My Family Is . . . Maybe Not So Bad! Audiobook Celebrity Memoirs to Make Holiday Gatherings Easier   

A Barnes & Noble Best Audiobook of 2024, this is the truly one-of-a-kind life story of Cher, told by the superstar herself. It traces Cherilyn Sarkasian from her humble origins to the remarkable heights she’s reached and everything in between. It is honest, authentic, and incredible. Who better to narrate this intimate memoir than Cher herself? She is joined by Stephanie J. Block, the Tony Award-winning actor who portrayed Cher on the Broadway stage.  

This audiobook is truly the perfect match for all those drives over hills and through the woods to holiday tables laden with delicacies, as well as green bean casserole. With his immediately identifiable voice, Stanley Tucci walks us through a year of eating and the life, loss, and memories that orbit each meal. It’s as fun as it is delicious, as mouth-watering as it is eye-watering. 

This is a tough one. Jennette McCurdy, a former child actor, recounts in stark and unflinching detail how she was controlled, manipulated, and psychologically, emotionally, and even physically abused by her self-absorbed mother. She describes detailed episodes from her lonely childhood in the first person in a flat and relatively deadpan voice. But that does not mean there is no emotion. You can feel her confusion, fear, and heartbreak at every age. Even though we obviously knew the ending, we listened to the book in only two long stretches to find out how she triumphantly found her own voice.  

Al Pacino’s life is massive in scope—from Michael Corleone to Tony Montana. Narrated by the man himself, Pacino takes on the task of telling it all, from the origin of his inspiration to the man he is now. Before he gets into it, Pacino remarks, “I have written a memoir I thought I never would.” And kindly proclaims, “I hope you have a good time, and I thank you for your interest.” Oh yes, we had a good time, Mr. Pacino.  

That voice! Viola Davis will pull you in and keep you hooked from the very first sentence. Unsurprisingly, this multi-award-winning actor’s narration of her life story remains an enthralling force throughout. Davis calls the book “a love letter” to herself as she recounts her birth on a working plantation in South Carolina, a traumatic childhood, her many experiences (personal and professional) with racism, and her hard- and well-earned success. After listening to the book — a 2023 Grammy winner and Audie Award Winner for Best Audiobook, hear more of Davis’s thoughts in this B&N Poured Over podcast episode.  

Crying in H Mart puts songwriter and singer Michelle Zauner’s cascading voice to perfect use as she navigates the grief of her mother’s loss and her contemplation of her own identity as an Asian American. This book contains everything you want in a life story: honesty, humor, humility, and hope. You can hear Zauner speak about how she came to write this book in this Poured Over podcast episode.  

This is a feel-good one! If you know Matthew McConaughey, you know his public persona is based on boundless optimism, self-confidence, and joie de vivre. All those attributes infuse this fast-paced memoir with predictable positive emotions, but he also reveals deeper personal beliefs and philosophies in stories, poems, prayers, and life lessons. In revisiting diaries he has kept since he was a teenager, McConaughey summarizes his mantras as scores of “bumper sticker” sayings, some which encourage quiet contemplation and others active motivation. It probably goes without saying that every word is proclaimed with his expressive and bouncy Texas drawl, which seems custom-made for the spirited easy- listening preaching he does here. 

This richly written and emotionally told memoir won the coveted Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year in 2024. It is a perfect choice for this highest of audiobook honors because this masterpiece changes the definition of “audiobook.” Surrender is many things at once — a conversational memoir of a working-class Irish lad turned international rock star, a philosopher-musician’s thoughts about humanity’s flaws and possibilities, and a unique form of storytelling that integrates music as part of the fabric of the narration. Plus, author and narrator Bono makes you feel as if you’re chatting with a good friend. U2 fans will be particularly excited about the soundtrack, which includes reimagined versions of the band’s classics, but every listener will be mesmerized by this innovative way to tell a remarkable life story.  

