General Audiobooks | Biography & Memoir

Narrow River, Wide Sky: A Memoir Audiobook

In the vein of The Liar's Club and The Glass Castle, Jenny Forrester's memoir perfectly captures both place and a community situated on the Colorado Plateau between slot canyons and rattlesnakes, where she grew up with her mother and brother in a single-wide trailer proudly displaying an American flag. Forrester's powerfully eloquent story reveals a rural small town comprising God-fearing Republicans, ranchers, Mormons, and Native Americans. With sensitivity and resilience, Forrester navigates feelings of isolation, an abusive boyfriend, sexual assault, and a failed college attempt to forge a separate identity. As young adults, after their mother's accidental death, Forrester and her brother are left with an increasingly strained relationship that becomes a microcosm of America's political landscape. Narrow River, Wide Sky is a breathtaking, determinedly truthful story about one woman's search for identity within the mythology of family and America itself.

Jenny Forrester (Author), Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Boy Who Loved Too Much: A True Story of Pathological Friendliness

What would it be like to see everyone as a friend? Twelve-year-old Eli D'Angelo has a genetic disorder that obliterates social inhibitions, making him irrepressibly friendly, indiscriminately trusting, and unconditionally loving toward everyone he meets. It also makes him enormously vulnerable. Eli lacks the innate skepticism that will help his peers navigate adolescence more safely-and vastly more successfully. Journalist Jennifer Latson follows Eli over three critical years of his life as his mother, Gayle, must decide whether to shield Eli entirely from the world and its dangers or give him the freedom to find his own way and become his own person. By intertwining Eli and Gayle's story with the science and history of Williams syndrome, the book explores the genetic basis of behavior and the quirks of human nature. More than a case study of a rare disorder, however, The Boy Who Loved Too Much is a universal tale about the joys and struggles of raising a child, of growing up, and of being different.

Jennifer Latson (Author), Heather Auden (Narrator)

Audiobook

Woman of Substances: A Journey into Addiction and Treatment

Journalist Jenny Valentish investigates the female experience of drugs and alcohol, using her own story to light the way. Mining the expertise of leading researchers, she explores the early predictors of addiction, such as childhood trauma and temperament, and teenage impulsivity. Drawing on neuroscience, she explains why other self-destructive behaviours - such as eating disorders and high-risk sex - are interchangeable with substance use. Valentish follows the pathways that women take into addiction - and out again. Woman of Substances is a rigorous and brutally honest read.

Jenny Valentish (Author), Imogen Wilde (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dare to Dream: My Struggle to Become a Mum - A Story of Heartache and Hope

Random House presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of Dare to Dream by Izzy Judd, read by Izzy and Harry Judd. Izzy Judd shares the story of her and her husband Harry's fertility journey in this honest and heartfelt memoir. 'All I ever wanted was to be a mum - I couldn't wait and it felt as though my time was so close. But the months started to tick by, with each one ending in disappointment and frustration. And then the inevitable panic started to set in ...' Having been told by doctors that, due to Izzy's polycystic ovarian syndrome, they would have difficulty conceiving - and after two years of trying - Izzy and Harry turned to IVF. Izzy's aim, drawing on her own experience, is to break through some of the taboos surrounding miscarriage, IVF and fertility issues. This brutally honest and deeply personal account will acknowledge the struggles that so many couples go through but will ultimately focus on the positive, life-changing and remarkable results that IVF can yield. One in seven couples in the UK have difficulty conceiving and although many babies are now born through IVF, there is still a sense of awkwardness around the subject. Izzy hopes that this book will be a companion to those going through similar challenges to those she has experienced. As she herself says, 'No couple should have to go through it alone and in silence.'

Izzy Judd (Author), Harry Judd, Izzy Judd (Narrator)

Audiobook

Finding Gobi (Younger Readers edition)

For fans of A Streecat Named Bob comes Finding Gobi, the heart-warming true story of a dog who captured the hearts of the world. Younger readers' edition.Finding Gobi is the ultimate story of hope and friendship - proving once again, that dogs really are 'man's best friend.'In 2016, Dion Leonard, an ultramarathon runner, stumbled across a little stray dog while competing in a gruelling 155 mile race across the Gobi Desert. The pup earned the name 'Gobi', as she went step for step with Dion, keeping pace with him for nearly 80 miles. What Gobi lacked in size, she made up for in heart.Dion had always focused on winning, but as he witnessed the incredible determination of this small animal, he felt something inside him change. This is a story of a life changing friendship between one man and a little stray dog called Gobi.

