Autobiographical Audiobooks, Read by the Author

If you only know Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, then you’re in for a big surprise. Not only is Fisher a comedian and a great writer, for many years, she was a top Hollywood script doctor, she’s the child of celebrities and also nearly destroyed herself in the comet’s tail of her fame, which by dint of her creativity she turned into the autobiographical best-selling novel Postcards from the Edge (also narrated by Fisher). If you prefer straight memoirs, this is Fisher’s first; if you enjoy this one, you’ve got two more to look forward to, including her controversial last book, The Princess Diarist, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Star Wars, which divulges her affair with Han Solo.

While this stand-up comedian’s best-selling book of hilarious essays on race, gender, and popular culture is not exactly a memoir in its strictest definition, the political is personal with Robinson. All the subjects which she addresses in her podcast “Sooo Many White Guys” are present here, told with wit and plenty of pop-cultural references. Robinson’s discussion of race and feminism in America is as timely as ever, all told with her signature conversational style that made her podcast a top choice on iTunes.

Written in the form of letters to Wong’s two daughters, this outrageous memoir shares Wong’s hard-won experience of working in the professional, and often not so professional, world of comedy, along with her thoughts on marriage, sex, dating, working, Asian American culture and reconnecting with her Vietnamese roots. Wong’s memories of growing up in San Francisco, and her love of the absurd, makes for a compelling and sometimes gross experience, all enlivened by her standup comedy chops.

The creator and star of The Mindy Project shares her observations about life and work, dating, dieting, and comedy. Kaling pours herself into this memoir, describing growing up with immigrant professional parents, and the tension between meeting their expectations and establishing her own identity, and describes her Off-Broadway triumph playing a version of Ben Affleck before being tapped for The Office. The tour of her life is punctuated with her amusing observations and helpful pauses for you to do errands.

The star and creator of 30 Rock and first head female writer of Saturday Night Live narrates her own origin story as well her experiences as being a boss in the comedy world.  Her experience as Sarah Palin is one of many uproariously funny chapters. Bossypants was one of the library’s most popular books when it was published, and if you didn’t get a chance to read it then, here’s your chance to have Fey read it to you.

Like her friend Tiny Fey, Poehler is an outstanding comedic actor, known for her portrayal of idealistic civil servant in Parks and Recreation, and writer, and both of these skills are at work in this bestseller. Poehler spins funny tales about her overprotected childhood in Boston and follows her path first to New York City and then to Hollywood, where Poehler co-founded the influential Improv comedy group, The Upright Citizen’s Brigade, before she went on to further fame as comic, writer, and producer. This audiobook features vocal appearances of guests who also have something to say about Amy, including Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and, most importantly, Amy's parents.

This is the first book of essays by comedian Samanta Irby, who discusses cultural issues and food with wit and insight. In this collection Irby humorously approaches the irritation of day-to-day living. it more than qualifies as a autobiography because of the many vignettes that harken back to her upbringing in Chicago as a working class queer black woman. Her trademark deadpan sense of humor and comic timing leaven these tales without undermining their compelling substance. Plus, there’s recipes.

You can consider Rob Lowe your friend if he’s sharing these stories with you. The once-upon-a-time child star and notorious youth idol shares his experiences of growing up under the spotlight and how the excesses of young adulthood shaped his current life as a sober family man. With wry humor and a strong sense of self-awareness, this tell-all has surprised many reviewers with how moving it is.

A reflective memoir starting with all the roles he played, first when his father helps land young Brian a job as a child theater actor, and then suddenly disappearing, casting Brian in the role of abandoned son. Cranston discusses all the different jobs and social roles he’s played, including dating consultant and murder suspect, as well as his acting career, from his start in soaps, his break as a sadistic dentist on Seinfeld, and on to his more famous roles. Cranston’s trained reading voice and dulcet tones complement this study of a creative life.

Actor and TV host Ferguson’s first memoir details his life and journey to become an American. It starts on the rough streets of Glasgow, Scotland, and continues beyond his success as the host of The Late Late Show. Along the way, he has many different jobs, from construction worker to modern dancer, and he also spirals into addiction and despair, a familiar tale of Hollywood but differentiated by his particular brand of humor and his Scottish accent. Ferguson considers one of his greatest achievements is becoming an American citizen, even though he’s clearly not blind to his adopted country’s problems. The audiobook version of this title was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Spoken Word Album.