Get Most Popular Full Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

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Title: A Man for All Markets

Subtitle: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market

Author: Nassim Nicholas Taleb - foreword, Edward O. Thorp

Narrator: Edward O. Thorp

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-17

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 899 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The incredible true story of the card-counting mathematics professor who taught the world how to beat the dealer and, as the first of the great quantitative investors, ushered in a revolution on Wall Street.

A child of the Great Depression, legendary mathematician Edward O. Thorp invented card counting, proving the seemingly impossible: that you could beat the dealer at the blackjack table. As a result he launched a gambling renaissance. His remarkable success - and mathematically unassailable method - caused such an uproar that casinos altered the rules of the game to thwart him and the legions he inspired. They barred him from their premises, even put his life in jeopardy. Nonetheless, gambling was forever changed.

Thereafter, Thorp shifted his sights to "the biggest casino in the world": Wall Street. Devising and then deploying mathematical formulas to beat the market, Thorp ushered in the era of quantitative finance we live in today. Along the way, the so-called godfather of the quants played bridge with Warren Buffett, crossed swords with a young Rudy Giuliani, detected the Bernie Madoff scheme, and, to beat the game of roulette, invented, with Claude Shannon, the world's first wearable computer.

Here, for the first time, Thorp tells the story of what he did, how he did it, his passions and motivations, and the curiosity that has always driven him to disregard conventional wisdom and devise game-changing solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. An intellectual thrill ride, replete with practical wisdom that can guide us all in uncertain financial waters, A Man for All Markets is an instant classic - a book that challenges its readers to think logically about a seemingly irrational world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Critic Reviews:

"An amazing book by a true icon...Edward O. Thorp launched revolutions in Vegas and on Wall Street by turning math into magic, and here he weaves his own life lessons into a page-turner as hot as a deck full of aces. Loved it!" (Ben Mezrich,

New York Times best-selling author of

Bringing Down the House and

The Accidental Billionaires)

"Whether you are an aspiring professional player, a casual gambler, or an occasional visitor to Las Vegas, you can feel the impact of Edward O. Thorp's intellect on that desert city. In 1962, Thorp published the classic book

Beat the Dealer. The text was based on Thorp's original research that stemmed from his curiosity about the game of 21 and was billed as a how-to book for the layperson to beat the casinos at blackjack. Simply stated, it changed everything.

A Man for All Markets chronicles Thorp's personal journey in navigating the unexpected and sometimes dangerous obstacles that come along with challenging the status quo of a wealthy corporate adversary." (Nicholas G. Colon, professional advantage gambler and managing director, Alea Consulting Group)

"What a CV! Figure out how to win at blackjack using card counting? Check. Build the world's first wearable computer? Check. Find the formula for valuing financial options but use it to make money rather than win a Nobel Prize? Check.

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Title: A Dog's Purpose

Author: W. Bruce Cameron

Narrator: William Dufris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-19-17

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4839 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

A Dog's Purpose - which spent a year on the New York Times bestseller list is heading to the big screen! Based on the beloved best-selling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog's Purpose shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog's Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog's many lives, but also a dog's-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man's best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

Bailey's story continues in A Dog's Journey, the charming New York Times and USA Today best-selling direct sequel to A Dog's Purpose.

Members Reviews:

A Good Dog? The BEST Dog!!!

Anything with animals, I looove! That said, the start of "A Dog's Purpose" had me thinking I was going to be knocking off stars from my rating. After all, the writing is rather simple and, at first, I found the narration to be rather hammy.

How surprised and delighted I was, then, to find wonderful characterizations of several "purposes" and intricate weaving of plots that rounded out into a totally fabulous story that had me with a lump in my throat (SEVERAL times), and tears running down my face (which I hastily rubbed away before people around me could notice).

The only, only, ONLY reservation I have about the book is that it specifically states things in words that don't need to be stated because they're oh so felt in the heart, with tenderness, with warmth, with grief and, mostly, with the purest love imaginable.

William Dufris does a truly excellent job with his "dog(s)" voice/s and with the many special people in Toby/Bailey/Ellie/Buddy's life. I had a terrific, cover-to-cover time with this book. Made me ache, made me smile, made me think of all the amazing animals that have entered and left my life.

For those blessed by the friendship of a dog...

Beautiful envisioned , lovingly written, extremely well narrated.

For anyone who has ever owned that special dog or dogs will appreciate this book.

