As an avid book-smeller, there’s really nothing that can replace sitting down with an old book and a warm cup of coffee…snuggling up under a blanket as a storm rolls in…or watching the late summer afternoons slowly turn into night…those are my favorite times to read – but let’s be honest, sometimes it’s hard to find moments in the day to actually sit down and relax with a book.
Try as you might, the laundry still has to get done, dishes have to be cleaned, kids have to be transported from one activity to the next…not to mention when you finally do have time to sit down, opening a book and reading might just be enough to instantly put you into a deep sleep.
Thankfully, us bookworms can still get our shizz done and enjoy a little literary flair with the invention of the audiobook. Though books on tape, books on CD, hell – even books on 45’s – have been around for a long time, the ability to listen to a book via the Internet is certainly a game-changer…and readers of all ages and types are enjoying services like Audible, Libravox, and even iTunes to listen to their favorite books as they drive, walk, work, or cook.
And, when it comes to audiobooks, the voice is the thing…a dull voice makes for a dull story. To help introduce readers to older classics and new possible best-sellers, publishers have started to reach out to celebrities to offer their voices to the words of Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Harper Lee, Earnest Hemingway, Roald Dahl, and so many more…and celebrities of all calibers have answered the call.
So whether you’re jumping in your car for a summer road trip or snuggling up under a blanket watching a late summer storm, these audiobooks are sure to keep you company…soothing you, entertaining you, enlightening you – like an old friend – with a voice you’ve come to know and love.
29 Audiobooks Read by Celebrities
The End the Affair, Graham Greene
Narrated by: Colin Firth
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum
Narrated by: Anne Hathaway
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain
Narrated by: Nick Offerman
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Claire Danes
To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
Narrated by: Nicole Kidman
A Rage in Harlem, Chester Himes
Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson
Being There, Jerzy Kosinski
Narrated by: Dustin Hoffman
Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion
Narrated by: Diane Keaton
The Member of the Wedding, Carson McCullers
Narrated by: Susan Sarandon
Dracula, Bram Stoker
Narrated by: Alan Cumming
The Human Comedy, William Saroyan
Narrated by: Meg Ryan
Life, Keith Richards
Narrated by: Johnny Depp
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
Narrated by: Maggie Gyllenhaal
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
Narrated by: John Slattery
A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket
Narrated by: Tim Curry
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery
Narrated by: Rachel McAdams
Matilda, Roald Dahl
Narrated by: Kate Winslet
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Narrated by: Sissy Spacek
Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee
Narrated by: Reese Witherspoon
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Narrated by: Stephen Fry
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Narrated by: Rosamund Pike
Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders
Narrated by: Nick Offerman, David Sedaris, Lena Dunham, and more
The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien
Narrated by: Bryan Cranston
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Narrated by: Jake Gyllenhaal
Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
Narrated by: James Franco
Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
Narrated by: Gary Sinese
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling
Narrated by: Eddie Redmayne
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman Capote
Narrated by: Michael C. Hall
Looking for a new book to read? Check in every Friday for a “Bee Happy” post, where I share reviews of books I’ve read or other book-themed lists.
The Hob-bee Hive 