When I posted my thoughts on Audible’s A-List Collection of audiobooks and countered that listeners are best able to determine who the star narrators are for new listeners, the response was incredible. Through comments here and on Twitter, we certainly amassed a wonderful list of close to 100 narrators who make listening to audiobooks a true pleasure.
Lists are nice and I’m glad to have a permanent record of most of them recorded on my blog. Still, I think the Listener’s List deserves something more. Over the next couple of months, I’m planning on creating a home for the list. I’ve got many ideas flying around inside my head and I hope to at least actualize at least a few of them. Here is where I need your help.
You so graciously shared your favorite narrators. Over time, I want to officially highlight them all. When taken as a whole, the task is daunting. I need a place to start. Tanya from dog eared copy suggested that I create a poll and have audiobook fans vote on the the first narrators highlighted on the Listener’s List. I thought this was a brilliant idea. In order to make this manageable, I’ve compiled a Listener’s List poll for both male and female narrators. Once the votes have been tallied, I will highlight the top five from each list when the Listener’s List officially goes live.
Let’s kick this off with the ladies! Each of the female narrators who have been nominated by at least one listener are displayed in the poll below in alphabetical order. Between now and 11:59pm EST on Saturday, cast your vote for up to five of these fine narrators. The men’s poll will follow next week.
I very much appreciate your enthusiasm. By supporting those people who make our favorite audiobooks a compelling adventure, I know we’re supporting the vitality of the audiobook community as a whole. Long live audiobooks!
This is fun! Thanks for putting it together.
Thanks for your vote, Kathy! I think you were the first.
Next week we’ll vote for the men.
I’ve just voted. These are great ideas and please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need some help with the organization/logistics!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your tweets and support. Know that after the votes are all tallied I may come knocking at your door!
what? no barbara rosenblatt? i cast my vote for her–such a distinctive voice! she was haunting in her narration of ‘we need to talk about kevin’. i’ve listened to her narrate a bunch of the goldy cosy mysteries, too.
I’ve been wanting to read We Need to Talk about Kevin for a long time now. Sounds like it would make a great introduction to Barbara Rosenblatt. I hope you noticed that I added her to the poll.
“we need to talk about kevin” was (also?) read by Coleen Marlo, definitely my top pick! I used to listen to audiobooks to help me sleep. Not with Coleen! She’s won audiobook reader of the year, earphones, etc. Knows her chops, and I like her amazing characterizations. Also try Pilgrims by Elizabeth Gilbert and so many others.
I’m so happy to see Katherine Kellgren doing so well! Her narration of ASHES by Ilsa J. Bick gave me chills!
Thanks so much for your vote! Katherine Kellgren also was amazing in her narration of The Boy in the Suitcase. Love her!
This is such a great list! I hadn’t heard of so many of these narrators and I’m excited to see who surfaces to the top so I can find more narrators to listen to. Thank you so much for doing this!
I’d definitely add Angela Dawe to the list as well. She narrates a lot of YA, but also some romance. My first experience listening to her was The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, she did an amazing job! (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3093275.Angela_Dawe)
Thanks so much for your vote! I’ve added Angela Dawe to the list. She definitely needs to be added here.
I wish Lisette Lecat was on this list. She’s the reason I listen to the #1 Ladies Detective series.
I have added her to the list! Thanks for letting me know about her. I have to check that series out.
No Tanya Eby or Sophie Eastlake? I would have voted for them if they were on the list.
They are both there now. Thanks so much for suggesting them!
I did vote. This has been fun to see how many great narrators there are out there
Exactly! Next in doubt of what to listen to next, I’m heading to the list.
I’m so delighted to see Kate Rudd included here! The amount of work she put into narrating my novels was just immense. The Crowded Shadows in particular must have presented a huge challenge – with broken syntax, large sections of old Irish and many different types of voices, all of which Kate managed to make sound effortless. Thank you so, so much for recognizing her this way. You can read just how happy I was with her work in this wee blog post I wrote at the time if you like. It gives some indication of the amount of work she put into it (including skype sessions with me, my Estonian translator (so we could get the Norse names right) and my Irish language expert (so we could get the old Irish words right)
What a wonderful compliment! I love how authors and readers both appreciate audiobook narrators. Thanks so much for stopping by and shedding a different light on the work that goes behind narrating a book.
Only 5? I mean, come on. There are so many brilliant names on this list! You’re killing me.
Do you ever feel like it’s an secret super-power, having access to so many excellent titles narrated by so many excellent voices? I try and I try to get more people to listen to books, but meanwhile, I’m smug and happy that I know about this wonderful thing that they are ignoring. Someday they’ll all learn.
Now, since I just finished a Katherine Kellgren & a Victor Slezak, I have a decision to make – will it be the Kate Rudd next? The Justine Eyre?The Orlagh Cassidy, the Susan Duerden, the Lorelei King? I am truly spoilt for choice.
> Susan Duerden
Whose name I looked for in this poll, but did not find. Consider this my write-in vote, as she is one of my favorite narrators. Her work on Embassytown was brilliant.
I’ve now added Susan Duerden to the poll with your vote first and foremost! Thanks so much for giving her a shout out!
Ha! I had to limit the votes somehow. If you could only vote for one, it would be impossible. With five, at least you can share some wealth and help narrow down the list a little bit for me to get started on the Listener’s List.
I love what you have to say about that happy, smug feeling of knowing that you get audiobooks and so many others, despite our best evangelization, don’t. We’re the lucky ones!
For some reason I do not see the poll. All I see is the comments under the post. Am I just a noob?
Heather, I am glad we were able to juryrig a way around your issue. I really wonder what it was. Thanks so much for your votes! They’ve been added!
How is it Alison Larkin, one of Audible’s very top sellers is not on this list???
I compiled the list based oon comments to my original post about creating a Listener’s List. Any narrator loved by readers will be included. Thanks for bringing her to my attention.
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