Good story well performed

Very enjoyable storytelling by the reader! The book will really appeal to doggy people. Listening is time well spent.

wonderful

it was a wonderful book it took me to think what was our purpose in Earth what do we do to change somebody's life it was a wonderful book I love every minute of it

Touching Story

This book was a book that made me laugh and cry . I loved it! I can't believe I finished it in less than 2 days!

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Title: How to Get Run Over by a Truck

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Katie McKenna

Narrator: Katie McKenna

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 950 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

People often say, "I feel like I've been run over by a truck." Katie actually was.

On a sunny morning bike ride in Brooklyn, 24-year-old Katie McKenna was forever changed when she was run over by an 18-wheeler. Being crushed under a massive semi wasn't something Katie should have survived. After 10 hours of emergency surgery, she woke to find herself in a body and a life that would never be the same.

In this brutally honest and surprisingly funny memoir, Katie recalls the pivotal event and the long, confusing road to recovery that followed. Between the unprepared nudity in front of her parents postsurgery, hospital happy hours, and the persistent fear that she would never walk again, Katie details the struggles she's faced navigating her new reality. This inspiring memoir follows Katie's remarkable journey to let go of her old life and fall in love with her new one.

Members Reviews:

How to book on gratitude

What was one of the most memorable moments of How to Get Run Over by a Truck?

Those first steps. I was literally holding my breath. And I cheered out loud as I drove.

What does Katie McKenna bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

I loved hearing the author reading because I got a true sense of her feelings. Her parents raised her to be grateful and loyal and kind. Teaching by example. And I feel like without that, she may not have recovered with the healthiest mindset. It'd be easy for self-pity and residual bitterness to take up residence inside of her heart over her circumstances however, she faces each issue, as it presents itself, by acknowledging it and facing it head-on. There is no elephant left hanging around in the middle of the room.

I absolutely love that this whole family and loved ones banded together to heal together. The domino effect of trauma affects everyone.

Awesome amazing read

Everything about the book! The narration, writing, story. Just loved it! Highly recommend it. Katie thanks for sharing your story with us.

Great performance by the woman who lived it!

What made the experience of listening to How to Get Run Over by a Truck the most enjoyable?

McKenna did a great job of interweaving humor with her unbelievable situation. She comes across simultaneously as vulnerable and flawed as well as someone to be admired.

What about Katie McKennas performance did you like?

It's risky when a non-author/non-celebrity writes and/or reads their own story. Just because you've experienced something worthy of sharing doesn't automatically qualify you to write about it or read your own story! McKenna, however, puts out a fantastic performance. Her style reminds me of a combination of Reese Witherspoon and Kristen Bell (as Veronica Mars)

Any additional comments?

If you are a sensitive reader/listener, beware that McKenna is a little bit of a potty mouth. I can cut some slack to a woman who has just been run over by a truck, but there's plenty of f-bombs in this one - no listening around the kids.

Funny and an amazing story.

Wow....what an awesome story of resilience and strength told in a way where I found myself laughing and wanting to cry. I can't fathom how she physically or emotionally survived, but clearly she is one tough cookie.

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Title: Spaceman

Subtitle: An Astronaut's Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe

Author: Mike Massimino

Narrator: Mike Massimino

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1895 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find yourself strapped to a giant rocket that's about to go from zero to 17,500 miles per hour? Or to look back on Earth from outer space and see the surprisingly precise line between day and night? Or to stand in front of the Hubble Space Telescope, wondering if the emergency repair you're about to make will inadvertently ruin humankind's chance to unlock the universe's secrets? Mike Massimino has been there, and in Spaceman he puts you inside the suit, with all the zip and buoyancy of life in microgravity.

Massimino's childhood space dreams were born the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. Growing up in a working-class Long Island family, he catapulted himself to Columbia and then MIT, only to flunk his first doctoral exam and be rejected three times by NASA before making it through the final round of astronaut selection. Taking us through the surreal wonder and beauty of his first spacewalk, the tragedy of losing friends in the Columbia shuttle accident, and the development of his enduring love for the Hubble Telescope - which he and his fellow astronauts were tasked with saving on his final mission - Massimino has written an ode to never giving up and the power of teamwork to make anything possible. Spaceman invites us into a rare, wonderful world where science meets the most thrilling adventure, revealing just what having "the right stuff" really means.

