How to Overcome Series Completion Anxiety or What Next?

A Genius Performance by Edward Petherbridge! In this autobiographical work Edward Petherbridge recounts his time at the National Theatre and his life as a jobbing actor. Wonderfully whitty and full of real life insights, this book will take you back to the great days of The Master (Olivier) ....

A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch written by Jill Murphy performed by Miriam Margolyes on CD (Abridged)£13.99

Mildred gets off to a good start in her second year at Miss Cackle’s Academy, but her sworn enemy, Ethel Hallow, is plotting misfortune, setting Mildred up for a very bad spell, indeed.

A Most Wanted Man written by John le Carre performed by John le Carre on CD (Abridged)£9.99

A half-starved young Russian man in a long black overcoat is smuggled into Hamburg at dead of night. He has an improbable amount of cash secreted in a purse round his neck. He is a devout Muslim. Or is he? He says his name is Issa.

A Presumption of Death written by Jill Paton Walsh and Dorothy L Sayers performed by Edward Petherbridge on Cassette (Unabridged)£29.99 - £39.99

The story opens in 1940. Harriet Vane - now Lady Peter Wimsey - has taken her children to safety in the country. But the war has followed them: glamorous RAF pilots and even more glamorous land-girls scandalise the villagers; the blackout makes the night-time lanes as sinister as the back alleys of London.

Last One!
Rare!

A Treasury of Nonsense written by Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll performed by John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi, Daniel Massey and Imogen Stubbs on Cassette (Abridged)£9.99

This wonderful collection of the very funniest of Lear's and Carroll's poetry is performed brilliantly by some of the best actors of that age. A must for anyone with an ear for humour and poetry.

Agnes Grey written by Anne Bronte performed by Rachel Bavidge on CD (Unabridged)£19.99

For all those captivated by the trials of Jane Eyre, Anne Brontës heroine Agnes Grey is the ideal counterpoint. Agnes Grey is widely considered to be the best record of the precarious position of the governess in Victorian society, and the insolence, neglect and dependence that the gentle ....

How to Overcome Series Completion Anxiety

or What Next?

For anyone who has been dedicated to the fabulous works of one of our Genius Authors or Genius Performers there is always the looming issue, not so easily deferred, of what to listen to after the final available book has been consumed.

On the first occasion, for myself, this was made slightly more difficult by the underlying fact of the author's demise.

I first came to audiobooks via the radio, which included Shakespeare plays, poetry readings and the fantastically imaginative works of Douglas Adams. Though my first contact with Douglas Adam's work was via the radio performances of The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it was the author's own readings of his brilliant comedic prose that started to reveal the potential of this media.

In fact it is the recordings of Douglas Adams' works that bring into sharp relief a central issue when selecting audiobooks. The performance is as defining a factor as the words that constitute the book. In addition it is a rare moment when an author, having trained for many years as a wordsmith, turns her or his hand to performance. No doubt there are great audio performances from some authors, Douglas Adams being an excellent example, but, not surprisingly, the skill of the trained performer shines through and can bring to life a text that might otherwise lay flat on the page. There are many examples of this including Stephen Fry's Harry Potter readings, very much NOT just for children, and one of our favourite performers Tony Britton reading the Dick Francis novels.

One audiobook that stands out both for the quality of it's text and the audio performance is Perfume. This book that won widespread praise when published in 1985, initially in German and then translated into English in 1986, has since been made into a successful feature film. In 1996 it was published by Penguin in audio book form. The extraordinary good fortune of selecting Sean Barrett for this text is to be gleaned by all who take the opportunity to listen to the novel. With a combination of horror and fascination you can find yourself drawn into the nefarious world of scent. There are two desperately sad things about this book. Firstly, it has to end and secondly Patrick Suskind's further novels do not appear to have scaled the same heights as his first. The great positive feeling you may encounter as you finish listening to this work is .... the deep set desire to listen to more Sean Barrett performances. If you choose this path you will not be disappointed!

(UPDATE - We at Brainfood Audiobooks - have just been made aware of a review of Perfume that appeared on the web a few years ago - http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/perfume-the-story-of-a-murderer-2007 This well respected film reviewer's phrase - "the best audio performance I have ever heard" supports our belief that this book is among the very best of the genre.)

While you take a closer look at Sean Barrett's performances you may wish to benefit from our many years of listening experience and peruse our selection of the best of the best. What we like to call......

