Discover the New Releases Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs Top 100

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Title: What a Father Leaves

Author: Roland Merullo

Narrator: Roland Merullo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-09-12

Publisher: PFP, Inc / AJAR Contemporaries

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

What a Father Leaves is the story of two men, father and son - each stubborn and determined in his own way, each facing the trials of life with a particular determination - and the way they come to understand and respect each other.

This essay and several others can be found in Revere Beach Elegy: A Memoir of Home and Beyond.

Michael Upchurch of the Seattle Times said "Revere Beach Elegy is an autobiography in 10 essays that is sublimely refreshing in its love and generosity. Merullo's prose, as he outlines the worlds he cherishes, has a luminous subtlety that brings alive rich layers of feeling in an immediate intelligible manner. His eye stays intently trained on how we guide ourselves through life."

"Revere Beach Elegy is a smart and moving meditation on social class, boundaries and mobility...and much more," said Ray Suarez of NPR and The Washington Post.

And, the Chicago Tribune had this to say about the memoir, "Merullo has a knack for rendering emotional complexities, paradoxes, or impasses in a mere turn of the phrase."

Members Reviews:

Not what I expected

I listened to all the "Buddha" books by Roland Merullo. I loved his voice and the ability to speak accents. I was quite shocked at the Boston accent, lack of chapters, and the nature of this book. (My husband purchased it based on the author and reader). This book is the author's memory and thoughts regarding his father. I felt as though I was listening to pages from his diary. His writing is intriguing. I enjoyed listening to the book and appreciate his sharing his family with us. I would recommend this book.

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Title: The Explorations of Captain James Cook

Subtitle: An Introduction

Author: John Lang

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-12

Publisher: Mission Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 22 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Captain James Cook FRS RN (1728-1779) was an English explorer, navigator, and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy. Cook was the first to map Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean during which he achieved the first European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands as well as the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand.

This audio edition includes the full text of John Lang's biography, plus additional material from Captain Cook's journals, giving a unique personal perspective on the narrative.

Members Reviews:

Missing Pieces

I read the Explorations of Captain Cook. I felt that I may have missed some things and I wasn't sure I'd finished reading it. I purchased this audiobook to help me complete the story. It falls quite flat. All of the fascinating stories of people's behavior and cultural observations were lacking in this book. I did not find it all that intriguing.

Swash Without the Buckle

A quick primer on Captain Cook and his life. It was good summary without any fluff, but omits adult personal life, so we don't see Cook, the man. Not much dialog, except for the occasional quote from his diaries. It's like reading a Forester "Hornblower" book without the swashbuckle. Simple solution worked for me.

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Title: The Catholics Next Door

Subtitle: Adventures in Imperfect Living

Author: Greg Willits, Jennifer Willits

Narrator: Greg Willits, Jennifer Willits

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-11-12

Publisher: Servant Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Toddler boys lasso each other with rosaries at family prayer. Dad explains confession by inventing a parable involving dishes and marinara sauce. Mom goes from June Cleaver to drill sergeant in the space of one dinnertime. Or, as Greg and Jennifer Willits explain, just another day in the life of the Catholics next door. With the sparkling wit and humor made famous on their popular SiriusXM radio show, Greg and Jennifer offer insight for every Catholic stumbling toward a more fruitful relationship with God.

Critic Reviews:

"This charming book...would be a wonderful resource for young couples preparing for marriage as well as for couples seeking to enrich the marriages that they are living." (Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory, Archbishop of Atlanta, Georgia)

"Faith-filled and funny, flawed yet constantly striving for perfection, this book will inspire you and encourage you to more fully commit to your own adventurous path to heaven." (Lisa M. Hendey, author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms)

"The Catholics Next Door is loaded with humor, wisdom, and sound advice. Who among us wouldn't benefit from more of that?" (Patrick Madrid, EWTN radio host and author of Does the Bible Really Say That?)

Members Reviews:

Staight foward and Honest

Would you consider the audio edition of The Catholics Next Door to be better than the print version?

Yes, to hear Greg and Jennifer tell their story was one of the deciding factors in my purchase

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Catholics Next Door?

That couples need to keep time for themselves to refresh and cherish each other.

Have you listened to any of Greg Willits and Jennifer Willits s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

What insight do you think youll apply from The Catholics Next Door?

It's ok to strive for perfection while we venture through our Catholic (Christian) lives, but to realize that God made us human and to accept our humaness in short comings.

Any additional comments?

