I’m a huge fan of audiobooks, and finding a rhythm for listening with my ears has brought great enjoyment to my reading life these past few years. (Thanks to the extra reading time, I also finish more books than I used to. A fun bonus!)
Every reader has their own audiobook style. Personally, I love to listen to great stories, not information. This means that I listen to mostly fiction on audio, saving my nonfiction for print reading. The one exception is memoir. I LOVE to listen to a good memoir on audio. In fact, some of my very favorite listening experiences have been celebrity memoirs. My hunch is that this is because they reliably combine two things I consistently adore: behind-the-scenes stories and author narration.
A few years ago, I shared 20 celebrity memoirs read by their authors, but I’ve enjoyed—or earmarked for later listening—so many good ones since that post was published that it’s time for an update. That’s why today we’re bringing you 15 more celebrity memoir audiobooks narrated by their authors.
This list is far from exhaustive; there are so many more great celebrity memoirs we could have included here! The comments section is open: please stay for a minute and tell us all about your favorite celebrity memoirs read by the author.
15 MORE celebrity memoir audiobooks read by their authors
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As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There
Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir
This Will Only Hurt a Little
Becoming
I’m Glad My Mom Died
Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir
One Life
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir
Broken Horses: A Memoir
We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True
Taste: My Life Through Food
Finding Me: A Memoir
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music
Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation
Have you read any of these celebrity memoirs? What would you add to the list? Tell us all about YOUR favorites in comments!
P.S. 20 celebrity memoirs read by their authors (the original list!), 15 audiobooks read by your favorite celebrity narrators, and Audiophile alert: 13 engaging audiobooks read by their authors.
53 comments
I’ll add Molly Shannon’s memoir, Hello Molly, to the list.
I loved this in audio!
Kate Mulgrew’s Born with Teeth, Tina Fey’s Bossypants and Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime are all excellent memoirs read by the author.
I recommend As You Wish to *everyone* when they ask about audiobooks. So delightful, and I wasn’t even a big fan of the movie when I read it. Fabulous tale well-told by Elwes who does spot-on impressions of many of his costars.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah and also Rob Lowe’s memoir.
Born a crime!! So good.
I love both of Rob Lowe’s books!
Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life by Sutton Foster is wonderful on audio. Sutton Foster is one of Broadway’s biggest stars, and was the lead in two TV series (Bunheads and Younger). Her memoir covers how she has used hobbies (crochet mostly, but also collage and painting) to get her through some of her toughest times. She’s open about her difficult relationship with her agoraphobic mother, her own anxiety, the pain of ending relationships, and infertility. Plus, lots of insider Broadway stuff, including an interview with Patti LaPone. There are some craft patterns in the print version I hear, but the publisher provides a PDF for audio listeners.
Canada by Mike Myers is laugh out loud funny and as he says – his love letter to Canada.
I also enjoyed Rob Lowe’s Stories I Only Tell My Friends. I felt like he was a passenger in my car telling me stories.
I’d add Dolly Parton’s “Songteller” to the list. First of all Dolly. Need I say more? Second, she reads the story and adds her own spice to it as well as snippets of her singing the songs. It’s pure delight!
I adored Mel Brooks’ All About Me! It is so, so funny!
Yes!!! An American treasure!
I also loved Rob Lowe’s memoir—so engaging! And, Trevor Noah’s Born A Crime remains one of my all time favorite listens.
Love all these recommendations & I truly enjoyed Will by Will Smith detailing his life from Philly to Beverly Hills & everything in between.
The Office Ladies have a podcast by the same name that my husband adores.
Two favourites have been: A Promised Land by Barack Obama; and Greenlights by Matthew McConaghy.
Once again, one of my favorites is : Just As I Am, Cecily Tyson’s Memoir. Ms Tyson narrates along with Viola Davis and Robin Miles. It was released in 2021, shortly before Cecily Tysons death at 96. It vividly illustrates the history of Black stage and screen history in the 20th and early 21 century, along with the tumultuous story of Ms Tyson’s marriage to jazz great Miles Davis. While it is long (16+ hours) it seems much quicker.
So many celebrity memoirs deal with the dark and wounding aspects of childhood stardom. By contrast the following books honor the families that strived to protect them from the dark side of celebrity. The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family By Ron Howard and Clint Howard is a terrific audiobook listen. The brothers, who grew up on America’s television and movie screens have written a refreshing memoir that is a love letter to their parents. Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews is also a terrific listen. Forever Young by Hayley Mills is a nostalgic listen for Disney fans who remember the years Walt was alive. Finally, though it is hard to find, Child Star by Shirley Temple Black, details her childhood as the most famous movie star of her time. Not only did this tiny, young child save her own movie studio during the Great Depression but in fact probably saved the movie industry as a whole. I came away marveling at her intellect, her intelligence (she kept her dogs with her to ward off the predations of movie executives) and her capacity for forgiveness towards her parents who squandered her money. Highly recommend.
Absolutely loved The Boys…such a tribute to the Howard boys’ amazing parents!
What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo is a moving and hopeful account of the author’s journey to find healing from complex PTSD. Foo was a producer with This American Life and Snap Judgment. The audiobook includes recordings from some sessions with one of her therapists. One of the best books I’ve read!
Oh, realized the Stephanie Foo is not a celebrity, but I still highly recommend her book! 😊
Stanley Tucci’s book is so fantastic. And I was surprised how much I loved Minnie Driver reading her memoir, “Managing Expectations.”
