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

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Title: I Will Find You

Subtitle: A Reporter Investigates the Life of the Man Who Raped Her

Author: Joanna Connors

Narrator: Kate Udall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

"This is it. My rape. I knew it was coming. Every woman knows. And now here it is. My turn."

When Joanna Connors was 30 years old on assignment for the Cleveland Plain Dealer to review a play at a college theater, she was held at knife point and raped by a stranger who had grown up five miles away from her. Once her assailant was caught and sentenced, Joanna never spoke of the trauma again, until 21 years later when her daughter was about to go to college. She resolved then to tell her children about her own rape so they could learn and protect themselves, and she began to realize that the man who assaulted her was one of the formative people in her life.

Setting out to uncover the story of her attacker, Connors embarked on a journey to find out who he was, where he came from, who his friends were, and what his life was like. What she discovers stretches beyond one violent man's story and back into her own, interweaving a narrative about strength and survival with one about rape culture and violence in America.

I Will Find You is a brave, timely consideration of race, class, education, and the families that shape who we become, by a reporter and a survivor.

Members Reviews:

A Reporter's Courageous Survival Following a Violent Crime....

âNot everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.â... (James Baldwin)

In 1984, Joanna Connors a journalist/reporter for the largest newspaper in the state of Ohio "The Plain Dealer": was one of the 3,734 people who reported a forcible rape that year. It wasnât until the following year the Cleveland Police Department would open an investigative unit that handled the large increase of rapes, which years later with improved DNA testing indicated the presence of serial rapists. Using court documents and official reports and records, her own journals, Connors skillfully recalled the the intensity of difficulties, complexities of coping with and surviving the aftermath following a violent crime in: âI Will Find Youâ.

Connors rapist was apprehended, and she was able to identify, testify in court leading to prosecution of the man responsible: David Francis. He had just been released from prison, was free on parole, he pled not guilty to charges of rape and assault claiming he was unable to have sex due to a cancer diagnosis. After receiving the maximum sentencing allowed by law, he coldly stared her down and made threatening remarks, which Connors reviewed years later while examining court transcripts.

As her children David and Zoe finished high school and prepared for college, Connors after years of therapy, wanted to share the truth of the impact of rape on various aspects of their lives, Zoe was greatly distressed, David avoided the subject. In the aftermath and the study of root causes associated with rape, Connors turned her attention to the life of David Francis. What she discovered was his terrible past, Francis chilling connection as a youth to the Lyman School for boys (est.1886-1971) which was the first reform school in the nation located in West-borough, MA. Also, the lock-up Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane, both facilities admitted Albert DeSalvo (1931-1973) charged in 1967, known as the Boston Strangler.

David Francis was one of eight children born to Millie and T.C. Francis.

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Title: Summary of Freedom by Jaycee Dugard

Subtitle: Includes Analysis

Author: Instaread

Narrator: Sam Scholl

Format: Unabridged

Length: 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-05-16

Publisher: Instaread

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Freedom (2016) is the sequel to the memoir A Stolen Life (2011) by Jaycee Dugard, who was kidnapped in 1991 at age 11 and held captive in a hidden backyard compound in California for 18 years. In Freedom, she narrates her reintegration into mainstream society.

Jaycee emphasizes that she is not Elizabeth Smart or one of the women held captive by Ariel Castro in Cleveland. She is Jaycee Dugard, and her story is her own. When 11-year-old Jaycee was walking to the school bus stop in her South Lake Tahoe community, a car approached her. A man, Phillip Garrido, reached out, zapped her with a stun gun, and dragged her into his car. Then he and his wife, Nancy, took Jaycee to their home in Antioch, where they held her as Phillip's sex slave.

Please note: This is summary and analysis of the book and not the original book.

Members Reviews:

A REMARKABLE TESTIMONY OF COURAGE & DETERMINATION

This is an overview of the actual book âFreedom.â Kind of like an abbreviated âCliff's Notesâ for the FULL book. It provides a potential reader enough information regarding the bookâs content to determine if we want to invest the extra money and time to actually buy and read the entire bookThis is the 'sequel' to Jaycee Dugard's first book ... "A Stolen Life." Dugard is the woman who was kidnapped at eleven years old in California and held as a prisioner/slave by a couple who are now in prison for the rest of their lives. These two books reveal the 'story behind the story' and how Dugard has learned to cope and move-on-with the rest of her life. At .99 cents, this summary is a good value, which is one of the reasons I have personally found âInstareadâ to be a useful service.