Dion Leonard (Author), Joshua Manning (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Maddie Diaries

Teen dance prodigy, breakout Dance Moms star, and judge on So You Think you Can Dance: The Next Generation, Maddie Ziegler reads her uplifting coming-of-age memoir about following her dreams and working hard to achieve success in both the dance world and in life. Hear Maddie's story in her own words. Maddie Ziegler had hoped to become a star - she just didn't know how soon that day would come. At just eight years old, she was cast on the hit reality TV show Dance Moms and quickly won the hearts of fans everywhere with her natural talent and determination. Soon, she was catching eyes all over - including those of pop superstar Sia, who handpicked her to star in the incredibly popular music video 'Chandelier'. The rest, as they say, is history. In this inspirational memoir, Maddie explains the hard work she put in to her rise to stardom and how she keeps her balance along the way - starring in music videos, going on tour and becoming an actress in The Book of Henry, with Naomi Watts and Jacob Tremblay. She also answers her fans' burning questions with wise advice she's learned on her journey. With honesty, charm and humour, Maddie offers her unique perspective on making her way in the world as a young teenager, reflecting on the lessons she's learned - and preparing for the exciting road ahead.

Maddie Ziegler (Author), Maddie Ziegler (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pardon My French; How a Grumpy American Fell in Love with France

To make a friend is a joy. To make a friend in another country is a wonderment—a small miracle. Pardon My French follows an American author who has embraced a daunting mission: not to be a spectator in France but an enthusiastic participant—fully engaged, fully alive. In France, Johnson is like an alien from another planet. Everything is strange to him. His goal is to speak French without going to prison, drive without being squashed like a bug, dance the tango without losing his marriage, and belt out a tune with a world-class jazz combo without being booed off the stage. Repeatedly, the author fearlessly steps into harm’s way. He joins a summer acting troop and witnesses the French version of sexual liberation. He pits his rather staid and conventional driving skills against the French speed demons of Languedoc. He tries to be cool in a painting class while sputtering nervously in front of the nude model with the long legs and silky voice. And then, after it all—after the splendor of Christmas on the Mediterranean, the bicycle tours along the French canals, the mountain treks amply supplied with French bread, cheese, and wine—the miracle happens. The often self-deprecating and bungling American meets and falls in love with a beautiful mistress: La belle France. And when he does, an entire village adopts him into a new family—one with a gracious heart and a beautiful French accent.

Allen Johnson (Author), David De Vries (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nakendiscot - eller hur jag överlevde skilsmässan och gick från känslomässigt korkad till kåt, glad

En bok om att hitta sig själv. Jag låg en natt och kunde inte sova. Jag tänkte på hur mycket bättre mitt liv hade blivit efter skilsmässan, hur bra jag mådde och jag funderade över vad som hade hänt egentligen. Hur hade jag hamnat här? Karin Isberg levde i ett lyckligt äktenskap med en framgångsrik man, söta barn och fint hus. Trodde hon. På ytan såg det perfekt ut. Nu har fasaden av den lyckliga kärnfamiljen raserats och hon har tvingats inse att hon ljugit för sig själv under många år. Men med hjälp av en bra terapeut, tantrakurser, nakendisco och diverse tokerier har hon gått från total botten till lycka. Hon har förstått att livet inte bara behöver handla om prestationskrav och plikter, utan också kan levas kärleksfullt och bejakande. Hon har helt enkelt blivit en kåtare, gladare och tacksammare människa. Det här är hennes berättelse om hur det gick till. Nakendiscot är en rolig och befriande bok om konsten att genomleva en skilsmässa, ta ansvar för sitt liv och finna livsglädje. Med hög igenkänning lotsar den dig igenom en skilsmässas alla faser och känslomässiga berg- och dalbana. Nakendiscot tar oss med på en utvecklingsresa som lär oss att lyssna på oss själva. Karin Isberg är omvärldsanalytiker och föreläsare.