Thank you Jennifer and Greg, for your daily radio show on the Catholic channel, this book, and helping us realize the living the faith is a journey... but God has given us a map and a guide.

Don

From Pontiac,MI

A must for any Christian family not just Catholic!

What did you love best about The Catholics Next Door?

I love how Greg and Jennifer can relate to all aspects of the Catholic family. As a father of three I find their guidance encouraging and can't wait to use some of the tips they have to help our family become even closer to the Lord. It is not overbearing at all from the Catholic standpoint, it is just the truth when it comes to the faith. This book will help all even non-catholics get a better understanding of family life and God, something that many American families suffer from a lack of, including my own. The title could attract more readers if it didn't have catholic in there but, and a big but, you can tell after reading it that they did not write it for money, they did not write it for glory. They wrote it like it was a mission handed to them by God to inspire catholic families, but again truth be told, as a convert to the Catholic church I think it would benefit any family desiring to be close to God. This book was recommended by a friend who listens to the show on xm radio.

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Title: You Know Your Way Home

Author: Suzanne Jauchius

Narrator: Suzanne Jauchius

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-04-12

Publisher: Bree Noa Publishing

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

An unbelievable true story that reads like a page-turning novel about a woman with 5 husbands, secretly chasing killers and missing people until a 3 way collision with a brash mystery man, an abrupt therapist in a padded room and a revered Lakota medicine man.

Like a modern day version of the Greek mythological heroine Cassandra, Suzanne sees the future and is shunned for it. She struggles as a child not always knowing what is real and what is "seen". Her curse-gift complicates her adulthood as she must seek to find a way to trust herself again.

The narrative contains twists and turns which traverses true crime scenes, missing persons, addictions, co-dependency and mystical and unbelievable experiences which become quite believable.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful story!

Excellent, heartfelt personal journey. Suzanne does a great job of narrating her own story. Makes me want hear her next book.

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Title: Anatomy of Injustice

Subtitle: A Murder Case Gone Wrong

Author: Raymond Bonner

Narrator: Mark Bramhall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-21-12

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 53 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

From Pulitzer Prize winner Raymond Bonner comes the gripping story of a grievously mishandled murder case that put a twenty-three-year-old man on death row.

In January 1982, an elderly white widow was found brutally murdered in the small town of Greenwood, South Carolina. Police immediately arrested Edward Lee Elmore, a semiliterate, mentally retarded black man with no previous felony record. His only connection to the victim was having cleaned her gutters and windows, but barely ninety days after the victims body was found, he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death.

Elmore had been on death row for eleven years when a young attorney named Diana Holt first learned of his case. After attending the University of Texas School of Law, Holt was eager to help the disenfranchised and voiceless - she herself had been a childhood victim of abuse. It required little scrutiny for Holt to discern that Elmores case reeked of injustice - plagued by incompetent court-appointed defense attorneys, a virulent prosecution, and evidence that was both misplaced and contaminated. It was the cause of a lifetime for the spirited, hardworking lawyer. Holt would spend more than a decade fighting on Elmores behalf.

With the exemplary moral commitment and tenacious investigation that have distinguished his reporting career, Bonner follows Holts battle to save Elmores life and shows us how his case is a textbook example of what can go wrong in the American justice system. He reviews police work, evidence gathering, jury selection, work of court-appointed lawyers, latitude of judges, iniquities in the law, prison informants, and the appeals process. Throughout, the actions and motivations of both unlikely heroes and shameful villains in our justice system are vividly revealed.

Moving, enraging, suspenseful, and enlightening, Anatomy of Injustice is a vital contribution to our nations ongoing and increasingly important debate about inequality and the death penalty.

Critic Reviews:

This is seductive storytelling at its best. (Sister Helen Prejean, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Man Walking)

ExplosiveTold with a reporters tenacity, a lawyers acumen, and an advocates zeal, this book is both a gripping narrative and a chilling indictment of Americas justice system. (Tony Horwitz, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist)

FascinatingAnatomy of Injustice reads like a novel, but it is, tragically, all too true. (Linda Greenhouse, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist)

Members Reviews:

you'll never believe in justice again

very well read.

a little long toward the end, but still: very powerful, factual and what can you say, i am not sure one could believe in the death penalty after reading examples like this. makes you wonder about the whole system. hope this is rare.

