Stephen Thorne narrates this lively guide to midlife's dilemmas with the color and verve of an expert storyteller. His seemingly endless range of tonal and phrasing patterns is fun to hear and attuned to every nuance in the author's personable writing. Setiya, a popular MIT philosophy professor, is an optimistic writer. His message, at once wise and youthful, is that while unfulfilled desires and goals may be painful, pursuing them gives meaning and purpose to what would otherwise be an aimless and futile life. He says we can't avoid the choices we make about our careers or relationships, and we can't avoid the mistakes and regrets that come with making those choices. But we can learn from our past mistakes and offset the burden of life's sobering responsibilities by including activities that have no other purpose than enjoyment of the moment.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2018
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781977325440
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Claudette Monica Powell wanted to be a nun since she watched the movie A NUN'S STORY at age 7. Now she is Sister Monica Clare, Sister Superior of the Community of Saint John Baptist, an Episcopal order of women in rural New Jersey. A former acting student at New York University, Sister Monica Clare delivers an approachable, folksy account of her long and often painful path to the convent. Her chaotic and abusive childhood led to a loveless marriage, intensifying her already towering insecurity. Now she has a TikTok, @nunsenseforthepeople, with 200,000 followers. An energetic and engaging storyteller, Sister Monica Clare relays tidbits from her Hollywood days, as well as details of monastic life in this warm and engrossing memoir.
Pub Date: April 29, 2025
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217064878
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Colm Tóibín's consummate narration of his new collection of essays charms and educates in equal measure. The 11 pieces, written between 1995 and 2022, explore topics ranging from Catholic popes and the author Marilyn Robinson to Tóibín's homosexuality, treatment for testicular cancer, and childhood in Ireland. An award-winning journalist, novelist, and poet, Tóibín is analytical, elegiac, and often very funny, with a great eye for the telling detail. His soft, slightly nasal tenor and gentle Irish intonation are interestingly mellifluous; "power" becomes "paar" and "carefully" is "kerfully." He narrates deliberately, giving listeners time to absorb the writing. Occasionally, he lingers over words and phrases for maximum effect. It's a poet's approach, which works. The result is entrancing.
Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2023
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797153230
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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