Audiobooks

[ALenore]

What type of audiobooks do you like to listen to?   I started listening to audiobooks about a year ago, which I listen to while I walk to work and while I'm doing things like cooking or cleaning house.   A lot of the books I listen to are the more light,  humorous ones, since you don't have to pay quite as much attention, and if you miss a few lines you don't get lost.   

 

I've been listening to all the Serge Storms series by Tim Dorsey.  Serge is an insane serial killer who lives in Florida.  (this might not sound funny, but it is).   Like Dexter, he only kills criminals (the series of books actually started before either the Dexter TV series or the Dexter books).   He kills the criminals in creative ways, and you always feel like they deserved it. 

 

I also listend to the trilogy of vampire books by Christopher Moore Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck and Bite Me. They're a lot of fun, about young people in San Francisco who get turned to vampires. 

 

Right now I'm listening to Jonathan Strange and  Mr. Norrell.   It's quite good, it does have humor in a lot of snide remarks that are made.  It is a little harder to follow since there are so many characters, and I find myself rewinding to catch stuff I've missed, or going back and checking the print version I have on my Kindle. 

[Kalliste]

Hmm, I might have to try the vampire trilogy.

 

I'm not very good at audio books, I always feel like I have to be doing something while listening so I don't pay enough attention and never know what is going on.

[ALenore]

The first audiobook I listened to was You Suck by Christopher Moore.  It was the first audiobook that caught my eye at my local library when I decided to try out audiobooks.  It was a good choice.  I too am always doing something (even if just walking) while listening to an audiobook.  You Suck is funny and  there's a lot of action, which makes you want to keep listening.  

[Athena]

Neil Gaiman reads his own books quite well especially the children/YA books.

 

I really like Davina Porter's work on Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.

 

John Tefler's Complete Sherlock Holmes is very good too.

 

I listened to a lot of David Tennant reading to How to train a dragon series which is fun.

[Sonja]

I listen to Shakespeare plays and other classics when I run (the Donmar's production of Othello is one of my favourites). I know those well enough to not get distracted when crossing roads, but I have gotten weird looks when I started to laugh during funny scenes. Apparently one is supposed to be serious in public at all times.

[ALenore]

Most of my walking is done through a cemetery which is close to my house.  I have to be careful when I'm listening to humorous audiobooks to make sure not to laugh if there are any funerals going on nearby. 

[LazyToaster]

I only listen to audiobooks while driving, but I love it. I recently listened to The Rosie Project and it was great and very well performed. I can find most audiobooks I want from the library.

[ALenore]

I get most of my audiobooks from the libary too (although I've bought some from Audible).  My local library also gives me access to One Click Digital, where I can download audiobooks electronally.   The program can be a little buggy, but usually I can get everything to work right.   That way I don't have to worry about returning the disks to the ilbrary.  

[Eegah]

A Song of Ice and Fire provides if nothing else an interesting listen. Roy Dotrice, who got the world record for playing the most characters in a single story from this, has a lovely "old crusty British guy" voice that perfectly suits the material, and while inevitably many characters sound similar, he shows a quite impressive range, my favorites being the snooty high-pitched Littlefinger and deep, throaty Varys. Unfortunately, it pretty much falls apart when you get to A Dance with Dragons. After six years since the last book, Dotrice is quite noticeably more tired-sounding, and clearly had trouble remembering some of the voices. Daenerys is particularly bad, sounding like a 90 year old Scottish woman, and I have no idea what he was going for there. Still, it was fun while it lasted.

[psychoticstate]

I have an account with Audible since I spend over an hour in the car for my commute each day.  I'm listening to Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" right now.  Great listen!

[Epeolatrix]

I'm not normally a fan of audio books because I read more non-fiction than anything and I don't have the patience to have that sort of thing read to me. However, someone telling me a story just feels different, so those books I tend to get according to the reader or performers.

 

The Series of Unfortunate Events books as read by Tim Curry are lots of fun, but I haven't listened to the other readers yet. He's a very Snicket-y read, is Mr. Curry.

Any of the Jon Ronson books that he reads himself are hilarious, even though they are non-fiction, because he seems perpetually bewildered to be in the situations he gets himself into.

