Audio Books: Which Readers are Good?

[keen on kean]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 12:22am

I love to read but I also love to listen to audio books if the reader is an effective actor. I wish, for example, that Len Cariou did more audio books as the few I have listened to of his are good. (He has also done a lot of detective fiction but that isn't my cup of tea at all.) I also love Ian Richardson, from the Royal Shakespeare Company who has one of the most beautiful voices God ever made. Does anyone have a favorite reader whose audio recordings are special? What have they recorded? What is particularly good about them?

Posted: 12/27/06 at 6:18am

i really enjoy Laura Linney reading the NANCY DREW books!

[AC126748]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 8:38am

Sissy Spacek reading To Kill a Mockingbird was perfection.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:36am

No one could ever dream to touch what Jim Dale is doing with the Harry Potter books. He is perfection.

ETA: Barack Obama also does a great job with his books.

Updated On: 12/27/06 at 09:36 AM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:37am

When I used to travel every week, I would listen to about anything I could get my hands on. I read a lot of autobiographies.

The WORST audio book I ever listened to was Taytum O'Neil's autobiography. It was HYSTERICAL. Closer to the end she discussed the fact that her father offered to help her when she was cast in a miniseries. She told hum that she didn't need his help and would like to do this on her own. He then told her that she did need help because she couldn't act. At that point in the book she got angry and offended and called him something like unbelievable. She said something about having "won an Oscar!" The hilarious part is that she CAN'T act and was HORRIBLE while reading the book.

I enjoyed President Clinton reading his own book. Hearing it from his own mouth really brought it to life. And when it got to the parts about the women it was funny because you KNOW he isn't telling the truth. It was fun to tell him that he was full of crap while driving.

I thought I would enjoy Olympia Dukakis more than I did. She did well reading it, but the material just wasn't that interesting.

Thomas Harris is not very good but he reads his own books. Hannibal was actually one of my favorite audiobooks. He does the characters pretty well. I want to get Hannibal Rising and probably will this week. I may get it from iTunes, but don't know if I want to have to listen to him read it again.

I think Rebecca Wells does a fantastic job reading her Ya-ya books. She is quite talented and each character has a very unique voice and accent.

Someone told me to listen to something about The Sweet Potato Queens. I couldn't get through it. It was dreadful.

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:48am

the Dolly Parton & Ann-Margret autobiographies read by themselves are wonderful.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:50am

I've only ever listened to one, it was Karen Ziemba reading "In Her Shoes" - I thought it was extremely well-done, and was really surprised at how each character was completely separate and different, though read by the same person.

If you put in the name of your fave Broadway performers on an Amazon search, you'll come up with their audiobooks.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 9:50am

Dolly's book was great because even having read it, you can hear her voice throughout.

Posted: 12/27/06 at 10:04am

Dolly's book was great because even having read it, you can hear her voice throughout.

i especially like the part about leaving food on her plate for the angels!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 10:08am

I never listened again because it was a pain to change CD's while I was in transit, but now that there are iPods, I'd be interested. What does it cost to download books that way?

[Mamamia Sammy2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 10:10am

::Sammy checks out the iTunes store for the Julie Harris biography::

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 10:10am

My two favorite stories:

When the preacher comes by and tells her daddy that it's a fine place that he and the lord have have and her daddy says, "You should have seen the somebitch when he had it by hisself."

And when she has to sing for her sisters boyfriend Junie Blaylock. On top of old Smokey, all covered with grass. Look here Junie Blaylock, at my naked ass!" I laugh about that every time I go to her hometown and see Blaylock's movie theatre.

I put both of those in a prose reading that I did in forensic competitions in high school. Good times.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 10:13am

Rathie, when I was going to pick up Hannibal Rising yesterday, the cover price of the book was $37, but the audiobook on iTunes was $19.95.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 10:14am

Thanks!