15 Best Audiobook Narrators to find your next great listen

Anyone who listens to audiobooks knows that the narrator can make or break your experience with a book, but who has time to go weeding out the good narrators from the bad? Look no further, bookish friends, I’ve done the work for you.

I am an avid reader, and I consume books in all the ways: paperbacks, hardcovers, ebooks, audiobooks, osmosis by leaving them in the bed with me when I go to sleep. I’m passionate about finding and recommending the best books, and that includes audiobooks.

This list of the best audiobook narrators is the result of my own extensive audiobook listening habits. I’ve also discovered some of these narrators by researching what other listeners’ favorites are, and what narrators get recommended the most passionately on online forums.

In this post, I’ll tell you what these narrators’ strengths are, some great audiobook recommendations, and what genres you can typically find them reading, so you can find the perfect audiobook narrator for your preferences and listening habits. While no narrator is universally beloved without exception, hopefully with this post we can find at least a few you are bound to enjoy.

Don’t forget to pin this post for later reference when you need to find another great audiobook!

Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.

---

Richard Armitage

Not every actor can translate from the screen to your headphones for audiobook listening, but actor Richard Armitage seems born to be an audiobook narrator. I first encountered him when I watched him as the quixotic romantic lead Mr. Thornton in the BBC adaptation of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (read it and watch it! It’s fantastic).

He is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, but his voice takes him to the next level, which makes him such a fantastic audiobook narrator. I thoroughly enjoyed his reading of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, which is one of the books included in the Audible Plus catalog. 

Armitage has also narrated an assortment of books from The Velveteen Rabbit to a few Agatha Christie novels. But in some of the best pairings, he also narrates some of the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming (perfect voice for it) and some romance novels, like WanderLUST. 

I haven’t listened to any of the romance novels he reads yet, but they’re on my list. You know when a romance writer says the romantic lead “growled”? Richard Armitage might be one of the only humans alive who can actually pull that off.  

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Thriller (James Bond)
• Mystery
• Classic literature

---

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry is one of the most well-known audiobook narrators, and for good reason. He’s absolutely fantastic. If you’re from England, you’ll instantly recognize him as the voice of the Harry Potter series (though in the US, it’s Jim Dale, see below). Though he’s perhaps best known for the Potter audiobooks, he’s narrated so many more, totaling over 100 audiobooks. 

Stephen Fry is an English audiobook narrator and actor, and he’s one of the most dynamic audiobook readers out there. He has a great range of character voices, does a great job varying his delivery, and he’s got a cheekiness to him that makes any books he narrates extra fun to listen to.

Stephen Fry is undoubtedly one of the best audiobook narrators when it comes to children’s literature. You can check out the Stephen Fry reading of the Harry Potter series, yes, but also The Ickabog by JK Rowling, the Winnie the Pooh collection by A.A. Milne, the Paddington Bear series, and A Boy Called Christmas, a fantastic Christmas book for all ages. 

Don’t be fooled, though; he doesn’t exclusively read children’s books. I recommend checking out the Stephen Fry audiobook reading of the Sherlock Holmes collection (which is included free for subscribers in the Audible Plus catalog), The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and the Mythos trilogy, a series of Greek mythology retellings he wrote and narrated. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Children’s fiction (especially Harry Potter and classic children’s lit)
• “Cheeky” literature
• Greek mythology

---

Related: If you’ve been debating whether or not Audible is worth it, check out my detailed break-down and honest Audible review, as well as my tips for saving money on your membership if you decide to sign up.

---

Davina Porter

Like so many others, I first fell in love with Davina Porter’s audiobook narration when I discovered the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. In narrating the series, Porter manages both British and Scottish accents and pulls off a male romantic lead voice that doesn’t grate on the ears as it sometimes can when a female narrator forces their voice into too low a register. 

Davina Porter’s works are not restricted to the Outlander audiobooks, however (though those alone are certainly a feat! And Outlander gets my recommendation for the one of the best books set in Scotland). Davina Porter has also narrated several classic novels, like Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Villette by Charlotte Brontë, and Far From the Madding Crowd, my favorite novel by Thomas Hardy and perhaps one of my favorite novels of all time (it’s also free in the Audible Plus catalog for subscribers). 

Davina Porter also narrates a number of cozy mystery novels (like the Edwardian Murder Mysteries and the Martha’s Vineyard Mysteries) and The Sunday Philosophy Club series by Alexander McCall Smith, who writes some of my go-to cozy fiction. 

She’s incredibly prolific and has narrated more than 150 audiobooks in total. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Historical fiction (Outlander)
• Cozy mysteries
• Classic literature

---

Related: Outlander is one of my top picks for the best books included in your Audible Plus subscription. Check out my other 49 picks.

---

Kate Reading

Another fan favorite when it comes to the best audiobook readers is Kate Reading. She has won multiple Audie awards for her narrations and was given the AudioFile’s lifetime achievement honor for audiobook narrators.

