Download the Top 100 Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

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Title: Girl Walks Out of a Bar

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Lisa F. Smith

Narrator: Hillary Huber

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-13-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 825 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Lisa Smith was a bright young lawyer at a prestigious law firm in New York City when alcoholism and drug addiction took over her life. What was once a way she escaped her insecurity and negativity as a teenager became a means of coping with the anxiety and stress of an impossible workload.

Girl Walks Out of a Bar explores Smith's formative years, her decade of alcohol and drug abuse, divorce, and her road to recovery. In this darkly comic and wrenchingly honest story, Smith describes how her circumstances conspired with her predisposition to depression and self-medication in an environment ripe for addiction to flourish. When her close-knit group of high-achieving friends celebrate the end of their grueling workdays with alcohol-fueled nights at the city's clubs and summer weekends partying at the beach, the feel-good times can spiral wildly out of control.

Girl Walks Out of a Bar is a candid portrait of alcoholism through the lens of gritty New York realism. Beneath the façade of success lies the reality of addiction.

Members Reviews:

Helped my real struggle with alcohol.

I could not stop listening to this book. I started it on the way to a meeting and listened more on the way to the office. By the time I arrived at the office I had resolved to contact my health insurance company to find a qualifying IPO. Prior to this book I had no clue how I could even set something like that in motion. The information provided together with the honesty and transparency of the book has saved my life. Thank you for sharing.

A Good Look At The Dual-Diagnosis...

Drugs and alcohol are fun, until they're of equal weight with despair, until they're heavier than the despair that kills. "Girl Walks Out of a Bar" isn't a comic look at addiction as the publisher's summary states it is. While candid and not taking itself overly seriously, it's not comic at all. Instead, it's a bio of an illness, especially of the dual-diagnosis of mental illness treated by self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. Smith is very open about how necessary it all is at the beginning, a way of dealing with depression and feelings of inadequacy, of always trying to shoot for more as a way of feeling good enough. It's a necessary and fun part of being with friends who drink and party, but not as hard as you do. It's a necessary way of getting through the stresses of a job, the stresses of daily life.

And what do you do when the shakes start, and you start vomiting blood? Smith shows how recovery is hard and not for the faint of heart, but for those struggling to survive even one more minute.

While parts of "Girl Walks Out of a Bar" did drag a bit, mostly since it goes heavily into her past, as in: every single event is remembered, I found the book on the whole to be quite worth it. Not everybody understands how addiction is sometimes (heck, probably "mostly") used to self-medicate, and the book paints a vivid portrait of alcohol and drugs as a singular coping mechanism.

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Title: Lucky Bastard

Subtitle: My Life, My Dad, and the Things I'm Not Allowed to Say on TV

Author: Joe Buck

Narrator: Joe Buck

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-16

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 436 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Sports fans see Joe Buck everywhere: broadcasting one of the biggest games in the NFL every week, calling the World Series every year, announcing the Super Bowl every three years. They know his father, Jack Buck, is a broadcasting legend and that he was beloved in his adopted hometown of St. Louis.

Yet they have no idea who Joe really is. Or how he got here. They don't know how he almost blew his career. They haven't read his funniest and most embarrassing stories or heard about his interactions with the biggest sports stars of this era.

They don't know how hard he can laugh at himself - or that he thinks some of his critics have a point. And they don't know what it was really like to grow up in his father's shadow. Joe and Jack were best friends, but it wasn't that simple. Jack, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals for almost 50 years, helped Joe get his broadcasting start at 18. But Joe had to prove himself, first as a minor league radio announcer, and then on local TV, national TV with ESPN, and then finally on FOX. He now has a successful, Emmy-winning career, but only after a lot of dues-paying, learning, and pretty damn entertaining mistakes that are recounted in this book.

In Lucky Bastard, Joe takes the listener into the broadcast booth and into his childhood home. Hilarious and occasionally heartbreaking, this is a book that any sports fan will love.

Members Reviews:

Do I love or hate Joe Buck?

Joe Buck. Down to earth, average Joe from Anytown, USA? Arrogant, spoiled brat with a self-righteous attitude and a lack of gratitude? Somewhere in between? After reading this book, you might end up thinking Joe Buck is great or you might want to kill him. I'm having a really hard time gauging what I think of the man. Joe presesnts a compelling case why you should love him and why you should hate him.