All the versions of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere are fun, but I especially like the BBC 4 Radio Play with James MacAvoy as Richard and Natalie Dormer as The Lady Door. Gaiman's Anansi Boys is also good because Lenny Henry reads the voices and dialects perfectly.

Lastly, Samuel L Jackson reading "Go the F**k to Sleep" is funnier than it should be. :-)

[Epeolatrix]

I cannot believe I forgot this! World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (the complete edition). This is a perfect book to adapt for audio, because each chapter is basically one person's story, so one actor per character. The complete cast list has an amazing collection of people, too, so I highly recommend this. I haven't heard the new-ish complete edition yet, but the abridged version was awesome. I don't even like zombie stories and I loved this book.

[BetterButter]

The Humble Audiobook Bundle 2

[Quilt Fairy]

A rabid reader all of my life, I now 'read' almost exclusively through audiobooks. A good matching of the right book with the right narrator is something to savor. A few months ago I wrote up a list for a friend I'm trying to convince to try audiobooks. It's an eclectic collection of fiction (in no particular order), some are part of a series, some aren't, some are recent and a few are 20 years old. What they have in common is I've enjoyed them all.

 

1. Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan
2. 14 - Peter Clines
3. Hard Magic - Larry Correia
4. My Life as a White Trash Zombie - Diana Rowland
5. Her Royal Spyness - Rhys Bowen
6. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
7. A Dog’s Purpose  - W Bruce Cameron
8. The Likeness - Tara French
9. Inferno - Dan Brown
10. Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin
11. The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
12. To The Nines - Janet Evanovich
13. The Dark Horse - Craig Johnson
14. Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs - Molly Harper
15. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
16. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice - Laurie R King
17. First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones
18. Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris
19. Polar Star - Martin Cruz Smith
20. Blind Descent - Nevada Barr

[Lovecat]

I've done almost all of my book club books via audiobook for the last year and a half; it's just been a lot more time-efficient that way.  I'd have to say that the one I enjoyed the most was The Night Circus, which coincidentally was my first!  The narrator, the English gent who also recorded all of the Harry Potter books, is fabulous!  I just love the whole "Read me a story!" aspect of audiobooks, though I have to be doing something else (driving, walking, cleaning) at the same time, or else I fall asleep :)

Edited July 7, 2014 by Lovecat

[ikmccall]

I used to listen to audiobooks when I was doing data entry in the credit card division at a huge bank. It was also a 45 minute commute each way.  But since I moved and changed jobs, I only have a 15 minute commute each way and the new job is in a busy doctor's office so I don't listen to audiobooks unless I'm on a train/bus for a weekend getaway.  And I really miss it sometimes. Jim Dale is the British actor who read all of the Harry Potter books. 

[Lovecat]

Yes, Jim Dale!  I was too lazy to look up his name.  He's FABulous!!

[Athena]

I actually prefer Stephen Fry's reading of the Harry Potter books, but then again, it's Stephen Fry.

 

I use to knit and listen audiobooks especially in the summer, but now I have less time to knit as well.

[Etta Place]

I listen pretty much exclusively to non-fiction audiobooks. I don't like listening to dialogue being spoken or acted out; it takes me out of a fictional story to hear that sort of thing. I mostly listen while I draw or while I run. I remember seeing a commercial a few years back where the guy was listening to audio books while running, and I thought that seemed like a terrible idea, like it wouldn't be motivating or something. I tried it anyway, and found that I liked it quite a bit. I've listened to biographies of George Washington and John Adams that way, as well as a whole bunch of popular history books.

[Glory]

I quite like James Marster's readings of the Dresden Files books. He does a great job and the books themselves are fun reads. 

[Bunty]

Another great British narrator is Simon Prebble.  The actor Will Patton has also done some audiobook work. 

 

He did When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt-- a children's book I quite enjoyed.

