AudioFile’s 2022 Best Memoir Audiobooks give listeners an opportunity to hear incredible stories directly from the voices of those who lived them — or through the voices of a powerful full cast. Each audiobook gives the listener insights directly into the life of the author, making for emotional and moving listening experiences. For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit AudioFile’s website.
Click here to subscribe to Behind the Mic with AudioFile Magazine and access exclusive interviews with narrators from this year’s Best Audiobooks.
This story appears through BookTrib’s partnership with AudioFile and contains material originating from the AudioFile website.
Finding Me: A Memoir by by Viola Davis
Read by Viola Davis
[Harper Audio | 9.25 hrs.]
AudioFile Earphones Award
Actor Viola Davis’s memoir captures the voice of a woman with a fascinating, heartbreaking lived experience. She is the consummate actor and storyteller, perfect for the audiobook medium. Her voice is vulnerable yet strong, and the result is electric. Read the full AudioFile review here.
I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir by Harvey Fierstein
AudioFile Earphones Award
Read by Harvey Fierstein
[Random House Audio | 12.5 hrs.]
This wonderful audiobook is a special treat for those who know and love actor, writer and director Harvey Fierstein. He narrates himself in THAT VOICE, and his singular, often outrageous perspective reflects his artistry. A must-listen.
In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss by by Amy Bloom
AudioFile Earphones Award
Read by Amy Bloom
[Random House Audio | 4.75 hrs.]
Amy Bloom’s memoir moves gently between anecdotes of her past with her husband, Brian, and the journey the two take to Switzerland for their final days together. A loving tribute, and Bloom’s narration is remarkable. Read our full review here.
Solito: A Memoir by by Javier Zamora
AudioFile Earphones Award
Read by Javier Zamora
[Random House Audio | 17.5 hrs.]
Javier Zamora narrates his memoir with power and quiet, beautiful humanity. His account of his childhood migration from El Salvador to the U.S. provides listeners with a window into a truly heartbreaking first-person experience.
Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by by Rebecca Hall, Tyler English-Beckwith
AudioFile Earphones Award
Read by DeWanda Wise, Chanté Adams, Jerrie Johnson, Bahni Turpin and a Full Cast
[Podium Audio | 1.75 hrs.]
Based on Hall’s pioneering research into women-led slave revolts and real-life reactions to her work, this combined memoir/audio play/graphic novel bursts with energy and inspiration. History should always sound this alive. Read our review of Wake here.
Woman Without Shame by by Sandra Cisneros
AudioFile Earphones Award
Read by Sandra Cisneros
[Random House Audio | 2.5 hrs.]
Sandra Cisneros’s performance of her poetry is a marvel. Her voice is a wonderful instrument conveying her intentions in these deeply personal poems examining life as a woman of a certain age in Mexico and the U.S. with humor and poignancy. Read our full review here.