Critic Reviews:

"Drive, determination, and desire are the enduring qualities that are reflected throughout this audiobook, narrated by its author, former astronaut Mike Massimino His joy is contagious, and his accomplishments are incredible. Everyone, not just science geeks, will enjoy this production. " (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Likable guy, great storyteller

Normally nonfiction books don't keep me listening late into the night, repeatedly adding "just 15 more minutes" to the sleep timer for hours. This one did. Mike describes his path from being a boy on Long Island playing in a homemade astronaut costume through the series of choices, challenges, and lucky breaks that culminated in his two spacewalks to perform maintenance on the Hubble telescope. His story is by turns moving and thoughtful and funny and suspenseful.

Mike did a fantastic job with the narration; his humor and humility shone through the whole time.

I don't normally write reviews and fear I haven't done this book justice, but I'm pretty much going to be encouraging everyone I know to read or listen to it, so why not start here?

the most amazing, inspiring book I've ever read

this has to be one if not "THE" most amazing, inspiring book I've ever read in my life. half way through it I put it down and called my university to set up a start date to go back to school and finish my degree.

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Title: Brain over Binge

Subtitle: Why I Was Bulimic, Why Conventional Therapy Didn't Work, and How I Recovered for Good

Author: Kathryn Hansen

Narrator: Lydia Wente

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-13-16

Publisher: Camellia Publishing, LLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 303 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Brain over Binge provides both a gripping personal account and an informative scientific perspective on bulimia and binge eating disorder. The author, Kathryn Hansen, candidly shares her experience as a bulimic and her alternative approach to recovery. Brain over Binge is different from other eating disorder books which typically present binge eating and purging as symptoms of complex emotional and psychological problems. Kathryn disputes this mainstream idea and explains why traditional eating disorder therapy failed her and fails many. She explains how she came to understand her bulimia in a new way - as a function of her brain, and how she used the power of her brain to recover - quickly and permanently. Kathryn also sheds new light on eating disorder topics such as low self-esteem, poor body image, and dieting. Brain over Binge is a brave book that has helped many by delivering an informed and inspiring message of free will, self-reliance, and self-control.

Members Reviews:

It worked for me

Any additional comments?

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. It is very detailed, clearly explains every concept, and gives a totally different approach to dealing with bulimia or BED. I also appreciated the author's personal story. There was much that I easily related to.

I was a binge eater for about 40 years. I quit binge eating before I finished the book. My whole attitude toward food has changed. I did not expect that, and I am so grateful to have found this book.

Please re-record this book!

I think it's a good book. It's the author's personal account of how she uses Rational Recovery methods to end her bingeing. It's inspired me to find some other books that are helping me a lot. Honestly, though...I couldn't finish listening!! The narrator's sinus issues, her drone-like reading, and the choppy editing are all terrible. The narration doesn't do the content justice. I'll look for a copy at Half-Priced Books and finish what I couldn't stand to listen to any longer. Re-record this book!

Powerful ideas based on personal experience

This book contains story of the author's struggle and recovery followed by the detailed analysis rooted in neuroscience.

Ideas presented in this book are easily generalizable to other eating disorders and bad eating habits. I personally don't have bulimia. What I have is a bad eating habit which I was not able to stop in many years. It does not cause me any emotional suffering, but does cause my weight to hover 25 lbs above of what I believe it should be and what it was before I developed this bad habit.

The core message of this book is that your cravings are not you. Cravings originate in your animal brain and your human brain is capable of simply observing these thoughts without acting on them. Such dissociation makes the cravings to lose their power and over time cures the addiction.

I liked the narration of this book. It turns out that the book was narrated by a person who suffered from bulimia and cured after reading the book.

Overall I enjoyed listening to this book, learned the science behind the food addiction and one powerful technique for stopping it.

If I hadn't listened to this book myself!

if i hadn't listened to this book myself, I wouldn't have believed it! I am a 51 year old male.

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Title: Love Warrior (Oprah's Book Club: A Memoir)

Author: Glennon Doyle

Narrator: Glennon Doyle

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-16

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6180 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The Newest Oprah Book Club 2016 Selection

The highly anticipated new memoir by bestselling author Glennon Doyle Melton tells the story of her journey of self-discovery after the implosion of her marriage.

Just when Glennon Doyle Melton was beginning to feel she had it all figured outthree happy children, a doting spouse, and a writing career so successful that her first book catapulted to the top of the New York Times bestseller listher husband revealed his infidelity and she was forced to realize that nothing was as it seemed. A recovering alcoholic and bulimic, Glennon found that rock bottom was a familiar place. In the midst of crisis, she knew to hold on to what she discovered in recovery: that her deepest pain has always held within it an invitation to a richer life.

