Over the years I’ve listened to a lot of great Audible books written by celebrities (all comedians) and can 100% confirm that comedians that read their own memoirs make them pretty darn special. Let me tell you why I love a few in particular (all pictures are clickable and take you to Amazon to look for yourself):
Tina Fey’s Bossypants is one of the first that I listened to on Audible, and had me howling with laughter. She is the celebrity I most identify with in that her mind was just as awkward and weird as mine was when we were young. But the parts I enjoyed the most were the behind-the-scenes on her years on “SNL” and “30 Rock.” And while the book came out five years ago I still recommend it to people who are going on car trips and need a fun audiobook to listen to. Hers is one of the best and I spent many commutes laughing so hard I cried.
Of course I’d follow up Tina Fey’s book with her “SNL” partner in crime, Amy Poehler. Just as entertaining and honest, by the end of Yes, Please I felt like Amy Poehler was my friend, and that we had just been carpooling with each other while she regaled me with her stories. Finishing this book made me feel like my commute would be a lot less bearable.
While Mindy Kaling may not be a household name for some, she is definitely one of those actresses that makes you say, “Oh – that’s that girl – what’s her name?” And then you realize you’ve seen her in a lot of really funny movies and tv shows. Her book, another memoir called Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me, was fluffy and fun and, must like Poehler’s, brought you in and made you feel as though you were just hearing a good pal share really funny stories of their upbringing and how they got into their careers and made something of themselves.
Foul-mouthed and not afraid of the repercussions, Leah Remini’s memoir of her years growing up in Scientology, and realizing just how crazy Tom Cruise is is NOT to be missed. I loved every single part of Troublemaker from beginning to end and, like Tina Fey’s book, I keep recommending this to anyone and everyone that will listen to my recommendation. I loved everything about this book: her sarcasm, her NY accent, and especially her take no prisoners description of her life in a cult.
The author is a popular blogger, The Bloggess (Jenny Lawson), who turned some of her posts into a book, with a few new ones added in for added humor. And there are basically two stories in Let’s Pretend This Never Happened that made me laugh until tears streamed down my face on my drive to work. First, her story of working in the ice hut as a teenager, and second (of course), Beyonce the metal chicken (which is probably her most famous post other than Wil Wheaton collating paper). For those two stories alone, this audiobook is worth it to hear the author describe those two things in her own words. You’re welcome.
Cary Elwes is most famous for playing Westley in “The Princess Bride,” and with As You Wish he enraptures the listener with the entire story of his perspective on how that movie was made. His British accent is perfectly charming, and his stories make me love the movie that much more. From meeting Andre the Giant to injuring himself during a scene but continuing on anyway, this audiobook is just as wonderful and is made all the moreso by the fact that the storyteller is the one who experienced everything. If you love the movie at all, do yourself a favor and listen to this audiobook.
I just finished Kevin Hart’s book a couple days ago and I can say with all honesty that his audiobook memoir might just be the best one, and I’ll tell you why. It is very clear listening to him read his own book that he shares a LOT more to the story as he’s reading it than is written in the book. The spots where he clearly diverges from the written page and just goes on a comedic tear for a few minutes are the best spots in the book. And there are MANY spots where he does this. I know some people don’t like his schtick, but I love him, and loved I Can’t Make This Up, despite nearly constantly profanity and a few not-appropriate-for-kids stories. When he referenced a particular comedy special he recorded, I stopped the book and didn’t continue listening until I had watched the special. This way I could know what he was reading about in the book. And while the book ends long before he became a true international movie star, it is worth the listen and makes me want to see him perform live some day.
So if you haven’t given audiobooks a chance, or if you have a long road trip and want some fun things to listen to, I highly recommend these audiobooks to you. Many people CAN read their memoirs, but that doesn’t mean they SHOULD. Tina, Amy, Mindy, Leah, Jenny, Cary and Kevin can all read their books to me anytime they want.