Summary of Freedom Is A Must

If you don't know who Jaycee Dugard is you have been living under a rock. I am in awe of Jaycee and cannot even fathom what she has been through and how she has managed to move on in her life since being kidnapped in 1991.

I read A Stolen Life, her first book, Freedom was written the same time and talk about all her "Firsts" Such as the first time she drove a car, cooked, shopped and other things that you and I learn along the way as we are growing up. That was taken from Jaycee by two despicable people who held her for 18 years.

My favorite part of the book is about Jaycee and her mother's relationship after an 18 year absence.

My Need To Read list is so long and I will never have enough time to read all the books I want to. Instaread allows you to get the main summary of each chapter of a book. Just download the app and be in the know with the best sellers out there. 100s of books to choose from with more summaries and "take aways" by chapter added all the time. Instaread can be enjoyed in text or audio format through a world-class ebook reader and audio player.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary product for my honest opinion. My star ratings are exact based on Amazon's star descriptions. My reviews are 100% honest and true based on my personal opinion not on a companyâs description or request. No monetary compensation was received

Living life one day at a time

Jaycee Dugard was a young woman who was kidnapped at the age of 11, and held as a sex slave for 18 years. When she was finally rescued, she had to make the transition from childhood to adulthood immediately.

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Title: My Most Unforgettable Character

Subtitle: Selections from Reader's Digest's Most Popular Series, "The Most Unforgettable Character I Ever Met"

Author: Reader's Digest, Lowell Thomas, Jackie Robinson, Alex Haley

Narrator: Mason Adams, Joseph Campanella, Penny Fuller, Juliet Mills, Blair Underwood

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-09-16

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Selections from Reader's Digest magazine's most popular series The Most Unforgettable Character I Ever Met. All of these stories have one thing in common: Somehow, each of the characters featured struck home in the memory of the storyteller. These characters enriched lives through humor, wisdom, adventure, and affection, each possessing a unique regard for humanity, each a gem reflecting its own light. Includes: "A Life to Tell" by Lowell Thomas, "The Brain & I" by Jackie Robinson, "Lady Chimney Sweep" by Rumer Godden, "Rare Benchley" by Marc Connelly, "To the Gates of Troy" by Andromache Schliemann Melas, "Cole Porter" by George Eells, and "Old-Timer" by Alex Haley.

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Title: Panic Disorder

Author: Timothy Thacker

Narrator: Matt Graden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-26-16

Publisher: Timothy Thacker

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Timothy Thacker takes listeners deep into the realm of panic disorder, detailing his personal experience with this devastating illness. His life story will take you from the origin of his panic disorder, and lead you to his subsequent attempt at suicide. Thacker illuminates a dark world where millions of people currently reside, suffering from unimaginable terror and overwhelming depression.

Panic disorder is real and affects approximately six million individuals in the United States alone. This remarkable story of one man's journey through 20 years of pain and sorrow will leave you with a better understanding of panic disorder and the torment it inflicts on those who deal with the illness on a daily basis.

Members Reviews:

and panic attacks are terrible struggles. The book was well written

As a person diagnosed with a panic attack disorder, by reading this book, I realized I am not alone. The author is very sensitive and very open about his struggle, and panic attacks are terrible struggles. The book was well written, and I hope to read more from this author.

Life with Panic Disorder

I appreciate the rawness of this story. The author really lays it all out there, and this is extremely important to any book about mental illness. However, I have suffered from panic disorder for about ten years. I, too, have been admitted to hospitals and tried various methods of relief. The author makes the point several times that medication was not helpful to him, and that it wasn't until his near death experience that he felt relief. Then there's the chapter near the end where he recommends medication as a solution. It made the book feel like all other panic disorder information out there. That chapter in particular felt like reading a pamphlet on panic disorder. It was disappointing.

I'm very grateful to hear of his success, as this is a beast that often feels unbearable. I just wish there had been more about what REALLY made the difference.

Inspiring

This was so inspiring as a person who suffers from panic attacks. The attacks that I've had have been scaring and just recently had one that I almost passed out from. This author goes to show that you can overcome anything! I would recommend this book not only to those who suffer from anxiety and depression but everyone so that they know what it's like living with this.

