I am always listening to something and I need some new ideas.  I have a few favorites:

1. Outlander Series – accents and all – great to listen to
2. The Art of Racing in the Rain – dog narrator is great
3. The Good Earth – so simple, but just soooo good

The Help

Cecelia Ahern books

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

So glad you asked!!  Recently I listened to a Donald Westlake mystery narrated by Arte Johnson (yes, from Laugh-In fame!!) and it was excellent.  Johnson had the most perfect inflections and such a wonderful style. I was thoroughly impressed, and will be on the lookout for more from him!!!

I've listened to a lot of good ones, but the most recent one that I adored was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's a true treat on audio with a full cast of narrators. Very well done, great story.

My favorite audios of the past year -- they're all wonderful:

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley; narrated by Jayne Entwistle -- first in a series of mysteries set in the 1950s in an English village featuring a precocious, fearless, funny 11-year-old girl

The Black Tower by Bayard; narrated by Simon Vance -- historical thriller set in 1818 France

The Portrait by Pears; narrated by Simon Vance -- mesmerizing and haunting monologue by painter painting a portrait of an influential art critic

Bloody Jack by Meyer (and sequels); narrated by Katherine Kellgren -- orphan girl disguises herself as a boy and joins the British Royal Navy in late 18th c.

A Girl Named Zippy by Kimmel; narrated by the author -- vignettes about growing up in a small town in Indiana told from child's perspective with charm and humor

I really liked:

The Prey (Lucas Davenport)  and Virgil Flowers series by John Sandford, Harry Potter, Agatha Raisin & Hamish MacBeth series by MC Beaton, The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard, Beautiful Lies by Lisa Ungar and Jack Reacher by Lee Child. 

There's more but I can't think of any off the top of my head.

Thanks, and keep them coming, I am going to reserve some of these from my library. 

I really like the Harry Potter series audiobooks.  I am very picky about audiobook readers, and Jim Dale is the best in my opinion.

I also like the Dark Tower series by Stephen King read by George Guidall.  Someone else read the earlier editions, but I think Guidall is better, which is strange, because I have listened to other books Guidall has read and been unimpressed.

Most audiobooks I listen to are nonfiction (lots of current events, philosophy, and science), and I particularly enjoy those read by the author becuase you get the intended shading of emphasis.  Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell was one of these.  Superfreakonomics was read by one of the authors.  Christopher Hitchens read two of his own books (he's good, but his volume goes through a huge range which my car speakers couldn't handle!) and Richard Dawkins read his own book, The God Delusion along with his wife, Lalla Ward, and it turned out very well.

 I really like the Harry Potter series audiobooks.  I am very picky about audiobook readers, and Jim Dale is the best in my opinion.

I also like the Dark Tower series by Stephen King read by George Guidall.  Someone else read the earlier editions, but I think Guidall is better, which is strange, because I have listened to other books Guidall has read and been unimpressed.

+1 

For me it's all about the reader.  I have enjoyed all of the Toni Morrison audio books read by Liz Thigpen and all of Bill Bryson's books when Bill Bryson reads them. 

I agree that it is about the reader!  That is why I want recommendations.

Jim Dale was awesome. 

I remembered a few more: The Eragone books by Christopher Paolini and the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. The reader (Jonathan Marosz) of the first several was great. Then they started doing each book with a different reader. 

Also, just wanted to point out: Theres an Audiobook virtual box going in the games forum. 

I will listen to anything by George Guidall--he does an awesome job! I especially enjoyed the whole Walt Longmire mystery series by Craig Johnson that he narrated.

I agree with Kelly about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society--that was a wonderful prodcution!

Also agree with Deb about Alan Bradley's mystery series narrated by Jayne Entwistle, she does a great job with Flavia and crew.

I always enjoy Margaret Maron's Judge Deborah Knott series, narrated by CJ Critt. In fact I don't even bother wishlisting the new books when they come out anymore because I know that I just want to listen to them and get them from the library. Ditto with Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden paranormal series. They are narrated by James Marsters who sounds nothing like the English-accented vampire he played on Buffy! LOL He totally captures the spirit of the series.

Cheryl

I loved the book "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen when I read the hard copy. 

I had a chance to listen to the audio and loved it even more!! 

I don't have it in front of me right now, so I can't list the narrators' names but there were 2 - one for the young Jacob, another for the old and both did a fantastic job.

Much of the time, I listen to non-fiction, books that I know I wouldn't take the time to sit and read, but find very informative to listen to. 
But I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book in audio form.
 

Yes, Water for Elephants was awesome on audio!  I also really liked The Host on audio.  Haven't listened to the Twilight series yet on audio.

I agree with The Good Earth.  The narrator on the version I had was sooooooo good!  I reserved The Help from my library and am listening to it right now.  I love it!  I don't think it would be the same without the different characters' voices.  I heard great things about it and I definitely agree so far.

I started a book list trying to figure out what were the best audio books, and I would love if you all would vote or add: http://www.paperbackswap.com/Best-Audiobooks-Cassettes-CD/list/2450/

I am fairly new to audiobooks, but I love them.  I think my favorites have been some of the classics as audiobooks.  For instance: http://www.paperbackswap.com/Edgar-Allan-Poe-Audio-Collection/book/0694524190/  I don't think I could think of any narrators better for Poe than Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price.

I have the audiobooks for Harry Potter but I haven't listened to them all yet.  I have listened to a lot of the Stephenie Meyer books as audiobooks (I promised people I would "read" them) and I don't know that I couldn't have gotten through them any other way. 

My next audiobook will be the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks which I am very excited about because I have heard so many great things about that book.

I have ordered a few that you all have mentioned here from the library, can't wait.

I am getting ready to start The Red Tent, we will see how it is, the book has been on m yTBR for a long time so I had to grab this one when I saw it at the library.

Check out the unabridged version of The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.   Even if you have read the book, you would love this one.  The woman who narrates uses a different voice for each family member.  She does it so well!  My whole family listened to the set before I swapped it and the teenagers especially loved it on a car trip from Kansas City to Vancover, Canada.

@ Pamela - I will look for The Poisonwood Bible on audio, I have the hard copy but can never make myself pick it up.

@ Kelley - I just got Guernsey, I loved the book, the format was so different, I can't wait to try the audio.

The Help   was excellent as an audiobook.  Recently, I finished the  book Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War  (by Karl Marlantes) on audiobook. It was gripping!

I love the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books on audio. I can't remember the women's name who narrates them, she's English and she is wonderful!! I tried to read the books and couldn't get into them but on audio they are just fantastic! Try them please!

I too loved "Water for Elephants" and both the voices were great! (10 cd's, as I recall)!  Totally enjoyed The Host on audio.  The Unabridged "The Host" is a LOT of cd's!  It's put away, and not easy to get to, yeah! Own that one, and KNOW I will listen to it again...I mean WOW!  A gift to me and was $49.99, or whatever.  But just a GREAT narrator!  I loved her voice and how she spoke. Also, just received the first of the Twilight series from the library, but have not yet heard it.

I got a couple of the Ladies #1 Detective boosk on audio as well and she is really good.  I think the same woman read the Isabelle Dalhousie books which were also good on audio and also by Alexander McCall Smith.  (I could be wrong about it being same reader-I don't remember)

I listened to a few of the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig on audio.  They were good but best read in order.

Just want to make sure everyone is aware of Librivox.org -- the audio companion to Project Gutenberg.  These post-copyright books are recorded by volunteers, so the quality varies; but it is a great source for FREE audios.  The classics abound on both of these sites. -- Mary Schneider, Havana FL