If you were considering this book, it's time to call an "Audible" (pun intended, pause for laughter). Spend your credit on someone more worthwhile, like Steve Young. Now there's a guy you could have a glass of milk with!

I thought you were the guy in Midnight Cowboy...

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

Yes. I always enjoy when a narrator reads their own book. At least they can't say they were misquoted.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lucky Bastard?

When he told about how that comedy guy Lange came on his showed and made him feel like Little Bo Peep.

Have you listened to any of Joe Bucks other performances before? How does this one compare?

Joe Buck is always a good listen so long as he doesn't destroy his voice unintentionally.

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

"Hi, I'm Joe Buck...but not from Midnight Cowboy...but I have as much money as he does...wanna shag?" That would be my tag line.

Any additional comments?

Still waiting for a memorable call but don't worry kid, you got time...

Joe you killed it.

If I had been reading along with print alone I would not have even come close to feeling the same way I did hearing the man speak about his relationships and personal struggles through his own voice. Joe if you outlive me do my eulogy.

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Title: Indestructible

Subtitle: One Man's Rescue Mission That Changed the Course of WWII

Author: John R. Bruning

Narrator: Brian Troxell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 305 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

This little-known WWII story introduces a renegade pilot whose personal mission to rescue his family from a POW camp changed modern air warfare forever.

December 1941: Manila is invaded, and US citizen and Philippines Airlines manager Pappy Gunn is ordered to fly key military command out of the country, leaving his family at home. So Gunn was miles away when the Japanese captured his wife and children, placing them in an internment camp where they faced disease, abuse, and starvation.

Gunn spent three years trying to rescue them. His exploits became legend as he revolutionized the art of air warfare, devising his own weaponry, missions, and combat strategies. By the end of the war, Pappy's ingenuity and flair for innovation helped transform MacArthur's air force into the scourge of the Pacific.

Critic Reviews:

"Set against the sprawling and violent Pacific War,

Indestructible is the incredible story of one man's courage, tenacity and dogged fight to rescue his family caught behind enemy lines. The book left me with chills." (James M. Scott, author of

Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor)

"This thriller-like narrative not only reveals the disturbing plight of courageous American families held in Japanese internment camps, but also delivers a gripping portrait of a uniquely American hero, Pappy Gunn, who fought two wars - one for his country and one to rescue his wife and children." (James Bradley, best-selling author of

Flags of Our Fathers,

Flyboys,

The Imperial Cruise, and

The China Mirage)

"From the opening pages, Bruning grabs you by the collar and pulls you into the story, not letting go as he masterfully guides you through a part of World War II that is largely unknown. This is the work of a skilled wordsmith who knows how to tell a story." (Gregory A. Freeman, author of

The Forgotten 500)

Members Reviews:

You will love Pappy's story

Would you consider the audio edition of Indestructible to be better than the print version?

While the audio does not have the maps and other information, the story comes through loud and clear.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Pappy Gunn dominated the story, as he should. It is his story. His feats of daring and airmanship are documented well in the story, and the author freely admits that what is myth and legend may be hard to separate from fact. But the story is simply riveting.

What does Brian Troxell bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Brian was able to read the book without choking up, which I would have had trouble with. I had to dry my eyes more than once learning about the depredations that the Gunn family suffered in Santo Thomas. Having attended high school in the Philippines the setting was far more real to me than perhaps it would have been to other readers. Brian made the story come alive.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I had to ration this book, a few chapters every day, because otherwise I would have not gotten any work done over the week it took me to listen to the book.

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Title: Darkness Visible

Subtitle: A Memoir of Madness

Author: William Styron

Narrator: William Styron

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-16

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 85 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

A work of great personal courage and a literary tour de force, this best seller is William Styron's true account of his descent into a crippling and almost suicidal depression. Styron is perhaps the first writer to convey the full terror of depression's psychic landscape as well as the illuminating path to recovery.

Members Reviews:

I had no idea.

A friend of mine who is suffering from depression recommended this book, and I am so grateful that he did so. I had no idea depression was so horrible.

