Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of Natalie Wood and British producer Richard Gregson, bravely narrates a work that is, at once, a personal memoir and an abbreviated biography of her actress mother and actor stepfather, Robert "RJ" Wagner. Wagner was 11 when Wood's body was recovered from the waters off Catalina Island. Her narration, as well as her story, are highly personal, egotistical, and self-obsessed. Every referenced vehicle is identified as a Mercedes and every home seems to be in beautiful Malibu. The performance is nasal, monotone, and pedestrian. The work complements a recently released HBO documentary. On the plus side, while avoiding much of the lurid gossip surrounding her mother's drowning, Wagner's staunch support of her stepfather is evident.
Pub Date: May 5, 2020
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797106601
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 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: yesterday
Duration: 8 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228745124
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
A memoir that doesn’t break any records but is elevated by Hall’s authenticity.
Sara Hall has had an impressively long career as an elite distance runner. She has juggled being a professional athlete with raising four daughters with her husband, who is also a former professional runner. Her easygoing and conversational performance both understates and emphasizes her ambition and integrity. Hall’s evangelical Christian faith is central to her story; at times, she’s had to push back against those who believed she should put her husband’s needs and career before her own. A long-distance run can generate a multitude of emotions. Hall tracks those feelings as she recounts her disappointment about never making an Olympic team, her constant battles with injuries, and her joy at breaking American records, achieving personal bests, and creating a family.
A memoir that doesn’t break any records but is elevated by Hall’s authenticity.Pub Date: April 21, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 39 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250445605
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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