Biography & Memoir bestsellers

This program is read by the author.

The Oscar-nominated star who captivated the world with his performance in Juno finally shares his truth.

“Can I kiss you?” It was two months before the world premiere of Juno, and Elliot Page was in his first ever queer bar. The hot summer air hung heavy around him as he looked at her. And then it happened. In... Read more »

I'm Glad My Mom Died

“Ah, the book that everyone is talking about. I had to try it. As a person who had a troublesome relationship with my own mother (not as troubling at Jeanette's), I took comfort in Jeanette's journey into learning to heal and make peace with mother's actions. It is a hard book to listen to, but Jeanette's honest and head-on approach made me keep listening. As I've told others, don't let the title put you off. Being around my own mother and dealing with her was mental and physically exhausting. There are days I am glad my mom died, but I still love her. And like Jeanette, I've learned that not all mothers deserve the pedestal they've been placed on.”

Terri, Swamp Fox Bookstore

Quietly Hostile

“Quietly Hostile only reinforced the love I already have for Samantha Irby’s writing. I love listening to frank and humorous way she tackles everything from relationships to Red Lobster to bodily functions. Her books, especially the audio recordings, are always ones I look forward to! ”

Jenni, Mysterious Galaxy Books

If you enjoyed I'm Glad My Mom Died, then you’ll love Crying in H Mart.

“In Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner goes into detail about her mothers cancer, the nights she spent next to her bed, the secrets she learned about her later on, the small yet wonderful moments she remembers with clarity, and of course the raw emotion that goes with losing a mother. I had gotten over halfway through when I fell asleep listening to it one night, accidentally “finishing” it. I ended up shelving it for later, listened to about 10 more audiobooks, before finally picking it up again. I ADORED IT. I love listening to audiobooks while cooking, and can promise a few tears slipped into my food. I normally watch or read something physically while eating, and found myself never wanting to turn it off. Michelle Zauner does a phenomenal job at reading her book, her voice rhythmic yet steady. ”

Makayla, Tattered Cover

Spare

“I deeply relished every drop of the tea spilt in this memoir. I would recommend it on that alone. However, I was most impressed with Prince Harry’s clear passion for the things and the people he cares about. In his narration of the audiobook you can feel how much he loves his family, how proud he is of his time in the military, and how much he wants certain things (and certain people) to be different. This memoir is not just about a prince. It’s about a person coming into his own and finding the confidence to stand his ground and confront those he once assumed would always have his best interests at heart. I was riveted from beginning to end.”

Jenni, Mysterious Galaxy Books

How Far the Light Reaches

“Part memoir, part nature/science writing, this is an amazing book. The author's ability to weave together the wonders of marine biology with stories exploring their own existence and coming of age lets us experience the world in a different light. Original and thought-provoking. Looking for a good audio book to listen to? This is a great choice, read by the author!”

Anne, Newtonville Books

If you enjoyed Why Fish Don't Exist, then you’ll love The Anthropocene Reviewed.

“A lovely lovely listen read by the author. This is the perfect book to take on a long walk or drive that will make you look at the world in a fresh way. Drawing on personal anecdotes, history, literature and science, Green embraces both small and big ideas and makes you grateful for things you might have once overlooked. 5/5 stars for this audiobook!”

Katie, Bank Square Books

The Light We Carry

“Michelle Obama is back with more words of wisdom, pillars of humility, and just simply Michelle. The Light We Carry is an uplighting book that will help you deal with the emotions and isolation that we have had to deal with during and after the pandemic. But more than that, she has compiled questions that she has been asked again and again, and acknowledges each with personal stories, anecdotes, wisdom, and love. This book feel like you are sitting down with an old friend when you have had a bad day and and just need some love and a hot drink.”

Gretchen, Fiction Addiction

How to Be an Antiracist

“Among the multi-faceted array of antiracist literature newly published in the last two years, Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be an Antiracist stands alone as a definitive source of history and socio-political critique, while offering a new paradigm of thought aimed at paving the way for correcting centuries of social injustice. Hearing this visionary and transformative work in Kendi’s own voice will no doubt bring it all straight into your heart, humanizing his ideas, and firmly setting you on your own path to doing the work of becoming an antiracist.”

Noelle, Oblong Books

If you enjoyed On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, then you’ll love You Could Make This Place Beautiful.

