I started to listen to audiobooks a couple of years ago as way of making the most of my commuting time. It’s been a useful way of snatching 10 minutes here and there to get through my to-be-read list, which should currently see me finished by 2078, if I’m lucky.

But since then, I’ve realised how enjoyable they can be in their own right. This lies as much in the narrator as the story, in fact I’d go as far as saying a novel can be elevated by an expressive and versatile narrator. So here’s a few of my recent favourites.

Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett, narrated by Merridy Eastman

This is an unusual and fascinating historical novel set at the turn of the 20th Century amongst the whaling community of New South Wales. The narrator, Merridy Eastman brings out all the beauty and subtlety of the prose, bringing the sadness and quiet humour of this novel to life. It is quite graphic in parts with regards to the whale hunting, but I’m the sort who hides behind a cushion whilst watching Casualty and even I was OK!

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, narrated by Bahni Turpin

This is a moving and innovative novel set in America’s Deep South. I sometimes find darker novels easier to ‘read’ via an audiobook. Perhaps because it makes things feel a little less lonely, with the narrator bringing a whole host of characters to life, from main character Cora, who is trying to escape a life of slavery, to odious slave hunter Ridgeway. Even though this novel is harrowing in parts, the stunning prose and flashes of humour kept me pressing Play.

Swan Song by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott, narrated by Deborah Weston

This sparkling novel has quite a few of my favourite things: intrigue, old Hollywood glamour, the voices and stories of a multitude of women and at its heart, one of the most compelling and entertaining characters in Truman Capote. Narrator Deborah Weston    does justice to the wonderful prose by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott.
So where to listen? Audible do free trials but there are also other options. I’ve not tried them myself but you could check out OverDrive or Project Gutenberg. The latter is read by ‘ordinary people’, so you might not get the professional performance, but you’ll probably get that ‘comforting friend reading by my bedside’ feel instead.
I’m always looking for audiobook recommendations so get in touch if you have a few favourites.