The Stamp of Genius

We at Brainfood Audiobooks have been listening to audiobooks for well over 30 years. In our experience the greatest audiobooks are those that we come back to again and again. So, if you're looking for something different or just a view of what we at Brainfood Audiobooks consider to be the very best audiobooks we have ever encountered these are they.

These are audiobooks that break through the barriers of the genre and, through the audio format, show the stamp of genius.

We at Brainfood Audiobooks are constantly listening to a wide variety of titles, on all media types, and it has become clear, over the many years we have been listening, that a few titles stand out as possessing that extraordinary quality - a great story/text, a great performance and wide appeal!

Below we have a selection of these titles - which will, occasionally, grow as we listen to more titles but will definitely reduce as the books are purchased.

If anyone has a suggestion for this list please send us a message via the form on the left of this page.

Stamp of
Genius

Perfume - The Story of a Murderer written by Patrick Suskind performed by Sean Barrett on Cassette (Unabridged)£29.99 - £49.99

If you are interested in an atmospheric thriller of an extraordinary order - this is probably the Best Audiobook you will ever hear. A great book is transformed, by Sean Barrett, into a production of Genius! If you haven't heard it yet then you have an amazing journey before you......

Stamp of
Genius

Bleak House written by Charles Dickens performed by Sean Barrett and Teresa Gallagher on CD (Unabridged)£39.99 - £48.99

This wonderful book is read by 2 of the very best audiobook readers bar none! Sean Barrett's Chapter 1 is pure genius! Writing of this quality combined with the reading of Mr Barrett and Teresa Gallagher is an absolute must! This one is a life-long keeper!!

Stamp of
Genius

Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings written by J.R.R. Tolkien performed by BBC Full Cast Dramatisation, Ian Holm, Michael Hordern and Robert Stephens on CD (Abridged)£54.99 - £59.99

A Genius Performance by Ian Holm, Robert Stephens, John Le Mesurier and Peter Woodthorpe! A true breakthrough for Tolkien and the BBC! Brian Sibley's dramatisation of the fantasy epic in 1981 is an essential listen for any audiobook listener.

Stamp of
Genius

Richard III written by William Shakespeare performed by Robert Stephens, Dame Peggy Ashcroft , Jeremy Brett and Ian Holm on Cassette (Unabridged)£59.99 - £149.99

A Genius Performance by Ian Holm, Robert Stephens, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Jeremy Brett, Michael York, Cyril Cusak and Nigel Davenport! This production of Shakespeare's classic tragedy is the best we have heard! In very short supply and only just in front of the Naxos - Kenneth Branagh production

Stamp of
Genius

Alice Through the Looking Glass written by Lewis Carroll performed by William Rushton on Cassette (Abridged)£49.99

This is a perfect example of why Brainfood Audiobooks exists! William (Willie) Rushton brings all of his comedic talent to bear on this wonderful tale. This audio set comes with a complimentary Audio CD version of this book.

Stamp of
Genius

The Complete Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes written by Arthur Conan Doyle performed by BBC Full Cast Dramatisation, Clive Merrison, Michael Williams and on Cassette (Abridged)£58.99 - £69.99

This magnificent BBC production of the whole of the central corpus of Arthur Conan-Doyle's Sherlock stories. The atmospheric dramatisations are up there with the Lord of the Rings production of the 1980s. A very cost effective way of getting hold of these recordings which cost 500% more on CD!

Stamp of
Genius

The Secret History written by Donna Tartt performed by Adam Sims on Cassette (Unabridged)£48.99

A misfit at an exclusive New England college, Richard finds kindred spirits in the five eccentric students of his ancient Greek class. But his new friends have a horrific secret. When blackmail and violence threaten to blow their privileged lives apart, they drag Richard into the nightmare that engulfs them.

Stamp of
Genius

A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens performed by Leonard Rossiter on Cassette (Abridged)£59.99

Whether you listen to this on a dark winter's night of a sunny summer morning Leonard Rossiter's performance will take you on a journey. This is a perfect combination of text and performer. Leonard Rossiter makes this text his own and with such a quality of delivery that, if you close your eyes, you are there!

Last One!
Very Rare!

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - The Complete Trilogy in 5 Vols written by Douglas Adams performed by Douglas Adams on Cassette (Unabridged)£99.99

Includes The Hitch-hiker's Guide, The Resaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, The Universe and Everything, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish and Mostly Harmless! All read by the Master Himself!