A must read and a necessary share..,

What made the experience of listening to Darkness Visible the most enjoyable?

The spot on and hands on descriptive analysis made this book a must read for me. I too suffer from depression although mine is of the bipolar type which includes manic and depressive episodes.

What did you like best about this story?

What I liked best (it was hard to choose just one) was Styron's ability to bring to life the horrible and debilitating disease of melancholia (depression) while continuously highlighting the highly sought and achieved occurrence of recovery that comes with understanding and awareness.

Which scene was your favorite?

The author did such a fantastic job of writing this book I could not nor would not pick out a particular scene to which I would claim favoritism.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Had the time been available to me I would have listened to the book in one sitting. I did read the book prior to listening to the audible version. I will no doubt listen to this countless times so I can share with effectiveness the truths about depression and recovery.

Any additional comments?

I believe this book has great potential to assist those who suffer from melancholia (depression). I will share Styron's memoir with countless people in the hope that they will embrace the promise of a better time ahead after suffering through each episode of despair. Great write and great read! Thank you William and God bless.

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Title: The Return

Subtitle: Fathers, Sons and the Land in Between

Author: Hisham Matar

Narrator: Hisham Matar

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-05-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 187 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Pulitzer Prize, Biography/Autobiography, 2017

From the author of In the Country of Men, a Man Booker Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, comes a beautifully written, uplifting memoir of his journey home to his native Libya in search of the truth behind his father's disappearance.

When Hisham Matar was a 19-year-old university student in England, his father was kidnapped. One of the Qaddafi regime's most prominent opponents in exile, he was held in a secret prison in Libya. Hisham would never see him again. But he never gave up hope that his father might still be alive. "Hope," as he writes, "is cunning and persistent." Twenty-two years later, after the fall of Qaddafi, the prison cells were empty, and there was no sign of Jaballa Matar. Hisham returned with his mother and wife to the homeland he never thought he'd go back to again.

The Return is the story of what he found there. It is at once an exquisite meditation on history, politics, and art; a brilliant portrait of a nation and a people on the cusp of change; and a disquieting depiction of the brutal legacy of absolute power. Above all, it is a universal tale of loss and love and of one family's life. Hisham Matar asks the harrowing question: How does one go on living in the face of a loved one's uncertain fate?

Critic Reviews:

The Return is a riveting book about love and hope, but it is also a moving meditation on grief and loss. It draws a memorable portrait of a family in exile and manages also to explore the politics of Libya with subtlety and steely intelligence. It is a quest for the truth in a dark time, constructed with a novelist's skill, written in tones that are both precise and passionate. It is likely to become a classic. (Colm Tóibín)

A triumph of art over tyranny, structurally thrilling, intensely moving, The Return is a treasure for the ages. (Peter Carey)

What a brilliant book. Hisham Matar has the quality all historians - of the world and the self - most need: He knows how to stand back and let the past speak. In chronicling his quest for his father, his manner is fastidious, even detached, but his anger is raw and unreconciled; through his narrative art he bodies out the shape of loss and gives a universality to his very particular experience of desolation. (Hilary Mantel)

Members Reviews:

Astounding

Glorious in every conceivable way. Matar gives a moving performance. The end is absolute perfection, leaving you both warm and cold at the same time.

A powerful and affecting memoir

Matar writes seamlessly from the heart and head. A powerful and concisely told story that puts a human face on Libya.

Predominantly Political

This was rather dry and overly politically-oriented than suits my taste. It is an intelligent discourse, however, but I must admit that I did not find it as interesting as I had anticipated. It lacked a warmth necessary to engage this reader.

slow at the beginning, but so worth it.

Slow at the beginning, but so worth it. No one was better to read it than the writer.

a beautiful book, and a perfect reading by the aut

Matar is a master storyteller, beautifully and lyrically intertwining social and personal loss. and he narrated the story incredibly well.

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Title: Live Fast Die Hot

Author: Jenny Mollen

Narrator: Jenny Mollen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-16

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 353 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

By the New York Times best-selling author, an outrageous collection of personal essays about adulthood, responsibility, and other potential disasters.