A miscarriage of justice if I've ever seen it

This crime took place in my hometown. I went to school with Edward Lee Elmore. He was as quiet and meek as the book portrays him. This shows how the justice system works for the poor, blacks and uneducated. Why the law enforcement planting evidence didn't go to jail is beyond me. I'm sorry that I ever knew any of them and called them friends. But it is a great book.

A page turner for sure.

Narrator great.

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Title: Company Commander

Subtitle: A World War II Oral History Interview with Arnold Brown

Author: Aaron Elson

Format: Original Recording

Length: 1 hr and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-06-12

Publisher: Chi Chi Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

"After the battle, we picked up a German soldier who had been wounded. He had been shot in the leg with a .50-caliber bullet, and had lain out overnight in this freezing, subzero weather. Both of his arms and both of his legs were frozen stiff as a board. He begged us to shoot him. I couldn't do it. I asked for a volunteer. But these battle hardened soldiers would not volunteer. One soldier lit a cigarette and held it to his lips. Another soldier brought him a hot cup of coffee and held it so he could get coffee until we got the litter jeep up there and sent him to the rear..."

Arnold Brown enlisted in the Army in 1936, with only an eighth-grade education. By 1944 he was a captain in the 90th Infantry Division, commanding a rifle company for 10 months in combat.

Members Reviews:

Poor sound quality doesn't mar this gem

The stories are fantastic. The book is far too short, and sounds like it was recorded with a hand-held micro cassette recorder, placed 20' from the subject. The sound quality is bad. Really awful. Unintelligible in parts.

That said, I strongly prefer hearing these stories from the vets themselves rather than an actor reading lines.

I would buy dozens more books like this, poor sound quality and all.

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Title: Redneck Riviera

Subtitle: Armadillos, Outlaws, and the Demise of an American Dream

Author: Dennis Covington

Narrator: Ed Sala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-20-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Acclaimed Southern author Dennis Covington was a National Book Award finalist. Redneck Riviera is the true story of Covingtons bizarre encounters with a lawless band of gun-toting swamp-dwellers in Central Florida whove illegally claimed the two-and-a-half acres of land he inherited from his father.

Members Reviews:

Hilarious book about a nightmare situation

Our family is stuck with one of these bizarre Florida properties...what a sad, sick joke! My brothers and I inherited this worthless property just like the author did. Thanks to this book, we don't have to actually visit the place (and risk our lives!) to see what a horrible place it has become, and right under the noses of the state and county government! It's a really funny book about an absolutely appalling situation. The book is not new, but from my experience looking into it ten years later, the situation for the original owners who were taken in by this notorious Florida land scam has changed very little!

Crazy Story from an Amazing Writer

I remember these wilderness tracts that were to be developed into the American Dream. They always seemed too good to be true, as now has been proven. The really outstanding part about this story is how such a simple tale can be woven into an interesting page turner. Covington is an amazing writer. So why don't we have more stories from him? This guy could get me to buy a book about snake handlers. Wait a minute; he did write one of those already. If anyone knows this guy, tell him we need to hear from him again. In my humble opinion, he is one of the master story tellers of America.

Totally Satisfied With This Purchase

I had been looking for this book in my local book stores for a couple of months. We own property at River Ranch and I wanted to learn the history, the good,bad & ugly of the Ranch. This book is in excellent condition. I will search Amazon.com first the next time I am looking for an item, especially the hard to find ones.

Am I showing my age?

I'll start by saying I think Dennis Covington is a fabulous storyteller, so keep that bias in mind. His recounting of his youth brings back such viceral memories of family vacations, family dinamics and his relationship with his father, that you almost feel this book rather than read it. The pleasure is in the telling, not the plot.

I have read this book twice and selected it in book on tape form for our last road trip. Just loved it again.

Have also given it as a gift with satisfying results.

GREAT BOOK!!!!!

GREAT BOOK!!

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Title: Freedom in the Family

Subtitle: A Mother-Daughter Memoir of the Fight for Civil Rights

Author: Tananarive Due

Narrator: Patricia Floyd

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-23-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Tananarive Due, best-selling author and American Book Award winner, and her mother, Patricia Stephens Due, guide listeners through the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Told in alternating chapters, their story is a triumphant memoir of their experiences with everyday people fighting for equality as members of grassroots organizations in the South. Filled with drama, heartache and rousing successes, Freedom in the Family will inspire and enlighten with its riveting account of one of Americas most progressive times.

Members Reviews:

Took me back to the Civil Rights era.

