Best Audiobooks of 2013

 My favorite way of consuming is a book is through a well-narrated audiobook. Here is some information about the best of the best YA audiobooks from 2013.

Audiofile Magazine (December/January Issue):

• Far Far Away by Tom McNeal, read by W. Morgan Sheppard. 

"W. Morgan Sheppard embodies the haunting aspects of this dark tale...[He] is the voice of Jacob Grimm. Sheppard's tone conveys Jacob's tenderness toward his charge [Jeremy Johnson Johnson.]"---Audiofile

•  The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton

"Patton's narration enriches this contemporary fantasy...His drawl hints at the social divide between prep school boys and the less fortunate...[His] softened tones add to the suspense."---Audiofile

•  The President Has Been Shot by James Swanson, read by Will Patton

"Patton is purposeful and precise as he narrates...With brisk and urgent pacing, Patton voices each factual nugget and lets it hang momentarily before passing on to the next."---Audiofile

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, read by Rebecca Lowman

"One of Lowman's great strengths is the way she portrays the vulnerability of [Rowell's] characters."---Audiofile

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, read by Lin-Manuel Miranda
• A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty, read by Fiona Hardingham
• Darius and Twig by Walter Dean Myers, read by Brandon Gill
• Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, read by Rebecca Lowman and Sunhil Mohatra

The Audie Awards are announced in May. Here is a list of the audiobooks that won the 2013 Audie Awards for teens.

Odyssey Awards

“The nine members of the Odyssey committee were taken to other lands, times, and situations as they listened to hundreds of audiobooks and joyously chose the best,” said Odyssey Award Committee Chair Ellen Rix Spring. - ALA/Odyssey Award Page

• Winner: Scowler by Daniel Kraus, read by Kirby Heyborne (YA)

"In this gripping and horrific tale, Kirby Heyborne’s flawless narration features humming, clicks, and sounds that are not of this world."---from the ALA website

• Honor books:

1. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, read by Rebecca Lowman and Sunhil Malhotra (YA)
2. Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, read by James Naughton (Junior)
3. Matilda by Roald Dahl, read by Kate Winslet (Junior)
4. Better Nate than Never by Tim Federle, read by the author (Junior)

My favorites. I listened to 25 audiobooks this past year that would be considered YA (or that I think young adults would like.) Many were published in previous years. Of the books that were published in 2013 here  are my favorites:

• Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, read by Rebecca Lowman and Sunhil Malhotra. I like it when books that have two narrators also have two voice actors reading the parts. Both Lowman and Malhotra did an excellent job with their parts which helped me, the listener, to really empathize with the characters.
• The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton. I am not only wild about Maggie Stiefvater and her writing but I am also wild about Will Patton and his work as a voice actor. I think I could listen to him all day. I haven't listened to The President has Been Shot yet but I just realized that Patton is reader so I have placed it on my TBR list. (BTW-Dream Thieves is the second book in the Raven Cycle series. Start with The Raven Boys.)
• Far Far Away by Tom McNeal, read by W. Morgan Sheppard. Mr. Sheppard is the perfect Jacob Grimm. I LOVED the work that he did on this audiobook. As people were debating potential Printz Award book this book was mentioned all the time. Most people didn't think it was perfect enough to win. I thought otherwise. I felt that the book and the audiobook were nearly perfect and it is thanks to the work of W. Morgan Sheppard I am sure!
• The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, read by Brandon Espinoza and Phoebe Strohl. I really enjoyed this book while I was listening to it but the memory of that experience has faded a bit. Here is what I said in my review about the audiobooks: "The narrators, Brandon Espinoza and Phoebe Strohl, must have needed oxygen between their reading sessions. They read the book at such a breakneck speed, building the tension with every new chapter."
• Here is the my list of all YA audiobooks from last year. Click the hyperlinks on the titles for my reviews.

I haven't listened to Scowler and The President Has Been Shot. All the other YA books I have either read or listened to them on audiobooks. Two more books for my list...:)

Happy listening!