I’m SORRY it was juvenile (as well as dating me) to use that Phoenix Nights quote as a heading but I just couldn’t think of anything else once it had occurred to me. Anyway, I thought I’d put together some audiobook recommendations - here’s some of the fiction I’ve enjoyed listening to.

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

This novel is brilliantly read by Maggie Hoffman. The four Gold children visit a fortune teller who can, apparently, predict the date of your death, and the book follows each of their stories in turn. The characters are utterly believable, flawed and loving and anxious and driven and mixed-up. The low-key tragedies of families drifting apart, disappointment and missed chances to connect are hauntingly written - I definitely had a tear in my eye a few times - but there is a humour and warmth and tenderness too. Brilliant writing, beautifully brought to life.

The Maker of Swans by Paraic O’Donnell

I LOVE Paraic’s writing and this book was brilliantly narrated by Mike Grady and Imogen Wilde. The fantastical elements of the story are utterly convincing and it’s stuffed with wonderful characters, deft touches of wry humour, intriguing mystery, tension and just absolutely delicious writing. So playful and enjoyable, it reminded me of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke - an enormous compliment in my book. Imogen Wilde’s voice is just spellbinding and I’d like her to read me a bedtime story nightly, please.

Darling by Rachel Edwards

This was such a gripping listen. The central characters - Darling and her teenage stepdaughter Lola - are so compelling, so vividly and skilfully written. This is a novel with so much to say about Britain today, about prejudice, trauma, family and about love. It also boasts some brilliant flashes of humour - the schoolfriend’s mum who ‘over-Bodens’ had me snorting - and some spectacularly mouthwatering passages about cooking (someone give Rachel a food column please!) The narration by Jaimi Barbakoff and Adele Oni is absolutely pitch perfect.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

She’s a damn wizard. I resisted this book at first - so hyped and it sounded a bit too like One Day to me (I know, I know, everyone but me loved One Day). I was an idiotic boob, because it’s a wonderful, achingly sharp book and a great audiobook - I loved Aoife McMahon’s narration. Connell and Marianne are 100% real to me and I’ll fight anyone who dares suggest they are actually fictional characters. I was so anxious about the television adaptation but in my view they absolutely nailed it. Ooooh I could watch that again, pretty much weekly.

The Memory Chamber by Holly Cave

Thriller, love story, sci fi - this book has everything and I loved the narrator, Isobel, voiced by Imogen Church. She’s a heaven architect, designing artificial heavens for wealthy clients in a future that feels very plausible and close. It’s so thought-provoking: I kept speculating about the sights, sounds, smells and experiences that would be in my heaven, from roasted garlic through late summer evenings and mid-90s shoegazing indie to a warm cat purring on my lap and my kids giggling. It’s such an intriguing, brilliantly realised concept.

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The multiple narrators for this fictional ‘rockumentary’ meant it worked really well in audio - I felt I would have got mixed up between characters in the print edition but the ensemble cast brought them all to life so well. I loved this. The concept was so perfectly executed. Though I did feel it slightly flagged in the middle, the final chapters had me absolutely spellbound. Camila and Karen forever. If you liked this, look out for The Final Revival of Opal and Nev coming in 2021.

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