Lisa Napoli delivers her absorbing and informative biography of the "founding mothers" of National Public Radio with attractive energy and enthusiasm. While not a professional narrator, Napoli is an experienced radio and television journalist as well as author; her clarity, thoughtful pacing, and engaged narration suit the audiobook well. Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg, and Cokie Roberts came from disparate backgrounds, yet their shared passion for accurate, vivid storytelling and truth-telling, and their humor and stubbornness, largely made NPR's news programs the powerhouses they are today. Napoli has written an eye-opening, often funny, sometimes horrifying story that includes madcap escapades, thrilling scoops, and misogynistic misadventures. It leaves listeners profoundly grateful that these four tireless, tough, witty, kind women persevered to give us NPR.
Pub Date: July 13, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Thanks to Hodge’s most enjoyable narration, this is a tasty treat.
British actress Patricia Hodge’s narration of Berry’s reflections is high-toned, crisp, and professional. Berry, now 91, offers her first book about gardening after dozens of cookbooks. Berry is a familiar face to BBC and PBS viewers, and here she enthusiastically shares the meaning gardening has for her. In this lightly sketched family memoir, she details the plants she loves to grow and identifies the people who have inspired her. Hodge's performance is particularly keen when Berry discusses being named a Dame of the British Empire and focuses on her charitable efforts, which include opening her personal gardens for events and tours.
Thanks to Hodge’s most enjoyable narration, this is a tasty treat.Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217303137
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
Minnelli tells her story her way, one-on-one, in a wonderful performance.
For this memoir, Minnelli worked with her best friend, Michael Feinstein, to offer an extraordinary glimpse into her life both in front of and behind the camera. At 80, Minnelli performs her own audiobook in high style. The content is candid, funny, and revealing, if slightly sanitized. It’s all here—Minnelli’s collaborations with songwriters Kander and Ebb and her many marriages and affairs, triumphs, disasters, substance use, and, most recently, 11 years of sobriety. The only drawback when listening is that it’s not always clear when the narrative is moving on to a new theme.
Minnelli tells her story her way, one-on-one, in a wonderful performance.Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668653418
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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