Audiobooks discussion

What was the best audio book you listened to this year? Who was the narrator? I'm looking for that perfect combination of story and performance.

The Help, without a doubt. It is by Kathryn Stockett and narrated by Jenna Lamia, Bahni Turpin, Octavia Spencer, Cassandra Campbell.

I'm going to say that it was a tie between Faithful Place by Tana French, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds and On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers, narrated by Bronson Pinchot. Both books are inseparable from the narration and they both kept me tied to my iPod.

Betsy wrote: "The Help, without a doubt. It is by Kathryn Stockett and narrated by Jenna Lamia, Bahni Turpin, Octavia Spencer, Cassandra Campbell."

Yup. The Help.

I'll throw in Three Bags Full, narrated by Josephine Bailey - she captures the animal voices perfectly, where a less skilled reader would have easily messed it up.

"Velva Jean Learns to Drive" by Jennifer Niven was a wonderful audio this year.

(I read "The Help" and want to listen to the audio sometime as well).

The Help was very good but I read it last year so I'll go with Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - read by Peter Altshuler.

Or - Light in August by William Faulkner read by Will Patton. He is sooooo good. This is a very difficult book but Patton can do it.

I've listened to many fantastic books this year, but most of them weren't newly published. Considering only those published in 2010, I would say that Every Last One by Anna Quindlen and narrated by Hope Davis was the best combination of story and performance. I don't recommend listening to it if you have deadlines to meet, because more than once I found myself standing dead still in the middle of the room, having completely forgotten where I was and what I was doing, I was so immersed in the story. But Horns by Joe Hill and narrated by Fred Berman was the most fun.

Becky- I also agree about "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand"- I loved the audio.

Stormwarden by, Janny Wurts narrated by, David Thorpe
The Kitchen House by, Kathleen Grissom narrated by Orlagh Cassidy & Bahni Turpin

The Help was my favorite book last year audio or otherwise!Loved it!

I've got The Help all queued up and ready to listen to but have to wait until next week when my sister gets back from visiting her kids because she wants us to listen to it together. I'm working really hard not to cheat & start it now. :)

A Tiny Bit Marvellous read and written by Dawn French was my favourite. Very listenable to and not too demanding. I was quickly riveted by the stories and she read the different characters beautifully.

John wrote: "I'll throw in Three Bags Full, narrated by Josephine Bailey - she captures the animal voices perfectly, where a less skilled reader would have easily messed it up."

I thought that was a wonderful book, too! Have you read anything else by this author?

My guess is that Good Omens by neil Gaimen and Terry Pratchett was my favorite of 2010; I've read/listened to so many things.

My favorite fiction audio book this year was Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, and narrated by Mark Bramhall. My favorite non-fiction listened to was The Glass Castle by by Jeannette Walls, narrated by Julie Gibson.
I agree about The Help, it was definitely my favorite last year, and one of my all time favorites over many years of listening to books!

Sarah:

No, but she writes in German, so I'm not sure there is anything else in English by her? She's written a sequel, but it hasn't been translated, let alone recorded in audio, yet.

I can never pick just one, but The Help was definitely in my top 3 or 4. I listened to all of the Millenium series by Stieg Larsson this year too and they were the equal of The Help, particularly since you are including both story and narration.

I only really started listening again in September when I started commuting to work by car, so I only have about 20 audios read this year. Of those, none was a huge standout, but my favorite was probably The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which I liked much more than I expected I would. The variety of (British) accents by the narrators were excellent. I also really liked Absurdistan, but I think it's of more limited appeal because you have to appreciate the kind of humor and because it gets a little graphic in the sex scenes.

My favorite listen this year was There Is No Me Without You.

Joanna wrote: "I only really started listening again in September when I started commuting to work by car, so I only have about 20 audios read this year. Of those, none was a huge standout, but my favorite was p..."

Guernsey was one of my favorites last year(2009) too!

Vicky wrote: "A Tiny Bit Marvellous read and written by Dawn French was my favourite. Very listenable to and not too demanding. I was quickly riveted by the stories and she read the different char..."

I'd go along with A Tiny Bit Marvellous - I laughed myself silly on a train and got some very strange looks!

Definitely Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb. I love the series, loved the book, and Susan Erickson is the best reader I've ever come across.

Dancing Girls by Margaret Atwood was my best with a 2010 release date (actually it looks like the only other one I listened to with a 2010 release date was Rachel Cusk's The Bradshaw Variations and I do find Cusk a bit too gung-ho with her children suck your lifeblood/all parents are downtrodden bit). I've got The Help in my cart, though I am thinking of downloading A Tiny Bit Marvellous instead, since it's summer hols in Australia and I could do with something a bit light and silly. Hmm, will keep dithering a while.

I loved The Helpand The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Societybut my favorite book of 2010 is A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially Trueby Brigid Palsulka.

General fiction: The Help
YA fiction: The Goose Girl (2nd listen), Airman (2nd listen), and the entire Percy Jackson series

Beth, I'm looking forward to A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True which I purchased recently from audible due to your earlier recommendation.

My Best of 2010 - can't narrow down to just one so here are a couple of highlights:
Contemporary:
- Caught - Harlan Coben
- Dog on It - Spencer Quinn

Historical Fiction:
- Dawn on a Distant Shore - Sara Donati (2nd in Into the Wilderness series)
- Lake in the Clouds - Sara Donati (3rd in Into the Wilderness series)
- The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

Great narration on the "Into the Wilderness" series by Kate Reading. The fabulous John Lee narrating Pillars of the Earth. Narration was good on the two contemporary books above as well.

Dog On It is a fun, light, detective type mystery but told from the perspective of the detective's dog "Chet". Before reading it I thought that the dog perspective thing might get tiresome, but Spencer Quinn and the narrator, Jim Frangione, pull it off beautifully and I remember thinking back on it with many smiles for weeks after I was done reading it.

FYI The Help is part of the sale at audible for $9.31. if you haven't listened to it your in for a treat!

Most of the books I've listened to are pre-2010.
Room by Emma Donoghue worked for me! The narrators (Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren) are awesome!

I am not familiar with the other three, but am a fan of Suzanne Toren's work.

Besides the Help, two of my other favorites this year were The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy.

Doreen wrote: "Most of the books I've listened to are pre-2010.
Room by Emma Donoghue worked for me! The narrators (Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Robert Petkoff, Suzanne Toren) are awesome!"

I just downloaded Room its going to be my first audio of the year!

I second: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. My favorite book of the year.