I’ve been walking. And walking. And walking. Walking has preserved my sanity during this troubling, crazy, “unprecedented” time of coronavirus challenges. (I put “unprecedented” in quotes because I’ve noticed that’s the new buzzword everyone is using to describe these days.). But walking can be boring — unless you have an engaging audio book. I find that I’m happy to add another block (another half mile, another mile) if I’m lost in a good audiobook.
Here are five terrific audiobooks that I’ve listened to and enjoyed since late February.
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And lest you think I just recommend everything I listen to — not true. I could name others that I was lukewarm about, and some that were so distasteful that I returned them to Audible for a full refund. Yes, you can do that. For more about audiobooks, please see Audiobooks: how to “read” when you have no time to sit and read.
Some books are made better through the audio experience. For example, I previously recommended The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, and read by Tom Hanks. I couldn’t wait to put in my EarPods and have Tom Hanks tell me this story about family, love, disappointment, and loyalty. I loved it. But I’ve had several friends whose opinions I trust tell me they didn’t love the (non-audio) book. Some struggled to even finish it. Clearly in this case the narrator was crucial.
Conversely, I’ve started a few audios that were highly recommended as books to be read, but the audio version was disappointing. Sometimes the narrator is awful, or at least is irritating to me. Some books just don’t translate well for listening — there are too many characters, or very complex storylines. I’ve learned to read the book review AND the audiobook review, to see if the performance was well-received.
So strap on your walking shoes, and give these a try:
Daisy Jones & The Six
I’m not going to bury the lead. Daisy Jones & The Six is one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. I wasn’t very excited about this book, but the audio reviews pushed me to try it. It was terrific. It is written like a documentary, and is the story of a fictional 70s rock band. And so much more. The cast includes Jennifer Beals, Judy Greer, Benjamin Brett and others.
The Guest List
This has been described as a modern-day who-done-it in the spirit of Agatha Christie. Another production with multiple narrators, it has twists and turns and is great fun, in a murder-mystery kind of way.
The Most Fun We Ever Had
I loved listening to this story of marriage and siblings, which follows a family over several decades.
Pretty Things
This is a fun mystery in the style of Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train. Escape into this tale of rich people, grifters, and instagram influencers. Two great narrators provide the alternating voices of the two main characters.
Ask Again, Yes
Named one of the best books of the year by People, Vogue, Parade, NPR, and Elle.. I thoroughly enjoyed this story of family and neighbors, teenagers and parents, and the way we hurt each other and care for each other. It started just a tad slowly, but is well worth sticking with it.
Next up in my audible queue is The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. I hear the book is great, and it is narrated by one of my favorite narrators.
Have you tried audiobooks? I’d love to hear what you recommend.
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