Joséphine Kühn runs the prolific book blog Word Revel. If you like her recommendations as much as we did, you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Audiobooks were a big part of my childhood. During road trips, my father always had a stack of cassette tapes on hand. When I was old enough to wind them myself, I’d pop them into the tape player and repeat the stories over and over again. On weekends, I camped in front of the radio to listen to storytellers spin their tales.
Eventually, I discovered rows of books at the library and forgot about audiobooks. It wasn’t until university that I sought out audiobooks again. I didn’t like the quietness of living alone in the dorms. Now I always load a few audiobooks on my phone to keep me company wherever I go. While most people listen to music during their commutes, I prefer to lose myself in my latest read.
Most of the audiobooks I picked have amazing narrators. Their voices made me fall in love with those titles twice over. It’s magical how hearing stories brings them even more to life. You can close your eyes and imagine every scene so vividly. Some books, I initially didn’t plan to read. Hearing their audiobook samples, though, made me change my mind. That’s how I’ve discovered some of my most unlikely favorites. - Joséphine Kühn
"Anything Jim Dale narrates gets my attention," says Ashley. "His voice is magic." In this modern classic, the circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white-striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
The prose of Every Day captured my imagination right from the beginning. What is it like to wake up in a different body every day? I should think this brings a lot of fluidity in terms of identity. David Levithan conveys this very well through his prose and in the way he shaped the protagonist, A. Listening to one person narrate reminded me that, even as the perspectives change, the core of A doesn’t.
Initially, I didn’t think that I would like The Raven Boys. I was wrong. Thankfully, I listened to the audiobook preview, during which Will Patton’s narration convinced me to pick it up anyway. I’m glad I did. I thought the prose, the narration, and setting were impeccable, pulling me right into the story.
For some reason, I find comfort in listening to Southern fiction over reading it in print. Gods in Alabama brings a lot of humor, and the dialogue comes to life through the audiobook. Throw in a good dose of mystery, and you’ll be entertained for a good number of hours with this one, too.
The atmosphere of The Falconer is amazing! I loved how Susan Duerden’s narration transported me to the historical, yet fantastical setting of 1844 Edinburgh. Paranormal fiction isn’t a genre I usually enjoy, but the suspense drew me in from the first line: “I’ve memorized their every accusation: ‘Murderess.’”
Sinister undertones fuel The Golem and the Djinni in a thoroughly gripping manner. Golems and djinn alike are capable of much destruction, yet in this book they have positive qualities, too. This juxtaposition, as well as the collision of Arab and Jewish mythology, makes it such a worthy read.
Cinder was my introduction to fairytale retellings. It was such a wonderful one that I’ve gone on to read many more. What I particularly liked was the blurring of lines between science fiction and fantasy. The combination of cyborgs, androids, lunar people, technology, kingdoms, and enchantments offer much to love.
Many of us are wont to ask: What if? We wonder how life would’ve played out if we had pursued different choices. Maybe in Another Life cleverly plays off this question. It offers two parallel storylines of the same protagonist, in alternating chapters. This results in a greater level of omniscience than is normally accorded to readers. I liked that because it challenged me to reflect on my own life.
Armada is a great read for anyone into hardcore sci-fi involving aliens, video games, or both. Wil Wheaton is a stellar narrator, which adds another level of greatness. I found it a little reminiscent of science fiction books of the early 2000s, so nostalgia contributed to my enjoyment of Armada, as well.
My biggest surprise last year was Walk on Earth a Stranger. I didn’t expect it to blow me away, but it did. The characters are solid individually, as well as in groups. There is so much growth in terms of their relationships, which represent a varied spectrum from best friends to nearly friends to enemies and strangers. Best of all, amid the male-dominated culture during the gold rush, Lee stands out as a girl holding her own.
