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

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Title: Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress

Author: Susan Jane Gilman

Narrator: Susan Denaker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-05

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Based on the belief that there's more to women's lives than just getting a date, Gilman's stories tell of struggling to get a life and a clue, and engaging in some spectacularly demented behavior along the way. Whether she's an uncool white kid in a tough Puerto Rican neighborhood twirling around in her tutu, a teenager chasing rock stars, an ambitious cub reporter realizing there's more to the world than her own navel, or a feminist bride-to-be unexpectedly finding nirvana in David's Bridal Salon, Gilman's memoir is so engaging it reads like the very best fiction. At turns heartbreaking, insightful, and screamingly funny, it uniquely chronicles a generation and heralds a talented writer of note.

©2005 Susan Jane Gilman; (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"Gilman...makes common scenarios fresh with humor and wry social commentary." (Publishers Weekly)

"Gilman's wisecracking, raw narrative about universal experiences...is reminiscent of David Sedaris' writing....Hilarious, assured, and moving, these are wildly entertaining stories that readers will want to share instantly with friends." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Just say no

If you are looking for a humorous, perceptive essays from a fresh point of view.... please download David Sedaris instead! The inanity of the trivial stories, the pretentious voice, is matched perfectly by the most patronizing narration I have ever encountered in an audiobook. I felt like a hypocrite of a thinking woman - for listening to this whole thing. I can only recommend it to people who found "The Nanny Diaries" insightful. Definitely sample before you buy!

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Title: The Colossus of New York

Subtitle: A City in Thirteen Parts

Author: Colson Whitehead

Narrator: Colson Whitehead

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-11-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Thoughts on Central Park, the subway, Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and much more bring the city to life as never before. Reading his own words, Whitehead shapes his book into an unforgettable meditation on the greatest city in the world.

Critic Reviews:

"Whitehead lays out a wildly creative view of New York City....This 13-part lyric symphony is like E.B. White's Here Is New York set to the beat of Ellington or Cage." (Publishers Weekly)

"Whitehead riffs poignantly and playfully on myriad strategies for urban survival as he incisively distills the kaleidoscopic frenzy of the city into startlingly vital metaphors and cartoon-crisp analogies. Intensely sensory in his details, wistful and funny in his psychological disclosures, he makes everything come to mythic life." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

very slow

think Holden Caulfield talks about new York for 3 hours, but speaking only in metaphor

Just not entertaining

This is more like a prose poem than a book, often presented in disjointed stream of consciousness. I think the author is trying to capture the feel of NYC, but in a whiny, self-absorbed way. (I know that probably doesn't make much sense; sorry!) I have spent some time in NY and this didn't make me say, "Yes, that's just how it is!" It just isn't very interesting to be inside his head.

A minor irritant was that the narrator/author pronounces "didn't" as "din"; a speed bump on what should be a series of flowing riffs.

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Title: More Than a Game

Author: Phil Jackson, Charley Rosen

Narrator: Phil Jackson, Charley Rosen

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-11-01

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

As it turned out, Jackson was observing himself and his new team closely too, collaborating with his good friend Charley Rosen to record the resoundingly successful 1999-2000 season - which culminated in the Lakers wining the NBA title. Together they documented everything from the challenges of bringing discipline and focus to a talented Lakers team that had failed to achieve its potential, to their views on the state of the NBA. This is a fascinating insider's story about the founding of a new Lakers dynasty and the triumph of Phil Jackson's hardwood metaphysics.

Critic Reviews:

"The technical details in this wonderful book will give any fan a better appreciation of the game." (Publishers Weekly)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Blackbird

Author: Jennifer Lauck

Narrator: Jennifer Lauck

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-27-00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The house on Mary Street was home to Jennifer; her older brother B.J.; their hardworking father, who smelled like aftershave and read her Snow White; and their mother, who called her little daughter Sunshine and embraced Jackie Kennedy's sense of style. Through a child's eyes, the skies of Carson City were forever blue, and life was perfect- a world of Barbies, Bewitched, and the Beatles.

