Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

The Dead Don't Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi, and Black TV Nerd Shit

This brilliant, adult nonfiction debut from the acclaimed MG author and poet weaves two personal narratives of recovery and reclamation, spliced with a dazzle of pop-culture The Dead Don't Need Reminding is a braided story of Julian Randall's return from the cliff edge of a harrowing depression and his determination to retrace the hustle of a white-passing grandfather to the Mississippi town from which he was driven amid threats of tar and feather. Alternatively wry, lyrical, and heartfelt, Randall transforms pop culture moments into deeply personal explorations of grief, family, and the American way. He envisions his fight to stay alive through a striking medley of media ranging from Into the Spiderverse and Jordan Peele movies to BoJack Horseman and the music of Odd Future. Pulsing with life, sharp, and wickedly funny, The Dead Don't Need Reminding is Randall's journey to get his ghost story back.

Julian Randall (Author), Julian Randall, TBD (Narrator)

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Life's Too Short: A Memoir

A raw, heartfelt memoir from Darius Rucker, the three-time Grammy Award–winning, Diamond-selling lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish and Country music sensation—told through the remarkable stories of the music that coursed through his life. “If I look back at my life and try to see into my past, everything seems blurry. But then I lean in and start to hear something. Melodies. Chords. Harmonies. Lyrics. This book is the story of my life as told through twenty-three songs that took me away, soaring, starting at ground level, living in a poor but happy home, never wanting for much more, enjoying what I had, even when times got tough, because I had my escape, my refuge, my music.”—From the Introduction Raised by a single mother in Charleston, South Carolina, Darius Rucker founded Hootie & the Blowfish with three classmates at the University of South Carolina in 1986. What began as a party band playing frat houses and dive bars quickly became a global rock pop phenomenon through their Diamond-certified debut album Cracked Rear View, featuring the era-defining hit songs “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Let Her Cry” and “Hold My Hand.” Later, Darius would also chart a pioneering path as a solo Country music artist, with Diamond-certified hit “Wagon Wheel,” plus timeless anthems such as “Alright” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” while sharing the stage and a mic with the likes of David Crosby, Al Green, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Adele, Taylor Swift and more. Nearly 40 years into his illustrious career, Darius tells the story of his life through the music that made him, including songs by everyone from Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder to R.E.M., KISS, Prince and, of course, his own music with Hootie and as a solo artist. He recounts the unlikely ascent of his band and wild tales of his road-hardened life—one filled with stumbles, missteps and battles with demons, but ultimately resulting in triumph. Life’s Too Short is the story of a man, his music and his life; a page-turning memoir that is raw, real, hilarious and deeply emotional.

Darius Rucker (Author), Darius Rucker, TBD (Narrator)

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Rise of a Killah

The story of the celebrated rapper and the iconic Wu-Tang Clan, told by one of its founding members With his fellow New Yorker RZA, Dennis Coles–aka Ghostface Killah–established the Wu-Tang Clan, the legendary hip-hop group whose flexible format (originally seven members, growing to ten, it performs in various combinations and also allows its members solo careers), danceable singles and intimate melodic lyrics have kept it at the pinnacle of rap and hip-hop from its founding in the early 1990s to today. Rise of a Killah, Ghost’s autobiography, is intense rather than comprehensive, looking back at his childhood in Staten Island, his commitment to his family (including a brother with muscular dystrophy) and lifelong sidekicks, how crime and violence have affected his life, his fellow Wu-Tang members, a formative touring trip to Japan in 1997, and his art. Rich with both story and imagery, Rise Of A Killah is both visual record and a real-feel narrative of a performer’s life.

Ghostface Killah (Author), Landon Woodson, TBD (Narrator)

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My Sins Go With Me: A Story of Resistance

Why did acts of sabotage by the Dutch Resistance during World War Two, that saved countless Jews from the camps, remain largely hidden to the present day? This is the story of the remarkable bravery and heroism, and also of terrible betrayal. Anna-Maria van der Vaart is 104, remarkably independent despite her failing eyesight, living on the south coast of England. During the darkest days of the war, in her home country of Holland, she sheltered Allied pilots, gave refuge to persecuted Jews and stood up to the Nazis by participating in audacious acts of resistance. The Dutch turned more Jews over to the Nazis than any other nation. There were traitors in every Resistance cell, the juxtaposition of valour and treachery poignant and tragic. A chance meeting with Anna-Maria led to her telling him her story, together with those of the Resistance members with whom she had contact or whose deeds she recollected, the people she helped and others who were determined to destroy them. In interviews with those who survived, in Dutch and German archives, personal diaries, photo libraries and occasionally contentious memoirs by those with plenty to hide, Martin Sixsmith came across a drama on a scale he could never have imagined. In My Sins Go With Me, he gives as wide as possible a picture of those who resisted and those who threw in their lot with their fellow Aryans from Hitler's Germany, endeavouring to understand the decisions taken by both sides and learning that it was not a simple choice, not merely a question of courage and honour versus cowardice and greed.

