Staff Picks - Memoirs & Biographies

Barracoon

The Story of the Last ""Black Cargo""

By: Zora Neale Hurston
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 3 hours 49 minutes

“This book demonstrates Hurston at her finest, displaying her experience with ethnography and field research in a less fictional way, contrasted to the fictional story Their Eyes Were Watching God. This book is foundational for understanding slavery in America. Read more

Learning to See

A Novel of Dorothea Lange, the Woman Who Revealed the Real America

By: Elise Hooper
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 10 hours 27 minutes

“Written with grace, empathy, and bright imagination, Learning to See gives us the vivid interior life of a remarkably resilient woman. Dorothea Lange’s story is about passion and art, love and family, but also about the sacrifices women make—and have always made—to illuminate the truth of the world.” —Danya Kukafka, national bestselling author... Read more

Educated

A Memoir

By: Tara Westover
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Length: 12 hours 9 minutes

“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... Read more

Amos Fortune, Free Man

By: Elizabeth Yates
Narrated by: Roslyn Ruff
Length: 3 hours 45 minutes

A Newbery Medal Winner

When Amos Fortune was only fifteen years old, he was captured by slave traders and brought to Massachusetts, where he was sold at auction. Although his freedom had been taken, Amos never lost his dinity and courage. For 45 years, Amos worked as a slave and dreamed of freedom. And, at age 60, he finally began to see those... Read more

Just Mercy

A Story of Justice and Redemption

By: Bryan Stevenson
Narrated by: Bryan Stevenson
Length: 11 hours 10 minutes

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX • A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.

“[Bryan Stevenson’s] dedication to fighting for justice... Read more

Broken Horses

A Memoir

By: Brandi Carlile
Narrated by: Brandi Carlile
Length: 10 hours 2 minutes

“Brandi Carlile is a folk icon and her memoir showcases her talent to spin a story well. She will woo you with her honesty and break your heart before giving you hope again. A perfect memoir for moody days. Read more

Spare

By: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
Narrated by: Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex
Length: 15 hours 37 minutes

“This is a tale of the reality of people's lives. It shows that we are all alike, no matter what our positions, titles, or economic status are. I loved this very real story of life with it's ups and downs. It's time to realize that everyone goes through hard times and good times...it's a simple fact that we have to all accept. Sharing all the... Read more

Bird by Bird

Some Instructions on Writing and Life

By: Anne Lamott
Narrated by: Anne Lamott
Length: 6 hours 36 minutes

“I found Lamott's advice so uniquely inspiring as a writer. Completing this book really does feel like completing a course in creative writing with her as professor. Read more

On Writing

A Memoir Of The Craft

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill & Owen King
Length: 9 hours 6 minutes

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WRITING with fresh testimonials from fellow writers about why they love Stephen King and On Writing—and a few new words on the joy of writing from King himself.

*ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME*

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s... Read more

The Elephant Whisperer

My Life With the Herd in the African Wild

By: Lawrence Anthony & Graham Spence
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Length: 10 hours 54 minutes

When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn't take them.
 
In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years... Read more

Red Notice

A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice

By: Bill Browder
Narrated by: Adam Grupper
Length: 14 hours 7 minutes

November 2009. An emaciated young lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, is led to a freezing isolation cell in a Moscow prison, handcuffed to a bed rail, and beaten to death by eight police officers. His crime? To testify against the Russian Interior Ministry officials who were involved in a conspiracy to steal $230 million of taxes paid to the state by one... Read more

The Year of Magical Thinking

By: Joan Didion
Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
Length: 5 hours 10 minutes

Didion's journalistic skills are displayed as never before in this story of a year in her life that began with her daughter in a medically induced coma and her husband unexpectedly dead due to a heart attack.



This powerful and moving work is Didion's "attempt to make sense of the weeks and then months that cut loose any fixed idea I ever had... Read more

Bossypants

By: Tina Fey
Narrated by: Tina Fey
Length: 5 hours 31 minutes

Spirited and whip-smart, these laugh-out-loud autobiographical essays are "a masterpiece" from the Emmy Award-winning actress and comedy writer known for 30 Rock, Mean Girls, and SNL" (Sunday Telegraph).

Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she... Read more

A Natural Woman

A Memoir

By: Carole King
Narrated by: Carole King
Length: 14 hours 11 minutes

Read the New York Times Bestselling memoir that is "revealing, humble, and cool-aunt chatty" about the incredible life that inspired the hit Broadway musical Beautiful (Rolling Stone). Carole King takes us from her early beginnings in Brooklyn, to her remarkable success as one of the world's most acclaimed songwriting and performing talents of... Read more

The Princess Spy

The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones

By: Larry Loftis
Narrated by: Kate Reading
Length: 9 hours 46 minutes

“A fascinating (true) look at the indoctrination of a young woman into the international spy trade as WW2 is winding down in Europe. The settings are just what you'd expect- fancy hotels and private dining rooms- as well as tales of how the spies themselves worked their own agendas. A great audiobook, too. Read more

I'm Glad My Mom Died

By: Jennette McCurdy
Narrated by: Jennette McCurdy
Length: 6 hours 25 minutes

“From the eyes and experiences of a child-actress, Jennette McCurdy recounts her life with a heavy focus on how her mother developed, impacted, and controlled it. It’s a fascinating and heavy read, and the lasting effect it leaves will make you really think about how you view celebrities. They are just as human as everyone else and the lasting... Read more