Audiobookapalooza

Migraine: Day Four. Yep, I've had the same damn dizzy spells, light sensitivity, and pressure for four days running. This may be a record, though I'm not sure, since I didn't know I was having migraines when all the fun started last summer. My co-workers, clients, and advisers have had to deal with me wearing sunglasses indoors while talking to them all week, 'cause when Mama don't work, Mama don't get paid.

Anyway, in order to make lemonade out of this particular lemon, I've pulled out some favorite audiobooks and listened to them in bed with the lights out. Years ago, when I was working in a job that essentially made me a traveling service representative, I borrowed (and copied) lots of recorded books from my local library. They made my commutes wonderful, and I found them very useful while I was studying for the GRE Literature test. It's been nice to get reacquainted with old friends.

I've been listening to Chaucer Studio recordings, of course, but also 81 Famous Poems and my all-time favorite: Philip Madoc's reading of selections from Malory (which is apparently now available as an audiochip). And, just as I was diving into all of this again, Juniperus discovered that Alan Rickman's done a recording of Hardy's Return of the Native, which is very, very tempting, because I seriously love that man's voice.

At any rate, all this has me thinking that I probably should listen to audiobooks more: it's a far better way to chill out than watching junk TV. And I'm also thinking it might be useful to have a better sense of what's out there for classroom purposes.

So: do any of you know of audiobooks you'd particularly recommend?