NEW YORK, July 23 — As audiobook sales have skyrocketed in recent years, celebrities are using their talents to narrate some of the best works of literature. Here are four recent audiobooks, including everything from self-help to contemporary theatre, to discover this summer.
The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey and narrated by several celebrities (Macmillan Audio)
This inspirational audiobook sees Oprah Winfrey sharing stories from her own life, prompting listeners to start their journey towards self-discovery and personal contentment.
“Your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you are meant to be, and begin to honour your calling in the best way possible,” she writes.
Over the course of 10 chapters, Winfrey brings together personal stories and insights from people who inspire her, including stories from Alanis Morrissette, Jane Fonda, Shonda Rhimes and Jay-Z.
The Path Made Clear lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes.
Heads Will Roll by Kate McKinnon with Emily Lynne, and narrated by various celebrities (Audible)
Heads Will Roll was created by Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon alongside her sister Emily Lynne.
This out-of-the-box scripted comedy follows the story of evil Queen Mortuana of the Night Realm and her silly raven minion Jojo, who are respectively played by McKinnon and Lynne.
The duo goes on a journey to find the Shard of Acquiescence, which will put down the prophesised peasant uprising.
Along the way, they encounter a colourful cast of inappropriate characters voiced by Meryl Streep, Tim Gunn, Peter Dinklage, Bob the Drag Queen, Andrea Martin, Queer Eye’s Fab Five and many more.
The satiric audio comedy, halfway between an audiobook and a podcast, runs over 10 adults-only episodes.
Audible original Heads Will Roll lasts 4 hours and 6 minutes.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and read by several celebrities (Random House Audiobooks)
In Daisy Jones & The Six, American novelist Taylor Jenkins Reid chronicles the rise of fictional ‘70s rock group The Six, which will be deeply shaken by new bandmate Daisy Jones.
The novel notably mimics the style of a tell-all celebrity memoir, with the band’s members contradicting one another in the telling of the same events.
Reid’s colourful cast of characters is brought to life by actors Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black and American Gods), Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality and Law & Order), and Judy Greer (13 Going 30 and Jurassic World) among others.
Daisy Jones & The Jones is accompanied by a PDF of song lyrics from the book, which is directly available in your Audible Library.
The audiobook lasts 9 hours and 3 minutes.
True West by Sam Shepard and read by Kit Harrington and Johnny Flynn (Audible)
This audiobook is based on the London production of Shepard’s 1980 critically-acclaimed play, “True West,” which ran at the Vaudeville Theatre through February.
It was directed by English playwright Matthew Dunster, with original music composed for the stage by Joe Zeitlin and Johnny Flynn.
British actors Kit Harington and Johnny Flynn respectively play Austin and Lee, two long estranged who try to reconnect in their mother’s Southern California house.
The audio play True West lasts 1 hour and 27 minutes. — AFP-Relaxnews