Even her mother's pain from her mysterious illness could be patted away with hairspray, powder, and a kiss on the cheek... But soon, everything Jennifer has come to love and rely on begins to crumble, sending her on a roller coaster of loss and loneliness. In a world unhinged by tragedy, where beautiful mothers die and families are warped by more than they can bear, a young girl must transcend a landscape of pain and mistreatment to discover her richest resource: her own unshakable will to survive.

Critic Reviews:

"The unblinking look of one child at a hard world. Written gorgeously and movingly." (Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes)

Members Reviews:

moving

I found the book to begin a bit slowly. But, when the author's life begins to fall apart, I was drawn into a family drama that amazed me. That one can survive, seemingly intact, from so many difficulties, the indifference of some, and the cruelty of a few affirms my belief in the resilience of people.

Such a touching story

Great read. Only Jennifer could read this. So touching to see through child's eyes and capture exactly how a child at that age thinks.

A Beautifully, brilliant punch in the gut.

What did you like best about Blackbird? What did you like least?

The images are so vivid I was completely present for every heartbreaking instant.

Have you listened to any of Jennifer Laucks other performances before? How does this one compare?

Jennifer Lauck is an amazing presenter with a knack for invoking gales of laughter with a bucket full of tears chaser.

Do you think Blackbird needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

There is definitely much more to this tale yet to be written.

Rated R for language, drugs

If I had known how many times the "F" word was used in the context of this book, I would have never purchased it! Please forewarn the consumer. Not everyone in the world approves of off color language. It shows just how intelligent and refined you are.

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Title: Hind Yatra [Urdu Edition]

Author: Mumtaz Mufti

Narrator: Arif Bahalim

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-05-15

Publisher: Urdu Studio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Mumtaz Mufti was born in Batala, Punjab (now in India). He became a civil servant under British rule and started his career as a schoolteacher. Soon after partition,he migrated to Pakistan with his family. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Munshi Premchand Awards. Hind Yatra is his much acclaimed travelogue, recounting his trip to India in fascinating detail.

Please note: This audiobook is in Urdu.

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Title: The Sound of No Hands Clapping

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Toby Young

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-27-06

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When even his friends refer to him in print as "a balding, bug-eyed opportunist with the looks of a beach ball, the charisma of a glove-puppet, and an ego the size of a Hercules supply plane", the odds of Toby Young scoring, in any sense, appear to be slim. But then How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, his account of the five years he spent trying (and failing) to take Manhattan, improbably catapults Toby to best sellerdom, and his book is translated into 12 languages, including American.

Now Tinseltown beckons.

After receiving a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from a big Hollywood producer, Toby sets his sights anew on a high-flying career, this time on the West Coast. But it doesn't take long for Toby's fabled "brown thumb" and self-sabotaging instincts to reassert themselves. On the home front, though, things seem to be looking up: Toby manages to persuade his girlfriend to marry him and move to Los Angeles, but then she decides to abandon her promising legal career in order to become a fulltime homemaker...and mother. Toby's increasingly hapless attempts to pursue a glamorous showbiz career while buried in diapers will strike a chord with all modern fathers struggling to find the right work/life balance - and with their utterly exasperated wives.

Failure and fatherhood have never been funnier.

Critic Reviews:

"The most successful professional failurist imaginable". (Village Voice) "Young still manages to demonstrate his considerable skills as a gossipy raconteur." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Readers won't be disappointed with this warm, funny, self-effacing memoir, which will appeal to anyone who has ever tried to accomplish anything, and that amounts to all of us." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Fun Distraction

After "How to Lose..." I developed a soft spot for this schlub. I'm not sure if his self professed callow life just makes me feel better about myself or what, but I admit to enjoying his over the top self deprecating humor. I couldn't read his books back-to-back, but I'll revisit the smarmy clown next time he writes one.

