Throughout this absorbing memoir-in-essays, there are moments when you can hear laughter beneath author Randa Jarrar's narration. Her warm, no-nonsense tone adds levitiy to the heavy subject matter, which includes domestic abuse and sexual violence. But Jarrar's laughing voice, sly asides, and obvious affection for her friends and lovers also highlight what makes this audiobook so memorable: her exuberance, self-love, and pride in her identity as a fat, queer Arab-American woman. She writes about being a poor single mother, surviving an abusive marriage, discovering connection and safety in kinky sex, and the racism she faces as a woman of Arab descent in America. Layered and insightful, sometimes harrowing and sometimes funny, this is a powerful audiobook made even better by Jarrar's vulnerable yet playful narration.
Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
Duration: 5 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593413746
Publisher: Random House 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
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