Inspirational story

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It helped me to realize that I am not alone in the struggle to overcome anxiety and panic attacks. Well worth the time it took to read it!

Excellent book!! Very up close & personal!!!

This book actually takes you through his personal journey of what it's like to live with this affliction. There IS hope & peace. Thank you for helping me feel not so alone.

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Title: Chatto's Promise

Subtitle: An Apache Saga

Author: John Sandifer

Narrator: John Sandifer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-04-16

Publisher: John Sandifer Enterprizes

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The saga of the Apache Wars and the life and times of Chatto, a Chiricahua Chieftain who raided and killed with Cochise and Geronimo but lost his young wife and two children along the way. After staging one of the most daring and deadly raids in Arizona history, he was captured by US forces and he turned to them to try to get his family back. He became a scout, but that meant he was regarded as a spy and traitor by renegade Apaches, including Geronimo, who tried to kill him. He was repaid for his service to the US Army by one of the worst double crosses in western lore.

Members Reviews:

Great local history.

Excellent!

We know that weâre in good hands with this author

Check out these recent reviews on Chatto's Promise:

Pacific Northwest Writers Association: Review (in part)

The author is a very competent writer. It becomes a compelling narrative and is original to the extent that there is apparently no previous biography of Chatto, the protagonist.

The author quickly demonstrates both his exceptional knowledge of this tragic era and his ability to be evenhanded in retelling what happened. It definitely appeals to an audience wanting a serious, factual and objective history of that period. You get the bonus of learning about a fascinating character that the average reader, I am sure, has never heard of.

Judge, 24th Annual Writerâs Digest Self-Published Book Awards:

Book scores âOutstandingâ for structure, pacing, quality, design, plot appeal, character appeal and writing style. We know that weâre in good hands with this author, a knowledgeable guide in this story. Author has done tremendous research for this book. Dialogue and interaction are stellar. An engrossing read. The epilogue is pure brilliance. Well done.

Thank You John sandifer for this story of a little known,but true hero " Chatto "

I bought this book while I was in Wickenburg AZ for a wedding.

I loved the story of this little known hero.

The way he scouted for the US Army was amazing. I book marked those particular pages.

I was glad to read that he had people (whites) that did appreciate him and fought for him , although to no avail.

The research done for this book must have been exhausting , but it was a great telling of history.

Book review of Chatto's Promise

John Sandifer has been a fact-finder during his career as a media anchor and reporter. His expertise in researching the life of Chatto, is a testimony that has served John exceedingly well. Whilst reading this novel, it is apparent that the author is a master in combining fact with story telling. This is a book that stays with the reading long after finishing it. Mr. John Sandifer is a gifted writer. Hopefully, he will pen another read soon.

Kay Doces

Educator / Retired

History, with an entertaining writing style

Very good reading. History, with an entertaining writing style, guaranteed to immerse you completely thru the last chapter.

A great presentation of one Apache individuals struggle to adapt to changing times as Europeans flooded into the new territory already being disputed by Mexican soldiers..

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Title: John Wooden: The Inspirational Life Story

Subtitle: Basketball Coach, Leadership Instructor, and Family Man

Author: Patrick Bunker

Narrator: Kirk E. Strickland

Format: Unabridged

Length: 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-22-16

Publisher: Patrick Bunker

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Discover the life story of John Wooden and learn why he will be remembered as one of America's greatest leaders

John began his coaching career in September of 1932 when he was officially named Athletic Director, Coach, and English Teacher at Dayton High School in Kentucky. There is also evidence to suggest that at the same time he was playing for the Independent League known as the Indianapolis Kautskys. His first year coaching The Green Devils, John would have his first and only losing season, winning only six games and losing 11. Two years later John and Nellie moved to South Bend, Indiana where he would accept another coaching position for the South Bend Central High School's Bears. He would coach basketball and baseball in addition to teaching English. He also worked for a local book publisher.

Here is a preview of what you'll learn:

Members Reviews:

Great book but I would have liked more information on his life and who he coached

Great reading once I started I could not put it down.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about a great person.