Jenny Mollen is a writer and actress living in New York. Until two years ago, her life was exciting, sexy, a little eccentric, and 100 percent impulsive. She had a husband who embraced her crazy - who understood her need to occasionally stalk around the house in his ex-girlfriend's old beach caftans and to invite their drug dealer to Passover seder (so he wouldn't feel like they were using him only for drugs). Then they had their son, Sid, and overnight Jenny was forced to grow up: to be responsible, to brush her hair, to listen to her voice mail.

Live Fast Die Hot is a collection of stories about what happens when you realize that some things are more important than crafting the perfect tweet. It follows Jenny to Morocco, where she embarks on a quest to prove to herself that she can travel alone without reenacting a plotline from Taken. It shows her confronting demons - most of them from childhood, a few from the spirit realm. And it culminates in Peru, where Jenny decides that maybe the cure for her worries lies at the bottom of a cup of ayahuasca.

Hilarious, outlandish, and surprisingly affecting, Live Fast Die Hot reminds you that even if you aren't cut out for adulthood, at least you can be better at it than your mother.

Critic Reviews:

"Jenny Mollen is hovering only slightly above sanity, which is the one quality I require in order to be friends with a mother. This hysterical circus of a book reminds me why we're friends." (Chelsea Handler, number-one

New York Times best-selling author of

Uganda Be Kidding Me)

"With her incomparable wit and acidic wisdom, Jenny now turns her signature perspective to the most terrifying of feminine terrain: motherhood. And with a generous helping of demented antics and just enough vulnerability to make you cry, she'll have every complicated woman thinking they just might be up for the job. Lord help us all." (Lena Dunham, number-one

New York Times best-selling author of

Not That Kind of Girl)

"I kind of can't believe Jenny Mollen is an actual person and not a character - she's biting, hilarious, surprising, over sharing, and relatable." (Andy Cohen, number-one

New York Times best-selling author of

The Andy Cohen Diaries)

Members Reviews:

Wanted to like it

I was a little misled about this book. Seeing some celeb's comments about how funny it was led me to believe I was in for a funny story. I only chuckled a couple of times but nothing like I expected. I do love how accepting she is of her crazy and would like to explore that more. I'm going to give her first book a try because I'm intrigued about Jason's ex! I didn't hate this book by any means, I just was expecting more. Especially with this title! The title is fantastic!

Slowly went downhill....

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

After the baby nurse, the stories went downhill for me. It feels like the stories you hear but 'you had to be there' in order to see the humor. I'm returning. Can't finish. Awesome narrator.

Funny as F*&k

Refreshing and hilarious. Jenny is unashamedly honest with her life and insecurities.

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Title: Sex Object

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Jessica Valenti

Narrator: Jessica Valenti

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-07-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 361 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Author and Guardian US columnist Jessica Valenti has been leading the national conversation on gender and politics for over a decade. Now, in a darkly funny and bracing memoir, Valenti explores the toll that sexism takes, from the everyday to the existential.

Sex Object explores the painful, funny, embarrassing, and sometimes illegal moments that shaped Valenti's adolescence and young adulthood in New York City, revealing a much shakier inner life than the confident persona she has cultivated as one of the most recognizable feminists of her generation.

In the tradition of writers like Joan Didion and Mary Karr, this literary memoir is sure to shock those already familiar with Valenti's work and enthrall those who are just finding it.

Critic Reviews:

"Jessica Valenti is a breath of fresh air. She offers the kind of raw honesty that can feel like a punch in the gut, but leaves you with the warmth of a deep embrace." (

Ms. Magazine)

"One of the most visible and successful feminists of her generation." (

Washington Post)

"A gutsy young third wave feminist." (

The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

Everyone needs to read/listen to this book.

If you were ever wondering what it's like to be a woman trying to navigate sexism in society, then all you have to do is read this book. Valenti nails it; not only with her own personal stories but with the way in which she articulates the objectification of women in general. I haven't read many books where I have related as much I as I do to this one. I hope more and more people listen to/read this book and feel the same way I do. We need to keep up the good feminist fight, but we also must remember that we should never have to have this fight, and that it never stops being exhausting.

covered only the blatant

I expected this to covered some of the more nuanced aspects of how our our society turns girls into sex objects. Instead it covered only the most blatant and obvious aspects that we all know about. I was very disappointed.