“Poet Maggie Smith narrates her memoir of gorgeous prose about her heartbreaking divorce. Maggie Smith is a lovely writer and explores the purpose of memoir as she mines her formerly married and currently divorcing selves. I've seen this referred to as a middle-aged coming-of-age and I think that's an apt description. You Could Make This Place Beautiful is about life, grief, motherhood, and family, and how you pull it together (during a pandemic, no less) for yourself and your kids as you try to make sense of your life partner suddenly walking out the door. ”

Julie, Honest Dog Books

A Promised Land

“No one really needs my blurb to help sell this book, but I wanted to give it anyway, especially for the audiobook, narrated by Barack Obama himself. If you want to know his incredible knowledge and wisdom that guided him through major decisions, and also hear him drop a few F-bombs, you need to listen to this fantastically written book. ”

Amber, Quail Ridge Books

Educated

“This well-written memoir moved me deeply. The author not only relates the hardships which she endured but also exposes her own character flaws which made her incredible journey even more amazing. The audiobook version which I downloaded from Libro.fm is narrated by Julia Whelan who also narrated "Far from the Tree" (which I loved) and over 100 more audiobooks available at Libro.fm.”

Bob, Changing Hands

Taste

“As a lover of food, I snacked my way through Taste: My Life Through Food, chuckled at Stanley Tucci's puns, and found myself adding his movies to my queue for a repeat screening. His ability to describe food, history, and food on sets was thorough, entertaining, and just plain fun. His passion for good food, family time, and forming lifetime friendships is inspirational. I have Julie and Julia playing now, and I'm adding ingredients to my grocery list to make Spaghetti Zucchine alla Nerano with zucchini from my garden. Oh yes!”

Sara, Roundabout Books

Why Fish Don't Exist

“Despite having no general interest in ichthyology, taxonomy, or old white eugenicists, Why Fish Don't Exist was one of the most engaging stories I have ever read. The audio edition, read by the author, is ridiculously charming. It meanders between a biography and a memoir, and it's refreshing to read a narrative that isn't afraid to change its course when presented with new information. It made me want to read more about the philosophy of science, as well as anything Miller writes in the future.”

Ian, Page 1 Books

Winner of the 2023 Grammy for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording!Audie Award Winner for Audiobook of the Year!Narrated by Viola DavisIn my book, you will meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever.This is my story, from a crumbling apartment in Central... Read more »

If you enjoyed Wintering, then you’ll love Enchantment.

“British author Katherine May knows exactly what I need when I need it. I read her book, Wintering, during the hardest days of the pandemic. She wrote of a time in her life, pre-pandemic, when she felt hopeless, but her words resonated with my feelings of despair during the isolation of 2020. Her newest book, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, is just as timely. Though very personal, she addresses the universality of our shock at the fallout from the pandemic and how we can recover some of our contentment and joy. The book is beautifully written, and there are many lines that will linger with me. ”

Mamie, Quail Ridge Books

Untamed

“I read this book non-stop for a week, underlining, reading passages to my friends & recommending it to anyone with a pulse. There are many great stories inside, but their charm & power, really, is all Glennon. She is a spiritual seeker & leader who loves reality tv, a formidable activist on the global scale who gets anxiety sweats when the doorbell rings. Equal parts poetic & conversational, memoir & manifesto. Her love story will make you swoon. Her shamelessness & relentless self-interrogation will make you feel deeply exposed. This is not a "you can do it, girl!" book. It's more like a spiritual marathon that invites you to jump the guardrail & take off.”

Elon, Apotheosis Comics

In the Dream House

“Brilliant and brave, Carmen Maria Machado's memoir does not shy away from pain, but examines it with a scientist's precision and a poet's imagination. Machado examines how relationships can become toxic from personal understanding. This book reads like a collection of cohesive essays where each chapter is a new lens. This book will change your understanding of memoir. Read by the author, which is especially special and important for this book.”

Lafe, Oblong Books

Stay True

“Stay True by Hua Hsu is a memoir set largely in/at Berkeley in the 1990s. A quietly profound look at the momentousness of the decisions you make as an emerging adult - about friendship, romance, art, music, activism, and family. ”

Carol, A Great Good Place for Books

Broken Horses

“For Brandi Carlile fans, her memoir Broken Horses is an intimate look into her life and her music. I always pull up songs mention in books I am reading, but in this case, the Libro.fm audiobook makes it even better. Brandi not only reads, but sings throughout the book. ”

Nona, CoffeeTree Books

It should have been Rebecca Schiller's dream come true: moving her young family to the English countryside to raise goats and coax their own fruit and vegetables from the land. But, as she writes: The summer of striding out toward a life of open fields and sacks of corn, I brought a confused black hole of something pernicious but not yet... Read more »

