My Favourite Audiobooks 2020

I am an avid audiobook listener! Honestly, I listen to about two audiobooks per week and think they’re great. So today I thought I would share a list of my favourite audiobooks.

I use a variety of apps to feed my audiobook addiction, namely BookBeat and Audible, and I would highly recommend BookBeat as for only £13.99 a month you have access to ALL of the audiobooks on their app and there’s a brilliant mix of brand new and older audiobooks to choose from.

Favourite Audiobooks 2020

Today though, I want to share my favourite audiobooks. These are not necessarily my favourite books but the best ones I’ve listened to, based on the narration, the audio mix, and the production.

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I have had the book on my side table for nearly a year but I decided to download the audiobook from Audible when I got my monthly credit because there was something about the 14-strong cast list and the way the book is written – like interview segments – that I thought work well as an audiobook and it does!

This is a book that was made for this format. It’s like listening to a podcast or a documentary in the background. It’s utterly gripping and entirely addictive. I had the same feeling I felt when I was watching a Fleetwood Mac documentary, a proper fly-on-the-wall feeling. So good.

The cast list is amazing and very well cast as well.

Daisy Jones, read by Jennifer Beals
Billy Dunne, read by Pablo Schreiber
Graham Dunne, read by Benjamin Bratt
Eddie Loving, read by Fred Berman
Warren Rhodes, read by Ari Fliakos
Karen Karen, read by Judy Greer
Camila Dunne, read by January LaVoy
Simone Jackson, read by Robinne Lee
Narrator / Author, read by Julia Whelan

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Read by Stephen Fry

Americans will disagree with me and say that Jim Dale’s narration is better, but honestly, they’re both brilliant. I prefer Stephen’s because it’s a voice I know and finds comforting. Also, he does an amazing job of differentiating the voices of each character and there are well over 150!

I listen to these audiobooks every year and every year I enjoy them more and more.

Me by Elton John

Read by Taron Egerton

I’m biased about this audiobook because I loved Rocketman in which Taron Egerton played Elton John, but he did do a great job of narrating Elton’s autobiography. Not only that, but Taron actually sings some portions of Elton’s songs and it sounds great. Not to mention the accents of the various cast of characters in Elton’s life, many of whom we all know and therefore recognise voices. It was a fantastically produced audiobook and one I’d happily listen to again.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan

Read by Lindsay Duncan

I find Ian McEwan’s books a bit hit-and-miss, but I loved the audio production of The Children Act. The book follows such a harrowing story and Lindsay Duncan’s voice is soothing, yet also powerful so it really relays the vulnerability of Adam but also the superiority and thoughtfulness of the main character Fiona Maye.

The History Boys by Alan Bennett

Read by original West End cast

This is technically a play and the audio adaptation is with the original West End cast, so this ‘book’ is much more like a radio play than your average audiobook. That being said I could listen to this audiobook over and over again, and that’s in part to do with Alan’s writing, but also the cast who were perfect for the roles.

Girl, Stop Apologising by Rachel Hollis

Read by Rachel Hollis

This technically is Christian fiction… I didn’t know that when I chose to listen to it on Bookbeat but I’m glad I didn’t as I wouldn’t have read it otherwise and it’s actually very good. Rachel is a brilliant and emotive speaker, she has the quality of when she talks you listen. I’ve listened to both of her non-fiction books and I can understand entirely how she has built a female-empowering business and written two major bestselling books.

The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig

Read by Carey Mulligan

This was one of the first audiobooks I ever listened to and I really enjoyed it because of the tone it set. It’s such a Christmassy book, not just in the plotline but the way music is used and Carey’s narration. It’s a lovely children’s Christmas book and one I would, and probably will listen to again another Christmas.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Audible Original)

Audible create its own editions of famous and debut books, usually in the style of a radio play. I love Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen so when I saw that Audible had created a production with a big-name cast I thought I would listen to it. It has now sent me down the path of listening to many Audible Original productions of famous stories as it’s like going to see the play, except you can do something instead of just sitting there.

Cast

Jane Austen/Narrator, read by Emma Thompson
Catherine Morland, read by Ella Purnell
Henry Tilney, read by Jeremy Irvine
Eleanor Tilney, read by Eleanor Tomlinson
John Thorpe, read by Douglas Booth
Isabella Thorpe, read by Lily Cole
Mrs Allen, read by Anna Chancellor

I would love to know what some of your favourite audiobooks are. Do you have a favourite audiobook production or a favourite narrator? Let me know in the comments below. Happy Reading/Listening!

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