(Yeah. I know. I never thought I’d be writing this post, either.)

My appreciation for audio books took a while to develop. Okay, maybe that’s not all that honest – my tolerance of audio books took a while to develop. Getting to a stage where I actually enjoyed them? Yeah, that took me several years. Several years and multiple wasted Audible credits on books that did nothing but frustrate me.

But I’ve finally seen the light (heard the… song?) – not only are audio books incredibly convenient, they’re also just really enjoyable. I mean, aren’t audio books just the adult equivalent of having a parent or loved one read to you? Except that in this case, the loved one reading to me is Emma Thompson, and she’s narrating a story while I cook, or paint my nails, or drive, or walk, or pretend to be engaging in a conversation with my hair deftly arranged over my ears and the cable of my earphones tucked into my shirt so that it looks like I’m concerned about the rising price of fuel when actually I’m just panicking because Emma Woodhouse is wreaking catastrophic havoc on poor Harriet Smith’s life…

As one does.

Point being, audio books are incredible for their multitasking potential. But back to my other point: they’re wonderfully entertaining – sometimes even more so than the physical written copy of a novel. Unconvinced? Perfect. Because I’ve got three audible books that will send you into a tailspin and change your whole perspective on life and the universe.

At the very least, they’ll nourish your appreciation for audible versions.

 

3. Emma by Jane Austen

[View the Audible version here]

I already alluded to this one twice above, but that’s just because it is such a lovely version. Jane Austen can be a difficult author to read – it took me forever to get to a point where I could read her novels for pleasure, and even then there are points where I think to myself Why am I doing this to myself when I could be rereading Six of Crows for the fifth time? (Spoiler alert: because I have to. Because it’s for my degree.) And Emma… well. Emma and I did not get along so well. That is, until I realised that Audible had an original dramatised version narrated by Emma Thompson with an all-star supporting cast. Do yourself a favour; whether you have to read Emma for school or just to tell your friends that you made it through a whole Austen novel without crying, this is the way to go.

 

2. Mythos by Stephen Fry

[View the Audible version here]

There’s not much to be said about this one. What’s better than reading Stephen Fry’s take on the most popular Greek Myths? Having Stephen Fry read it to you himself. And honestly, after listening to Mythos I’ve realised that I only trust British comedians and their dry humour to do it justice.

Watch this to get just a taste of the 15 hour (!!!) audio book:

 

1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

[View the Audible version here]

I’ll be honest: I’m a little biased when it comes to this version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz because it was what made me fall in love with audio books. I can still remember listening to it on a long car trip and being completely enchanted by Dorothy all over again. But that’s not to say that this isn’t an objectively incredible version of the original. Two words: Anne Hathaway. I can’t think of a better way to enter into the magical world of audio books than drifting off to sleep while the Academy Award-winning actress reads one of the best stories ever written to me. She even does the voices. What more could you want?

Go forth into the world with your newfound knowledge and your headphones on! Fulfill your wildest reading dreams of being able to consume books on the go (without bumping into people and trees and lampposts and accidentally stumbling into rabbit holes)! And drop your Audible recs below, please, because I have a holiday coming up and four unused credits on my account that I refuse to let go to waste.