Quintessentially British Audiobooks

The Remains of the Day

by Kazuo Ishiguro

I waited far too long to read this one. Jim Mustich, author of 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die, and I chatted about Ishiguro’s famous novel on Episode 165 of What Should I Read Next. If you’re craving a road trip through the English countryside, or you just saw the Downton Abbey movie and need more stories of upstairs-downstairs dynamics, this book is for you. Stevens, longtime butler of an English country estate, takes a much-needed vacation to drive through the country and visit friends. Over the course of his trip, he reflects on his past exposing his quiet and unseen role in history. This book is indeed worth reading in this lifetime.

Quick Service

by P. G. Wodehouse

This hilarious standalone novel is a perfect introduction to Wodehouse's quirky humor. Beatrice Chavender is visiting her sister just outside of London. At breakfast, she takes a bite of "inferior ham." and soon everyone around her suffers the consequences. Sprinkle in some romance, and plenty of ridiculous antics, and this novel is simply a joy to read. It leaps off the page like a 1940's MGM musical or an Oscar Wilde play. If you enjoy British humor, this is a must-read.

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Persuasion

by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice should be read in the spring; Emma in the summer. But Persuasion is for fall. This the last novel Austen completed before her death, and it’s darker and more serious in tone than her earlier works. With its themes of love, regret, and fidelity, this is my favorite Austen novel—at least some of the time. But always in autumn.

Winnie the Pooh

by A. A. Milne

Who says bedtime stories are just for kids? Winnie the Pooh is timeless, and there’s nothing like a warm, cozy tale of friendship to end your day on a happy note. The audiobook version features talented British actors Stephen Fry and Judi Dench, who bring the Hundred Acre Wood to life.

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Jane Eyre

by Charlotte Bronte

This groundbreaking classic is a gothic romance, mystery, and psychological thriller all rolled into one; its themes were astonishingly modern for 1847. If you never read it in high school, give it a try now. You’ll be kicking yourself for not reading it decades sooner. Those who have read it will spot its influence everywhere. We follow Jane Eyre from childhood to adulthood as she learns to speak up for herself and makes bold choices.

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Nikki has spent most of adulthood distancing herself from her family's Sikh traditions, but when her father's unexpected death leaves the family in dire financial straits, she finds a new job teaching creative writing at London’s Punjabi community center. Due to a miscommunication, the Sikh widows show up to class expecting to learn basic English language skills, and Nikki isn't sure what to do. One day, a student brings in a collection of sexy stories to read in English. The women are intrigued, and Nikki quickly realizes that beneath their prim and proper exteriors, the widows hold romantic histories and fantasies in their hearts. Beneath this heartwarming tale of community and the power of storytelling is a compelling mystery. I couldn't stop listening to find out what happens next.

First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen

by Charlie Lovett

Who really wrote Pride and Prejudice? That mystery drives this literary thriller, which plunges the reader into the world of first editions, secondhand books, and zealous collectors. When a young librarian discovers a document that casts doubt on Austen’s authorship of Pride and Prejudice, she struggles to clear her beloved author of plagiarist charges before it’s too late. Lovett flips back and forth between the time when Jane was writing her best-known story and today’s desperate race to prove her innocence. Lovett’s love of books permeates every page. Farfetched? Of course, but piles (stacks?) of fun for booklovers. If you love this, go back and read Lovett's fantastic debut The Bookman's Tale.

The Thursday Murder Club (The Thursday Murder Club Book 1)

by Richard Osman

This book remind me so much of Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote. It's a fun mystery that will appeal to readers of all ages. Plus, it looks like the first in what will be a series! It's set in a retirement community, where four friends meet in the Jigsaw Room every week to chat about unsolved crimes. This group of 70-somethings call themselves "The Thursday Murder Club." When bodies start piling up in a live and local case, they set out to catch a killer. Completely charming, and so well-narrated by Lesley Manville.

Wolf Hall

by Hilary Mantel

I've been meaning to read this modern classic and 2009 Booker Prize winner for AGES: it's been often praised as a believable and meticulously researched novelization of Tudor England in the Cromwell era. Fall felt like a good time to finally jump in; at my friend Mel's urging, I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ben Miles. This is a tale both of Henry VIII's court and of human nature; Wolf Hall, the first in a trilogy, covers the era when the king has determined to marry Anne Boleyn but is still married to Katherine of Aragon, and is pressuring everyone in his circle to make his new marriage possible. I had to mind every word, glance, raised eyebrow, and stiffened shoulder to track who was currently in the king's graces and whose very life was in peril. This was exquisitely done and I'm so glad I finally read it.

And Then There Were None

by Agatha Christie

This is the world's best-selling mystery—and when I found out the audio version was read by Dan Stevens, I couldn't resist. (Loved it.) Ten strangers are lured to a deserted island, and then they begin dying, one by one, victims of a disturbingly wide range of murders. They share one thing in common: each has something in their past they would prefer to keep hidden. Who is the murderer, and will any of them survive?

Magpie Murders

by Anthony Horowitz

Editor Susan Ryeland has worked with Alan Conway for years, putting up with his eccentricities for the sake of his bestselling detective series. Every Atticus Pünd mystery novel feels pretty much the same to Susan by now, each one set in a small English village, following an Agatha Christie-like formula. When Susan reads Conway’s latest, however, she finds there might be more to the fictional mystery at Pye Hall. The more she reads, the more she becomes convinced of a real life mystery between the pages. A tale of greed and gruesome murder prompts Susan to investigate in this clever novel-within-a-novel.

The Complete Sherlock Holmes

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

If you've never read Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't count), start here: this collection features more than 50 short stories and four novels: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear. These masterful works still feel fresh and new, and hold up to repeated rereadings.

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Quintessentially British Audiobooks

The Remains of the Day

Quick Service

Persuasion

Winnie the Pooh

Jane Eyre

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows

First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen

The Thursday Murder Club (The Thursday Murder Club Book 1)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Wolf Hall

And Then There Were None

A Quiet Life in the Country

Magpie Murders

The Complete Sherlock Holmes

Quintessentially British Audiobooks

a gateway

to reliable joy this summer

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summer reading starts May 16th