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Title: Lunch with Charlotte

Author: Leon Berger

Narrator: Leon Berger

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-13-13

Publisher: Grey Gecko Press

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 30 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Every Friday for the last 25 years of her life, I had lunch with Charlotte and each week she told me more of her extraordinary story. To all appearances, she was a strong and dignified survivor, with old-world courtesies, a twinkling sense of humor, and a lilting Austrian syntax. Yet deep within, she'd been scarred by a profound personal trauma.

Finally, just before she died at the age of 91, she chose to entrust me with this profound secret, and all at once I understood how it had affected her entire adult life. This is a story of friendship and strength, of courage and betrayal. It is an epic tale set against the backdrop of history.

Members Reviews:

A Well-told, Heart-wrenching Novel

This novel is excellent and I gave it five stars overall. I cannot find fault with this novel on any level. I gave the novel five stars for performance. The novel is narrated by the author and he clearly knows where every voice nuance is necessary to carry the story where he wants it. The story is a horror story, a piece of our world history, an international romance. This is a part of our history that should never be repeated. This is a story that should be read by all.

Riveting

The most gripping story I've ever heard on audible. Suspenseful and engaging. Held me in its grip.

Amazing

An amazing book and heartbreaking in places. A view from a survivor and her friend

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Title: High Calling

Subtitle: The Courageous Life and Faith of Space Shuttle Columbia Commander Rick Husband

Author: Evelyn Husband, Donna VanLiere

Narrator: Evelyn Husband

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-11-05

Publisher: Oasis Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

This story, High Calling, is the stirring portrait of Rick Husband, commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia. His widow, Evelyn Husband, leads you on Rick's journey from a childhood dream, through the heart of the American space program, and into the vastness of space itself.

As you experience the events leading up to the final, tragic moments of the Columbia, you'll be inspired by teh faith of Rick Husband. For it is his faith that powerfully transforms this account of heartbreaking loss into a very different story; one of courage, hope, and triumph.

Critic Reviews:

"The faith and spiritual development of the Husband family are an important part of this narrative, as inspirational as it is riveting." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

My God is a God of wonders.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely yes! This is a story of the bravery and courage of a NASA shuttle commander whose ultimate commander was God the father of all that is, was, and ever will be. He can be yours too. Listen to an equally courageous woman who could write and narrate the story of her husband's great faith.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rick Husband exhibited the faith of everyday Christians in a really difficult situation which took his and his crew's lives. I can only pray that his influence changed the hearts of his crew. I cannot help but believe that the Father held them all in His palm all the way home till their last breath on this earth to their awakening in His presence.

Have you listened to any of Evelyn Husbands other performances before? How does this one compare?

I don't know of any other performances, will have to check that out. She is one strong sister in Christ.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"God of Wonders, Hold Me"

Any additional comments?

To anyone who thinks believing in yourself, not a god, let me introduce you. God,the Creator of the Universe is indeed there, He loved you so much He sent His Son to die for your sins and He wants you to believe that. He'll take you just as you are but He won't leave you that way. He wants to call you His child.

An inspiring story of a life cut short

I found it to be very powerful and Evelyn's narration to be so moving and heartfelt. I loved the added music and use of the President's speak it gave the story a special touch.

Sorry, this book way too religious for me

Just beleive in yourself, not a god. He is never there. That is better, no?

Do not Buy

This is really the only book I bought from Audible I would say do not get. Boring and time wasting - one stars as won't review if blank

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Title: A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip

Subtitle: A Memoir of Seventh Grade

Author: Kevin Brockmeier

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-18-14

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip follows 12-year-old Kevin Brockmeier over the course of a single school year as he sets out in search of himself: Losing old friends and gaining new ones, happening into his first kiss, writing plays and stories, dressing as Dolly Parton for Halloween, booby-trapping his lunch to deter a thief. With the same deep feeling and oddly dreamlike precision that are the hallmarks of his fiction, Brockmeier now explores the dream of his own past, recovering the person he used to be, the friends he had, the hopes he nurtured, the doubts he hid, the secrets he kept, the books he read - everything that was once his life.

