Last week,
I did something I was almost too terrified to do: I met up with a group of complete strangers for a writing group. Eek! Before I left home, I told my husband we should come up with a secret signal in case it was awful and I needed an excuse to cut out early. But you know what? It ended up being AWESOME. I'm so glad I went.I met three amazing women who love books and writing as much as I do. One writes sweet middle grade fiction, another writes creepy horror about aliens, and the other is working on a novel set in Cameroon in her spare time from her day job as a (wait for it) biomedical engineer who's designing incubators for premature babies that can run without electricity 😅.
I got talking about why I love memoir so much, and it turns out they're all big fans, too. We bonded over how much we love Tara Westover's Educated, and then I gushed about my new favorite listen, The Phantom Prince. This just might be the beginning of something beautiful!
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The Phantom Prince
- My Life with Ted Bundy
- By: Elizabeth Kendall, Molly Kendall - contributor
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Kendall, Barrie Kreinik, Molly Kendall
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,303
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,125
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,119
The Phantom Prince chronicles Elizabeth Kendall’s intimate relationship with Ted Bundy and its eventual unraveling. As much as has been written about Bundy, it’s remarkable to hear the perspective of people who shared their daily lives with him for years. This gripping account presents a remarkable examination of a charismatic personality that masked unimaginable darkness.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Same Planet, Different Worlds
- By Christine E. Lee on 01-29-20
I'm OBSESSED with this memoir.
Before his death, Ted Bundy's longtime girlfriend wrote an astonishing book about how she'd started to suspect he might be a murderer while they were still dating. What's the roadmap after you find out your boyfriend might be a killer?! In The Phantom Prince, Elizabeth Kendall describes what it was like to be a young, single mother in the 1960s and '70s and why it left her so unguarded to Bundy's manipulations. By taking back her power and sharing experiences that she once kept secret for fear of being judged, she's contributed a compelling entry in the growing #metoo canon. Her story is the inspiration for the amazing new documentary series Falling for a Killer, and is now available for the first time in audio. (I highly recommend checking it out for the fascinating new foreword and afterword alone!)
Yikes
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Nigger
- An Autobiography
- By: Dick Gregory, Dr. Christian Gregory - introduction, Robert Lipsyte
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi, Dr. Christian Gregory
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,228
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,094
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1,086
Fifty-five years ago, in 1964, an incredibly honest and revealing memoir by one of the America's best-loved comedians and activists, Dick Gregory, was published. With a shocking title and breathtaking writing, Dick Gregory defined a genre and changed the way race was discussed in America.
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5 out of 5 stars
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PLEASE don't pass this book up!
- By D on 05-06-20
The provocative 1960s memoir that caused a stir.
Legendary comedian and activist Dick Gregory made waves when his autobiography was first published in 1964 with its deliberately incendiary title. Now, for the first time ever, his story is available in audio with a moving performance by award-winning narrator Prentice Onayemi. In an interview with Audible's Abby West, Dick's son Dr. Christian Gregory shares why *that* word still carries so much weight and why his father’s message through activism endures.
Hear the Interview
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Open Book
- A Memoir
- By: Jessica Simpson
- Narrated by: Jessica Simpson
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 12,694
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,960
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Story5 out of 5 stars 10,915
First celebrated for her voice, she became one of the most talked-about women in the world, whether for music and fashion, her relationship struggles, or as a walking blonde joke. But now, instead of being talked about, Jessica is doing the talking. Her audiobook shares the wisdom and inspirations she’s learned and shows the real woman behind all the pop-culture clichés. Open Book is an opportunity to laugh and cry with a close friend, one that will inspire you to live your best, most authentic life, now that she is finally living hers.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Narration alert!
- By Johnene on 02-05-20
You gotta have heart.
My fellow editor Kelley has impeccable taste, from her personal style and travel tips to her fave listens. Here's what she says about Jessica Simpson’s new memoir, Open Book: When Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica aired from 2003-2005 on MTV, I was fascinated by the fellow Texas girl who, of all things, was embarking on marriage on a reality TV show. It seemed like a terrible idea, but also an amazing one: What could go wrong? So. Many. Things. But I was rooting for her. Laughter and tears weave through her voice as she recounts her journey through love, loss, and addiction. The result is a listen that unearths an authentic struggle to find peace that feels revelatory. There is beauty and pain laid bare, and ultimately, grace.
Listen In
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