Will Smith tells all in this memoir of his spectacular journey from his childhood in Philadelphia to his career as a rap star and then a Hollywood movie mogul. His charisma comes through as he narrates the various lessons he has learned from these myriad experiences. Fans will enjoy the lighthearted moments and appreciate the intimacy of the deeper revelations. He sets a quick pace, as if he's on the phone with a close friend. From marriage troubles to parenting challenges, topics reveal a mature person for whom no subject is off-limits. Smith seems to enjoy narrating as much as his other artistic pursuits. And if this volume is any indication, he may be just as talented in this arena as in the others.
Pub Date: Jan. 18, 2022
Duration: 16 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593146231
Publisher: Penguin 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 the work of 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
Honest, heartfelt recollections make this performance feel like catching up with a close friend on the phone.
The best narrator for O'Connell's unique mixture of humor and drama is, fittingly, O'Connell himself. In his essay collection, O'Connell discusses every facet of his life as a gay man with cerebral palsy, from his former reliance on alcohol and drugs to his struggle finding a sexual partner, experience in an open relationship, his exercise journey, and his Hollywood success. Listeners will find themselves laughing alongside O'Connell as he candidly recalls—with contagious cackles—his time as an addict in denial and his decade-long dry spell. O'Connell's narration is passionate, whether he’s recounting a heartbreaking story of childhood trauma or sharing a laugh-out-loud joke.
Honest, heartfelt recollections make this performance feel like catching up with a close friend on the phone.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 56 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250457127
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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