Martin Sixsmith (Author), Julie Teal, TBD (Narrator)

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Ayesha's Gift: A daughter's search for the truth about her father

**FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLING PHILOMENA, MADE INTO THE AWARD-WINNING FILM STARRING STEVEN COOGAN AND JUDI DENCH** Ayesha's Gift is the true story of a young woman, born in Pakistan, living in Britain, whose life is thrown into desperate turmoil by the violent death of her father. The Pakistani authorities talk of suicide, but why would Ayesha's happy, gentle father kill himself? Ayesha's quest to find the truth takes her away from her safe English existence and into Pakistan, where she is met with threats, violence and smiling perjurers. She is warned that her life is in danger; powerful, ruthless men have reasons to want her silenced. But there are things she needs to know, that compel her to press on with her search for the truth. Was her father an innocent victim? Can she continue to revere the image of him she grew up with, that of a good, loving parent? Or will she be forced to accept that her father was not the person she thought he was? As the two countries she had considered home reveal themselves as foreign and inimical, Ayesha is forced to confront the tormented issues of identity and belonging. When she travels to Pakistan, Martin Sixsmith goes with her. A shared tragedy and an unlikely friendship lead them both to question the things that give meaning to their lives, and ultimately to find solace in the common human values of kindess and respect. 'Written at thriller pace' Telegraph 'Wonderful . . . What I find so striking about Ayesha's Gift is that it's a book in which the writer is changed by the writing of the book' Andrew Marr

Martin Sixsmith (Author), Nina Wadia, TBD (Narrator)

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Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America

Essential reading from an expert voice our country needs: Luis Miranda's personal and political memoir reveals a deep understanding of Latino culture and building community to change our world for the better. A veteran of New York and national politics, Luis Miranda embodies the relentless spirit of progress of American immigrants. There is nobody on the Latino, New York, and national political scene with the breadth of experience, passion, and storytelling charm of Luis Miranda. In Relentless, he shares the poignant narrative of his life and career-from his early days as a radically minded Puerto Rican activist to his decades of political advice and problem solving. We experience the thrill of the ascendency of Hamilton, created by his son Lin-Manuel. And we experience the suffering after the devastation of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria. Amid the triumphs, challenges, and ongoing hard work, Miranda examines what his experience reveals about our ever-changing politics, demographics, and society.

Luis A. Miranda (Author), Luis A. Miranda, TBD (Narrator)

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The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Me

The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically attempts to follow the original meaning of the Constitution in search of answers to one of the most pressing issues of our time: How should we interpret America's foundational document? A.J. Jacobs learned the hard way that donning a tricorne hat and marching around Manhattan with a 1700s musket will earn you a lot of strange looks. In the wake of several controversial rulings by the Supreme Court and the on-going debate about how the Constitution should be interpreted, Jacobs set out to understand what it means to live by the Constitution. In The Year of Living Constitutionally, A.J. Jacobs tries to get inside the minds of the Founding Fathers by living as closely as possible to the original meaning of the Constitution. He asserts his right to free speech by writing his opinions on parchment with a quill and handing them out to strangers in Times Square. He consents to quartering a soldier, as is his Third Amendment right. He turns his home into a traditional 1790s household by lighting candles instead of using electricity, boiling mutton, and-because women were not allowed to sign contracts- feebly attempting to take over his wife's day job, which involves a lot of contract negotiations. The book blends unforgettable adventures-delivering a handwritten petition to Congress, applying for a Letter of Marque to become a legal pirate for the government, and battling redcoats as part of a Revolutionary War reenactment group--with dozens of interviews from constitutional experts from both sides. Jacobs dives deep into originalism and living constitutionalism, the two rival ways of interpreting the document. Much like he did with the Bible in The Year of Living Biblically, Jacobs provides a crash course on our Constitution as he experiences the benefits and perils of living like it's the 1790s. He relishes, for instance, the slow thinking of the era, free from social media alerts. But also discovers the progress we've made since 1789 when married women couldn't own property. Now more than ever, Americans need to understand the meaning and value of the Constitution. As politicians and Supreme Court Justices wage a high-stakes battle over how literally we should interpret the Constitution, A.J. Jacobs provides an entertaining yet illuminating look into how this storied document fits into our democracy today.

A.J. Jacobs (Author), A.J. Jacobs, TBD (Narrator)

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Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms

Shaunie Henderson—wife, mother, entrepreneur, producer, and creator of the hit TV show Basketball Wives—opens up about finding love, offers advice for raising strong, smart, grounded Black children in today's world, and reveals how to define your career and personal life by your own terms in this inspirational memoir. Today, Shaunie Henderson is a force to be reckoned with—a TV personality, producer of multiple hit reality shows, entrepreneur, philanthropist, mother of five children, First Lady of her husband's church, and role model. But before she found her voice and her purpose, she was one more young woman trying to find her way as a partner, a parent, and a person. In Undefeated, Henderson opens up about the struggles, heartbreaks, losses, and triumphs that have made her who she is today—stories that will inspire you to rise up, discover your strength and self-love, and be who you are meant to be. Featuring her relatable voice and filled with candor, Undefeated is so much more than a memoir—it is a stirring guidebook that will change your life for the better.