The rather appropriately named Reading is a incredibly prolific narrator and has an impressive variety of books in her repertoire. Classic literature lovers can listen to Kate Reading’s narration of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen as well as The Letters of Jane Austen. 

Fantasy fanatics love her reading of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan novels. Prefer romance? Kate Reading is one of the narrators of the Julia Quinn series that inspired the Bridgerton series on Netflix.

Mystery lovers can check out her reading of the Lady Sherlock series (some of which is included in the Audible Plus catalog), and fans of historical fiction can check out Kate Reading’s narration of Elizabeth I. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Fantasy
• Romance
• Mystery
• Classic literature

---

Ray Porter

Ray Porter is an audiobook reader with a near-cult following. If you search for the most often recommended audiobook narrators on Reddit, for example, you’re going to see his name crop up time and time again. Countless audiobook listeners will listen to anything as long as it’s narrated by Ray Porter. 

Ray Porter specializes in science fiction novels and won the Audie Award in 2022 for his reading of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. But he’s an audiobook narrator that appreciates variety. He even narrated the children’s classic, Charlotte’s Web, and The Amityville Horror, which is available for free to Audible subscribers. 

His devotees appreciate Ray Porter’s skill with accents and his comfortable, calm reading voice. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Science fiction
• Thriller
• War fiction

---

Bill Bryson

I don’t often laugh out loud in books, but when I do, there’s a pretty good chance I’m reading something by Bill Bryson. There’s something about his educated, dry, self-deprecating humor that just tickles my funny bone, and that of so many other readers. 

I enjoy reading Bill Bryson books on my own, but I also love listening to him read them. He has an interesting narrative voice; he’s American, but he lived in England for decades. So he has what I’d describe as a softened American accent with a British cadence. Sounds weird, but it just works. 

If you’re looking for something entertaining to read, then Bill Bryson is one of the best audiobook narrators (and authors) out there. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Comedy
• Non-fiction (with a comedic twist)

---

---

Related: Audible isn’t the only subscription option for audiobook listeners. Check out my detailed breakdown of what I like and don’t like about the new Spotify audiobook subscription.

---

Ruby Dee

I first encountered Ruby Dee when I finally listened to the beautiful classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God. I had tried to read it on my own a couple of times in high school but got too lost in the weeds of reading dialect, which makes it hard to read as quickly as I like to. So, I finally decided to listen to it, and I’m so glad I did.

Ruby Dee’s voice reminds me of Maya Angelou’s — deep, resonant, Southern, dynamic. She didn’t narrate many books during her lifetime, but she gifted us with several readings of books by Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison, among a handful of others. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Modern American classics

---

Edward Herrmann

Edward Hermann will always carry a soft spot in my heart for his role as Richard Gilmore in Gilmore Girls (my all-time favorite TV show; brilliant writing), but I had no idea until more recent years that he also gifted us with an extensive number of audiobooks. 

Edward Hermann’s voice is both commanding and soothing, a memorable baritone. His narration of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is absolutely iconic and one of my favorite audiobooks I’ve ever listened to. In total, he narrated over 100 audiobooks. 

I’d lovingly call Edward Hermann “your dad’s favorite narrator” purely because the books he narrated are the exact genre that my dad would read. Some of the books he’s narrated include The Boys in the Boat, several Bill O’Reilly books, biographies of historical figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, many David McCullough books, and even Louis L’Amour novels. 

For those wanting to try a lighter read by Edward Hermann, he is also the voice of the children’s book series, Geronimo Stilton, as well as the beloved early reader novel, Misty of Chincoteague. I think it’s safe to say that Edward Hermann, in addition to being a gifted actor, was also one of the best audiobook readers of the English-speaking world. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Historical non-fiction
• Biography
• Western literature
• Children’s literature

---

Maya Angelou

I could listen to Maya’s voice forever. Maya Angelou was an American poet and memoirist who mastered the art of the literary memoir. She wrote seven memoirs in total, each covering different periods of her fascinating, magical, challenging life, beginning with the most well-known, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. 

Maya’s voice is unforgettable and unmistakable — deep, melodic, and joyful, with a cadence all her own. I absolutely love her readings of her own books and poems, and so do thousands of Audible listeners, who rave about her reading performance. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Memoir
• Poetry

---

Jim Dale

There’s always been a heated, mostly friendly debate over the best Harry Potter narrator — Stephen Fry, who read the British version of the books, or Jim Dale, who read the American version. Having grown up with the Jim Dale readings of the Harry Potter series, I definitely have a soft spot for him. 

If you haven’t listened to Jim Dale’s Harry Potter readings, you are in for a treat, because I place Dale among the very best audiobook readers. His voices are varied and consistent (not easy to do with hundreds of different characters), and his interpretation absolutely delightful. 

