Best Audiobooks from 2013
It's time for my best-of 2013 lists! I will post four this year. Today's is all about audiobooks, tomorrow is adult books, Saturday is food and cookbooks, and Monday is middle grade and young adult. Enjoy!
A note on my selections: The following unabridged audiobooks made my list based on the narrator's skill and other aspects of the production. The books themselves may not make my other lists but came alive for me as audiobooks. Books are presented alphabetically by title; links lead to my reviews or thoughts (here or at AudioFile magazine).
- Sarah Dunant's Blood & Beauty: The Borgias read by Edoardo Ballerini (Random House Audio), historical fiction, adult
- Helene Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni read by George Guidall (HarperAudio), historical fiction & mysticism/fantasy, adult
- Maggie O'Farrell's Instructions for a Heatwave read by John Lee (Random House Audio), historical fiction (late 20th century), adult
- Robin Maxwell's Mademoiselle Boleyn read by Suzan Crowley (Brilliance Audio), historical fiction, adult
- Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane read by Neil Gaiman (HarperAudio), fantasy/magical, for everyone top listen of the year
- Curtis Sittenfeld's Sisterland read by Rebecca Lowman (Random House Audio), adult
- Sara Pennypacker's Summer of Gyspy Moths read by Jenna Lamia (Listening Library), contemporary fiction, middle grade
- Emily Croy Barker's The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic read by Alyssa Bresnahan (Recorded Books), fantasy, adult
- Janice Steinberg's The Tin Horse read by Kate McGregor-Stewart (Random House Audio), contemporary fiction, adult
- Wendy Wax's While We Were Watching Downton Abbey read by Orlagh Cassidy (Penguin Audio), contemporary fiction, adult
21 comments:
I haven't listened to any of these, but always pay close attention to your audio recommendations! Several of these are already on my wish list, so I'm bumping them up.
I keep avoiding the Dunant even though I have loved all her books - it looks so dense though, and I fear getting overwhelmed. Or maybe I have just gotten overwhelmingly intellectually lazy….
Of all the books on that list, the only one I've listened to is Summer of Gypsy Moths. I loved it too.
You just gave me a whole list to look at - the only one out of this group I read was While We Were Watching Downton Abbey and I read that one. :)
Merry Christmas!
Great list! I really enjoyed Sisterland, and completely loved The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I'm off to see if my library has any of the others on audio.
Thanks so much for these suggestions, I am adding almost all of them to my audible wish list. I am a new audio book listener and need all the suggestions I can get. Thanks!!
Some good looking choices there. I will add them to my wish list. :)
Nice list! I read "The Ocean at The End of The Lane" but now I'm tempted to give it a listen, too!
I haven't listened to any of these yet but audio is always my first choice for Neil Gaiman and I'll keep the others in mind. I love a good audio production.
I liked the While We Were Watching Downton Abbey audio.
The only one I listened to from your list is While watching Downton Abbey. I liked it a lot.
Have not listened to many audio books this year. Read The Ocean....and enjoyed it.
Book Dilettante, Book Beginnings
I loved Ocean at the End of the Lane too. I am listening to Sisterland now.
Despite the fact that I have earbuds in my ears 75% of my life, I've only listened to one of these! (I do have Sisterland loaded on my iPod, and I listened to Downton Abbey.) I do recognize some of the narrators though and I totally understand why they showed up here. I guess I've got some things to add to my lists!
I guess I should have tried The Ocean at the End of the Lane in audio version. The paper version just didn't do much for me. Sometimes the narrator makes all the difference. There are a couple on my best/worst list that I would not have finished in book form but stuck with in audio. Great list!
I guess I should have tried The Ocean at the End of the Lane in audio version. The paper version just didn't do much for me. Sometimes the narrator makes all the difference. There are a couple on my best/worst list that I would not have finished in book form but stuck with in audio. Great list!
The Wendy Wax book is on my wish list...but I haven't read these others.
I just got the paperback of The Golem and the Jinni. It isn't usually in my bailiwick but it sounds wonderful...and since George Guidall narrates it, I think I'll have to give it a listen!
This is a great list! I liked The Ocean at the End of the Lane much better on audio than I would have in print. I definitely want to listen to The Golem and the Jinni and The Thinking Woman's Guide to Magic. I read Sisterland in print and liked it a lot.
I'm excited to see The Golem & The Jinni on this list, since I picked it for my last audible credit. I can't wait to give it a listen. Happy New Year!
I just got The Ocean at the End of the Lane today so I'm glad to see it on your list! Happy New Year Candace. May it be a blessed year.
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