Elise Arsenault expertly delivers a truly excellent and detailed look at singer Madonna's life. From her humble beginnings, Madonna has become an icon for her music, as well as the causes she has championed over the years, such as AIDS awareness. Despite her success, she, like many celebrities, has also endured criticism for her choices of artistic expression. Arsenault offers a clear delivery of the narrative and provides emotional depth when depicting important conversations or thoughts from Madonna and the people in her life. Though this is a lengthy audiobook, Arsenault's smooth transitions through the stages of Madonna's life create a well-paced journey throughout all of her highs and lows.
Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
Duration: 41 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549149320
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Panettiere’s performance captures her memoir’s honesty, vulnerability, and emotional intensity.
In her signature slightly husky voice, Panettiere narrates her journey from child actor in more than 50 commercials to fame on Heroes and Nashville and to life as a mother, domestic abuse survivor, recovered addict, and grieving sister. Her voice wavers when recalling loss, and she sounds small when she describes auditioning at age 5 under the guidance of her demanding mother, herself a former actor. Panettiere warmly reflects on the gifts acting gave her, from working with revered stars to filming abroad and her advocacy for animal welfare. She makes a shark encounter sound thrilling, and she uses a playful accent for her Ukrainian ex-fiancé, professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, relaying his fights with fast-paced excitement.
Panettiere’s performance captures her memoir’s honesty, vulnerability, and emotional intensity.Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 47 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668655627
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.
For those who know Sondheim best as the lyricist of Broadway giants such as Gypsy and West Side Story, this extremely well-researched, rather concise audiobook will enlighten and inform. Author Okrent’s boundless enthusiasm is clear in his performance as he discusses Sondheim’s personal and professional journey. Sondheim, who passed in 2021, was an intensely private man, but fans of Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, and more of Sondheim's work will appreciate that Okrent was able to mine previously unexamined archives and other resources.
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.Pub Date: May 16, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228745124
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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