Stamp of
Genius

Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll performed by William Rushton on Cassette (Abridged)£49.99

Stamp of
Genius

The Prince's Choice written by William Shakespeare performed by Various Famous Actors on CD (Abridged)£9.99 - £24.99

This is a selection of readings from Shakespeare. Selected by HRH Prince of Wales, the cast includes Robert Stephens, Richard Briers, John Gielgud, Juliet Stevenson, Glenda Jackson, William Hurt and John Sessions. Brilliant performances by these wonderful actors!

Stamp of
Genius

Asterix in Britain written by Goscinny performed by William Rushton on Cassette (Abridged)£29.99 - £49.99

** We currently have 2 of these in stock. They BOTH come with a FREE copy of this wonderful recording on Audio CD. The Acceptable copy has been graded due to a 30 sec dropout after 15 mins of side 1. Rest assured that in the Audio CD copy, that comes FREE with this title, the audio plays perfectly **

Stamp of
Genius

The Secret History written by Donna Tartt performed by Robert Sean Leonard on Cassette (Abridged)£19.99 - £38.99

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. Performed with exceptional color by Robert Sean Leonard!

Stamp of
Genius

The Waste Land and Four Quartets written by T.S. Eliot performed by Paul Scofield on Cassette (Unabridged)£29.99 - £49.99

These are masterly readings, by renowned thespian Paul Scofield, of two substantial works of poetry by T.S. Eliot. They form the core of Eliot's later work and, with Scofield's wonderful interpretation have been a regular visitor to the Brainfood Audiobooks cassette player over the last 20 years!

Stamp of
Genius

William Stories written by Richmal Crompton performed by Kenneth Williams on Cassette (Abridged)£18.99 - £28.99

Richmal Compton's Williams Stories read by Kenneth Williams on two cassettes. Side 1 The Show, Side 2 William the Invisible, Side 3 A Witch in Time, Side 4 William's Day Off. Sometimes people are made to perform certain works - this combination is exceptional!

Stamp of
Genius

An Audience with Charles Dickens written by Charles Dickens performed by Simon Callow on Cassette (Abridged)£24.99

A live recording from the Vaudeville Theatre in London where Simon Callow recreates the reading performances of Charles Dickens. Over the last 12 years of his life, Dickens gave nearly 500 performances to huge audiences all over Britain and America.

Stamp of
Genius

An Evening with Brian Blessed - The Impossible Dream written by Brian Blessed performed by Brian Blessed on Cassette (Abridged)£49.99 - £99.99

For years actor and author Brian Blessed had an impossible dream - to follow in the footsteps of his childhood hero, George Leigh Mallory, who disappeared near the summit of Mount Everest in 1924. Finally in 1990, aged 53, Brian recreated Mallory's journey dressed only in Twenties clothes, for the award-winning film Galahad of Everest.

Stamp of
Genius

Fairy Tales written by Terry Jones performed by Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Michael Hordern and Joan Greenwood on CD (Unabridged)£29.99

Terry Jones, Joan Greenwood, Michael Hordern, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren and Tim Rice read of a collection of original fairy tales for 8 to 11-year-olds, written by master storyteller Terry Jones, introducing such bizarre creatures as the fly-by-night, the rainbow cat, and the wonderful cake-horse.

Stamp of
Genius

Love is Where it Falls written by Simon Callow performed by Simon Callow on Cassette (Abridged)£19.99

An account of the relationship between Simon Callow and the play agent, Peggy Ramsay. Despite an age difference of over 40 years, Peggy and Callow enjoyed an 11-year relationship conducted in meetings and passionately unbridled letters until Peggy's

Stamp of
Genius

Mind Over Medicine - Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself written by Dr Lissa Rankin performed by Dr Lissa Rankin on CD (Unabridged)£14.99

In clinical trials, it's called the placebo effect. But patients treated with placebos don't just feel better. It's not just 'in their heads'. They can heal their bodies by healing their thoughts. For years, pioneers in the medical community have been extolling the virtues of the mind's power to heal the body.

Stamp of
Genius

My Father Laurence Olivier written by Tarquin Olivier performed by Tarquin Olivier on Cassette (Unabridged)£49.99 - £79.99

‘What we have lost with Laurence Olivier is glory.’ My Father Laurence Olivier is a touching account of a son’s idolisation of his father -- one of the greatest actors ever to have graced both the British stage and Hollywood’s screens.

