Warning! When the book
on your CD or cassette player is riveting, don't blame
the driver for missing an exit! The titles in this audio
book collection have caused unintentional detours from
Massachusetts to California!
"As I look
back, it feels to me that my life has been one long
audition -- an attempt to make a difference
and to be accepted." Barbara Walters proposes
to audition for the listener as she narrates her
memoirs. Born into show business as the daughter
of impresario Lou Walters, Barbara has experienced
the evolution of the industry from vaudeville, through
the golden age of television to today's media offerings.
As the first female co-anchor of a network news
show, she's credited with opening the door for women
in broadcast journalism... [More]
(6/27/08)
The
Diana Chronicles, by Tina Brown The "People's Princess" continues
to reign, even in death. In the year of the tenth
anniversary of Diana's tragic death, she still
evokes the controversy that became so much a part
of her final years. Tina Brown, former editor
of the gossip magazine, The Tatler, knew
Diana and her many of her contemporaries. In this
deliciously insightful audio book, Brown presents
previously unknown information about the royals
and their dealings with Diana...[More]
(9/3/07)
READ
BY DON LESLIE
Blood
and Thunder: An Epic of the American West,
by Hampton Sides
What a perfect book to accompany a road trip
around the southwestern United States! Hampton
Sides traces the suppression of the Navaho nation
during the 19th century in this comprehensive
and compelling tale of the heroes and villains
of the American West. If there could be a main
character in this saga, it would be Christopher
(Kit) Carson, a larger than life figure who epitomized
the courage and valor of the westward explorer...[More]
(7/15/07)
READ
BY
THE AUTHOR
Red
Carpets and Other Banana Skins,
by Rupert Everett The whimsical musical introduction
to each disk of this audio book sets the tone
for the delightful experience of getting to know
Rupert Everett. Perhaps best known as Julia Robert's
gay friend in My Best Friend's Wedding, Rupert
Everett shows himself to be a witty, articulate
observer of humankind. Born to an affluent couple
in Great Britain, Rupert attended private schools
until he convinced his parents to let him abandon
academia in favor of a career on the stage. Even
a child, Rupert recognized that his preferences
differed from those of most of the boys around
him...[More]
(2/18/07)
READ
BY
THE AUTHOR
Saving
Graces,
by Elizabeth Edwards How often do we look at high
profile individuals and assume that they live
in nearly perfect worlds with fewer of the problems
than ordinary people face? Elizabeth Edwards appeared
before the American public during her husband's
2004 vice-presidential campaign as a charming,
unpretentious, intelligent woman. It was obvious
that she had a happy marriage to a loving, handsome,
successful husband, a beautiful adult daughter
and two charming tow-headed youngsters...[More]
(11/12/06)
READ
BY
THE AUTHOR
My
Father, My President,
by Doro Bush Koch Put aside your political affiliations,
and you will find this book interesting and appealing.
The author is the little-known daughter of former
president George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush. Her
name, Doro, was shortened from Dorothy. She wrote
the story to tell about her father, the man, and
not the politician. Both George and Barbara are
featured throughout the book and...[More]
(11/5/06)
READ
BY
LYNNE MACLEAN
Elizabeth,
by J. Randy Taraborrelli Born in London of affluent American
parents, Elizabeth Taylor's appearance was
exceptional from birth. Her body was completely
covered with fuzzy dark hair, and she had 2 rows
of eyelashes. The hair fell off after a month,
but the eyelashes remained to frame the violet-grey
eyes which would be the focal point of one of
the most beautiful faces of the 20th Century...[More]
(9/17/06)
READ
BY THE AUTHOR
The
Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir,
by Bill Bryson
What was life like in the fifties? This audio
book takes the listener on a hilarious and thoughtful
guided tour of growing up in mid-America in the
1950s, thanks to best-selling humorist, Bill Bryson.
Convinced that such a special child as he couldn't
possibly have been born of earthly mortals, Billie
Bryson dons a discarded costume, wraps a towel
around his neck for a cape, names himself the
Thunderbolt Kid, and proceeds to mentally annihilate
anyone who creates obstacles in his childhood
universe. The listener is happily allowed to tag
along as Bryson recreates the sights, sounds,
emotions, values and experiences of growing up
in an America that existed 50 years ago....[More]
(4/29/07)
READ
BY
THE AUTHOR
The
Ride of Our Lives, by Mike Leonard Noted NBC feature newsman Mike
Leonard has rewarded us with a most heartwarming
story of his personal life as he shares his adventures
of taking his 82-year-old mother and 87-year-old
father on a trip to refresh their memories of
places they had known and to show them parts of
the United States they had never seen...[More]
(7/16/06)
READ
BY
THE AUTHORS
With
Ossie & Ruby: In This Life Together,
by Ossie Davis & Ruby Lee What a unique idea -- to
have a dual autobiography written and read by
2 very talented people who take turns in relating
their personal histories. Ossie Davis and Ruby
Dee tell their stories from childhood to the present
time, telling the tales which inform us of their
struggles to overcome the difficulties that black
actors and actresses encountered in the racial
unrest of the 20th Century. ...[More]
(5/21/06)
READ
BY
THE AUTHOR
Never
Have Your Dog Stuffed, by Alan Alda "Memory is a kind of mental
taxidermy-trying to hold onto the present after
it's become the past," is Alan Alda's
observation that inspired the title of this beguiling,
humorous autobiography. To say that he grew up
in a dysfunctional family is a gross understatement.
The only son of an acclaimed actor father and
a schizophrenic mother, Alda's childhood included
Vaudeville comics and strippers, boarding school
bullies, violent outbursts by his mother and frequent...[More]
(12/4/05)
READ
BY
SHOHREH
AGHDASHLOO
Inside
the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia, by
Carmen Bin Ladin
This memoir was written by the ex-sister-in-law
of Osama Bin Ladin and provides an insider's look
into the near-medieval culture of modern Saudi Arabia.
The work is read by Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo
(House of Sand and Fog) and traces Carmen
Bin Ladin's journey from a her childhood in Iran
to the whirlwind romance with one of the Bin Ladin
brothers that eventually led to living in one of
the most repressed societies in the world. It is
a compelling story that will keep the listener spell-bound
through most of the 6.5 hours. Along the way, she
shares some of the secrets of the realm - information
that could well get her killed if the Saudi Royal
Family is as corrupt and ruthless as she portrays
it to be. Ultimately, the book enters the murky
world of warring parents fighting over child custody
issues, but even in this phase, Carmen Bin Ladin's
experience makes for a great road trip listening
experience. (7/25/04)
Flyboys is the true story
about eight American airmen who were shot down
during World War II and held prisoners on
a small island off the coast of Japan. The fate
of these men was not known until the Japanese
war crimes trials were held in 1946. The horrific
results led to the hanging of high ranking officers
and the imprisonment of many others. Information
about the crimes was kept from the American public;
the files were sealed and were not opened until
the late 1980s....[More]
(8/14/05)
Not all authors should read their own work, but
David Sedaris is one of the few who brings exactly
the right pace, irony, and inflection to his writing.
This quirky collection of essays about growing up
in everyday America follows in the footsteps of
Me Talk Pretty One Day and is sure to delight
NPR fans. The essay format makes it a good choice
for short tripsthis is a collection you can
enjoy in segments without losing any momentum. (6/27/04)