Audible Book Review: Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

 

I openly admit from the start that my review of this Audible book will not do the book justice. In Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman, the author outlines a different approach to making the most of the time we have and how to take action on what matters most to you. 

This is the second book by Burkeman I have listened to, and I realize now that I need printed copies to mark up and bookmark. Just like with the first book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, I found tons of helpful and insightful information in Meditations for Mortals, but I can't remember all of it because I was listening to it while driving. 

Here are the two tidbits from Meditations for Mortals that I found the most valuable: 

• Seeing our TBR piles as a river, a flowing stream of possibilities you can dip into and choose what you feel like reading, letting the rest float on by. Doesn't that take the pressure off?
• Creating a Done list instead of a To-Do list. Also, reduces the pressure because you are focusing on what you have done, not the mountain of things left undone. 

The author narrates the book, and he has a great voice to do so. Meditations for Mortals is formatted to be read one day at a time over four weeks, but I listened to multiple days at once. This did not impede the absorption of the material, but I truly wished I could have written down notes. 

Burkeman's books are powerful resources for those looking to make changes in their lives. Blending different influences into a philosophy the author calls "imperfectionism," readers can use Meditations for Mortals to create a more meaningful life. 

Product details

Listening Length	4 hours and 4 minutes
Author	Oliver Burkeman
Narrator	Oliver Burkeman
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	October 08, 2024
Publisher	Macmillan Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0CW47NDT6

I downloaded this book from Audible with a credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Audible Book Review: Digital Detox for Remote Workers by Dr. Guenter H. Schamel

 

Looking to break away from the remote working world? Are you burnt out by Slack and Zoom and that constantly on feeling? Then Digital Detox for Remote Workers: Reclaim Your Focus, Productivity, and Work-Life Balance in the Digital Age by Dr. Guenter H. Schamel. 

Schamel's helpful resource is a good first step in making a change. For those of us who work remotely, it's so easy to spend more time than the standard workday at your computer. It can be so hard to put down the phone and step away, feeling like you aren't fulfilling your clients' needs or that the one time you break away and attempt balance, you must sacrifice productivity. Meanwhile, your productivity and focus suffer from trying to juggle it all unsuccessfully. 

Digital Detox for Remote Workers is about setting healthy boundaries, avoiding burnout, and resetting your mental energy. Though narrated by Virtual Voice, I did not find it distracting. I feel this is one of those books that is best used in printed format because of how the strategies are outlined and put into practice, but I found it useful in getting me started. Definitely worth the listening time.

Part of series	Thriving in Remote Work
Listening Length	6 hours and 19 minutes
Author	Guenter H. Schamel
Narrator	Virtual Voice
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	November 21, 2025
Publisher	Independently Published
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0FXDPYCRX

I purchased a copy of this book with an Audible credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Audible Book Review: Hi Honey, I'm Homo!: Sitcoms, Special, and the Queering of American Culture by Matt Baume

 

If you enjoy well-researched, engaging pop culture books as much as I do, Hi Honey, I'm Homo!: Sitcoms, Specials, and The Queering of American Culture, authored and narrated by Matt Baume, should be on your list. 

From Bewitched to Modern Family and everything in between, Baume guides readers on an engaging journey through television history and its evolving portrayals of the LGBTQ+ community, including how these characters have helped shape broader social understanding.

As a Gen Xer, I now realize how often television in my youth portrayed people who didn’t fit the perceived “norm” in ways that were unkind or limiting. Either that, or I was simply too young to recognize how groundbreaking and controversial sitcoms like Soap were when they first aired. I barely remembered characters like Beverly LaSalle on All in the Family or Officer Zatelli’s coming‑out moment on Barney Miller. I’d like to think that’s because I didn’t view them as anything other than part of the larger cast of characters simply existing within the story. Moments from The Golden Girls and Ellen were likely the first times I consciously recognized that a show was making a deliberate point about inclusion and representation.

Hi Honey, I'm Homo! is thought-provoking, and the research and commentary are placed alongside what was going on in the country at the time. Truly a great read!

Listening Length	6 hours and 41 minutes
Author	Matt Baume
Narrator	Matt Baume
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	May 23, 2023
Publisher	Dreamscape Media
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0BZ1GGJ4J

I purchased a copy of this book with an Audible credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

NetGalley/Audible Book Review: Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun by Brieane Olson

 

Discover the story of how PacSun embraced co-creation and transformed itself from a retailer of established brands to a purpose-driven retailer that collaborates and partners with a community that informs its approach in Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun by the company's CEO, Brieane Olson.