 

[scarynikki12]

I just finished the audiobook of the Veronica Mars book The Thousand Dollar Tan Line, as read by Kristen Bell. I already read the book and enjoyed it very much but Kristen took that enjoyment to a whole different level. She has a good narration voice, she made a distinction between it and her Veronica voice, she imitated Mac so well it was scary, and she brought real gravitas when the mystery was at its serious points. Very well done and I hope there are more books so she can read them to me.

[psychoticstate]

I am finishing up the audiobook version of V. C. Andrews' "Flowers in the Attic."  I loooooooved this series back in the 80s.  Funny how listening as an adult you realize that while it's a good (and disturbing) story, the writing is whackadoodle.  I never noticed back when I was a teen that Chris (and to a lesser degree, Cathy) do not talk like any teens I've ever known, whether it was the 1950s or not.  And Chris . . .

inappropriate fascination with his mother and his sister from the
beginning.  Should be no surprise that he falls in love with Cathy and ends
up raping her.

To think that the 1980s teen girls were squeeing all over him.  Ugh! 

 

I also never realized how freaking annoying Carrie was.  No wonder the Grandmother picked her up by the hair.  She should have flung her out one of the windows.

 

While the narrator did not sound like what I imagined Cathy would sound like, she does do a good job. 

Edited July 18, 2014 by psychoticstate

[GrapeEarth]

I recently listened to the audio books of the Flowers In The Attic series and I'll agree that they were oddly written, but oddly addictive. I liked the Lifetime adaptations so I wanted to read the source material and while listening to the first novel, I kept thinking that Carrie was such a brat and that I wasn't at all upset at the Grandmother's behavior towards her. Of course I felt bad for thinking this, but it is what it is, lol.

[RealityCheck]

Another TWoP refugee here where I posted under the username ByTheWay.  I felt it was time for a change.

 

I read whenever I have a spare minute. I discovered audiobooks several years ago and am lucky enough to be able to listen to them at work - what I do rarely required 100% concentration. I also listen to audiobooks when I'm on the treadmill, shopping, cleaning, or any task that requires my eyes and/or hands but my mind is idling.

 

I listen predominately to science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and romance. I tend to gravitate to favorite authors and narrators.

 

IMO a good audiobook is the marriage of a good story with a talented narrator. Of course what makes a good story and talented narrator is in the eye of the beholder. This is a time when the adage "one man's meat is another man's poison" is absolutely true. Having said that, I'd like to recommend the following:

 

• Amelia Peabody mysteries written by Elizabeth Peters (narrator: Barbara Rosenblat)
• Mercedes Thompson urban fantasy series written by Patricia Briggs (narrator: Lorelei King)
• Alpha & Omega urban fantasy series written by Patricia Briggs (narrator: Holter Graham), which is set in the same world as the Mercedes Thompson series
• Codex Alera fantasy series written by Jim Butcher (narrator: Kate Reading)
• Empire Of Man military science fiction series written by David Weber and John Ringo (narrator: Stefan Rudnicki)
• Honor Harrington military science fiction series written by David Weber (narrator: Allyson Johnson)
• Lost Fleet military science fiction series written by Jack Campbell (narrator: Christian Rummel)
• Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (narrator: Derek Jacobi or David Timson)
• Phryne Fisher mysteries written by Kerry Greenwood (narrator: Stephanie Daniel, Deidre Rubenstein)
• Crispin Guest medieval mysteries written by Jeri Westerson (narrator: Michael Page)
• Thomas Pitt mysteries written by Anne Perry (narrator: Davina Porter) - there are several other narrators for several of the books in the series but I haven't listened to them yet
• Temperance Brennan series written by Kathy Reichs (narrator: Barbara Rosenblat) - there are other narrators but IMO Barbara Rosenblat is by far the best narrator of this series
• Mistress, historical romance, written by Amanda Quick (narrator: Barbara Rosenblat)
• Midsummer Moon, historical romance, written by Laura Kinsale (narrator: Nicholas Boulton)
• Any of the regency romances written by Georgette Heyer (narrator: various)

 

There's a better chance I'll give an audiobook a try if it's narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, Anna Fields, Kate Reading, or Davina Porter.

 

So many audiobooks, so little time.

[Lovecat]

Fun fact: Barbara Rosenblat plays Miss Rosa on Orange is the New Black!

