It’s especially bittersweet to find oneself listening to Carrie Fisher’s memoir after her death in December 2016. Reflecting on fame, aging, and being involved with the cultural phenomenon that is Star Wars, Fisher is wry, self-aware, and funny. She’s a canny narrator of her own writing, which bristles with wordplay, jokes, and asides. Sounding appropriately young, Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd, narrates Fisher’s diary entries from when she was 19, which mostly concern her relationship with Harrison Ford. But some of the funniest parts come toward the end of the audiobook, when Fisher goes on extended riffs, imagining encounters with devoted Star Wars fans. Consider this a worthy jumping-off point for revisiting, or discovering for the first time, Fisher’s many pop-culture contributions. J.M.D. 2018 Spoken-Word Grammy Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Nov. 22, 2016
Duration: 5 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780399565564
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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