Stamp of
Genius

Single Spies written by Alan Bennett performed by Simon Callow, Brigit Forsyth, Edward Petherbridge and Prunella Scales on CD (Unabridged)£16.99 - £29.99

A Genius Performance by Simon Callow, Edward Petherbridge and Prunella Scales! These wonderful BBC Radio 4 productions are of exceptional quality. Includes 2 plays - An Englishman Abroad and A Question of Attribution. Brilliant work by all of the actors!

Stamp of
Genius

Slim Chances with Additions and Afterthoughts written by Edward Petherbridge performed by Edward Petherbridge on CD (Abridged)£24.99

Stamp of
Genius

The Duchess of Malfi written by John Webster performed by Barbara Jefford, Robert Stephens, Jeremy Brett and Alec McCowen on Cassette (Abridged)£79.99 - £99.99

Barbara Jefford, Robert Stephens and Alec McCowen lead a distinguished company in this haunting performance of Webster’s powerful tragedy of murder, revenge and thwarted love.

Stamp of
Genius

The Noonday Demon - An Atlas of Depression written by Andrew Solomon performed by Andrew Solomon on Cassette (Abridged)£29.99

Once in a long while we at Brainfood Audiobooks find a new title that re-defines a critical area of human knowledge and understanding. This is the case with The Noonday Demon. This production should not be confused with the unabridged production available elsewhere. Andrew Solomon's performance is critical to a full appreciation of his book.

Stamp of
Genius

The Noonday Demon - An Atlas of Depression written by Andrew Solomon performed by Andrew Solomon on CD (Abridged)£34.99

The award-winning author of A Stone Boat offers a deeply personal look at depression in which he draws on his own battle with the illness and interviews with fellow sufferers, researchers, doctors, and others to assess the vast complexities of the disease, its causes and symptoms, available therapies ..

1776 written by David McCullough performed by David McCullough on CD (Abridged)£14.99

The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian draws on personal correspondence and period diaries to present a landmark history of the American Revolution that ranges from the siege of Boston, to the American defeat at Brooklyn and retreat across New Jersey, to the stunning American victory...

Eclipse written by Stephenie Meyer performed by Ilyana Kadushin on CD (Unabridged)£14.99

Bella?' Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, and kissed me again. His kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine....

Journeys in English written by Bill Bryson performed by Bill Bryson on CD (Abridged)£9.99

This highly entertaining BBC Radio 4 series is written and presented by Bill Bryson and based on his bestselling book, 'Mother Tongue'. In it he romps through the history of Britain to reveal how English became such an infuriatingly complex – but ultimately world-beating – language.

New Moon written by Stephenie Meyer performed by Ilyana Kadushin on CD (Unabridged)£14.99

I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. 'Shoot,' I muttered when the paper sliced my finger. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. 'No!' Edward roared ...

The Johnstown Flood written by David McCullough performed by Edward Herrmann on CD (Unabridged)£14.99

The stunning story of one of America’s great disasters, a preventable tragedy of Gilded Age America, brilliantly told by master historian David McCullough. At the end of the nineteenth century, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a booming coal-and-steel town filled with hardworking families striving...

The Lessons of Terror written by Caleb Carr performed by Dennis Boutsikaris on CD (Unabridged)£14.99

Although terrorism seems a relatively modern phenomenon, novelist and military historian Caleb Carr illustrates that it has been a constant of military history. In ancient times, warring armies raped and slaughtered civilians and gratuitously destroyed homes and cities;

Twilight written by Stephenie Meyer performed by Ilyana Kadushin on CD (Unabridged)£14.99

When seventeen-year-old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town itself. In spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town.

Archangel written by Robert Harris performed by Anton Lesser on Cassette (Abridged)£4.99

While in Moscow, historian Fluke Kelso is approached by someone claiming to have been present when Stalin died, but a simple check into the old man's story turns into a murderous chase into the dark forests of northern Russia near the White Sea port of Archangel.

Cold Mountain written by Charles Frazier performed by Charles Frazier on Cassette (Unabridged)£19.99

A soldier wounded in the Civil War, Inman turns his back on the carnage of the battlefield and begins the treacherous journey home to Cold Mountain, and to Ada, the woman he loved before the war began. As Inman attempts to make his way across the mountains, through the devastated landscape....

Loving Frank written by Nancy Horan performed by Joyce Bean on CD (Abridged)£9.99

In the internationally bestselling vein of The Paris Wife and Z: a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald this biographical novel is set in the early 1900s when polite Chicago society was rocked by terrible scandal when renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, ran off with Mamah Cheney, a client's wife.