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Before I begin my discussion, here were the Audie Award nominees for Literary Fiction for 2013:

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel and narrated by Simon Vance

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene and narrated by Colin Firth

Heft by Liz Moore and narrated by Kirby Heyborne and Keith Szarabajka

The Remains of the Day by by Kazuo Ishiguro and narrated by Simon Prebble

Remember Ben Clayton by Stephen Harrigan and narrated by George Guidall

This is the second year I’ve judged the Literary Fiction category for the Armchair Audies. From the moment the nominees were announce this year I was thrilled with the quality of titles. All of the titles more or less belonged in the category. Last year most of the titles didn’t fit under the Literary Fiction umbrella in my opinion, so this was a welcome change for me. Just as the titles were better suited this time around, I learned another lesson from last year. If I am bored to tears with a title and there is no way I would select it as the winner, there is no impetus to finish it. Last year I found State of Wonder unbearable, but I struggled through it because it was a nominated title. I didn’t make the same mistake this year. Around 4 hours into Remember Ben Clayton, I was so bored that I could cry. George Guidall’s voice is suited to a Western-type audiobook. The story was just dull despite the initial promise I felt it had. When it got to the point of dreading turning the audiobook on, I called it. I’m so glad that I did because there is no reason to subject oneself to an intolerable audiobook. The Armchair Audies doesn’t need any martyrs.

Obviously Remember Ben Clayton is at the bottom of the barrel for me. Here is how the rest of the audiobooks ranked for me:

4. The End of the Affair – this was far better than Remember Ben Clayton but still far below the rest of the titles in the category.

3. The Remains of the Day – this title could very easily been in second place. I loved this book as much the second time around. Simon Prebble is a great narrator.

2. Heft – this book hit me personally and Keith Szarabajka’s narration was incredible. Had Kirby Heyborne felt natural to me from the beginning, it would have been difficult to choose my winner.

1. Bring Up the Bodies – this audiobook was simply something to behold. Mantel and Vance were a perfect combination. If I had the money and the rights (I have neither, by the way) I would commission Simon to narrate Wolf Hall. I sincerely hope that he will narrate the last book in this trilogy and I want a complete set. This audiobook is definitely my pick to win the Literary Fiction Audie Award this year.

Before a fellow Armchair Audies judge who shall remain nameless (but Bob knows who he is) gets all in my face judgy about my selection of a Simon Vance audiobook as the best in my category, I am not alone. Melanie from Overreader and Theresa from October Lace… Thoughts & Stitches feel the same way.