Discover the Best Audio Stories in Biography & Memoir

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/736077 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir Author: Griffin Dunne Narrator: Griffin Dunne Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 12 hours 19 minutes Release date: June 11, 2024 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 4.69 of Total 16 Ratings of Narrator: 4.83 of Total 6 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: The instant New York Times bestseller!  “Warm and perceptive.” —New York Times “Griffin Dunne knows how to tell a story.' —Washington Post 'Dunne is a prospector for the incandescent detail.”  —Los Angeles Times “What a remarkable and moving story filled with twists and turns, the most famous of faces, and a complex family revealed with loving candor. I was blown away by Griffin Dunne’s life and his ability to capture so much of it in these beautifully written pages.” —Anderson Cooper Griffin Dunne’s memoir of growing up among larger-than-life characters in Hollywood and Manhattan finds wicked humor and glimmers of light in even the most painful of circumstances At eight, Sean Connery saved him from drowning. At thirteen, desperate to hook up with Janis Joplin, he attended his aunt Joan Didion and uncle John Gregory Dunne’s legendary LA launch party for Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. At sixteen, he got kicked out of boarding school, ending his institutional education for good. In his early twenties, he shared an apartment in Manhattan’s Hotel Des Artistes with his best friend and soulmate Carrie Fisher while she was filming some sci-fi movie called Star Wars and he was a struggling actor working as a popcorn concessionaire at Radio City Music Hall. A few years later, he produced and starred in the now-iconic film After Hours, directed by Martin Scorsese. In the midst of it all, Griffin’s twenty-two-year-old sister, Dominique, a rising star in Hollywood, was brutally strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend, leading to one of the most infamous public trials of the 1980s. The outcome was a travesty of justice that marked the beginning of their father Dominick Dunne’s career as a crime reporter for Vanity Fair and a victims' rights activist. And yet, for all its boldface cast of characters and jaw-dropping scenes, The Friday Afternoon Club is no mere celebrity memoir. It is, down to its bones, a family story that embraces the poignant absurdities and best and worst efforts of its loveable, infuriating, funny, and moving characters—its author most of all.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/742602 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Kissing Girls on Shabbat: A Memoir Author: Sara Glass Narrator: Sara Glass Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 11 hours 39 minutes Release date: June 11, 2024 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 5 of Total 2 Ratings of Narrator: 5 of Total 1 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: “A searing testament to the strength in claiming one’s destiny.” —The Washington Post A moving coming-of-age memoir in the vein of Unorthodox and Educated, about one young woman’s desperate attempt to protect her children and family while also embracing her queer identity in a controlling Hasidic community. Growing up in the Hasidic community of Brooklyn’s Borough Park, Sara Glass knew one painful truth: what was expected of her and what she desperately wanted were impossibly opposed. Tormented by her attraction to women and trapped in a loveless arranged marriage, she found herself unable to conform to her religious upbringing and soon, she made the difficult decision to walk away from the world she knew. Sara’s journey to self-acceptance began with the challenging battle for a divorce and custody of her children, an act that left her on the verge of estrangement from her family and community. Controlled by the fear of losing custody of her two children, she forced herself to remain loyal to the compulsory heteronormativity baked into Hasidic Judaism and married again. But after suffering profound loss and a shocking sexual assault, Sara decided to finally be completely true to herself. Kissing Girls on Shabbat is not only a love letter to Glass’s children, herself, and her family—it is an unflinching window into the world of ultra-conservative Orthodox Jewish communities and an inspiring celebration of learning to love yourself.