This audiobook is simply a delight. Entertainment icon brothers Ron and Clint Howard share a memoir that never strays far from being a sincere loving tribute to their late Midwest-born parents and grandparents for the values they instilled. With voices bright with high style and that special talent some actors have for making the conversation seem so intimate and direct, the tales of the Hollywood television and film industries of the 1950s, 1960s, and beyond are gently and effectively told. The shared memoir, along with the shared narration, works well, especially with each brother stating his first name each time the reins change hands. An added bonus is the introductory chapter effectively and efficiently read by Ron Howard’s daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard. This is a must-listen.
Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
Duration: 13 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063065277
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Cox delivers both the searing pain and deep beauty imbued in her life journey.
The cudgel of gender conformity has never felt more visceral and brutal, more omnipresent and inescapable than in actor and activist Cox’s spellbinding memoir. Listeners will not be left unchanged by Cox’s courage in speaking her whole truth for the very first time. As narrator, Cox’s voice sometimes sounds armored, because this isn't Cox the performer, but Cox as a fiercely analytical intellectual as she examines how her life story embodies the intersection of gender, race, colonization, and patriarchy. Yes, listeners will hear about her fun rise to fame, which included working with film idols like Jodie Foster, but it is her relationship with feminist icon and scholar bell hooks that informs the backbone of this intelligent, remarkable memoir.
Cox delivers both the searing pain and deep beauty imbued in her life journey.Pub Date: June 9, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 56 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668135860
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
An intriguing listen that illustrates how Hollywood’s hottest femme fatale found Hollywood itself fatal.
This audiobook is a richly detailed account of the life of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. Wilson has drawn on published biographies, unpublished archives, letters, notes from Monroe’s former psychoanalysts, diaries, press releases, and reminiscences of contemporaries to write an illuminating portrait of Monroe’s life in 100 short, vignette-style chapters. Narrator Kelly Burke’s warm, clear voice recounts Marilyn’s unhappy childhood, her fixation with stardom, her desire to break through the “dumb blonde” stereotype, her need for love and stability, and the conspiracy theories surrounding her death. Burke adopts Monroe’s familiar soft, sugary, breathy voice when she quotes the actress’ words.
An intriguing listen that illustrates how Hollywood’s hottest femme fatale found Hollywood itself fatal.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 46 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668656501
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