Love Warrior is the story of one marriage, but it is also the story of the healing that is possible for any of us when we refuse to settle for good enough and begin to face pain and love head-on. This astonishing memoir reveals how our ideals of masculinity and femininity can make it impossible for a man and a woman to truly know one another - and it captures the beauty that unfolds when one couple commits to unlearning everything they've been taught so that they can finally, after thirteen years of marriage, commit to living truetrue to themselves and to each other.

Love Warrior is a gorgeous and inspiring account of how we are born to be warriors: strong, powerful, and brave; able to confront the pain and claim the love that exists for us all. This chronicle of a beautiful, brutal journey speaks to anyone who yearns for deeper, truer relationships and a more abundant, authentic life.

Critic Reviews:

"Author-narrator Glennon Doyle Melton's heartfelt performance underscores the brutal honesty of the story of her ongoing journey to accepting love - of self, of family, and of God." (

AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Incredible

I devoured this book in just one day. Incredibly written account of truth, brutal honesty and bravery. 5 stars!

An outstanding take on healing and self discovery

Glennons truth and voice are refreshing and real. I found so much of myself in this story about what it truly means to love, heal, and discover who you truly are. No spoilers here but I truly believe everyone should read this book. Absolutely outstanding. I laughed. I cried. I saw myself.

Starts out great but takes a sharp right hand turn

Would you try another book from Glennon Doyle Melton and/or Glennon Doyle Melton?

No, probably not

Would you recommend Love Warrior (Oprah's Book Club: A Memoir) to your friends? Why or why not?

I would not...it starts out great and it is an interesting story and read well but turns into what feels like one long mommy blog entry. When the character starts seeing the therapist is when it lost me...the language, the story seemed contrived and super super religious.

What three words best describe Glennon Doyle Meltons performance?

theatrical, religious, predictable

Did Love Warrior (Oprah's Book Club: A Memoir) inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to look more into an author when i am reading a memoir

Any additional comments?

I was not familiar with Melton's blog or background...if i knew that religion of the traditional sort was so prevelant in her writing, i wouldnt have listened. I get it...you love god. Some of the story was completey unbelievable, i.e.

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Title: The Last Punisher

Subtitle: A SEAL Team Three Sniper's True Account of the Battle of Ramadi

Author: Ethan E. Rocke, Kevin Lacz, Lincy Lacz

Narrator: Timothy Phillips

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-16-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1508 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The Last Punisher is a bold, no-holds-barred first-person account of the Iraq War. With wry humor and moving testimony, Kevin Lacz tells the story of his tour in Iraq with SEAL Team Three, the warrior elite of the navy. This legendary unit, known as The Punishers, included Chris Kyle (American Sniper), Mike Monsoor, Ryan Job, and Marc Lee. These brave men were instrumental in securing the key locations in the pivotal 2006 Battle of Ramadi, told with stunning detail in this book.

Minute by minute, Lacz relays the edge-of-your-seat details of his team's missions in Ramadi, offering a firsthand glimpse into the heated combat, extreme conditions, and harrowing experiences they faced every day. Through it all, Lacz and his teammates formed unbreakable bonds and never lost sight of the cause: protecting America with their fight.

The Last Punisher brings the listener into the life and mind of a SEAL, demonstrating the tough realities of war. At the same time, Lacz shares how these experiences made him a better man and how proud he is of his contributions to one of this country's most difficult military campaigns.

Critic Reviews:

"

The Last Punisher takes you right onto the battlefield and into the heart of the action. A rare glimpse into the mind of a Navy SEAL - you won't be able to put it down." (Clint Emerson,

New York Times best-selling author of

100 Deadly Skills)

Members Reviews:

Good book poor reading

I enjoyed the story i did not like the readers in ability to get the nuances of military vernacular

Narrator sounded like the dog from the movie "UP"

What did you love best about The Last Punisher?

True life accounts of events. Very well written, the "narrator" really took away from the overall story by making it harder to even listen.

What did you like best about this story?

EVERYTHING!

How could the performance have been better?

Hire a new Narrator

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

The Brotherhood

Any additional comments?

Vet your narrators. They should at least have a 3rd grade reading level.

Good story, poorly read

I enjoyed the story but the narrator was painful. It was like he was surprised by what word came next and where pauses and emphasis should be placed. As an example "... He was hit by a stray round" was read like "... He was hit by a stray... round". It could have been better but doesn't ruin the story.

