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Audiobooks are much more than just an easy way to read a book.  The right narrator can bring the text alive, adding depth to the experience.  Here are a few of Library Journal’s picks for best audiobooks of 2011.

In Started Early, Took My Dog, Kate Atkinson presents a witty literary mystery about two retired detectives and children lost &and found.
The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry ties the past to the present with a thriller including pirates, assassination, and the U.S. Constitution.
The Kingdom by Clive Cussler takes us on an adventure with Sam and Remi Fargo to supposedly find an oil baron’s father, but the search soon leads to ancient relics and evolutionary questions.

Tina Fey demonstrates her infamous comedic talents in Bossypants, the story of her life as well as her opinion on everything from politics to motherhood.  Read by the author.
In The Greater Journey Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough tells the story of Americans who traveled to Paris in the 19th century and how the two cultures intersected to nurture some of the greatest minds of the period.
Candice Millard’s The Destiny of the Republic shares a powerful tale of the assassination of president James A. Garfield and the many forces that worked together to bring about his death.

I’ve linked to MPL’s books on CD here, but if you’re more interested in downloadables, check out our Sunflower Elibrary or OneClick Digital, provided by the state of Kansas.