If you are like me, audiobooks are a necessity to keep me focused while reading. Although sometimes I may skip the audiobook and just read regularly, some books are just brought to life even more through these vocal readings.
That being said, I found the absolute BEST audiobook for J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, and - to make things even better - it is completely free through Youtube! This particular reading of The Hobbit is categorized as a theatrical audiobook, in which actors each play different characters, and sound effects and songs are included. Such theatrical elements really help to bring an adventurous story like this one to life. When I was listening to this recording, I felt like I was watching the actual movie, but better (because it was a book obviously!).
During the battles, you can hear the clashing of swords and the screams of bravery. You can hear the mysterious hum of the dwarves singing about their long beloved Misty Mountains. You can listen to the jolly discourse of the hobbits as they celebrate in the shire. I could go on and on, but I will refrain from doing so as to not give any more of this captivating story away. All I will say is that if you are a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, fantastic audiobook performances, or just a good story, definitely check this out!
Here is the link to the free theatrical reading of The Hobbit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgjmcsiiAsGX4DtYI4whESsEVKeVDhHa-
**Unfortunately, the original Youtube playlist with the audiobook has since been taken down, but this link will allow you to listen to the first seven chapters of the novel (excluding chapter 4). Hopefully in the future, the rest of the chapters will be available again, in which I will update this link with the new one.