First, we have to thank the Academy. What a stellar awards season it’s been for audio fans. So many Best Picture nominees are based on big audio bestsellers, and just as many Best and Supporting Actors have worked as narrators. But these are our nominees for the best audiobooks to enjoy long after the envelope’s been torn open, and the red carpet’s been rolled up.
The collected works of Jessie Buckley
One of the most celebrated actresses of the year is an equally brilliant narrator. For Hamnet, you can compare Buckley’s version with the original interpretation from Audible breakout narrator Ell Potter. Both beautifully underscore the exquisite tone of Maggie O’Farrell’s glorious prose. Hear more of Buckley’s Irish lilt in Long Island, the sequel to Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn. And for a delicious riff set in Austenland, Buckley smartens up a clueless Lydia Bennet in Mrs. Wickham.
Leo + Pynchon
Oscar nominees Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio based One Battle After Another on Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel, Vineland, which is set in the Reagan era but feels contemporary as it focuses on 1960s radicalism as well as government overreach.
The Hawke ouevre
Among the audio offerings from Blue Moon-nominated actor Ethan Hawke are his newest novel, A Bright Ray of Darkness, his acclaimed narration of Dave Eggers's Newbery winner The Eyes and the Impossible, and Fishpriest, a podcast procedural that is only available on Audible.
Hugh-adjacent
Though global favorite and top Audible Theater performer Hugh Jackman did not get nominated for Song Sung Blue, he did bestow luck on costar Kate Hudson. The earthiness that Hudson revealed in the role is actually on display in Pretty Happy, which feels down-to-earth and true.
Speaking of Aussies
Between costarring with Margot Robbie in Wuthering Heights and being nominated for playing the Creature in Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi is having quite the year. While we eagerly await his audio debut, compare his compelling vocal work in the movie to Edoardo Ballerini’s take on the Mary Shelley must-listen. Also check out this Audible Original’s alternative take on Heathcliff with Daryl McCormack in the title role.
The Yellowstone effect
The demand for stories set in the American West no doubt led to the rediscovery of Train Dreams, a bleak narrative about day laborers in the early 20th century. This collection of author Denis Johnson’s works, performed by actor Will Patton, cuts deep into the soul. Also noteworthy: Nick Cave, the Australian singer, was nominated for Best Original Song for his work in Train Dreams, but you can discover his skills as a storyteller in his own novel, The Death of Bunny Monroe.
Other good listening
A Brazilian adaptation of this cult-classic Joseph Conrad novel is nominated for Best Picture.
The film of Stephen King’s time-bending short story is nominated for Best Book to Screen Adaptation.
This nonfiction narrative on the 2018 California fires inspired Best Visual Effects nominee The Lost Bus.
