was 2 1/2 I had to have jaw surgery that necessitated having my jaw wired shut for a month. I could still talk, but long conversations would make the muscles in the jaw spasm, so I avoided it. Naturally, Steve was on lecture tour that entire time, so I bought a half dozen children's books that had cassette tapes of the word-for-word narration for Robin. She would sit on my lap while the tape ran, and I would run my fingers over each word as they were spoken. Later, she would "read" them herself the same way, and I swear that's how she learned to read at age 4.

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    1. What a great story and resourceful mama!

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    2. Karen, you are in this! Keep commenting!!

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    3. You were so resourceful, Karen. That must have been a tough recovery.

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    4. Thanks. It was not fun, especially since I was in my second trimester of pregnancy.

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  15. Audiobooks are my territory, and I love and hate some narrators.
    #1 - When in doubt, the narrator should be in-offensive. If you don’t engage with the narrator as a part of the experience, that is a good thing – it is not their stage experience to deserve applause.
    In that vein, I give you Tom Hanks. Great Actor, but tried to be The Presence in a book, that I should have enjoyed, but couldn’t get past Tom ‘acting’. Some people liked it.
    Now for great readers in my opinion.
    Ralph Cosham reader of Louise’s Penny’s first 9 books - unfortunately no longer with us. He was the voice of Gamache. It took the third follow-up book with Robert Bathurst reading before we took to him – maybe it was his learning of the proper pronunciations of her frequent French words.I recommend you read Bury Your Dead to enjoy Canada and Ralph at his best. Don’t read those read by Adam Sims – he is just not right.
    John Lee. He lulls me into the worlds of Ken Follett. He also reads a few Jeffrey Archer books which always confuses me as I expect some old English cathedrals to be involved. This may some kind of thing that happens in the mind with association from the spoken word to the brain – a whole weird thing associated with audiobooks.
    Orlagh Cassidy. She reads Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs books. Love the books and the narrator.
    There are other authors who consistently have the same reader. Debs, Julia & Joy Ellis are all in that category. I don’t know who the readers are but I like them. To my mind that is a good reader – they don’t distract from the words but are just the medium for the story.
    Other books (Jodi Picoult) often use an ensemble. Actually, I enjoy this when there are many characters, and they become the character well.
    I recommend audiobooks for both fiction and non-fiction. In the right reader it is pure magic. One of the people in our book club gives me grief for always listening to my read. It is a whole different experience as readers often don’t stop for chapter changes, and often don’t read the chapter number or the change in time (1974 is suddenly 1932, and then 1976 – quite confusing). However in listening to Suite Francaise, she accuses me of having an advantage by listening to the book as I could then talk about all the changes as the book evolved through a piece of music. There was no music in the audiobook. It was all achieved through the magic of the author and the excellent reader.

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    1. So interesting, Margo, and thank you for the suggestions. I haven't tried any of Louise Penny's books in audio. Maybe I will start with the later Bathhursts. I haven't listened to too many ensembles, but loved the different readers for Sara Nisha Adams' The Reading List.

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    2. A lot of romances are recorded as duets these days. If you listen to that genre, it's fun to have chapters read from the man's point of view as well as from that of the woman. One of the reasons that Jenn's WAIT FOR IT is so amazing, to me, is the dueling viewpoints.

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    3. I loved Wait For It--now I wish I'd listened to the audio!

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  16. I first developed a taste for audiobooks when my son was small. One day NPR aired a gruesome story and a little voice popped up from the back seat "Did he just say....?" After that children's audiobooks became our in-car standard.

    Later, my work involved frequent drives throughout a 22-county area, and I found I was much less stressed listening to audiobooks than listening to the radio as i drove. I have developed kind of a sixth-sense about the many books that work well in audio format versus the minority that I really need to read physically. (Generally I avoid listening to books that might leave me weeping uncontrollably or that contain too much detail.)

    Interestingly (at least to me) I like about 90% of the narrators. I have had the experience of ditching a book early on because I didn't care for the reader, but it has been rare.