Three Stars

It was ok , not enough meat

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Title: How to Build a Tin Canoe

Subtitle: Confessions of an Old Salt

Author: Robb White

Narrator: Robb White

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-08-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

While still a young boy, Robb White built his first boat, hewn from the tin roof of an abandoned chicken coop in the backyard. Today, without any formal training, White constructs some of the most sought-after wooden boats around.

In How to Build a Tin Canoe, this Southern raconteur and self-taught expert wooden-boat builder recounts tall tales of a life lived on the water, from his childhood exploring the Gulf of Mexico to growing up - or not really growing up - to share his accrued wisdom with others.

With wry humor he offers such life lessons as how to survive rampaging monkeys and how to stop a turtle from eating your boat. Both wise and entertaining, How to Build a Tin Canoe will find a place with all listeners who love fishing, boating, and great storytelling.

Members Reviews:

It's not about boats

You'll laugh out load and people will think you're crazy. Great stories by a guy who lived well

like my experiences in the Panhandle of Florida

Loved it. I can identify with most of these geographical, biological, and anthropological musings. The boat building is just pure gravy.

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Title: Gurkha

Subtitle: Better to Die than Live a Coward: My Life in the Gurkhas

Author: Kailash Limbu

Narrator: Homer Todiwala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-05-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In the summer of 2006, Colour-Sargeant Kailash Limbu's platoon was sent to relieve and occupy a police compound in the town of Now Zad in Helmand. He was told to prepare for a 48-hour operation.

In the end he and his men were under siege for 31 days - one of the longest such sieges in the whole of the Afghan campaign. Kailash Limbu recalls the terrifying and exciting details of those 31 days - in which they killed an estimated 100 Taliban fighters - and intersperses them with the story of his own life as a villager from the Himalayas. He grew up in a place without roads or electricity and didn't see a car until he was 15.

Kailash's descriptions of Gurkha training and rituals - including how to use the lethal Kukri knife - are eye-opening and fascinating. They combine with the story of his time in Helmand to create a unique account of one man's life as a Gurkha.

Critic Reviews:

"I was completely bowled over by Kailash's book and read it with a beating heart and dry mouth. I felt as though I was at his side, hearing the shells and bullets, enjoying the jokes and listening in the scary dead of night. The skill with which he has included his childhood and training is immense, always discovered with ease in the narrative: it actually felt as though I was watching, was IN a film with him. It brought me nearer than I have ever been not only to the mind of the universal soldier but to a hill boy of Nepal and a hugely impressive Gurkha. I raced through it and couldn't put it down: it reads like a thriller. If you want to know anything about the Gurkhas, read this book, and be prepared for a thrilling and dangerous trip." (Joanna Lumley)

Members Reviews:

Ayo Gurkhali

I have read many books on the Gurkhas and this was a refreshing change to read it in a serving Gurkhas words. This is a book I will read again. I would be pleased if Kailash was to write a follow on volume.

Must be read to understand the dedication

Thought provoking and humbling. These men are a credit to themselves and their country. The insight through the eyes of a true warrior and a great man is fascinating. The next day you think you are having a bad day at the office, listen to the last three chapters of this book and then realise how lucky you are.

A true hero

I am so glad this story is told.

I thank people like the author for sharing their lives and look after us and keep us safe.

A good read, a few incites into his life and journey to the Gurkhas. This book does show the human side of members of the army and how much the people in charge and the officers care about the welfare of the people in their command.

Worst book ever

Worst book I've ever had the pleasure of, start by skipping to chapter 8 and then be prepared to skip half of each chapter there on. Boring!!!!

ghurka meets durka durka

great insight into who the gurkhas are and what they're all about - gutted the book finished. the taliban are a bunch of Jaaartaaaa!

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Title: Warrior

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Theresa Larson

Narrator: Gabra Zackman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In this inspiring memoir, a former female marine platoon leader recalls the wars she has fought - on the playing field and the battlefield and inside her own soul - revealing how overcoming the harrowing circumstances in her life helped her ultimately redefine what it means to be strong and what "perfect" really is.

