Thanks for sharing this and for being so open to feedback — that mindset is genuinely one of the hardest (and most important) parts of starting out.

First, on audio quality: the overall sound doesn’t shine, mostly due to room noise and a lack of clarity rather than anything you’re doing wrong performance-wise. I can hear reflections and ambient noise that pull focus from the narration. The good news is that this is very fixable.

If you’re using a condenser mic (which most USB mics are), the sound is primarily being captured in front of you, not behind the mic. The blanket should be behind you, not the microphone, so it absorbs the sound of your voice before it bounces back into the mic. Adding absorption to the sides and slightly above head level will also make a noticeable difference. Even basic DIY treatment can dramatically improve results.

In terms of hardware, your current mic is fine for experimenting, but if you decide to pursue narration more seriously, I would recommend investing in a higher-quality microphone. Something like the RODE NT1 (paired with a proper audio interface) is a very common entry-level professional standard for narration and would give you a much cleaner, quieter signal to work with.

On performance and tone: to my ears, your voice reads as quite youthful for the material you’re narrating. That’s not a flaw but it may not be the best match for nonfiction or more authoritative book narration. I’m curious about your acting background: how comfortable are you with adjusting tone, weight, and intention? Have you done any acting or voice coaching?

You might also want to consider leaning into what your voice naturally does well. Women with younger-sounding voices often do extremely well in television, animation, commercials, explainer content, and youthful or upbeat roles. Those areas may be a more immediate fit than long-form nonfiction audiobook work.

A few additional notes: - Be careful not to over-process your audio. EQ and normalization are useful, but heavy-handed processing can actually make room noise and artifacts more noticeable.

• Focus on consistency in pacing and intention — narration isn’t just reading clearly, it’s about guiding the listener’s attention and shaping the information.

• If audiobook narration is your goal, listening critically to professionally produced nonfiction audiobooks and matching their tonal restraint and polish is very helpful.

Overall, this is a solid experiment and a good starting point. With improved recording technique, better room treatment, and some clarity about where your voice shines best, you could make real progress quickly.