The Audiobook List
What I've listened to over the past year.
I've always been more of a visual person, so podcasts and audiobooks were never really my thing. But in the past year or more, I’ve been going on longer walks, avoiding being on my phone while commuting, and not always in the mood for music while checking things off my to-do list. So, I gave audiobooks a try.
I first turned to my public library’s digital catalog, but the listening experience wasn’t great—and many of the titles I wanted were already checked out. Then I discovered that Spotify offers audiobooks, and Premium users get 15 hours of listening time each month. A game-changer!
Below are the audiobooks I’ve listened to, listed from most recent to least. Let me know if you’ve read or listened to any of these—or if any are on your list!
Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese
In this 59-minute audiobook, the comedian, actor, and screenwriter best known to me for his role in Shrek 2 (Fiona's dad), shares his key ideas about creativity: that it's a learnable, improvable skill accessible to all.
I'm Glad My Mother Died by Jennette McCurdy
This one was heartbreaking. It’s a memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy, where she opens up about her experience as a former child actor—touching on eating disorders and a deeply complicated relationship with her overbearing, abusive mother. Through dark humor, she shares her journey from being pushed into acting at just six years old (her mother’s dream, not hers) to eventually reclaiming control over her life.
I became fascinated with Julia Fox after she broke up with you know who and started popping up on my social media feeds. The things she said in interviews and posted on her page made me relate to her, and genuinely like her. She doesn’t identify as the “average celebrity.” She says what the girls, gays, and theys are thinking, and I just knew that bitch (respectfully) had stories for days.In her memoir, she recounts a tumultuous childhood and coming-of-age story—touching on drug abuse, abusive relationships, complicated friendships, grief, and so much more.
I listened to this audiobook at the perfect time. What draws me most to Julia is her authenticity. She’s real, raw, honest—and you can’t help but love her more for it. She leveled up in life by being unapologetically herself. I identify with that. I want my future successes to come the same way: by staying true to who I am, without changing myself for opportunities, connections, or experiences.
I’m inspired by “the weird white girl with the fat ass” to continue staying true to myself. That’s the only way the things I’m aligned with will find me.
Your Faith is Your Fortune by Neville Goddard
Recommended to me by a dear friend, this one reiterated some messages I’ve heard before. The main takeaway is that we are what we believe in. If you believe in God and Jesus, then you are God and you are Jesus. We are our own faith. We shape our own destiny.
It does reference and break down a lot of Bible verses, so if that’s not your thing, it might be a little hard to follow. But I appreciated the overall message.
What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey
Someone described this as feeling like “a nice, warm hug,” and I’ve been needing those lately. The audiobook is narrated by Oprah herself and explores themes of joy, resilience, gratitude, and the like.
In theory, it should’ve hit the mark—but I actually found it kind of boring. Truthfully, I didn’t enjoy her narration. It also felt like there was a lot of name-dropping… and then I had to remind myself that she's Oprah...😂
