favey five: audiobooks
Best Vibes
Starting out with my favourite fiction audiobook, A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft, read by Jesse Vilinsky.
Saft’s intensely loveable characters and Vilinsky’s outstanding performance are a match made in heaven, making this audiobook a complete joy for your ears. There’s a big focus on family in this book and the voices Vilinksy uses for each family member endear them to you so completely, while also building on each of their personalities. The main characters’ tension and yearning this comes through so superbly in the performance and this elevates their slow burn romance exponentially. All the lovely cosy vibes with this one.
I’ll Listen to Your Shopping List
My favourite audiobook narrator is Rebecca Soler with a portfolio full of iconic performances including Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, Gilded by Marissa Meyer and Sadie by Courtney Summers.
I’ll read anything Rebecca Soler narrates and give it five stars and there will never be an exception to this rule. Her range of voices is endless, embodying each character so expertly and making for such a varied and dynamic performance every time. If you’re new to audiobooks, I’d definitely recommend Soler’s narrations as they leave room for your imagination to run free instead of bombarding you with too much overacting.
I Love You All
My favourite full-cast audiobook is The No-Show by Beth O’Leary, read by Kathryn Drysdale, Heather Long, Evanna Lynch and Luke Thompson.
This book was an underwhelming three stars when read with my eyes, but it was definitely a six star listen. The producers really nailed the casting on this one. Each performer elevated their respective character, giving them so much more life and thus raising the stakes of the story. The talented full cast made reading this book feel like watching a rom com, I could just sit back and let the delicious drama wash over me.
Wow Thanks Now I’m Crying
Of course, my favourite memoir audiobook read by the author is I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy.
McCurdy had me in stitches with her perfect delivery of the dry humour sprinkled throughout her story, truly a talented comedic voice. Conversely, she recounts the darker and more surreal events in her life with empathy and a sobering sense of acceptance. It’s always more impactful to hear someone’s memoir in their own voice, but McCurdy has unequivocally raised the bar with this stunning performance.
Audiobooks Are Fucking Cool
Now for the audiobook performance that made me fall in love with audiobooks, The Diviners Series by Libba Bray, read by January LaVoy.
All four instalments in this iconic series are performed with absolute fucking vigour by LaVoy. She fully embodies every character in this expansive series, dipping into her seemingly endless repertoire of authentic accents for each role. LaVoy’s performance is reliably evocative, there’s no emotion she can’t elicit. One night I had to sleep with the light on because she sang an incredibly creepy song that honestly still haunts my nightmares to this day.
