Anne Lamott narrates in her natural speaking voice--sincere, conversational, and authentic--with a slightly nasally tone and a sometimes choppy cadence. An accomplished storyteller, Lamott charms her audience with intensely personal love-themed vignettes from her own life, managing to make them universally relatable. Lamott is not talking about romantic love--but, rather, the love that grows from community. She eschews the prevailing American fixation on rugged individualism, noting that the harmony of life cannot be sung solo. Lamott celebrates community, a group of people who value and support one another, as the only way to experience the "call and response" of love. It is, Lamott assures us, "always there for the asking." We would be wise to follow her examples.
Pub Date: April 9, 2024
Duration: 4 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593828892
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners looking to examine joy from a faith-based perspective will find much to reflect on.
In this audiobook, Bowler poses the question, "What is joy?" Narrating her own work, she muses on this theme, discussing finding joy in the ordinary, the role of emotions, recapturing past joy, and the way her faith has shaped her interpretation and experience of joy. Bowler’s narration is down to earth as she talks about her experience battling Stage 4 cancer shortly after her mother's death. She also tackles big ideas about duty and obligation, shared emotion, toxic positivity, how to convert faith into something concretely good, the secret of miracles, and taking risks to achieve joy.
Listeners looking to examine joy from a faith-based perspective will find much to reflect on.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 58 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217176564
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
Listeners in search of purpose may find this audiobook transformative.
Author and narrator Brooks challenges listeners to find meaning in their lives when distractions abound. The audiobook offers deep dives into topics including relationships, work, leisure, and faith, as well as formulas for finding happiness and meaning. Brooks delivers the material with the confidence of a professional, and his pace is fast but easy to follow. He shares scientific research, examples from history and literature, and stories of contemporary individuals, including himself. Listeners may want to be ready to pause and take notes to answer the questions Brooks poses about finding one’s own life's meaning.
Listeners in search of purpose may find this audiobook transformative.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 41 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217282111
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: today
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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