"This is the third in Cohen’s series of published diaries, and I think they’re just the bee’s knees. In this one, he chronicles a year juggling Housewives, his precocious son, and a newborn daughter. There’s self-reflection, self-effacement, gossip, humor. I mean, there should be a National Book Award special citation for these books."- Vulture... Read more »

Monsters

“In this personal critique of creative genius Dederer examines the phenomena of cancel culture. Exploring relationships between artist and audience/fan and whether it's possible to have the proverbial "cake and eat it" too. Lots of food for thought. ”

Jennifer, East City Bookshop

Becoming

“I adore our former president and I miss him. Yet I cannot help but be ecstatic that Michelle is coming out with a book about her own life so that I can learn more about this powerful, intelligent, and singularly awesome woman. Barack would be the first to say that his wife is a superstar, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Becoming to read about her in her own words.”

Jax, Bookshop Santa Cruz

The Book of Charlie

“For seven years, David Von Drehle listened to his 102 year old neighbor Charlie White’s stories. Early tragedy helped form Charlie’s stoic nature because he had already learned that nothing is certain, so he lived his life with an optimistic, carpe diem approach. He lived most of his life in the Kansas City area where he faced and overcame tremendous obstacles. His mother had given him just one basic piece of advice that he lived by: do the right thing. Charlie White didn’t just survive a century of tremendous change and conflict but actually thrived. Over and over again, Charlie White bet on himself…and it almost always paid off. This is an uplifting book for our troubled times, a rewarding and enriching reading experience that gives us a lesson on how to live a long and meaningful life. ”

Shirley, Watermark Books

Surrender

“In Surrender, Bono gives you personal insight into his life, the creation of U2, and the inspiration for some of U2’s most iconic songs. But even more so, he goes into detail about his advocacy and how they came to be. And he shares some amazing stories about the famous people that he has had the opportunity to meet and work with. With every chapter, you will feel like you are talking with an old friend that will bring you inspiration and motivation with his charisma and determination of spirit. I highly recommend Surrender for anyone who feel lost or silenced in the world we live in today.”

Gretchen, Fiction Addiction

Wintering

“Katherine May uses 'winter' as a metaphor for life’s darker seasons in this poetic memoir about retreating from the demands and expectations of a pressuring society. She encourages the reader to explore the quiet and restorative moments in life that help us to grow, relax, and heal from difficult times. Lyrical, reflective, and comforting; this book is paired best with your coziest blanket and a hot cup of tea.”

Courtney, Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers

Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Biography

Winner of the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography, the 2023 Bancroft Prize in American History and Diplomacy, and the 43rd LA Times Book Prize in Biography | Finalist for the 2023 PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

Named a Best Book of 2022 by The Atlantic, The Washington... Read more »

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the life-changing memoir that has inspired millions of readers through the Academy Award®–winning actor’s unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN

“McConaughey’s book invites... Read more »

“A masterful, must-read contribution to conversations on power, justice, healing, and devotion from a singular voice I now trust with my whole heart.”—GLENNON DOYLE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed

A queer hijabi Muslim immigrant survives her coming-of-age by drawing strength and hope from stories in the Quran in this daring,... Read more »

Tiny Beautiful Things (10th Anniversary Edition)

“Before she was known as the author of Wild, Cheryl Strayed was the anonymous Dear Sugar on The Rumpus website – an agony aunt of sorts, if agony aunts were endowed with ruthless compassion, profound honesty, and excellent prose. Tiny Beautiful Things is a collection of these columns. After I listened to Dear Sugar, the podcast she shared with Steve Almond, I decided to give the audio of this a go. No regrets! It is moving and eloquent, and never predictable -- and the fact that she reads it herself means that her compassion comes through not only in her writing but in her voice.”

Claire, East City Bookshop

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE NOMINEE • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A grand, devastating portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, famed for their philanthropy, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin. From the prize-winning and bestselling author of... Read more »

Easy Beauty

“The subtitle ‘memoir’ doesn't do justice to this spectacular, sui generis meditation on art, disability, parenting, and travel. It's about more than memory — it's about living in the now and creating the future we want for our children.”

Rebekah Shoaf, Boogie Down Books

Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * “Do we need still another Watergate book? The answer turns out to be yes—this one.” —The Washington Post * “Dazzling.” —The New York Times Book Review

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky, comes the first definitive narrative history of... Read more »

The heartfelt memoir of a trans pageant queen from the Philippines who went back into the closet to model in New York City—until she realized that living her truth was the only way to step into her full power.