Enjoyed Hearing This in Valenti's Own Words

Listening to a book is often my second choice because I prefer to read. In this case, though, I felt like listening to Valenti's memoir in her own voice really added to my experience of the text. I am a fan of her writing online, and I found it refreshing to see her let her guard down and expose her vulnerabilities in this memoir. I agree with her premise that refusing to "act tough" all the time is an important feminist act in itself, so I really enjoyed how this memoir put that idea into practice both in form and content. I wish I didn't relate to her stories of being objectified so strongly, but I do. As a fellow feminist and mother of daughters, I am thankful she has given voice to these stories and will carry her insights on them with me.

eye opening

having a daughter this has/will help me understand the things she will inevitably face growing into womanhood.

Resonating

I haven't even finished it yet. I am 2 hours in and I have cried, laughed and pondered some of the very things she points out. The way she felt and the way men "show up" in her life. I feel like many have shown up in the same ways. It makes me wonder how many females actually encounter this, or ignore it cause we are taught its the way things are. Just buy the dang book, its so worth the purchase.

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Title: The Happy Medium

Subtitle: Life Lessons from the Other Side

Author: Kim Russo

Narrator: Kim Russo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-24-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 555 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The world-famous medium and star of Lifetime Movie Network's number-one rated show The Haunting of... tells her story, shares some astonishing, never-before-revealed details of her celebrity readings, and teaches you how to harness your own energy and access the world beyond our own.

When she was nine years old, Kim Russo discovered she had an amazing gift - she could communicate with the dead. Deeply skeptical, she denied her talent for years. But as she gradually reconciled her ability with her religious beliefs, Kim embraced who she is - and ultimately accepted her soul's mission as a voice for the spirit world.

Known as the Happy Medium for her authenticity, her warmth, and her honest, positive readings, Kim has helped people from all walks of life to connect with those who have passed on. Now this world-renowned medium demystifies the world of the dead for everyone. The key to understanding, she contends, is energy, which cannot be destroyed.

The Happy Medium interweaves experiences from Kim's life with some of the best, most astounding behind-the-scenes stories of her celebrity readings from episodes of her Lifetime show, The Haunting of.... In addition she gives you the tools to access the energy that is all around us, including the experiments and lessons she uses in many of her sold-out appearances and courses around the world.

Following her mantra, "Let them lead you", Kim shows you how to let the world of the dead guide you to greater understanding of life's biggest questions.

Members Reviews:

Packed full of information & things to try.

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

Yes, I would recommend this audiobook to a friend. There is so much information about what the psychic/medium world is in all its different aspects. Kim Russo does a great job of telling about her personal experiences & her own growth as a medium.

What other book might you compare The Happy Medium to and why?

I haven't read any other books by psychics or mediums. Despite that, as a book that gives comprehensive, specific information on a subject, this book is one of the best I've ever read.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite parts were the ones that explained what the psychic phenomenon is and the exercises aimed at helping an individual increase their own psychic skills.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were different points when Ms. Russo explained how her own religious beliefs (she is very ecumenical in her approaches to other religions) fit in with her psychic gifts.

Any additional comments?

This book is well written and Kim Russo does a great job of narrating it. So glad she did it herself. As a long time fan of her work, I think this book is an excellent resource for believers and non-believers alike.

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Title: It's Okay to Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too)

Author: Nora McInerny Purmort

Narrator: Nora McInerny Purmort

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-24-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 505 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Joining the ranks of Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Carry On, Warrior, a fierce, hysterically funny memoir that reminds us that comedy equals tragedy plus time.

Twentysomething Nora McInerny Purmort bounced from boyfriend to boyfriend and job to job. Then she met Aaron, a charismatic art director and her kindred spirit. They made mixtapes (and pancakes) into the wee hours of the morning. They finished each other's sentences. They just knew.

When Aaron was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer, they refused to let it limit their love. They got engaged on Aaron's hospital bed and married after his first surgery. They had a baby when he was on chemo. They shared an amazing summer filled with happiness and laughter. A few months later, Aaron died in Nora's arms in another hospital bed. His wildly creative obituary, which they wrote together, touched the world.