[akg]

Does anyone have any non-fiction audiobook recommendations? I have a very hard time reading non-fiction but, for some reason, I enjoy listening to someone read to me during my commute. My library has a pretty good collection of WWII books but I need to branch out a little. I'm open to history and science (A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is fantastic, very Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (also excellent)).

 

When looking for books to give my godson, I listened to Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo and it was very fun.

[psychoticstate]

Does anyone have any non-fiction audiobook recommendations? I have a very hard time reading non-fiction but, for some reason, I enjoy listening to someone read to me during my commute. My library has a pretty good collection of WWII books but I need to branch out a little. I'm open to history and science (A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is fantastic, very Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (also excellent)).

 

When looking for books to give my godson, I listened to Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo and it was very fun.

 

akg, I found Rob Lowe's first book addictive and very entertaining.  He narrates himself and he is an incredible narrator.  His imitations are gold.  Plus, he's a very good writer.  Who knew?  I need to pick up his second book.

 

I listen to quite a bit of true crime, not sure if that's your thing.  I recently finished Ann & Ted by Rebecca Morris and The Bundy Murders by Kevin Sullivan. I am winding up The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule (also about Bundy, whew.)  Both good for different reasons although I will say that narrator on the Rule book makes me want to drive into oncoming traffic at times.  Imagine listening to Siri narrate your book and you'll understand.   She also has this annoying habit of lowering her voice ridiculously when speaking as a male and squeaking it out as a female.  She remains in Siri mode when she's narrating from the author's point of view. 

 

Helter Skelter is a very well done audiobook (lengthy, as you can imagine.)   Fatal Vision, as good as the Joe McGinniss book is, was a disappointment (despite Christopher Reeve's narration) because it was severely abridged.

 

Last month I listened to Tinseltown by William J. Mann, about Hollywood during the early 1920s and the murder of director William Desmond Taylor.

 

I have also listened to a few books on novel writing/creative writing that were very good, the best of which was The Modern Scholar: The Author at Work by Jenna Blum. 

[Epeolatrix]

Anything by Jon Ronson is entertaining. He is best known for the story that became "The Men Who Stare At Goats", but I've enjoyed his other work as well ("The Psychopath Test, in particular). He reads his own tales, which helps. No one else could sound that perpetually confused by his own life. :-)

 

Also "LA Noir" by John Buntin. This is an "LA Confidential" account of the notable criminals and police of Los Angeles history. It's read by Kirby Heybourne, who sort of reminds me of David Sedaris. He gives the book a much more gossipy style than a hard-boiled one, so it's like having a well-informed friend give you the latest news.

[ALenore]

I enjoyed listening to A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage, which is just what it says, a history of the world from ancient times through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and cola.   I've also got another audiobook by Standage An Edible History of Humanity which is about how food has shaped cultures around the world, but I haven't listened to it yet.  

[Etta Place]

I listened to Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert Massie. It was long but mostly fascinating (I thought the parts near the end of her life dragged a bit). And I'm currently listening to Venice by Peter Ackroyd, which is really interesting.

[Bunty]

I've listened to Krakatoa : the day the world exploded, August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester. It's read by the author and I found it to be quite interesting.

 

Summary : The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa, the name has since become a by-word for a cataclysmic disaster, was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly 40,000 people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event which has only very recently become properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Dust swirled round the world for years, causing temperatures to plummet and sunsets to turn vivid with lurid and unsettling displays of light. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogota and Washington went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away.

[Quilt Fairy]

I don't listen to a lot of non-fiction, but I can recommend The Demon Under the Microscope (about the discovery of sulfa drugs). It was absolutely riveting. http://www.audible.com/pd/History/The-Demon-Under-The-Microscope-Audiobook/B002V8KZZO/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1423271608&sr=1-1

 

You might also like The Boys in the Boat about the 1936 US Olympic rowing team. http://www.audible.com/pd/History/The-Boys-in-the-Boat-Audiobook/B00D3PBYAE/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1423271722&sr=1-1  It's longer than it needed to be (IMO) as it goes too far into the backstories of too many people, but it is a fascinating view of hardscrabble life during the Depression.

