
Roxana Ortega reading A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. This is a book with over 20 different fully-fleshed out characters. Ortega manages to capture all of them, including men and women of various ages and mental states, without actually acting out the voices.
Ari Fliakos reading The Nix, by Nathan Hill. This novel contains a lot of satirical observations and slow-burn humor, but also some understated emotional moments. Fliakos makes every line as memorable as it deserves to be.
Adjoa Andoh reading Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This is a book with a wide range of characters from around the world. Andoh seems to be able to capture every accent, and her nuanced voice acting brings even the most minor characters to life.
Mohsin Hamid reading his own novel, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Being an author is a very different skill than narrating an audiobook, so it’s rare that the best voice for the book belongs to the person who wrote it. This book is definitely an exception. I could listen to Mohsin Hamid’s voice reading Mohsin Hamid’s writing all day.
These are four of my absolute favorites, but there’s also a longer list of books with good audio versions on my Goodreads page. And, if you’ve got audiobook recommendations of your own, feel free to share @RoxannaElden on Twitter. I’m always looking for a new great audio-read.