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/737287 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Heart of the Woods Author: Wyl Menmuir Narrator: Wyl Menmuir Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 6 hours 59 minutes Release date: June 6, 2024 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: Just as a parent leaves a legacy to their child, a tree leaves a legacy to its surroundings. A deep and explorative companion piece to the Roger Deakin Award-winning The Draw of The Sea. Throughout history, trees have determined the tools we use, the boats we build, the stories we tell about the world and ourselves, the songs we sing, and some of our most important rituals. As such, our lives are intertwined with those of the trees and woodlands around us. In this journey deep into the woods, Wyl Menmuir travels the length and breadth of Britain and Ireland to meet the people who plant trees, the ecologists who study them, those who shape beautiful objects and tools from wood, and those who use them to help others. Wyl also explores how our relationship with trees is enduring, now and in the future – what we get out of spending time around trees, the ways in which our relationship with them has changed over time, and the ways in which our future is interconnected with theirs. Written in close collaboration with makers, crafters, bodgers, and woodsmen and women in order to better understand the woods they know so well, the joys and frustrations of working with a living material, and the stories of their craft and skills, The Heart of The Woods will delight anyone who enjoys walking among the trees, and anyone who, when lost, has found themselves in the woods. Chapters include: WOODLAND PLANTER: A woodland in becoming and an ancient yew grove on the border of North Wales and England RITUAL WEAVER: Willow coffin making in Cornwall WOODLORE GATHERER: Science among the trees at Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire HEARTWOOD CARVER: Among the bodgers in a field outside Cambridge BOAT BUILDER: A woodland community in the heart of Glasgow’s former docklands LANDSCAPE SHAPER: Re-wilding the Scottish Highlands and an organised trespass in Devon WISH WEARER: The clootie well at Munlochy on The Black Isle, Scottish Highlands, a family tree on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, and the tree at Sycamore Gap, Northumbria FOREST BATHER: Swimming at Swallowship Pool, Devil’s Water, and Letah Woods Northumberland MYTH WALKER: Walks in the fictional woods at Wenlock Edge, Shropshire WAY FOLLOWER: Traditional carpentry in Takayama, Japan FIRE LIGHTER: The stories we find among the flames and embers, Ennistymon, Ireland  SOUND CREATOR: A pub on Ireland’s west coast and a guitar-builder in North Wales  APPLE WAILER: Wassailing in Cornwall TREE WORSHIPPER: An ancient yew grove in North Wales

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/720028 to listen full audiobooks. Title: I've Tried Being Nice: (Among Other Things): Essays Author: Ann Leary Narrator: Ann Leary Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 5 hours 46 minutes Release date: June 4, 2024 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 5 of Total 1 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: New York Times bestselling author Ann Leary offers a literary feast of humor and wisdom told from the perspective of a recovering people pleaser. Having arrived at a certain age (her prime), Ann Leary casts a wry backward glance at a life spent trying—and often failing—to be nice. With wit and surprising candor, Leary recounts the bedlam of home bat invasions, an obsession with online personality tests, and the mortification of taking ballroom dance lessons with her actor husband. She describes hilarious red-carpet fiascos and other observations from the sidelines of fame, while also touching upon her more poignant struggles with alcoholism, her love for her family, her dogs, and so much more. Prepare to laugh, cry, cringe and revel in the comically relatable chaos of Ann Leary’s life as revealed in this delightful collection of essays.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/738288 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Safe Space: My experience of racism in Australia and how I found hope through community Author: Alyssa Huynh Narrator: Alyssa Huynh Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 7 hours 0 minutes Release date: June 4, 2024 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: 'A searingly honest and impassioned account of being an advocate in the social media era, Alyssa's voice is fierce, urgent and brave; and filled with deep familial love. This book burns with an urgency and clarion call to action.' Alice Pung, author of One Hundred Days This is a book for anyone who believes that racism has no place in Australia’s future and is ready to take action. ‘I’ve played the role of the quiet and embarrassed Asian girl who shyly laughs along more than I should have in my lifetime. Enough is enough.’ Growing up, Alyssa Huynh heard stories from her family about their journey from Vietnam to Australia following the fall of Saigon and the racism they experienced upon arrival. While the discrimination she faced was different, she never quite felt like she belonged either. Longing for a safe space, she turned to the internet. Through sharing her writing online, she created a supportive community for fellow Asians and people of colour with similar experiences, as well as for allies. When some of her views went viral, important conversations were sparked, but there was also racist backlash – showing her that the work was necessary and her voice had impact. Honest and heartfelt, Safe Space is unapologetically angry and sincerely hopeful. Alyssa explores the challenges she has faced as an Asian-Australian and those that made her the advocate she is today. She also offers practical advice, both to those who are victims of racism and wish to add their voice to the discourse or deepen their connection to their cultural identities, and to allies who want to learn more about how they can meaningfully show their support.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/726270 to listen full audiobooks. Title: 12 Trips in 12 Months: Make Your Own Solo Travel Magic Author: Jen Ruiz Narrator: Jen Ruiz Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 6 hours 7 minutes Release date: June 4, 2024 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: A LibraryReads pick for Notable Nonfiction One of Book Riot’s 10 Best New Nonfiction Books for Adults Bestselling author Jen Ruiz takes readers on a trip around the globe in 12 Trips in 12 Months, defying societal expectations of what a woman is supposed to be—and empowering others to do the same. The year before her thirtieth birthday, Jen Ruiz decided to change everything. Despite being professionally accomplished and contributing to the world as an attorney at a nonprofit, she had yet to achieve the most important goal, according to society: becoming a wife and mother. So, after more ghostings than a graveyard, tired of dating apps and sitting in a windowless office, Jen embarked on an epic challenge to send her twenties out in style. Twelve months, twelve trips, no excuses. She started booking flights instead of swiping right, teaching English online to cover costs. Over the course of the year, Jen descended into a volcano in Iceland, volunteered at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, called in sick to fly in a hot air balloon, and went scuba diving at an underwater museum in Mexico. She ended up taking twenty trips, almost double her original goal. In a moving and inspiring story, Jen invites readers along through the year wherein she decided to stop waiting for others and start living for herself, discovered the power of solo travel magic, challenged herself physically and emotionally, made meaningful connections … and learned that she could feel fulfilled and happy on her own.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/727367 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Chair and the Valley: A Memoir of Trauma, Healing, and the Outdoors Author: Banning Lyon Narrator: Banning Lyon, Maria Shriver, Jonathan Eig Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 10 hours 41 minutes Release date: June 4, 2024 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: 'Bracing, brilliant, and fury-inducing.... a survival story like no other. With positively outstanding storytelling, this is a book that cannot be put down.' —Booklist, starred review AN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVER One of Booklist’s Best Memoirs of 2024 Banning Lyon was an average 15-year-old, living in Dallas, TX. He enjoyed skateboarding, listening to punk rock, and even had a part-time job. But in January 1987 his life quickly changed after a school guidance counselor falsely believed he was suicidal after giving away his skateboard. Days later he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and what he was told would be a two-week stay turned into 353 days that would change his life forever. Banning takes readers through his fraught relationship with his family, the mistreatment he suffered at the hospital, the lawsuit against the owners of the facility, and his desire to make sense of what happened to him. We witness Banning navigate the difficult landscape of trauma and his daily battle to live a normal life. After years of highs and lows that include being adopted by his attorney and mentor, falling in love and grieving the death of his fiancée, and being sued by the same doctors who mistreated him, Banning decides to take control of his life and finds hope in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park, where he discovers new purpose in being a backpacking guide. Through friendship, nature, and eventually giving therapy another chance, Banning summons the courage to keep moving forward. The Chair and The Valley is a raw, gut-wrenching, and amazing story about healing from trauma and starting over. It is a exploration of the importance of chosen family, the restorative power of nature, and the strength it takes to build a new life in the face of fear and doubt.