Great book, the narrator was just OK.

The story was great, and for someone who was in Ramadi during the same time frame it was pretty cool to hear about things you lived through from a different perspective!

The narrator on the other hand was decent, except for his mis-pronunciation of military terms, phrases, and acronyms drove me crazy at times. But overall I'd recommend this book!

reader sucks.

would have been a lot better with a different guy reading it. Seems like he is trying way to hard. I just couldn't listen to all of it.

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Title: Way of the Reaper

Subtitle: My Greatest Untold Missions and the Art of Being a Sniper

Author: Nicholas Irving, Gary Brozek

Narrator: Jeff Gurner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-09-16

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 838 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

From the legendary special operations sniper and best-selling author of The Reaper comes a rare and powerful audiobook on the art of being a sniper.

Way of the Reaper is a step-by-step accounting of how a sniper works, through the lens of Irving's 10 most significant kills - none of which have been told before. Each mission is an in-depth look at a new element of eliminating the enemy, from intel to luck, recon to weaponry. Told in a thrilling narrative, this is also a heart-pounding true story of some of the Reaper's boldest missions, including the longest shot of his military career on a human target of over half a mile.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, Nick Irving earned his nickname in blood, destroying the enemy with his sniper rifle and in deadly firefights behind a .50 caliber machine gun. He engaged a Taliban suicide bomber during a vicious firefight, used nearly silent subsonic ammo, and was the target of snipers himself. Way of the Reaper attempts to place the listener in the heat of battle, experiencing the same dangers, horrors, and acts of courage Irving faced as an elite member of the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, while also examining the personal ramifications of taking another life.

Listeners will experience the rush of the hunt and the dangers that all snipers must face while learning what it takes to become an elite man hunter. Like the Reaper himself, this explosive audiobook blazes new territory and takes no prisoners.

The preface of this audiobook is read by the author.

Members Reviews:

Listen to this book!

Nick puts you in the battle from each action and the emotions of battle during and after. His first book was a great hit and this one brings it home. It gives you a great perspective on the mindset of a warrior and the toll it takes on you. God bless Nick and those like him for what they are called upon to do. Listen to this book and place yourself next to Nick as he tells his story. 5 stars!

fantastic book

great book, it's entertaining yet insightful. not your typical modern war story. 10 10 of a story

Just another amazing story

And accounting of the sniper trials and tribulations of the impact coming home and how he survivedonce he returned from hell

True Story of Nick Irving. #1 American Sniper

I found this book to be very enlightening and disturbing at times.

Nick, takes you back to when he was a young soldier. He is able to help you understand his feelings as he accumulates to being a full time college student.

I gave this book a four star because I got bored with it in spots. I also liked his honest writing in the first book. I don't recall him talking about saving his brothers. That was a line and feeling from Cris Kyle book. I also found one chapter that sounded extremely similar to Kris Kyle.

And exciting but heartfelt story of brotherhood and combat.

Quite simply this is a great book. It is told without any pretense and The words seem to come straight from Nicholas Irving's heart. It is written like a thriller and yet it takes a hard look at the effects of combat on the human psyche. It never gets "preachy. "It is fast-paced and the reader quickly develops a relationship with The author and the men of his unit. I highly recommend the reaper to all those who are interested in military history.

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Title: Shrill

Subtitle: Notes from a Loud Woman

Author: Lindy West

Narrator: Lindy West

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2483 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Hailed by Lena Dunham as an "essential (and hilarious) voice for women", Lindy West is ferociously witty and outspoken, tackling topics as varied as pop culture, social justice, and body image. Her empowering work has garnered a coast-to-coast audience that eagerly awaits Shrill, her highly anticipated literary debut.

West has rocked the public in work published everywhere from The Guardian to GQ and heard on This American Life. She is a catalyst for a national conversation in a world where not all stories are created equal and not everybody is treated with equal respect. Shrill is comprised of a series of essays that bravely share her life, including her transition from quiet to feminist-out-loud, coming of age in a popular culture that is hostile to women (especially fat, funny women), and how keeping quiet is not an option for any of us.

Members Reviews:

Bookclub or no bookclub?

So, It's my pick for bookclub and I was looking around the Internet for a "beach read". That was the same night Hillary clinched the nomination and when I saw the title "Shrill" I thought how appropriate. I emailed my bookclub ladies and started the book the next day. After about 30 minutes of listening I emailed them back and said, "oops, probably not the book for us" and picked another book. The first 30 minutes were so incredibly personal to me that the thought of having to discuss the book with my bookclub ladies was more then I thought I could bare. The funny thing is I have been in bookclub, every month, with these 5 women for 15 years! They know everything about me. They love me, warts and all, but this book was taking me to a place that I wasn't sure I could tolerate exposing to them.

