Rowling’s work translates beautifully to audio, and the Harry Potter series in particular became a cultural landmark in the format, largely thanks to Jim Dale’s U.S. narration and Stephen Fry’s beloved U.K. recordings. There’s something about hearing spells spoken aloud, or Dumbledore’s voice given real weight, that makes the magic feel more immediate than it does on the page.

If you grew up with these books, revisiting them as an adult through headphones is a genuinely different experience. Listeners who want to go deeper should also try the Robert Galbraith crime novels, which are darker, slower-burning, and narrated with real skill by Robert Glenister.