RoadTrip America

Routes, Planning, & Inspiration for Your North American Road Trip


Books So Good You'll Miss Your Exit!


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!

All New Audiobook Reviews

 

Novels & Other Fiction (148)

Memoirs & Biographies (18) & Other Nonfiction (29)

READ BY ROBERT PETKOFF
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe
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The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, by Christopher Buckley

When she sang "I Want to be Loved by You" in the movie "Some Like it Hot," Marilyn Monroe could have been awarded a summa cum laude degree from the method school of acting. It was not even a remote stretch for her to draw on her own background and emotions as motivation for a plea for love. Norma Jeane Mortensen-Baker-Gifford?-Dougherty-DiMaggio-Miller-Monroe spent her entire life looking for love. Born to a mother with a history of mental illness... [More] (9/16/09)

READ BY THE AUTHOR
Losing Mum and Pup
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Losing Mum and Pup, by Christopher Buckley

Christopher Buckley must be very careless, since according to Oscar Wilde, "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." And Christopher lost both of his illustrious parents in less than a year. In this witty, entertaining memoir Christopher Buckley invites the listener into his heart as he bids his parents good-bye... [More] (6/19/09)

READ BY JOHN LEE
A Lion Called Christian
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A Lion Called Christian, by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall

Harrod's in London is known as the department store where anything can be purchased for a price. Perhaps one of the most priceless objects ever sold there was the lion called Christian. In 1969, two young Australian men purchased a lion cub, named him Christian and raised him for more than 5 months. Although Christian was gentle and loving with them, they knew that as he grew he would become potentially dangerous and that they would not be able to keep him... [More] (4/17/09)

READ BY MIRRON WILLIS
The Translator
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The Translator, by Daoud Hari

Millions of Americans learn about the genocide in Darfur from newspapers and network news shows and react with varying degrees of concern, but Dauod Hari's mesmerizing account of the atrocities occurring in his country is a surefire apathy buster. Born to Zaghawa parents in an isolated village in the Darfur region of Sudan, Dauod's pastoral existence is altered forever when his village is attacked by enemy helicopters and militia. A gifted linguist, the young boy offers to act as translator and guide for the assorted reporters, journalists and international aid personnel who eventually arrive. His assignments take him behind enemy lines, and he repeatedly escapes imprisonment and death... [More] (10/24/08)

READ BY THE AUTHOR
Audition
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Audition: A Memoir, by Barbara Walters

"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)

READ BY THE AUTHOR
The Diana Chronicles
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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

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 & Other Banana Skins

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

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

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

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 AUTHORThe Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

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

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

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

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
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)

READ BY
THE AUTHOR

Flyboys

Flyboys: A True Story of Courage, by James Bradley

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)


READ BY
THE AUTHOR
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, by David Sedaris

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 trips—this is a collection you can enjoy in segments without losing any momentum. (6/27/04)