Critic Reviews:

A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip is 1) a truly stunning hybrid - a memoir told with the imaginative vibrancy and the uncanny precision of the best fiction; 2) a coming-of-age story that feels absolutely universal, even as Mr. Brockmeier's retrospective eye is grass-blade-precise about his own particulars; 3) hilarious; 4) devastating; 5) awesome-beyond-all-adjectives. (Karen Russell, bestselling author of Swamplandia! and Vampires in the Lemon Grove)

...Brockmeier - surely one of our great writers - has captured perfectly that hinge-creak, aching moment in adolescence when you are alive to everything, but comprehend very little of it - when the joy of figuring out who and what you are collides with the dawning of shame and embarrassment and self-consciousness. (Ethan Rutherford, author of The Peripatetic Coffin)

Members Reviews:

Memoir of Seventh Grade probably means more if you attended this school at about this time.

While parts of the book connected, I'd say in general that you'd find this book more interesting if you'd attended Central Arkansas Christian Academy at roughly the same time as Kevin Brockmeier. A lot of the incidents mentioned kind of seem like you'd have had to have been there and experienced them to fully appreciate them. And then the book would be a memory jogger.

I enjoyed his semi-humorous tone. And while this memoir wasn't for me, his tone suggests to me (if this tone is true of his other work) that I might enjoy reading some fiction by Kevin Brockmeier.

Seventh grade is forgetable

Writing is showy for the subject. It is interesting enough to keep your attention.

A Story that Hits Home!

The story brought back the reality of my junior high school experience. Such poignant truth and an unfolded heart.

Read me!

This was a gift so I am speaking for our son who received it - He loved it.

A character study

Easily a minor work of fiction. I kept thinking it was building to a climax...but no. At best a scintillating character study.

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Title: Tales of the Cessna 195

Author: Michael D. Larson

Narrator: Roland Sickenberger

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-17-16

Publisher: Michael D Larson

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Mike Larson's fascination with the Cessna airplane began at age 12 with a test flight at the Cessna Aircraft Company factory. Mike became a professional pilot, starting his 50 year career in aviation with a pilot's license, an old plane and a dream. From shuttling skydivers in a Twin Beech 18 to flying the Douglas DC-8, follow Mike's adventure-filled journey from plane to plane and around the world. When Mike and his wife, Charmian, decided to purchase a plane of their own, they choose the Cessna 195. They were quite unprepared for the onslaught of new experiences and friends this plane would bring them.

Members Reviews:

Thank you.

I really enjoyed this book. The author wrote a wonderful personal history around and he and his wife's classic airplane. Thank you for your story. The narration was also enjoyable and lent a good voice to this book.

Really enjoyed!

Great stories, great narration. As an aviation junkie, I found this to be an entertaining and educational bunch of episodes in a series about a lifetime of aviation adventures. Loved it. We need more like this.

If you're a pilot and love flying - you'll love this book!

Great stories - from small airplanes to big airplanes. If you're a pilot or just love airplanes you'll enjoy them all.

c195driver

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a great book not only about Cessna 195s, but flying in general. Reads particularly well on audible!

What did you like best about this story?

I like the jump plane stories. All of them are great though!

Like listening to stories from a friend

This was a great book and wonderful listen. There are plenty of lessons learned, imparted through stories of how the author learned those lessons. This makes it a fairly easy listen for a non-fiction book. You can feel the authors love for both aviation, and the particular airplane the book it titled for.

The narrator did a good job. Certain types of books (first person experience stories in this case) require the right tone, and feeling to be fully appreciated. This is one of those and the narrator succeeds.

Listening to it was like sitting down with a pilot-friend and hearing flying stories.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.