I LOVED Brandi Carlile’s memoir. Listening to it on audiobook and the way she weaved songs throughout was excellent.
It was fantastic on audio!
What Falls Away by Mia Farrow. Read it a long time ago and still can hear her voice. I really felt she was talking to me. A great insight to an amazing lady
Alex Trebek’s “The Answer Is…” is delightful.
I struggle with audiobooks but I have found that memoirs are able to capture my attention when I listen to them. Maybe because it feels like the author is talking to me/ telling me a story about their lives? I’ve listened to Katie Couric’s book and Seth Rogan’s this year. A warning about Seth’s- if casual drug use and references to it aren’t your thing, this is NOT the book for you.
An FYI – “Who Do You Think You Are?” is back on Sunday July 10 on NBC!
Kate Mulgrew’s memoirs are a lot of fun to listen to. And I second Alan Cummings. I believe he has a newer one out (Baggage) which I haven’t listened to yet. I really do need to listen to Nanette (for obvious reasons). I only became familiar with Hannah Gadsby because she named her famous talk after me (well not after me of course, but it’s a pretty uncommon name).
Thank you for all the great recommendations!
As a lifelong fan of Michael J. Fox, I really enjoyed Lucky Man and Always Looking Up. Still haven’t listened to No Time Like the Future but it’s definitely on my list. I also really enjoyed Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey!
Both of Rob Lowe’s memoirs are great
A few older celebrity memoirs that I’ve enjoyed: My Wild Kingdom by Marlin Perkins, One More Time and This Time Together-both by Carol Burnett, Dear Cary : My Life with Cary Grant by Dyan Cannon and Joni Eareckson Tada’s 3 autobiographies.
Oops! I have no idea if these memoirs are out on audio-I doubt it-but they are great reads😊
Every Good boy does Fine is a fun listen especially for those who had taken piano lessons as a kid. The author plays the music in the audio book and it adds so much to the story. Don’t know if he qualifies as a celebrity or not.
I loved the audiobook for As You Wish. I would also recommend Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews — the audiobook is great
I agree about Hime, the Julie Andrews book. Didn’t enjoy her second one nearly as much.
I read Mox by Jon Moxley, a professional wrestler for AEW. Reading it sounded like you were having a chat with him at a bar. The audiobook just came out and I look forward to hearing it in his voice because I think it will confirm what I thought reading it.
I enjoyed Crying in H Mart – very sweet book about growing up in two different cultures and losing her mother, her connection to her Korean part. Her band, Japanese Breakfast, which is mentioned in the book was featured on Saturday night Live a few weeks ago.
Memoir is my favorite genre, and I read it almost exclusively on audio. I adored All About Me! by Mel Brooks (director of Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Producers and more). What an amazing life and career this dear sweet HILARIOUS humble man has had! Another fave was Left on Tenth by Delia Ephron…where she writes about the loss of her husband and life afterwards. I realized how cathartic it must be to be a writer, and share your frustrations with the unfairness of life.
I really liked both of those! Mel’s life story and Delia’s audio was so good. I learned a lot about new treatments for leukemia. I need to sign up to be a blood marrow donor now that it’s a far simpler blood donation process than it used to be.
I loved My Own Devices by Dessa, a Minnesota rapper, singer, writer, and BBC podcast hostess. I suppose the level of her fame is debatable (perhaps she is more of a public figure than a true celebrity?), but her voice is AMAZING and her mind is fascinating.
Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite books of all time!
I have generally not been successful at audiobooks, but I love all of Shauna Niequist’s books on audio. They are more personal essay than memoir, but after having just finished her latest, I think I might try some of these because they might just fit in the same vein. (Like I need *another* subscription and *another* way to read books! LOL)
My latest memoir read was this summer by Minnie Driver, Managing Expectations: a Memoir in Essays. I knew she was a talented actress but dang she can write words, good words, long words. She’s such a talented writer. I loved how at the end of this she recommends memoirs by peers who are also readers and regards very highly. She narrates the audio beautifully. Drivers talks about her contribution to the Malibu fires recovery. Such a badass.
I haven’t seen mentioned a couple that I’ve loved: Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi, and Martin Short’s I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend. One was excellent, yet painful. The other was very good, and lighthearted.
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin is a wonderful listen. Anything by Nora Ephron, especially, I Feel Bad About My Neck. Most recently, I really enjoyed Dave Grohl’s book, I listened and loved his authenticity.
You HAVE to listen to Will Smiths memoir Will on audio. I’m sure reading the book would be great too, but it’s one of those audiobooks that significantly raises the reading experience!
Simi Liu’s “We Were Dreamers” was pretty enjoyable. It was the first audio book I actually enjoyed. 🙂
If you listen to and love Dave Grohl’s book you HAVE to listen to his mother (Virginia Hanlon Grohl)’s book, From Cradle to Stage: Stories from the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars. It’s not all about the Grohls but is like a bunch of mini-biographies all in one. It’s so good.
I didn’t know about this one. Thank you, Kara!
It’s already been mentioned here, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights. In audio, of course!
I haven’t listened to that one yet! Thanks for the reminder. 🙂
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono is, hands down, THE BEST audiobook I’ve ever listened to. The memoir itself is a fascinating story, but Bono reads the audiobook himself (and obviously doesn’t take himself too seriously), and it has integrated snippets of music and soundbites that enhance the narration. Highly recommend!
Oh! And The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Clint Howard and Ron Howard is fantastic as well!!