This book rang true on so many levels. As a northern civil rights activist in the 60's and now as a resident of Florida, I was drawn into this book completely.

I loved the way alternate chapters told the stories of these two remarkable women.

The narrator was excellent.

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Title: God's Feet Are in My Sandbox

Subtitle: Faith Chronicles of a Texas Death Row Chaplain

Author: Rick Anderson

Narrator: Josh Kilbourne

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-13-11

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Dare to enter one man's Spirit-filled world that overflows with the rejuvenating power of Almighty God. Join him as he ministers to condemned men in their dungeons and testifies to God's unbridled love poured out. Walk beside him as he risks it all to reach out to the most hated man on Texas' Death Row.

Critic Reviews:

" God's Feet Are in My Sandbox is one of the most powerful and captivating first-hand accounts of God's movement in our world to affirm life, love, forgiveness and hope. Rick's story will rock your world!" (Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking and The Death of Innocents)

"Having spent 16 years as chaplain for a unit of 2,200 men, and ministering to 95 men on their last day in the Death House, I am totally committed to the fact that this is an important ministry and that these are people. Rev. Anderson writes greatly of how important it is to see them as people and to understand the fact that restorative justice is possible. (Rev. Carroll Pickett, author of Within These Walls)

Members Reviews:

Not What I Expected

I was hoping for conversations between a Chaplain and men and women on Death Row. I am totally against the death penalty however my stance on this very important subject changed only during the last few months.

Realizing that these convicts are on death row for many years I was looking forward to reading about their thoughts, feelings, how they dealt with their situation. I really felt that as Rick Anderson has such an exceptional reputation he would be most objective.

I must admit that I was initially disappointed whilst 'wading' through the first few chapters especially as it was so very, VERY religious. (Please note if you are not a Christian PLEASE hang on in there....I am in the same boat but I did keep going!)

I was so close to returning this book but I loved Josh Kilbourne's performance kept me invested.

By the time I got half way through I was 'hooked'. I really started to enjoy this volume. I admired Rick's strength and courage. Even when everything around him appeared to be falling apart he stayed true to his beliefs and to himself.

Would I have purchased this book if I had known what it was really all about? No. Do I regret it? Not at all.

Worth reading again when spirits are low.

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Title: Ever By My Side

Subtitle: A Memoir in Eight [Acts] Pets

Author: Nick Trout

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-09-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

New York Times best-selling author Nick Trout has captivated audiences with his books that take us behind the scenes into the heartwarming - and sometimes heartrending - world of veterinary medicine. In a perfect follow-up to his first two books, he turns his lens inward and offers a funny, moving, and thoughtful, memoir about the animals he's had all his life.

Nostalgic, warm, and insightful, Ever By My Side is about the power of animals to shape our lives, to teach us, and to bear witness to our struggles, triumphs, hopes, and fears.

Critic Reviews:

"A tender tribute to the author's father." (Kirkus)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful Account of Dogs in This Vet's Life

What did you like about this audiobook?

Honest, Self-Aware, Thought-Provoking

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

In many ways this book is similar to the author's previous two books which were primarily accounts of his experiences with dogs and cats in his clinical career. All three books blend a professional approach with his personal empathy for the animals and humans involved. However, this book focuses on the development of his personal connection with his own animals along with his maturing relations with his family. His deep love for all is clear throughout.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

I enjoyed the scene where his daughter's Labrador swam out into a large lake chasing swans and a panicked call to 911 resulted in the appearance of a rescue team willing to go all out to save the dog or recover her remains for the little girl. I won't reveal the end result of this adventure. Read the book!

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

A vet's personal account of the animals in his life and how they made him a better man

Do you have any additional comments?

I recommend this book highly to all animal lovers.

This guy is no James Herriot!

It's probably my fault. I downloaded this book after listening to the "All Creatures Great and Small" series, which I adored. I was hoping for more of the same, but alas, no. This book is really an autobiography, beginning in the author's childhood, the dogs the family had, and the family's joys and sorrows during that period. There are a few "tongue in cheek" comments that might cause a chuckle, but that's about it for the humor, IMO. His father admires James Herriot (James Alfred Wight), and recommends that he become a vet. When he is in high school, they drive to the area where James Herriot lives and practiced veterinary medicine and he gets an autograph. Then he goes to college and subjects you to detailed medical descriptions as he travels around the English countryside as a medical student working with various vets. That was where I got bored (in chapter 6). I suppose this book might be interesting to a young person who is considering veterinary medicine.