I remember the exact moment I fell in love with audiobooks.

I was driving on the highway in winter, listening to Patti Smith read her award-winning memoir, Just Kids, and I felt like she was right there in the car with me. I repeat: it’s like I was on a road trip with actual punk icon Patti Smith (!). There’s something so intimate and relatable about hearing someone tell you their own story in their own voice, and I’ve been totally hooked on audio memoirs ever since. These 100 unforgettable memoirs are all read by the authors themselves. Did I miss any of your favorites? Tweet me at @Rach_Smalls and let me know what I should listen to next. -- Rachel, Audible Editor

    • The Rainbow Comes and Goes

    • A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss
    • By: Anderson Cooper
    • Narrated by: Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt
    • Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 3,142
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 2,815
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 2,790

    Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist affords him little time to spend with her....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Wow .... Inspiring

    • By donna spencer on 04-08-16

    • The Rainbow Comes and Goes

    • A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss
    • By: Anderson Cooper
    • Narrated by: Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt
    • Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
    • Release date: 04-05-16
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,142 ratings
    • Renewing Their Relationship
    • Anderson Cooper has always been close to his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, but sometimes his busy career as a news anchor gets in the way. When she was 91 and went through a serious illness, they started a year-long correspondence to renew their relationship.

    Regular price: $23.95

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • A Life in Parts

    • By: Bryan Cranston
    • Narrated by: Bryan Cranston
    • Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 5,083
    • Performance
      5 out of 5 stars 4,769
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 4,745

    Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father, a struggling actor and director, cast him in a United Way commercial....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • They're all good parts.

    • By kelli mcgourty on 10-23-16

    • A Life in Parts

    • By: Bryan Cranston
    • Narrated by: Bryan Cranston
    • Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
    • Release date: 10-11-16
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 5,083 ratings
    • Abandoned Son Turned Screen Legend
    • Bryan Cranston’s father helped him land his first acting gig at age seven. Then he disappeared. Cranston traces his journey from abandoned son to screen legend through the roles he’s played, including Seinfeld dentist, bumbling dad, drug kingpin, and more.

    Regular price: $20.99

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Not My Father's Son: A Memoir

    • By: Alan Cumming
    • Narrated by: Alan Cumming
    • Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 8,102
    • Performance
      5 out of 5 stars 7,578
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 7,541

    When television producers approached Alan to appear on a popular celebrity genealogy show in 2010, he enthusiastically agreed. He hoped to solve a mystery that had long cast a shadow over his family....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • The Best Part of Saturday

    • By George Knight on 12-16-14

    • Not My Father's Son: A Memoir

    • By: Alan Cumming
    • Narrated by: Alan Cumming
    • Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
    • Release date: 10-07-14
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 8,102 ratings
    • A Shocking Family Secret
    • Alan Cumming went on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are to learn more about his maternal grandfather. But he also unintentionally opened old wounds from his abusive father and learned a shocking family secret. This is that story, told with insight and wit.

    Regular price: $23.95

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • I Feel Bad About My Neck

    • And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman
    • By: Nora Ephron
    • Narrated by: Nora Ephron
    • Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4 out of 5 stars 1,359
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 860
    • Story
      4 out of 5 stars 848

    With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in I Feel Bad About My Neck....

    • 4 out of 5 stars

    • Don't make me get out of the car...

    • By Kestrel on 10-09-06

    • I Feel Bad About My Neck

    • And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman
    • By: Nora Ephron
    • Narrated by: Nora Ephron
    • Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
    • Release date: 09-12-06
    • 4 out of 5 stars 1,359 ratings
    • Refreshing and Hilarious
    • In a culture where women become invisible as they age, the famed creator of Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally offers a refreshing (and hilarious) take on menopause, empty nesting, skin creams, and so much more.

    Regular price: $23.93

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Wishful Drinking

    • By: Carrie Fisher
    • Narrated by: Carrie Fisher
    • Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 3,945
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 3,291
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 3,265

    In Wishful Drinking, Carrie Fisher tells the true and intoxicating story of her life with inimitable wit....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Another Perspective....

    • By Allan on 12-22-08

    • Wishful Drinking

    • By: Carrie Fisher
    • Narrated by: Carrie Fisher
    • Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
    • Release date: 12-11-08
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,945 ratings
    • Addiction and Manic Depression
    • With her trademark deadpan delivery, the Star Wars actress weaves a bleakly comic memoir about her celebrity parents, addiction, manic depression, failed marriages, and ultimately waking up one morning to find a friend dead in her bed.

    Regular price: $19.93

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • In the Country We Love

    • My Family Divided
    • By: Diane Guerrero, Michelle Burford
    • Narrated by: Diane Guerrero
    • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 1,967
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 1,823
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 1,813

    The star of Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin presents her personal story of the real plight of undocumented immigrants in this country....