“Packed with grit, ferocity, and grace, Geena Rocero’s story proves that embracing who you are—in all your complexity, and in a world that... Read more »

If you enjoyed A Really Good Day, then you’ll love How to Change Your Mind.

“Take an over-medicated, moody, middle-aged mother of four, add a month of experimental microdosing with LSD and it makes for A Really Good Day by Ayelet Waldman. This mesmerizing memoir of mental exploration tackles the taboo topic of drug use in our society, the frightening rise of prescription pills and the devastating addictions developing during the War on Drugs. A rollicking ride through the realm of self-realization, Waldman’s creative quest for sanity is painfully honest, hysterically funny and deeply human. I loved it!”

Kristin, McLean & Eakin Booksellers

New York Times Bestseller Read by the author.Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the... Read more »

When Chef Anthony Bourdain wrote "Don't Eat Before You Read This" in The New Yorker, he spared no one's appetite, revealing what goes on behind the kitchen door. In Kitchen Confidential, he expanded the appetizer into a deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet that lays out his twenty-five years of sex, drugs, and haute cuisine.

From his... Read more »

Dinners with Ruth

“Delightfully narrated by the author, these descriptions of lifelong friendships among famous groundbreaking career women are a treat and a balm.”

Renee, The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn

Yearbook

“So funny. I couldn’t stop listening until I had heard all of his anecdotes. Loved it.”

Lisa, Pixie Hollow

A mango...is just one thing. But if I chop it in two, then chop the half in two, and keep on chopping, I get more and more bits, on and on, endlessly, to an infinity I could never ever reach. In 1887 in India, a boy named Ramanujan is born with a passion for numbers. He sees numbers in the squares of light pricking his thatched roof and in the... Read more »

Hello, Molly!

“My favorite memoir of the year! Molly's positivity, sincerity and HUMOR shine through her story. As a long-time fan, it was fascinating to learn about her family, her training, her SNL days, and working on the movies she made. After finishing, I wanted to go watch all her famous SNL skits and Superstar! Loved listening to this book on Libro.fm because Molly narrates herself!”

Cassie, Roundabout Books

New York Times Bestseller • Read With Jenna Book Club Pick as seen on Today • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiography • Winner of the American Library Association Alex Award

A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this “gripping... Read more »

A new rip-roaring essay collection from the smart, edgy, hilarious, unabashedly raunchy, and bestselling Samantha Irby.

Irby is forty, and increasingly uncomfortable in her own skin despite what Inspirational Instagram Infographics have promised her. She has left her job as a receptionist at a veterinary clinic, has published successful books and... Read more »

Broken (in the best possible way)

“Lawson speaks to all of us who are weird, wacky, and unafraid (but, really, often afraid) to share our quirks with the world. Some chapters of this book moved me deeply, where it felt as though she was narrating my own life. Other chapters made me ugly laugh, the type that turns strangers’ heads in public. I’m so happy I was given the opportunity to start 2021 with this book. It set the bar high for hope in the year to come, and for the books that will be read.”

Jasmin Brooks, Bookery Manchester

When Neema Avashia tells people where she's from, their response is nearly always a disbelieving "There are Indian people in West Virginia?" A queer Asian American teacher and writer, Avashia fits few Appalachian stereotypes. But the lessons she learned in childhood about race and class, gender and sexuality continue to inform the way she moves... Read more »

Know My Name

“Wow! Everybody should read this book. A stunning memoir about a devastating subject. It was eye opening, gut wrenching, powerful and brave. Chanel Miller writes with such honesty and vulnerability–I immediately felt that I knew her and she had me walking in her shoes throughout the entire book. I’m still reeling from the roller coaster of emotions but ultimately I was left feeling hopeful and changed. A great audiobook read by author. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️”

Leah, Aesop's Fable

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A searing memoir of reckoning and healing by acclaimed journalist Stephanie Foo, investigating the little-understood science behind complex PTSD and how it has shaped her life

“Achingly exquisite . . . providing real hope for those who long to heal.”—Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should... Read more »

A TIME BEST BOOK OF THE SUMMER  

From the author of the “original, politically daring and passionately written” (Vogue) novel Fruit of the Drunken Tree, comes a dazzling, kaleidoscopic memoir reclaiming her family's otherworldly legacy.

For Ingrid Rojas Contreras, magic runs in the family. Raised amid the political violence of 1980s and '90s... Read more »

An intimate and electrifying collection of essays from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Delights  

In these gorgeously written and timely pieces, prize-winning poet and author Ross Gay considers the joy we incite when we care for each other, especially during life’s inevitable hardships. Throughout Inciting Joy, he explores... Read more »