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/733574 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Cast, Catch, Release: Finding Serenity and Purpose through Fly Fishing Author: Marina Gibson Narrator: Marina Gibson Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 6 hours 0 minutes Release date: June 4, 2024 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: For fans of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Helen Macdonald’s H Is for Hawk, a lyrical memoir and “engaging, endearing, deeply felt” (David Coggins) ode to the art of fly fishing and how it can shape a life—by renowned female angler and conservationist Marina Gibson. As her twenty-first birthday approached, Marina Gibson received a unique gift suggestion from her parents, who offered her a choice between fishing rods or jewelry. In an unconventional decision, she opted for fishing rods. Her intention was to rekindle a childhood passion and carry on a family tradition initiated by her mother, who had dedicated years to pursuing salmon in the rivers of the Scottish Highlands. As fishing overtook Marina’s life and evolved into a full-time career, she became enraptured by the silent mysteries of the river and the quiet magic of angling. The complexity of fly fishing and the rituals of casting provided her refuge from a failing marriage, giving her a reliable source of comfort that benefited both her mind and soul. It also revealed the barriers that exist for women trying to make it in a tradition-bound and male-dominated world. Tracing the epic, migratory journey of the Atlantic salmon alongside the ups and downs of her personal story, Cast, Catch, Release brings to life the joys of fishing, the spirited quest of the angler, and how these two paths meet on lakes and riverbanks around the world. A love letter to this exhilarating yet serene sport, Gibson shows what it means to find peace and purpose amidst the majesty of the great outdoors.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/730167 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Ambition Monster: A Memoir Author: Jennifer Romolini Narrator: Jennifer Romolini Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 9 hours 32 minutes Release date: June 4, 2024 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 5 of Total 1 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: An “intimate, intensely resonant memoir about workaholism, unresolved trauma, and the ‘addictive nature of ambition’” (Harper’s Bazaar), this is an anti-girlboss tale for our times for readers of Drinking: A Love Story and Uncanny Valley. After years of relentlessly racing up the professional ladder, Jennifer Romolini reached the kind of success many crave: a high-profile, C-suite dream job, a book well-received enough that reporters wanted to know the secrets to her success, and a gig traveling around the country giving speeches on “making it.” But beneath this polished surface was a powder keg of unresolved trauma and chronic overwork. It was all about to blow. Ambition Monster is a gutsy and powerful look at workaholism, the lingering effect of childhood trauma, and the failures of our modern rat race. This is a Cinderella story of success and a brutal appraisal of the cost of capitalism—perfect for people pleasers, overachievers, and those whose traumas have driven them to be perfect, no matter the cost. “If you find yourself on the other end of burnout, trying desperately to figure out a new way forward—wow, is this book for you” (Anne Helen Petersen, author of Can’t Even).

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/739107 to listen full audiobooks. Title: I Fight, You Fight: Life isn't about the hand you're dealt, but how you choose to play it Author: Alex Noble Narrator: Alex Noble Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 7 hours 5 minutes Release date: June 4, 2024 Genres: Memoirs Publisher's Summary: The inspiring story from 2025 NSW Young Australian of the Year Nominee, Alex Noble, whose wisdom and strength can teach us all how to live life to the fullest, no matter what it throws at us. Sixteen-year-old Alex Noble was a high school rugby star with a promising sporting career ahead of him when an on-field injury left him fighting for his life in the ICU. Following a four-day coma and a diagnosis of C4 quadriplegia, Alex’s first words to his brother Zac were, ‘If I fight, you fight.’ These words became a war cry as Alex’s friends, family and community rallied around him, watching in awe as he fought to regain control over his body and defy his diagnosis. From learning to breathe and move again to travelling the world, starting his own business, and even going skydiving, Alex’s story is about the power of mastering your own mind, finding happiness and taking risks to achieve your goals – no matter how out of reach they may seem. Full of warmth, humour and insight, this is an audiobook that will teach you principles to live your life by, written by a young man who has put them into practice. I Fight, You Fight is so much more than an inspiring memoir – it’s a philosophy for finding happiness and reaching your true potential.