I can't remember the last time a book has made me challenge my own thoughts, stereotypes, bias, and judgements as this did. I feel simultaneously embarrassed and righteous.

What a gift Lindy has given to all of us women. I only wish I had a fraction of her strength, wisdom, humor, beauty and grit.

Job well done. Must read.

I love this woman

I am a long time audiobook fan (I like to read with my ears) but I have never binged listened to any book before this. May Lindy West continue to lead platoons of strong, smart, out spoken women whose armor and weapons are their wit and hilarity.

Impressed

I didn't know this author before this book (not well enough to be excited, at the least), and I am VERY GLAD to have heard it. There are chapters I would like to use in my syllabi in the fall and winter. I would recommend this book as an eye opening approach to life in modern womanhood. She is careful to transact in intersectionality (doesn't pretend white women are the only people on earth). I deeply appreciate that. And she doesn't let any false burdens of "correctness" detract from her story, her life, her experiences. I greatly appreciate that. Worth the listen, for sure.

Lindy West is feminist leader and gives me hope.

What did you love best about Shrill?

Lindy West is my hero. Her writings make me feel less alone in being a woman. She humorously and unflinchingly looks at some of the darkest parts of modern womanhood. Reading this felt like the quiet conversations you have with a best friend that you think no one else understands. She is a social justice warrior and speaks on behalf of those who are often silenced.

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Title: It's Not Okay

Subtitle: Diary of a Broken Heart

Author: Andi Dorfman

Narrator: Andi Dorfman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-16

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1490 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Andi Dorfman, the beloved finalist of season 18 of The Bachelor who infamously rejected Juan Pablo and went on to star on season 10 of The Bachelorette, dishes about what it's like to live out a love story - and its collapse - in front of the cameras, offering hard-won advice for moving on after a break-up, public or not.

Andi Dorfman, star of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, talks candidly about what it's like to be courted by 25 handsome single men in this juicy insider's peek at dating - and breaking up - on national TV. She shares entertaining and heartfelt stories about her fellow Bachelor alums - many of who are still close friends - comes clean about calling out bachelor number 18, Juan Pablo, for bad behavior, and reflects on her personal challenges and uplifting experiences in love that she hopes will help you get through your own break-ups with grace and style!

Members Reviews:

Don't waste your time

You're better than this Andi Dorfman. I'm not going to lie, I had high expectations for this book. I've been a fan of the Bachelor/Bachelorette series for quite some time, and I was always a fan of Andi's. However this book shed a lot of light on the person she really is. She came off very shallow, narcissistic, and overly dramatic. Full of cliche lines, designer clothing name drops, and predictable writing, this book has very little substance. 8 plus hours of her literally complaining about an ex, one who really doesn't need anymore attention than he already gets. Sorry Andi, I'm no longer a fan. Come back to reality; there are much bigger things in life than a guy you knew for less than a year.

A good read if you want to listen to highschool mean girl prattle.

This book is not flattering to her. Interesting bits about "The Show" aside, she basically whines and complains. And constantly drops brand names and the websites she buys them from. Was she paid for this? I lost count on the number of times a designer name was mentioned in the first chapter. Over all just yucky.

"The feminist in me"...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Look-- if you're a girl, able to afford expensive brand name clothes and accessories, enjoy self-deprecation with your girlfriends, and think that feminism means having a dirty mouth and disagreeing with a man.....then you might love this book! Or basically, if you enjoy everything about Legally Blonde because I feel like she and Elle Woods are interchangeable characters after listening to this.

However, if you're looking for the inside scoop on The Bachelor/ette or seeking any true insight of dealing with heartbreak, then I'd say this book's not for you. Drowning yourself in wine, defining your happiness by the size of your jeans, and criticizing men to feel better about yourself just isn't the way to go. I know she speaks to more things than that but you really have to have a similar personality to hers to enjoy it.

What was most disappointing about Andi Dorfmans story?

Just how shallow it was. Andi herself said several times that "Am I shallow? Maybe." But really, the answer is absolutely. I feel slightly bad criticizing her especially because she put herself out there to be vulnerable and publicly exposed. However, it's just not a great a book.

I should have known better...