    • 4 out of 5 stars

    • Important Story and Captivating Read

    • By Lindsay on 09-07-17

    • In the Country We Love

    • My Family Divided
    • By: Diane Guerrero, Michelle Burford
    • Narrated by: Diane Guerrero
    • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
    • Release date: 05-03-16
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,967 ratings
    • A Family Divided
    • When she was just 14, Diane Guerrero’s parents were deported to Colombia while she was left behind in the US. Against the odds, she survived a roller coaster of ups and downs to share a story that’s candid, relatable, and necessary.

    Regular price: $19.95

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Around the Way Girl

    • A Memoir
    • By: Taraji P. Henson
    • Narrated by: Taraji P. Henson
    • Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      5 out of 5 stars 4,457
    • Performance
      5 out of 5 stars 3,957
    • Story
      5 out of 5 stars 3,941

    Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson reads her inspiring and funny book about family, friends, the hustle required to make it from DC to Hollywood....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Around My way, Your Way & Every Woman's way

    • By Yolanda on 10-26-16

    • Around the Way Girl

    • A Memoir
    • By: Taraji P. Henson
    • Narrated by: Taraji P. Henson
    • Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
    • Release date: 10-11-16
    • 5 out of 5 stars 4,457 ratings
    • A Hollywood Success Story
    • The star of Empire and Hidden Figures talks about the hustle required to make it to Hollywood and reflects on her education at Howard University, the experience of being a single mother, and the challenges of making it as a black actress.

    Regular price: $20.99

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Why Not Me?

    • By: Mindy Kaling
    • Narrated by: Mindy Kaling, Greg Daniels, B. J. Novak
    • Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 13,186
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 11,652
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 11,570

    In Why Not Me? Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it's falling in love at work....

    • 4 out of 5 stars

    • I love mindy

    • By green ice cream garden on 04-24-17

    • Why Not Me?

    • By: Mindy Kaling
    • Narrated by: Mindy Kaling, Greg Daniels, B. J. Novak
    • Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
    • Release date: 09-15-15
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 13,186 ratings
    • Dishy Celebrity Gossip
    • Older, wiser, and more confident, Mindy Kaling’s sophomore book brims with dishy gossip about celebrity fashion, body image, dating, directing her own TV show, and hanging out with political world leaders.

    Regular price: $21.00

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Stories I Only Tell My Friends

    • An Autobiography
    • By: Rob Lowe
    • Narrated by: Rob Lowe
    • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 7,972
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 6,928
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 6,887

    A wryly funny and surprisingly moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eye....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Great Book and Great Story

    • By Natalie J. Belle MD on 04-30-11

    • Stories I Only Tell My Friends

    • An Autobiography
    • By: Rob Lowe
    • Narrated by: Rob Lowe
    • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
    • Release date: 04-26-11
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 7,972 ratings
    • The Wild Excesses of the '80s
    • The founder of The Brat Pack became a teen idol at 15 and has lived in the spotlight ever since. Here, he delivers confessional tales about the wild excesses of the '80s and his following quest for family and sobriety.

    Regular price: $20.99

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Born with Teeth

    • A Memoir
    • By: Kate Mulgrew
    • Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
    • Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 2,879
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 2,693
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 2,680

    Raised by unconventional Irish Catholics who knew "how to drink, how to dance, how to talk, and how to stir up the devil", Kate Mulgrew grew up with poetry and drama in her bones....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Beautiful Memoir

    • By Jasmine on 07-23-15

    • Born with Teeth

    • A Memoir
    • By: Kate Mulgrew
    • Narrated by: Kate Mulgrew
    • Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
    • Release date: 04-14-15
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,879 ratings
    • A Mother's Loss
    • With her unique flair and drama, the Star Trek icon reminisces about her Irish Catholic family, dazzling acting career, and tumultuous romances. As a young actress she gave up a baby for adoption, and she reflects on the deep longing it stirred within her years later.

    Regular price: $28.50

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Yes, My Accent Is Real

    • By: Kunal Nayyar
    • Narrated by: Kunal Nayyar
    • Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 578
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 527
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 529

    Of all the charming misfits on television, there's no doubt Raj from The Big Bang Theory ranks among the misfittingest....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Delightful

    • By 77Tango on 10-10-15

    • Yes, My Accent Is Real

    • By: Kunal Nayyar
    • Narrated by: Kunal Nayyar
    • Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
    • Release date: 09-15-15
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 578 ratings
    • A Perpetual Underdog
    • The Big Bang Theory actor traces his journey from awkward little boy in New Delhi to confident, successful TV actor. Traveling across two continents as a perpetual underdog, he endures many embarrassing incidents in pursuit of his dream.