[Archery]

On our annual drive across the state and back, we listened to David Tennant's narration of My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece, by Annabel Pitcher.  Helps that my kids are Dr. Who fans like me, but even my husband (who is not) liked it.  Tennant reads it in his native Scottish accent, which is lovely.  The subject matter is heavy (death of a sibling by terrorist attack, and the aftermath on a family), but it is told in the voice of a young boy, so my 10 year old was about the minimum age I'd recommend it for.

 

And, you know what?  I win this thread with my recommendation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, read by Tom Mison, the actual guy who plays Ichabod Crane on Sleepy Hollow.  Seriously, it is perfection. 

[EarlGreyTea]

Love this topic! I listen to audiobooks to help me sleep, so narrators who aren't shout-y are my favorite. In particular, Rosalyn Landor is a favorite. She narrates Tina Brown's The Diana Chronicles, and her upper-crust English accent is perfect for it. Having both read the book and listened to it, however, I realized how many little nuances can't be picked up in audiobooks, even with a good narrator. I felt I got more out of the book by reading it. At the same time, I tend to skip over description, so having the book read to me made me see favorite books in a whole new light, with parts I had previously skipped over.

 

I hate audiobooks with background music.

[Sandman87]

I've listened to exactly one audiobook, but it was really good:

read by John Cleese. Naturally he used his best "stuffy British bureaucrat" voice for it.

[crystalball]

And, you know what?  I win this thread with my recommendation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, read by Tom Mison, the actual guy who plays Ichabod Crane on Sleepy Hollow.  Seriously, it is perfection.

I'm new to audiobooks, so this thread has been very helpful. Thank you, all! I 100% agree on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Right now, I'm listening to an entertaining Hamlet adaptation performed by Richard Armitage. Only issue is that his voice is so fantastic that I tend to get caught up in it without fully absorbing what he's saying. Oh, darn. Guess I'll rewind and listen again.

[funkopop]

I'm not normally a fan of audio books because I read more non-fiction than anything and I don't have the patience to have that sort of thing read to me. However, someone telling me a story just feels different, so those books I tend to get according to the reader or performers.

 

The Series of Unfortunate Events books as read by Tim Curry are lots of fun, but I haven't listened to the other readers yet. He's a very Snicket-y read, is Mr. Curry.

Any of the Jon Ronson books that he reads himself are hilarious, even though they are non-fiction, because he seems perpetually bewildered to be in the situations he gets himself into.

All the versions of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere are fun, but I especially like the BBC 4 Radio Play with James MacAvoy as Richard and Natalie Dormer as The Lady Door. Gaiman's Anansi Boys is also good because Lenny Henry reads the voices and dialects perfectly.

Lastly, Samuel L Jackson reading "Go the F**k to Sleep" is funnier than it should be. :-)

 

I agree with Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, I messed around and missed the Good Omen's BBC 4 Radio Play they did maybe a little while ago and am still kicking myself.  I love that book!

[Epeolatrix]

Funkopop, I sent you a PM about Good Omens; check your messages. :-)

[Miss Dee]

I never listen to audio books. I'm a visual learner and find I constantly miss information that's told to me rather than read or seen on my own. So I'd have to really concentrate on an audio book, which lets out listening while involved in other activities, and if I'm not involved in anything I'd much rather read it than listen to it. So audio books hold no charms for me.

So for those of you who like audiobooks: does it match your style of learning? If not, what advantages do you find in them?

[ALenore]

I work as a medical transcriptionist, so I have to be able to pay attention to auidio information, though of course when I'm typing I'm not doing anything else like cooking or cleaning.   I do have problems listening to more complicated books while doing anything else, so I generally listen to less complicated, humous ones, where it doesn't really matter if you miss a line or two.   I enjoy audiobooks with a good narrator,  especially when there is a colorful main character because it helps me get inside the character's head, even when it's not done in the first person.    

[Epeolatrix]

I much prefer reading a paper book when I want to glean information because the word-shapes stay in my brain longer than anything I hear. I like audio books for times that a physical book isn't convenient (donating blood) and when the experience of the audio book is special for some reason (excellent voice work).

