audiobooks featuring celebrity narrators

Go Set a Watchman

by Harper Lee

As a standalone book, this was far from amazing, but serious students of writing or literature will be enthralled by the ties between Watchman and Lee's beloved classic To Kill a Mockingbird. The comparisons are rich, and many. I had complicated feelings about reading this one but I'm so glad I did. (Here's how I approached this controversial work.)

The Watsons Go to Birmingham: 1963

by Christopher Paul Curtis

In this modern classic, 10-year-old Kenny and his family head south from their home in Flint, Michigan to visit Grandma in Birmingham—right as the church bombings are about to happen. This award-winning middle grade novel has both humor and depth, and LeVar Burton excels at highlighting the funny and the tragic with his excellent narration.

The Handmaid’s Tale

by Margaret Atwood

From the publisher: "The Handmaid's Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best."

The End of the Affair

by Graham Greene

Graham Greene is frequently included in "novels everyone should read" and "best of the century" lists, and I've been meaning to read him for years. But I'd never made it a priority ... until I found out that Colin Firth narrates this version. This short novel might not hold the broader appeal of the other novels on this list, but I found it enjoyable and thought-provoking, and Firth's narration is pitch perfect. If you love Brideshead Revisited, read this immediately.

Anne of Green Gables

by L.M. Montgomery

Audible released a new audio version of Anne of Green Gables narrated by Rachel McAdams, and you can get the ebook plus the audio version for combined as a Whispersync deal. It's important that you get THIS version of the ebook in order to get the Rachel McAdams narration. You don't have to be an Audible member to get this deal. Read more about how Whispersync deals work here.

Lincoln in the Bardo

by George Saunders

This is a story about Lincoln, America's 16th president—kind of. The "bardo" of the title is a Tibetan concept: it's a spiritual landscape—a kind of in-between place—where we are sent between physical lives. When Lincoln's son Willie was 11, he died of typhoid, plunging Lincoln into deep grief. Saunders uses this real event as a jumping-off point to explore the near-unbearable grief of an individual, linking it to the disarray of the country he leads, at the height of its Civil War, and imagines how Lincoln's despair changed the outcome of the war. I just finished this book, and whoa, was it strange. Interesting and experimental, but definitely strange. Pro tip: if you want to read it, do so on paper, not on Kindle.

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

by Sarah Vowell

Amazon's review says, "The Marquis de Lafayette, a.k.a. one of George Washington's best buds, is the subject of Sarah Vowell's latest offering. Why would a young French aristocrat venture to our shores to join Washington's army and fight in the Revolutionary War? He came for the glory! He came because he believed in American ideals! But, mainly it was for the Enlightenment ideas that were unevenly embraced by many of his fellow comrades—ideas that impacted the war. Anyone familiar with Vowell’s oeuvre knows what a knack she has for making the (seemingly) mundane fascinating. She also draws some oddly comforting parallels between that time and our own (turns out that politicians have been butting heads and acting like idiots, since the birth of our great nation)."

Letters to a Young Poet

by Rainer Maria Rilke

When Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke received a series of verses from a young student with the request to reply with feedback, he poured his insights and advice into the letters compiled here. You've probably encountered snippets from this compilation somewhere along the way; in less than two hours you can hear the complete work. If you have a creative bone in your body, it's well worth the time to give this a listen at least once, especially because it's read by Dan Stevens.

Heartburn

by Nora Ephron

Is it possible to write a sidesplitting novel about the breakup of the perfect marriage? If the writer is Nora Ephron, the answer is a resounding yes. The creator of Sleepless in Seattle reminds us that comedy depends on anguish as surely as a proper gravy depends on flour and butter. Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. Audie Award Finalist.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Narrated by Lin Manuel Miranda: A story of unlikely friendship between two Mexican-American teenage boys. Ari and Dante are both loners when they meet at a swimming pool and Dante offers to teach Ari how to swim. From there, a tentative friendship begins.

A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning

by Lemony Snicket

Welcome to an “unhappy tale about three very unlucky children.” The Baudelaire children receive terrible news and it only gets worse from there. This series is much loved by children everywhere. This audiobook, narrated by Tim Curry with a full cast, is fantastic.

Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs

by Caroline Knapp

Eighteen months after becoming sober, Knapp adopted a puppy from a shelter and thus altered the course of her life. Knapp explores the relationship between humans and animals, specifically the bond we can form with them, making for a rich, emotionally complex read. Audio narration by Hilary Swank.

Murder on the Orient Express

by Agatha Christie

It was supposed to be the perfect crime. But an avalanche stops the Orient Express in its tracks just before a passenger is found murdered in his berth, foiling the perpetrator's getaway, and trapping 13 potential suspects—each with an airtight alibi—in the train car with Inspector Hercule Poirot. If you've seen the movie, take note: Branagh changes Christie's ending. Hot tip: Dan Stevens's audio narration is fantastic.

The Girl from the Metropol Hotel: Growing up in Communist Russia

by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

Ludmilla Petrushevskaya has gone on to become one of Russia's most acclaimed authors but this is her story of where she started. She grew up in a disadvantaged family, coming of age in Stalinist Russia, sleeping in freight cars and searching for scraps of food. Her unflinching account is a powerful story of survival. Audio narration by Kate Mulgrew.

Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

If you’ve never read a single Jane Austen book, summer is a good time to start. Jane Austen books are great for the pool or vacation, they’re easy to find in throwaway versions, free for kindle, and the topics are fresh and fun enough for the beach. Honest.

audiobooks featuring celebrity narrators

a gateway

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summer reading starts May 16th