Shaunie Henderson (Author), Shaunie Henderson, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Prison Officer

Gen Glaister (Author), Rebecca Lee, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

White Terror: A True Story of Murders, Bombings and a Far-Right Campaign to Rid Germany of Immigrant

In a tour de force of investigative journalism, White Terror tells for the first time the story of the National Socialist Underground in Germany – in an engrossing global story that examines violence, modern racism and national trauma. Before the storming of the U.S. Capitol; before the mass shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Walmart in El Paso, or the mosque in Christchurch; before the mass-murders perpetrated by Dylann Roof in 2015 or Anders Breivik in 2011; before any of that, there was the National Socialist Underground in Germany, where the global rise of white terrorism began. Between 2000 and 2011, the NSU, a Neo-Nazi terrorist trio—one woman, two men—serially killed immigrants, funding their spree through robbing banks and aided by a vast network of like-minded extremists. Anders Breivik, whose writings are widely circulated among hate groups today, hailed the sole surviving member of the NSU as a “martyr.” In a tour de force of investigative journalism and novelistic storytelling in the vein of Say Nothing and Killers of the Flower Moon, White Terror tells the story of the NSU, taking readers back to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of East and West Germany, and the rise of Neo-Nazism. White Terror tells the story of the NSU trio, their radicalization from skinhead youths selling Nazi-themed Monopoly games and trading blows with left-wing punks to full-fledged on-the-run terrorists carrying out bombings and assassinations. But it’s also about something almost as terrifying: the German police and intelligence services that missed clues and overlooked leads, mishandled far-right informants, repeatedly tried to paint the Turkish and Greek murder victims as mafiosos, and, once the terror plot was revealed, covered-up their mistakes and refused to acknowledge their failings. Excellently put together and deeply researched, White Terror is an engrossing story first and foremost about Germany and its difficult history of racism, but also an international story that examines modern racism, an issue every country has to deal with in some form.

Jacob Kushner (Author), Samantha Desz, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Made in Manchester: A people’s history of the city that shaped the modern world

A rich and vivid history of the city that made the modern world Made in Manchester is the tale of England’s second city; a metropolis that exported industry and commerce to all others and whose culture is celebrated globally. Like Brian Groom’s bestselling Northerners, this definitive history expertly combines pacey narrative with vividly drawn portraits. Manchester was the ‘shock city’ of the Industrial Revolution. Visitors arrived from foreign lands, who saw in it a foretaste of the world’s future. But no one knew whether the upheaval would lead to prosperity or starvation. ‘From this filthy sewer pure gold flows,’ wrote French social commentator Alexis de Tocqueville. It was a hotbed of politics too. The Peterloo Massacre of 1819 is immortalised in British folklore. The city was a centre for radical movements such as Chartism, yet also spawned the employer-led Anti-Corn Law League, which made free trade Britain’s economic orthodoxy. It became the centre of the global cotton industry and a pioneer in engineering. But Made in Manchester will also tell the untold story of the pre-industrial age: Manchester’s Roman fort was manned by soldiers from across the empire, prefiguring the cosmopolitanism of the present day. Here can be found the scientists who produced the world’s first stored-program computer; industrialists who laid the foundation of modern mass production; campaigners like Emmeline Pankhurst; writers Elizabeth Gaskell and Anthony Burgess; composers like Peter Maxwell Davies; and artists such as L.S. Lowry. Manchester’s music scene produced iconic bands including Joy Division and Oasis. Made in Manchester will tackle the city’s sometimes spiky relations with its neighbours and its reputation for arrogance, asking whether the city’s inhabitants have a definable character. And it will ask whether Manchester, through economic decline and recent recovery, has lived up to its early promise, and whether it can still do so today.

Brian Groom (Author), David Judge, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Stars Will Still Be There

The heartbreaking but life-affirming memoir from Nicola Nuttall about her inspirational daughter Laura Laura Nuttall was in her first term at King’s College London in 2018 when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. She was given just one year to live. Laura decided to do something positive with every second she had left. She worked her way through the most incredible bucket list, from fishing with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer to graduating from the University of Manchester, meeting Michelle Obama to dancing on stage with Peter Kay in front of 10,000 people. In the four years between Laura’s diagnosis and her death in May 2023, her mum, Nicola, documented every small moment of joy – and every bit of utter heartbreak. THE STARS WILL STILL BE THERE is Nicola’s gorgeous tribute to her incredibly special daughter and a life lived to the absolute fullest.

Nicola Nuttall (Author), Melanie Crawley, TBD (Narrator)

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