Now Nora shares hysterical, moving, and painfully honest stories about her journey with Aaron. It's Okay to Laugh explores universal themes of love, marriage, work, (single) motherhood, and depression through her refreshingly frank viewpoint. A love letter to life in all of its messy glory and what it's like to still be kickin', It's Okay to Laugh is like a long chat with a close friend over a cup of coffee (or chardonnay).

Members Reviews:

Fresh, brutally raw and honest

Thank god for this perspective, and the brutal truths that come with it. I've followed this story from just a few weeks before purmorts death - reading the entire back log of the blog, and following since on Instagram, tumblr and Twitter. I've been captivated by Nora's writing, but the picture that these mediums painted didn't feel complete. This book answered the rest. Addressing ones right to selfishness, grief,quitting, and self care are what so many need to hear.

This one will be with me for quite some time to come.

Best book!

LOVED this! I especially loved that this is actually Nora reading this. Heartfelt and beautifully written/read.

Beautiful

That is all I can think of to say. If you want to bring a touch of beauty into your life, listen to this story about love. All kinds of love.

Wonderful

This book is wonderful, has helped me more than words can explain! I will definitely listen over and over and recommend to friends.

Nora McInerny is amazing.

After encountering a guest post written by Nora McInerny on a blog a few months ago, I've scoured the internet for everything she has ever written. I read every blog post, listened to every episode of her podcast and, finally, turned to her memoir, It's Okay to Laugh. What could have been an unbearably depressing tale of grief (a la The Wave), is instead a portrait of love, filled with humor and wit. I'm sure I am not alone in saying that I wish Nora was my best friend, because grief stricken and broken as she might be, she is hilarious and pretty awesome.

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Title: Ruthless

Subtitle: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me

Author: Dan Koon, Ronald Miscavige

Narrator: Harvey Betancourt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-03-16

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 578 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The only book to examine the origins of Scientology's current leader, Ruthless tells the revealing story of David Miscavige's childhood and his path to the head seat of the Church of Scientology, told through the eyes of his father. Ron Miscavige's personal, heartfelt story is a riveting insider's look at life within the world of Scientology.

The introduction of this audiobook is read by the author.

Members Reviews:

Ruthlessly Honest ~ An Engrossing Read!

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

Even if you've never heard of Scientology, this book would be interesting. Because I was in Scientology, (for many years), I found this book especially fascinating. I believe Ron told his story as truthfully as possible, and in fact, it actually helped me remember some of the reasons I got into Scientology! However, I would never go back, because I know what he writes about is truthful, and what has happened within the group is so sad, and harmful.

I was in it in the 70's and 80's, and got services from a "field auditor". The group was wonderful, and definitely used the "tech" with good intentions. It was a great time!

I'm sorry for the reason Ron decided to write the book, but I'm glad he wrote it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, the author is my favorite character, and I have a lot of respect and affinity for him after hearing his story.

What does Harvey Betancourt bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

I almost always prefer to listen to the author, but I think Mr. Betancourt did a good job reading this one.

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

I think the title is perfect as it is.

Any additional comments?

I got out of Scientology because I saw the harmful things that were happening in the organization. I read and listen to information about the "church", because I was personally involved for many years, and I know many of the people talked about. I was especially interested in Ron's story, and I found it fascinating. If I met Ron, I'd give him a Big Hug!

Not very enlightening

There are far better 'exposés' like "Going Clear" and "Troublemaker" about the so called church, I was hoping that as the father of the leader there would be far more salacious insight.. But none that haven't been covered elsewhere (and more effectively) already. Narration & writing are also really quite laborious through most of the book.. It's just ok

I've already "read" this one twice...

Would you listen to Ruthless again? Why?

I'm already on my third time of listening to this book and have listened to it all the way through twice (pretty good since it was just released yesterday). It's an interesting "read" and well done so I find that I listen to it throughout the day, whether driving in my car or working at my desk.

What other book might you compare Ruthless to and why?

I've been reading a lot of the Scientology scandal books so I'd probably compare it to Church of Fear, Troublemaker, Inside Scientology, the few that I own and have listened to a few times already.