Karin Isberg (Author), Karin Isberg (Narrator)

Audiobook

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death and Jazz Chickens

A memoir of love, death and jazz chickens, Eddie Izzard's fabulous Believe Me is his one and only autobiography . . . 'I know why I'm doing all this,' I said. 'Everything I do in life is trying to get her back. I think if I do enough things . . . that maybe she'll come back.' When Eddie Izzard was six, he and his brother Mark lost their mother. That day, he lost his childhood too. Despite or perhaps because of this, he has always felt he needed to take on things that some people would consider impossible. In Believe Me, Eddie takes us on a journey which begins in Yemen (before the revolution), then takes us to Northern Ireland (before The Troubles), England and Wales, then across the seas to Europe and America. In a story jam-packed with incident he tells of teddy bear shows on boarding school beds, renouncing accountancy for swordfighting on the streets of London and making those first tentative steps towards becoming an Action Transvestite, touring France in French and playing the Hollywood Bowl. Above all, this is a tale about someone who has always done everything his own way (which often didn't work at first) and, sometimes almost by accident but always with grit and determination, achieving what he set out to do. Brimming with the surreal humour and disarming candor of his shows (with occasional digressions), Believe Me tells the story of a little boy who lost his mother yet who has risen to become a star of comedy and drama, a leading advocate of total clothing rights, a British European and extreme runner of marathons, who bestrides the world stage as a world stage bestrider. 'King of the Universe . . . Comic genius . . . Entertainment incarnate' Telegraph

Eddie Izzard (Author), Eddie Izzard (Narrator)

Audiobook

Rainer Clute - Der Regisseur von 'Professor van Dusen' erinnert sich: Zur rechten Zeit am rechten Or

Rainer Clute, der Regisseur der bekannten 'Professor van Dusen' Reihe präsentiert sein erstes Hörbuch bei Maritim. Seine autobiografischen Erinnerungen liest er selbst und gibt uns so Einblicke in viele interessante Details aus seinem Leben und in die 'Professor van Dusen'-Produktionen des RIAS/DeutschlandRadios.

Rainer Clute (Author), Rainer Clute (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hi Gorgeous!: Transforming Inner Power into Radiant Beauty

Trailblazing transgender actress, activist, and style icon Candis Cayne has spent a lifetime learning how to see herself for who she really is, and along the way has taught herself and others how to celebrate inner beauty as the perfect starting point for outer radiance. Drawing from her personal journey to self-acceptance and comprised of a unique combination of cross-barrier, body-positive wellness and style advice, Hi Gorgeous! is a one-of-a-kind beauty guide that will speak to all women. Engagingly written, highly visual, and filled with "Glam on the Go" tips and exclusive interviews with Candis's team of "radiance experts," the book will cover everything from new definitions of womanhood and beauty (with elements of Candis's own journey woven in) to hands-on makeup and style tips aimed at enhancing all of a woman's possibilities. Hi Gorgeous! opens with a foreword by Candis's best friend, former Olympian and transgender star Caitlyn Jenner. This beautiful, inspiring, and informative book will empower women on their own path and help them convey their radiance to the world. **Contact Customer Service for Additional Material**

Candis Cayne, Katina Z Jones (Author), Candis Cayne (Narrator)

Audiobook

Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002)

One of the most anticipated books of 2017: Boston Globe, New York Times Book Review, New York's "Vulture", The Week, Bustle, BookRiot David Sedaris tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making It's no coincidence that the world's best writers tend to keep diaries. If you faithfully record your life in a journal, you're writing every day--and if you write every day, you become a better writer. David Sedaris has kept a diary for forty years. This means that if you've kept a diary for a year of your life or less, Sedaris is at least forty times better at writing than you are. In his diaries, he's recorded everything that has captured his attention--overheard comments, salacious gossip, soap opera plot twists, secrets confided by total strangers. These observations are the source code for his finest work, and with them he has honed his self-deprecation and learned to craft his cunning, surprising sentences. Now, for the first time, Sedaris shares his private writings with the world in Theft By Finding: Diaries 1977-2002. This is the first-person account of how a drug-abusing dropout with a weakness for the International House of Pancakes and a chronic inability to hold down a real job became one of the funniest people on the planet. Most diaries -- even the diaries of great writers -- are impossibly dull, because they generally write about their emotions, or their dreams, or their interior life. Sedaris's diaries are unique because they face outward. He doesn't tell us his feelings about the world, he shows us the world instead, and in so doing he shows us something deeper about himself. Written with a sharp eye and ear for the bizarre, the beautiful, and the uncomfortable, and with a generosity of spirit that even a misanthropic sense of humor can't fully disguise, Theft By Finding proves that Sedaris is one of our great modern observers. It's a potent reminder that there's no such thing as a boring day--when you're as perceptive and curious as Sedaris, adventure waits around every corner.

David Sedaris (Author), David Sedaris (Narrator)

Audiobook

General Audiobooks in Biography & Memoir