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    1. Susan, I agree. I really like almost all of the narrators. But, I do listen before I buy. Membership in Audible means lots of books are included in the membership. I still sample those before I put them in my library.
      The books I have quit have come from Hoopla, the library online connection. You cannot sample those, so I have ended occasionally up with duds, not necessarily the books, but the voices.

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    2. Susan, I don't usually listen when I'm driving--I've missed too many freeway exits because I got too involved in the story! I also don't tend to listen to thriller/really high tension books.

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    3. Susan, I've also had the opposite experience: I just couldn't get in to COLD MOUNTAIN when everyone in the world was raving about it. Then I tried the audiobook, read very skillfully by the author, who has a wonderful voice and a dreamy Carolinian accent. I was transported, and listened to the whole thing!

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  17. I keep trying audio books because they seem to be all the rage. So far, they haven’t really been an enjoyable option for me. If I try to do other things while listening, I tune out and miss a great deal. If I listen at bedtime, which is when I do most of my reading, I doze off and spend a lot of time back tracking to find where I really left off. If I have the printed words and the audio together, I spend time dinking with the speed of the audio and it always seems to be too slow or sounds like a chipmunk. When trying to get caught up on a series and some of the books from Libby were only available in audio it was a disaster because the character’s voices did not match the voices I previously had in my head.
    I did like Ron and Clint Howard telling their own story as much as I could stay on point. I enjoyed the narrator of Patti Callahan Henry’s Once Upon a Wardrobe, but even then I feel like I missed parts of the story and I now have the hardcover in my tbr pile.
    Different strokes for different folks, I guess. If something is put out in audio format only, I’ll likely be skipping it.

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    1. I don't know about Libby, but Audible has a timer function. I set mine for 30 minutes at bedtime, and usually only have to back track a little. I love being read to sleep!

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  18. I love audio books and listen as much as I read. I find that I can do most household tasks, cleaning, cooking, gardening, knitting and driving while listening but absolutely cannot sew and listen to audio books. My husband listens through most task, also, but cannot listen and drive.

    Some of my favorites: Susan Ericksen narrating Nora Robert's In Death books, Dick Hill, Scott Brick, Jim Dale, Simon Vance and Will Patton are always reliable. Hugh Frasier reading the Hercule Poirot books is a real treat. As Is Christopher Timothy the actor who portrayed James Herriot in the original "All Creatures" TV show reading the James Herriot books.

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    1. I've loved the Christopher Timothy's but have switched over to the new Nick Ralph versions, because James really should have a Scottish accent!

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  19. Great post! Remember one of the guest authors from September, Blair Fell? He was asking about audiobooks and I think he would like to read this post.

    Used to be able to listen to books on tape (unabridged) with special equipment from the cochlear implant company. Unfortunately the "improved" features made it really difficult for me to listen to books on tape. I do not know how audiobooks would work with cochlear implants.

    Listened to unabridged book on tapes from Ellen Byron, Alexander McCall Smith and Jacqueline Winspear.

    And my music relatives put together TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS with each person reading each page and I got to practice listening to their voices.

    Bummer that I cannot do that anymore!

    Diana

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    1. How frustrating, Diana. I wonder if any other readers have had experience with this?

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  20. Wonderful column, Deb--and so timely. This seems to be a giolden age of audio books...

    I come from a long line of appreciators of audio narration. After my grandmother went blind in her later years, her one joy was listening to her "talking bookss," the 78 vinyl records sent free from the Library of Congress. Later, my aunt began to lose her sight and became a fan of audiobooks from Recorded Books; by this time, the medium was cassette tape. I usedto read the wonderfully descriptive copy in the catalogue to her and we'd choose her next selections. Many years later, I transitioned to CDs, mainly from the library, and now use Audible. For sure, "talking books" have been a big part of my life.