Get ready, Friends fans. This one will probably make you weep. It is sometimes hard to remember that celebrities have vastly different real lives beyond what we see on the screen. Matthew Perry’s memoir, released a year before his death, brings this fact home in 11 gripping chapters that are unflinching in recounting his years of suffering with addiction—the “big terrible thing” of the title—even while he was one of the most adored actors on the planet. 

In the foreword to this hysterical and heartwarming memoir, Chris Rock says, “There’s nobody like Leslie Jones. Leslie Jones is hilarious…,” but honestly, that may be an understatement. Whether you’re traveling by train, plane, or automobile, the time will fly by as you listen to Leslie’s stories — including five hours of bonus material not found in the print edition. And now, this stand-up comedian and star of the big and small screen can add Audie Award Winner (Humor, 2024) to her resume as well. 

Got a long trip? Take this one with you. Yes, this is over 48 hours long, but the author/narrator is one of the most lauded entertainers in… ever?, and she has a lot of life to share. From the very first line (“An amiable anteater?”), her tone is conversational, funny, personable, opinionated, and even relatable. Maybe that’s because her motivation to finally put pen to paper was to “dispel the myths” she has spent a lifetime reading about herself. “I think I’m rather ordinary,” she states in the prologue, but every word after that contradicts that notion. (How many of us are EGOTs who also dated a prime minister and directed films?). We can’t think of a better way to enjoy Streisand’s genius, gumption, and gossip than to listen to her confide in us, but if you need more incentive, the audiobook also includes music excerpts and some extra anecdotes not found in any other format. 

EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg uses her boundless talents and distinctive voice to gift us this beautiful tribute to family and a special mother-daughter relationship. She is one of the lucky ones, who had a happy childhood despite hardships. With grace and gratefulness, she says, “Not everybody gets to walk this earth with folks who let you be exactly who you are and who give you the confidence to become exactly who you want to be. So, I thought I’d share mine with you.” 

Told as only he could, actor Elliot Page narrates his story masterfully. At turns heartbreaking and uplifting, this is an intimate memoir that is “shaped by devastation” but also reveals and celebrates hard-won triumphs along his tortuous path to his life. Untangling early trauma, ongoing challenges, and the mess that life can become is a journey we all go through in different ways and to varying degrees. Listening to Page’s non-linear story told with a raw honesty and combination of vulnerability and empowerment as he reveals his authentic self is powerful. In an era of increasing anti-trans hate, it is also necessary. 

Listening to Kelly Bishop’s revelatory memoir is similar to enjoying the surprise ingredients you always find in the holiday fruitcake — you didn’t really know how much goodness was in there! From dancing in A Chorus Line on Broadway to playing the mother in Dirty Dancing to dancing around those fast talkers on Gilmore Girls, Bishop’s story reveals a hard-working actor with a rich 60+-year career. What comes through clearly is how she made her success happen, despite a flawed father, a failed marriage, a stint in unglamorous soap operas, and other challenges; plus, for a change, lots of contentment, self-fulfillment, and happiness. This is a truly motivational listen. 

A man with an infectious smile that you can hear in his speaking voice, Henry Winkler warmly entertains with this honest look at his professional trials and triumphs, while taking pains to convey a message about the incomparable value of developing an immutable sense of self-worth. This is a very satisfying listen, filled with industry details, personal insights, fun dog stories, and lots of gratitude for friends, fame, and, yes, family.  

This is the riveting memoir of the one and only Sir Patrick Stewart, from his humble beginnings in northern England to worldwide acclaim on stage, screen, and film, playing iconic characters. There are few audio experiences more enjoyable than listening to 18+ hours of Stewart’s transfixing voice as he tenderly, humbly, and honestly recounts all phases of his amazing life and the many people — both the unknown and very well-known — who have been part of it.  

This is Britney in her own words. That’s a short sentence, but it also immediately conveys to just about everyone alive in the last 30 years exactly how complicated we all know this one life to be. Award-winning actor Michelle Williams now has a new second career in her back pocket after her pitch-perfect narration of this uniquely endearing author’s journey. Hopefully, you’ll feel better about your own family’s eccentricities after listening to this, and you’ll definitely be rooting for Britney.