Commute with Celebrities: 10 Audiobooks Read by Famous Voices
Audiobooks are having a moment. Sure, bookworms and scholars have long cherished them, but with the recent resurgence of celebrity narrators, book recordings have taken on new levels of popularity. And we’re not surprised. Filled with knowledge and star power, audiobooks are an easy way to enjoy the latest literature without having to actually read it.
So to celebrate the beauty of book recordings, we’ve rounded up our favorite celeb-read classics for your consideration. Whether you listen to them in the car or on the subway, all are guaranteed to liven up your daily travels. Read ahead for ten A-list approved audiobooks.
Rachel McAdams reads “Anne of Green Gables”
Looking for an audiobook the whole family can enjoy during your next cross-country trip? Rachel McAdams’ recently released reading of the Lucy Maud Montgomery novel shares the story of young, orphaned Anne with a whole new generation—and just in time for the Netflix series!
Kate Winslet reads “Matilda”
Leave it to Kate Winslet to take a children’s novel to the next level. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s “Matilda,” the Oscar-winning actress whimsically narrates the beloved tale of one girl’s crusade against insensitive adults. Kids and nostalgic grownups everywhere, rejoice!
Maggie Gyllenhaal reads “Anna Karenina”
The second we heard film darling Maggie Gyllenhaal would be recording Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,” we were obsessed. The Russian author’s 864-page magnum opus about a woman’s loveless marriage (and affair gone awry) is begging to be savored by a new era of readers—err, listeners.
Johnny Cash reads The New Testament
The only thing cooler than Johnny Cash reciting the entire New King James Version of The New Testament is the fact that it was his mom’s idea. After 20 years of his mother begging him to record the Bible, the Man in Black—who was also an ordained minister—finally made it happen in 1990 (a year before her death).
Anne Hathaway reads “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
Who better to recount the timeless adventures of Dorothy (and her little dog, too) than Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway? Not only does the movie star do a knock out job of narrating the story’s unique range of characters—the cowardly lion, anyone?—she does it in a way that is guaranteed to entertain both adults and children alike.
Nicole Kidman reads “To the Lighthouse”
If you never got a chance to read the Virginia Woolf classic “To the Lighthouse” in college, you’re in luck. A-List actress Nicole Kidman—who won an Oscar for portraying Woolf in the 2002 film The Hours—recorded all three parts of the introspective tale about domestic family life exclusively for Audible.com.
Benedict Cumberbatch reads “The Metamorphosis”
Lovers of Franz Kafka’s dark tale about a man-turned-cockroach will revel in Benedict Cumberbatch’s stony reading of “The Metamorphosis“—on it’s 100th anniversary, no less. And fans of the English actor can delight in his deadpan storytelling skills that sound straight out of one of his highly-acclaimed films.
Sissy Spacek reads “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Not only is actress Sissy Spacek’s reading of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” almost as popular as the book itself, the story—about racial injustice and heroism in the deep South—is as relevant as ever.
Diane Keaton reads “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”
Few people are better suited to narrate Joan Didion’s treasured collection of essays, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” than actress Diane Keaton. Much like the beloved writer, Keaton—the Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall—is revered for her progressive attitude and highly stylized personality.
Tina Fey reads “Bossypants”
Okay so it’s technically not a classic but Tina Fey narrating her memoir “Bossypants” is pretty spectacular. Before she was SNL royalty and the mastermind behind 30 Rock, she was just a small town girl with a dream of being a comedienne—and her rise to stardom (in her own words) is every bit as comical as you’d expect.