For those looking to listen to more audiobooks read by Jim Dale, check out The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Children’s fantasy literature

---

Related: Harry Potter fan? Put this on your travel bucket list: the Queen City Mischief and Magic Festival in Staunton, Virginia is one of the best festivals I’ve ever attended.

---

Rosamund Pike 

Rosamund Pike might not be as prolific an audiobook reader as some, but her work is so high quality that she’s earned a place on this list of the best audiobook narrators. 

Rosamund Pike is also an actress, and so far, many of her audiobook readings have been correlated with her acting roles. In 2023, she won the Audie Award for Best Female Narrator for her reading of Eye of the World in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (She stars in the TV adaptation of the Wheel of Time series in the role of Moiraine). 

Fans of classic literature will recognize her as Jane Bennet in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie adaptation. So unsurprisingly, Rosamund Pike has also narrated two Jane Austen novels: Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (both of these books are included in the Audible Plus catalog for Audible subscribers). 

I’d describe Rosamund Pike as a soothing, pleasant audiobook narrator. Her speaking voice falls in the alto range, which I find to be perfect for audiobooks, and she reads in her dignified British accent.

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Fantasy / Robert Jordan
• Classics / Jane Austen

---

Andy Serkis 

When it comes to character voices, few can rival Andy Serkis, who I’d name as one of the best audiobook narrators, even if his credits aren’t as lengthy as some of the other readers on this list. 

In the way that Jim Dale and Stephen Fry readings of the Harry Potter series have become iconic, so, too, have Andy Serkis’s readings of the Lord of the Rings series by JRR Tolkien. 

You might already know that Andy Serkis is the actor behind Gollem/Smeagol in the Lord of the Rings movies, both old and new. But in his reading of Tolkien’s books, we can really appreciate the full range of his abilities. His character voices are unique, distinct, and unforced, and his dedication to the performance makes it truly immersive. 

Andy Serkis has narrated The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings Series, and the Silmarillion. If you can’t get enough of his voice acting, you can also find him voicing specific characters in several other books, like David Williams books and The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Fantasy (JRR Tolkien universe)

---

Paul Michael 

I think Paul Michael is an often overlooked and underrated audiobook reader, and I’d love to remedy that. I first fell in love with his reading of Cathedral of the Sea, an epic historical fiction novel that takes place in Barcelona during the middle ages. It’s a lengthy novel, but the combination of great writing and great reading kept me not just focused but enthralled the whole time. 

Paul Michael is better known, though, for voicing most of the novels by Dan Brown, including The DaVinci Code, Inferno, Origin, and The Lost Symbol. Beyond that, Michael has narrated an assortment of non-fiction books and the Wendell Berry novel A Place on Earth. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Thriller/adventure (Dan Brown novels)
• Historical fiction
• Non-fiction

---

Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh built his career on the works of William Shakespeare, so he’s a man who understands how to utilize his speaking voice as a storytelling instrument. He’s a dynamic reader in an enormous variety of genres, and you’ll be hard pressed to zone out when he is the one doing the reading. 

I really can’t keep him off of this list of the best audiobook readers, because it would simply be dishonest to do so. Unsurprisingly, Branagh has recorded a number of Shakespeare’s plays as audiobooks and even some Chekov plays as well. Branagh has also recorded a number of classic novels available on Audible, including The Heart of Darkness (free for Audible members) and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. 

Those looking for something less “high brow” can also enjoy Branagh’s audiobook readings of several Agatha Christie novels (appropriate, since he has appeared in multiple film adaptations as detective Hercule Poirot). 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Classic plays (Shakespeare/Chekov)
• Classic literature
• Mystery (Agatha Christie)

---

Joanne Froggat 

Joanne Froggat is definitely one of my personal favorite Audible narrators. She is also an actor, perhaps best known for playing the lady’s maid Anna in Downton Abbey. If you know her from the show, you know that her voice is as sweet as pie, and this carries over into her audiobook narration as well. 

Joanne Froggat has some great audiobooks available, including a number of classic novels, like Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (available for free for Audible Plus subscribers) and an audio adaptation of Emma by Jane Austen (also on Audible Plus). 

Froggat also specializes in what can be classified as “book club fiction,” including titles like The Clockmaker’s Daughter, The Secret Keeper, and The Lake House, by Kate Morton. She also reads quite a few thriller titles, like Silent Child, I Invited Her In, and Just Another Missing Person. 

Top Audiobook Genres at a glance:

• Book club fiction
• Thriller
• Classic literature

---

That wraps up this list of the 15 best audiobook readers. Hopefully these recommendations help you find your next great audiobook listen. Did I miss any of your favorites? Drop them in the comments, or feel free to email them to me!

Don’t forget to pin this post for later, and join my newsletter mailing list so you don’t miss out on any more great book recommendations or literary travel destinations!