Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Favorite Non-Fiction Audiobooks

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week is an audio freebie, so I've decided to highlight some of the great audiobooks I've listened to recently. Nonfiction is my favorite kind of book to do via audio, so those are what I've decided to focus on!



The Future is History: Masha Gessen takes a critical look at the renewed authoritarian rule of Russia, from the Soviet Union to Putin's control of the state, through the lens of several young people coming of age post-perestroika.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: I found myself wishing that McNamara had been able to finish out her book about the Golden State Killer herself, because the portions she wrote were the strongest, and I also wish she'd lived to see him caught.

Dream More: Dolly Parton is a saint and we can all use her in our lives.

Chasing Hillary: Amy Chozick's account of working as part of the embedded press on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign (as well as her 2012 primary race) has actually probably been my favorite book about that election so far. I found it illuminating and interesting, and appreciated the look at what it's like to be a reporter on the campaign.

We're Going to Need More Wine: I thought Gabrielle Union's memoir would be pleasant but forgettable but it's actually really wonderful. She balances being serious and thoughtful with dishing fun anecdotes about filming Bring It On and it's great.

So You Want to Talk About Race: As a certified honky, I found this book to be a great primer on how one can talk about race without blundering into being offensive. Basically, be thoughtful and considerate.

A Distant Mirror: Historian Barbara Tuchman looks back at the life of a Frenchman in the 14th century to draw parallels with modern tumultuousness and it's super interesting!

Becoming: This is an excellent book and listening to Michelle tell it in your ears is fantastic. She's a really talented narrator!

Heartland: Sarah Smarsh uses her own life and that of her parents to look at rural poverty in America and how difficult it can be to break out of it.

The Wicked Boy: I thought this was going to be an examination of child murderers in Victorian times but though it touched on that a little, it was mostly an examination of one particular adolescent, who killed his own mother, and his trial and life afterwards. It was fascinating!

14 comments:

  1. I'm currently reading (and loving) Becoming. Might have to check out the audiobook version of it next. :)

    My Top Ten Tuesday post.

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    1. I did the audio and then immediately bought a hard copy of the book! It's so great to hear it in her own voice!

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  2. A Distant Mirror!! Barbara Tuchman is a hero of mine. What books she wrote! Guns of August is well worth it, too. GREAT list!

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    1. I've listened to that one and really enjoyed it, but I think I liked The Proud Tower the best of all her work I've gotten to so far!

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  3. I've been on the library hold list forever for Becoming and I just had to suspend my hold b/c it was going to hit when I was on Spring Break and not having a ton of listening time! I'll need every one of those 14 days to get through it!

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  4. I absolutely loved Becoming and I'll Be Gone. I totally agree, you could just feel the portions that McNamara didn't write herself. I wish she had seen some outcome, but at the very least her life's work resulted in some justice.

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    1. I'm glad she helped draw attention back to the case and it got solved...the only problem I had with the book was that it definitely had me making sure every single entry into the apartment was locked if I was gone even just for a minute and I was a little extra jumpy at weird noises!

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  5. These sound great. I loved I'll Be Gone in the Dark in printed form so I feel like that's one I definitely need to look into re: audiobook. Also, ooh, Gabrielle Union's book sounds great too!

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    1. On Union's book, I was really pleasantly surprised at how good it was, both in content and narration! Celeb memoirs can be so hit or miss and this was definitely a hit

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  6. Great list! I really want to check out Michelle Obama's audiobook.
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

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    1. It's fantastic! I got it from my library and then bought it to keep because I liked it so much!

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  7. Becoming is definitely up next on my audiobook TBR!

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    1. It's amazing! Narration from non-professional readers can be dicey, even from practiced public speakers, but hers is really great!

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