    I value the skill that professional readers bring to the challenge of translating the written word to the spoken. I favor English narrators, and am currently listening to one of Deb's earlier books (In a Dark House) read by Michael Deehy).Occasianlly, I like author-readers like Louise Erdrich, and every once in awhile, a famous actor hits a home run with audio narration, eg Tom Hanks in The Dutch House.

    One of my all-time favorite narrators in Simon Vance. He just came out the a website that has lots of good content about "behind the scenes" in audioproductiovn and advice o how to start a career in audio narration.

    So many good stories to explore via audiobooks! A great world of listening awaits!

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    1. Oh, I will look up the Simon Vance website. Do you have a link? I'm really interested in this.

      Michael Deehy is Gerard Doyle. When he first started reading my books he was under some contract restriction that didn't allow him to read other books as Gerard Doyle so he used a pseudonym for a while. I know Gerard does a lot of research on the accents and pronunciations in the book. We had a nice Zoom visit when he was beginning to record A KILLING OF INNOCENTS. I can't wait to listen!

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  21. I can't seem to sit and listen unless I'm on a road trip. I think it's that ADD kicking up!

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    1. I can just sit and listen, but most of the time I'm doing other things as well. You can get in a lot of books this way!

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    2. I received a report from Audible this morning telling me that I listened to books (and those are just the ones I got from them, not the Chirp or the Hoopla books) for 60,455 minutes last year. Uh-huh.

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    3. You are way ahead of me, Judy! Mine was 29,000 minutes!

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    4. Yeah, but you wrote a book! I made chicken and listened. Or brownies. Or whatever. If I had written a book, I assure you, much less time would have been spent on Audible romances. LOL

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  22. I too love Gerard Doyle's reading of Deborah's books and others. The main narrator of Towles' THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, Edoardo Ballerini was fantastic. I can listen to most mysteries on Audiobooks, but can't cope with traumatic stories--no way to predict or speed read through the deep pain.

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    1. I know that Ballerini is one of the premiere narrators, but I haven't listened to him yet. I'll try The Lincoln Highway!

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    2. I had to give up on Kate Quinn's The Alice Network because I knew that really bad things were going to happen to one of the characters in the backstory and I just didn't think I could listen to it. I did like the book, though, and mean to finish it, just not the audio verson.

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  23. I'm also one of the listen-while-I'm-doing people, so audiobooks are a must-have for any car trip. (Around the house when I'm cooking and cleaning or when I walk the dogs I do podcasts.) One of my favorite narrators? Suzanne Toren, who performs my audiobooks. She does such an amazing job that her voices for many of my characters have become the voices I hear when I'm writing.

    And count me as another vote for the amazing Jim Dale - his Harry Potter performances got our whole family peacefully through many a long road trip. (BTW these audiobooks are so widespread you can find them at almost any library - no need to purchase them.)

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    1. Oooh, ooh, I haven't listened to your books, Julia! I'll do some catchup before your new book comes out!

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    2. Gonna' check out your narrator later today, Julia. I probably could read the audio versions before the next one comes out instead of rereading them.

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  24. Adding a big two-thumbs-up for narrator Amy McFadden - she earned an EARPHONES award from Audiophile for narrating my CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. Nailed those southern accents.

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    1. Oh, lovely, Hallie. Southern accents are a real challenge, as they are annoying if overdone. They have to be just right!

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  25. A long time ago I borrowed “books on tape” from the library, and I listened while driving. At the time, I had a job that kept me on the road for much of the day. After I started working at a job that was ten minutes from home, I gave up listening to books. One of my sisters constantly listens to books because arthritis makes it difficult for her to hold print books. She’s read more books than ever this way. I think I’ll try to start again by borrowing from the library.

    DebRo

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  26. Fifteen years ago or so, when I joined my current book club, two of the members were blind. We take turns choosing the next book, and we always checked beforehand to make sure there was an audio version available at our public library. Braille was also an option, but less desirable. Debra grew up without sight and could read Braille fluently, but Joy lost her sight in adulthood and she struggled to read that way. It was also funny how often her book choices were much longer than what the rest of us would choose.