[Sharpie66]

I've only recently gotten back into doing my cross-stitch that I had put aside two years ago, so I appreciate having something that I can listen to and not have to look at to enjoy it. I've been downloading a lot of podcasts (love the movie and book ones that I find!), but after reading Sonoma's recommendation of the Cary Elwes book about The Princess Bride, I decided to buy the download yesterday. It's great!! It's early days still (he's only up to the first read-through, when he meets William Goldman and Andre the Giant for the first time), but it's really fun to listen to.

 

I'll have to pick up a few more audiobooks at the library, I think--I'm pretty sure I don't want to pay for any more, and I don't want to sign up for Audible since I don't think I'll be listening to that many in a year, but they're a great alternative.

[Deanie87]

I usually listen to lighter stuff without a lot of characters on audiobooks because I can't go back and search (well you can but its a pain).

If anyone likes mysteries I highly recommend the Amelia Peabody series written by Elizabeth Peters and read by Barbara Rosenblatt. The mysteries themselves are ok (they take place in Egypt around Victorian times), but the characters and the way that Rosenblatt brings them to life is delightful!

[JayKay]

I've been surprised to find many audio versions of books that I want to read on Youtube. I can't speak as to the legality of them because I have no idea. But listening to Neil Gaiman read a Neil Gaiman book is pretty great. I usually get annoyed by character "voices," but with him it all feels right.

Audiobooks make me miss long drives, because they're absolutely perfect for them.

[psychoticstate]

I recently listened to "Coreyography" by Corey Feldman. I wasn't expecting much but I found it extremely engrossing and painfully sad. Feldman narrates himself and he does a great job. I hadn't realized how young he started working in the industry (around 3?). His mother was a dysfunctional mess; given that and the industry he was in, no surprise that he ended up into alcohol and drugs. The sections on Corey Haim too were sad.

I also listened to "14" by Peter Clines and while I think it started amazingly well, it dragged and fell apart for me by the end. I was expecting it to go in a completely different direction and so I think it let me down.

"Scandals of Classic Hollywood" was a great, breezy-ish kind of listen about classic Hollywood, one of my favorite things. The author actually seemed to know what she was talking about and wasn't doing a Hollywood Babylon/Kenneth Anger type of gossipy hatchet job.

Right now I'm listening to "Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson" which is an interesting fictional take on the Ripper killings and Sherlock Holmes' involvement in helping to solve the murders. So far, so good. I love the Victorian era setting and the narrator is doing a bang up job.

[Athena]

I read Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari and now I am listening to it. It is fun because as a comedian, his jokes come off better on audio and various voices he does. I think the book could be enjoyed exlusively on the audiobook medium though you miss out on a few graphs and diagrams from the book.

[Deanie87]

I just finished James Lee Burke's The Tin Roof Blowdown on audiobook.  It is the 10th or 11th in the Dave Robicheaux series and the one he wrote after Hurricane Katrina (the series takes place in and near New Orleans), and wow.  It was absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking.  The narrator, Will Patton, is so good that this series is one that I prefer to listen to rather than read.  He captures the nuances of characters so well, from Louisiana politicos, Southern Blanche du Bois types, Cajun policeman, poverty stricken young black men, and east coast mobsters.  All of it is natural and none of has even a whiff of stereotype or caricature.  

 

In this book in particular, the narrator was a great extension of Burke, his rage and sorrow are palatable, and I teared up quite a few times at the description of the post-Katrina destruction and the desperation of those who were left to die and the frustration and anger at those who used the opportunity to loot, kill and other crimes.  I think that Burke is a great writer, even though his language can get a bit florid at times and the themes tend to repeat themselves.  But this one was on a whole other level I thought.

[Darian]

This has some good suggestions:

 

Genre-Defining Narrators

 

 

They mention Tavia Gilbert, who did a spectacular job reading something of mine.   

[meep.meep]

I listen to audio books when I walk around.  Some favorites:
Nightwoods by Charles Frazier read by Will Patton

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, read by Colin Firth

The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey