NPR's Ari Shapiro has real verbal skills. Not surprisingly, he narrates his memoir with practiced professionalism. His confident tone, lyrical cadence, and timbre all hint at his background as an a cappella singer while he was at Yale. He still sings with the Pink Martini and has performed cabaret with Alan Cumming. Happily, he occasionally croons a bar or two here. His personal and journalistic stories are eloquently told, and he doesn't spare himself self-parody. (He sweats excessively, he tells us, so radio works to his advantage.) While his media rise has been striking--including a stint at the White House and as a foreign correspondent--his gift is showing how ordinary folks do extraordinary things. It is the listener's good fortune that he shares them in this audiobook.
Pub Date: 2023
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063221376
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Somewhat Dickensian and somewhat Shakespearean, Anthony Hopkins' memoir is a fascinating, articulate, and deeply moving listen. Actor Kenneth Branagh, Hopkins' close friend, movingly performs the memoir, sounding in timbre, tone, and nuanced pacing very much like the listener might imagine Hopkins to sound today. In this loosely chronological effort, Branagh brings listeners to Hopkins' Welsh birthplace and shares memories of his parents. While huge swaths of his life as a skilled actor may be omitted, candid observations of his own strengths and weaknesses abound. He celebrates his conquering of alcoholism and the success of his marriage to Stella Arroyave. Hopkins himself voices the conclusion and favorite poems, primarily Yeats. This audiobook is a treasure, perhaps a work of art.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668142608
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Roderick Sewell II--Paralympic athlete and Iron Man champion, motivational speaker, and disability advocate--shares his resilience and joy in his impactful memoir. Sewell's performance exudes calm strength as he talks about the myriad challenges he and his mother faced during his childhood in San Diego and Alabama in the 1990s. Their difficulties included struggling to afford the prosthetic legs he needed as a double above-the-knee amputee, as well as experiencing frequent housing insecurity. He also expresses appreciation for the support he received and the empowerment he learned from extended family and sports mentors as he charted his path to adulthood. Sewell shares valuable lessons with listeners, including the importance of getting out of your own way and not allowing others to define your success.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668650080
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