    Now one member, a professor at Xavier University, prefers audiobooks because she rides the bus to work, but it's also more common now for book choices to include that option.

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  27. One last thing from me. I really appreciate it when the author publishes (?) the audiobook at the same time as the book book or e-book. I also would like to know why audible has lots of books not available from the library. Is that a library thing, or the author thing. I hate to ask, but do you not get recompense if I borrow a book from a library?

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    1. Nope, only when the library purchases the book.

      Libraries also pay full price for books, unlike places like Amazon, so authors and publishers make more money, so it somewhat evens out.

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    2. Yes, that's how it works. Thanks for explaining so clearly, Karen.

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    3. MARGO: Canada libraries works a bit differently. The Canada Council for the Arts also sends payments to over 17,000 Canadian authors annually through the Public Lending Right (PLR) Program as compensation for free public access to their books in Canadian public libraries. I remember several Canadian authors mentioning getting their annual PLR cheque.
      https://publiclendingright.ca/about/overview

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    4. That sounds way more fair to the authors, Grace. I seem to recall periodic efforts to do something similar here, but nothing ever came of it, unfortunately.

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    5. The Ottawa library posted one time that it could not carry a lot of audiobooks because they were many times more expensive for the license than a book, and that apparently they had a time lock - after the time, it went poof and was gone. I think I will encourage our book club to buy/donate an audiobook, the next time our money jar gets full.

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  28. I gave my husband two books on CD as early Christmas gifts because we were driving from San Diego to Portland. Thought it’d be a great idea for all of those hours in the car. The first one was John LeCarre narrating his memoir, “The Pigeon Tunnel”. We started it on the second day and had trouble with Mr. LeCarre’s soft spoken voice and accent. Then my husband asked me to stop because it was putting him to sleep at the wheel! So much for my thoughtful gift! (He’ll listen to it on his way to work, but it’s a long book and a short commute so it’s going to take awhile…) ~ Pat S.

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  29. I love audio books and you were right - I am loving Thank You for Listening.

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  30. I remember when it was tapes as Books on Tape, and I loved to listen on a small device when walking and in the car with my long commutes. A great voice actor read the entire Galsworthy multi-volume novels, and brought be to tears. I bought the entire set and, of course, now have no way of listening! Today's little earbuds hurt my ears and I'm usually listening for birds when I walk, but I bought David Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty One Day" most of which I'd heard him read in person, and keep meaning to find a comfortable way and time to listen. No work commutes any more to give me space.

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  31. I really like Gildart Jackson who reads Peter Grainger’s Kings Lake series.

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  32. I really like Gildart Jackson who reads Peter Grainger’s Kings Lake series.

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  33. I adore audiobooks. One of my favorite narrators and series is Barbara Rosenblatt’s interpretation of the Amelia Peabody novels by Elizabeth Peters. Will Patton is amazing with Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Boys’ series. Lorelei King who narrates the Mercy Thompson series is one of my favorite female readers as is Jane Entwhistle. I love Steven Crossley’s reading of C. J. Samson’s Shardlake series as well as Gerard Doyle/Michael Deehy reading Deborah’s Duncan Kincaid series. I’ve enjoyed both readers of Ann Cleeves Shetland series - Gordon Griffin and Kenny Blyth. Kate Reading is good with Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series. The trader can definitely make or break an audiobook for me. I tend to prefer male readers unless the book is written first person female but I do have several female readers that I enjoy as evidenced above.

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  34. Katie Baer

    For Deba, check this out
    simonvance.com

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  35. I commute 25 miles each way to work and listen to books while in the car. I hate it when narrators are changed during a series….for example, the voice of Georgie in Rhy’s Royal Spyness series will always be the first one - they haven’t quite gotten it right, though the last lady was better than her predecessor. Some of my favorite narrators are Joanna Parker, Scott Brick, Alex Wyndham & Kristin Watson Heinz.

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