    Regular price: $20.99

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Dear Mr. You

    • By: Mary-Louise Parker
    • Narrated by: Mary-Louise Parker
    • Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 497
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 452
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 449

    Dear Mr. You renders the singular arc of a woman's life through letters Mary-Louise Parker composes to the men, real and hypothetical, who have informed her self....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Profoundly moved and delighted

    • By Vicki J. O'Grady-Longo on 11-18-15

    • Dear Mr. You

    • By: Mary-Louise Parker
    • Narrated by: Mary-Louise Parker
    • Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
    • Release date: 11-10-15
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 497 ratings
    • Moving and Unconventional
    • In this moving and unconventional memoir, Mary-Louise Parker tells the story of her life through letters composed to men — real and imaginary — who have helped shape key points of her life.

    Regular price: $20.99

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • The Measure of a Man

    • A Spiritual Autobiography
    • By: Sidney Poitier
    • Narrated by: Sidney Poitier
    • Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4 out of 5 stars 664
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 328
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 326

    In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Powerful

    • By Alfred on 10-29-08

    • The Measure of a Man

    • A Spiritual Autobiography
    • By: Sidney Poitier
    • Narrated by: Sidney Poitier
    • Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
    • Release date: 01-26-07
    • 4 out of 5 stars 664 ratings
    • A Life of Principle
    • The first black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1963, Sidney Poitier reflects on the positive, forceful roles he chose to play and his personal values as a man, a husband, a father, and an actor.

    Regular price: $17.10

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Troublemaker

    • Surviving Hollywood and Scientology
    • By: Leah Remini
    • Narrated by: Leah Remini
    • Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      5 out of 5 stars 14,568
    • Performance
      5 out of 5 stars 13,396
    • Story
      5 out of 5 stars 13,345

    The outspoken actress, talk show host, and reality television star offers up a no-holds-barred memoir, including an eye-opening insider account....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • This book is fascinating and funny! Fantastic!

    • By Kim on 11-04-15

    • Troublemaker

    • Surviving Hollywood and Scientology
    • By: Leah Remini
    • Narrated by: Leah Remini
    • Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
    • Release date: 11-03-15
    • 5 out of 5 stars 14,568 ratings
    • A Scathing Tell-All
    • The King of Queens actress holds nothing back in this dishy tell-all about her decades as a Scientologist, from intimate details about Tom Cruise’s dating life to scathing indictments against church leaders.

    Regular price: $28.00

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Year of Yes

    • How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person
    • By: Shonda Rhimes
    • Narrated by: Shonda Rhimes
    • Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 16,778
    • Performance
      5 out of 5 stars 14,991
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 14,934

    With three hit shows on television and three children at home, the ubertalented Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say no when an unexpected invitation arrived....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Best 7 Hours Listening to an Audio Book Ever!

    • By ccreads on 02-20-16

    • Year of Yes

    • How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person
    • By: Shonda Rhimes
    • Narrated by: Shonda Rhimes
    • Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
    • Release date: 11-10-15
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 16,778 ratings
    • An Empowered Woman
    • For one year, Shonda Rhimes challenged herself to say “yes” to every opportunity that came her way. With humor and flair, she reflects on the experience and what it means to be an empowered woman in today’s world.

    Regular price: $20.99

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • This Is Just My Face

    • Try Not to Stare
    • By: Gabourey Sidibe
    • Narrated by: Gabourey Sidibe
    • Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4.5 out of 5 stars 2,396
    • Performance
      5 out of 5 stars 2,195
    • Story
      4.5 out of 5 stars 2,193

    Gabourey Sidibe skyrocketed to international fame in 2009 when she played the leading role in Lee Daniels' acclaimed movie Precious....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • Honest, heart wrenching, and hilarious!

    • By CleverLewis on 05-16-17

    • This Is Just My Face

    • Try Not to Stare
    • By: Gabourey Sidibe
    • Narrated by: Gabourey Sidibe
    • Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
    • Release date: 05-01-17
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,396 ratings
    • An Unconventional Backstory
    • The acclaimed Precious actress grew up in Bed-Stuy with a polygamous father and an artistically gifted mother. Here, she shares her unconventional backstory, including her first job as a phone sex “talker,” her love for NSYNC fanfiction, and empowering body talk.

    Regular price: $24.95

    Free with 30-day Trial

    • Carsick

    • John Waters Hitchhikes Across America
    • By: John Waters
    • Narrated by: John Waters
    • Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
    • Unabridged
    • Overall
      4 out of 5 stars 689
    • Performance
      4.5 out of 5 stars 634
    • Story
      4 out of 5 stars 628

    A cross-country hitchhiking journey with America’s most beloved weirdo....

    • 5 out of 5 stars

    • another great piece of filth from john waters!

    • By randy on 06-06-14

    • Carsick

    • John Waters Hitchhikes Across America
    • By: John Waters
    • Narrated by: John Waters
    • Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
    • Release date: 06-03-14
    • 4 out of 5 stars 689 ratings
    • A Legendary Road Trip
    • The cult film director promised his agent to hitchhike across America and write a book about it. So he did. Here, he tells three tales: 1) an imaginary best-case scenario, 2) an imaginary worst-case scenario, and, 3) what actually happened on the legendary trip.

    Regular price: $27.99

    Free with 30-day Trial