Theresa Larson has lived multiple lives. At 10 she was a caregiver to her dying mother. As an adolescent, an All-Star high school, college, and professional softball player. As a young adult, a fitness competition winner, beauty pageant contestant, and model. And as a grown woman, a high-achieving lieutenant in the marines, in charge of an entire platoon while deployed in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Theresa was battling bulimia nervosa, an internal struggle that ultimately cut short her military service when she was voluntarily evacuated from combat. Theresa's journey to wellness required the bravery to ask for help, to take care of herself first, and to abandon the idea of "perfect". In Warrior, she lays bare all of these lives in intimate and vivid detail, examining extremely personal and sometimes painful moments and how, by finally accepting the help of others, she learned to make herself whole. From growing up in a log cabin outside Seattle to facing down the enemy in Iraq, Theresa's journey demonstrates that good health and happiness are daily, intentional acts that require persistence and commitment.

Theresa hopes that through sharing her story, she will inspire others to empower themselves, embrace their inner warriors, and redefine strength. Startling and funny, terrifying and triumphant, heartbreaking and inspirational, Warrior is at heart a story of perseverance and success - of a determined woman who is a model for all who are struggling to conquer their own demons. Theresa shows that asking for help can be an act of courage and that we are stronger than we think when faced with seemingly impossible odds.

Members Reviews:

A powerful book & nice read

While I'm a couple years older than Theresa, I can't say I've gone through half the struggles nor triumphed over half as many obstacles as she's encountered. She's a badass and strong in every way.

Whether you've have an eating disorder, are dealing an issue you don't think you can overcome, or know someone that's dealing with a seemingly insurmountable demon, this is a great story that anyone can pull a lot of good life lessons and inspiration from. It's a powerful book with a powerful message.

Definitely worth the listen!!!

This has to be one of the most real, emotional and honest books I've read in a long time. An amazing story of personal struggle, public struggle and the road to victory. Everyone, no matter if you are struggling with an inner demon or not, will be able to get pulled into the graphic detailed story of this warrior. Amazing.

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Title: The Pink Marine

Subtitle: One Boy's Boot Camp Journey to Manhood

Author: Greg Cope White

Narrator: Greg Cope White

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The Pink Marine is the story - full of hilarity and heartbreak - of how a teenage boy who struggles with self-acceptance and doesn't fit the traditional definition of masculinity finds acceptance and self-worth in Marine Corps boot camp.

"An inspiring memoir that displays a balanced, surprisingly reverent view of the Marine Corps and military service." (Kirkus Reviews)

When Greg Cope White's best friend tells him he's spending his summer in Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, all Greg hears is "summer" and "camp". Despite dire warnings from his friend, Greg vows to join him in recruit training.

He's 18, underweight, he's never run a mile - and he's gay.

Greg's sheltered life hadn't prepared him for military service. A prince out of water, he packed five suitcases since he'd never been away from home for 13 weeks. The US Marines stripped him from all of that, shaved his head and put a rifle in his hands.

At first he struggles to keep up, and afraid his secret will be discovered. But midway through, the desire to survive and become a Marine trumps fear. He learns that everyone, just like in the real world, comes into the service feeling "different"; possibly prejudged for the color of their skin, their weight, their poverty - some have even chosen boot camp over jail.

Can a flighty, 112-pound, unmanly Texan transform into one of the few, the proud, the Marines?

Will Greg even survive?

Critic Reviews:

"Ive known Greg White for some 30 years, and have admired him every minute throughout. That he could write as straightforward, intriguing, and honest a book as The Pink Marine is no surprise." (Norman Lear)

"A great story beautifully told - surprising, funny, courageous, and inspiring." (David Hyde-Pierce)

"This is the story of how, through pure gumption, a most unlikely Marine candidate rises to the occasion to show his (rainbow flag of) true colors! This guy has lived a life!" (Jane Lynch, actress)

Members Reviews:

Brilliant!

This book made me grin, tear up, laugh out loud and wince more that I'd ever imagine. The way Greg tells his story really sucks you into the boot camp. Brilliantly written and brilliantly read. I highly recommend this book!

Wonderful story about growing together

I just loved this story as I learned a lot about boot camp. It wasn't so much about being gay as it was a platoon being stripped bare of all spirit, and then being groomed and molded into something so strong that they will no doubt, give their lives for one another.

These were my best parts. ;

Bowman on the chin-up bar. I was walking down the road cheering mightily when he came back.

The humming at graduation. It was 80 degrees outside and I had goosebumps.

The salute after graduation. I bawled my fool head off.

What a wonderful journey this story was. I'm sitting with my feelings of awe tonight.