Author and narrator Olson brings the reader through the challenges of what PacSun was and the excitement brought about by their shift to a purpose-driven retailer that listens to its collaborators, staff, and most importantly, its consumers. From its early collaborations with Kendall & Kylie to its more recent partnerships with the LA Rams and Formula 1, readers engage with the amazing transformation that the mindshift has brought to a company that filed for bankruptcy in 2016 amid burgeoning high mall rents, when mall traffic declined while online shopping increased. 

Olson discusses how embracing change in consumer habits and ever-evolving technology has allowed the company to increase its market share, and how listening to its community has allowed the company to make a greater impact and create new initiatives that support its mission and the community it serves. 

I will be honest: I have never stepped foot in a PacSun. My daughters did in their teens, but my only recollection of PacSun was walking by it in the now-demolished mall closest to us to get to another retailer, and the store closed way before the mall did. So, why did I request this book? 

• The title intrigued me.
• Purpose-driven leadership inspires me.
• Authenticity is one of the most important things I strive for in business. 

Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun explores the company's new model that has made such waves that it is now a Harvard Business School Case Study. If you are in business and are determined to make an impact, this is a book you should read. 

Listening Length	5 hours and 36 minutes
Author	Brieane Olson
Narrator	Brieane Olson
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	May 12, 2026
Publisher	Forbes Books
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0GVPMZMCF

I requested this book from NetGalley and own it on Audible. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Audible Book Review: This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

 

If you enjoy stories about dysfunctional families meandering through life, you will want to grab This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman. 

With a title taken from something one of the characters said, this story opens with many of the Rubenstiens huddled around Sylvia and Helen's youngest sister, Jeanne, who is dying of cancer. A misunderstanding over an apple cake after Jeanne's death leads to a decade during which Sylvia and Helen do not speak to one another. As life burbles along, some family members divorce, others rediscover lost passions, and some find love again. Filled with angst and conflict, This is Not About Us will tug at your heartstrings. 

This is Not About Us is the first book I've read by Goodman. I found it overflowing with so many characters that I didn't care for, that despite hearing that Isola is wonderful, I'm not sure I want to try again. Family drama is engaging. Dysfunction is okay, but some of these characters, like Helen, are insufferable. And because there are so many characters to keep track of, it made the book drag for me. I wonder if I would feel differently if I had a printed book than the Audible version. The narrator wasn't my favorite in the beginning, but she did grow on me. 

Out of all the characters, the only one that kept me reading is Violet, who receives a special gift from her aunt Jeanne. Watching Violet's transformation throughout the story was a true glimmer of joy and hope in a world filled with discontent. 

Goodman's This is Not About Us offers a family drama that might be too realistic for my tastes. Other readers have truly enjoyed it, so give it a shot if its premise sounds promising. 

Listening Length	12 hours and 11 minutes
Author	Allegra Goodman
Narrator	Kimberly Farr
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	February 10, 2026
Publisher	Random House Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0FKTPFNFT

I own a copy of this book on Audible. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Recent Reads/Listens on NetGalley and Audible

I had finished This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman a few weeks ago. Liked this much better than I thought I would, but there are so many characters that it is easy to get lost. 

I started Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined PacSun by Brieana Olseon, PACSUN CEO, a while ago. In fairness to the author, it's not that I'm uninterested. The story sounds fascinating. I just overloaded my spring reading calendar. I added this to Audible because I think my NetGalley time will run out before I read it. 

I have 22 days to finish The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller. I have loved what I have read so far. 

I didn't make it far into Jesus Listens for Lent & Easter: Prayers for the Season by Sarah Young, but that's because it has a narrator I don't connect with. I've read and enjoyed other devotionals by Young, so I will need to order a printed version to appreciate it. 

Last week, I finished listening to Hi Honey, I'm Homo: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture by Matt Baume. This was a well-researched and engaging account of queer representation in sitcoms and how this representation transformed a genre once thought to be headed for the television graveyard. 

I downloaded The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida after reading Jack Balderrama Morley's Dream Facades, in which he cited Florida's book. Not sure that it is what I expected, but I am intrigued so far. 

Audible Book Review: Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

 

Who was Auntie Em before Dorothy Gale blew into Kansas? How did she meet Uncle Henry? How did Dorothy wind up with the childless couple? Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor is a charmingly brilliant story of Emily Gale, Dorothy's beloved Auntie Em. 

In February 1932, Emily Gale journeys back to Chicago after a tragic accident takes the life of her sister Annie and her husband. Bouying her courage, she lays eyes upon Annie and John's only child, Dorothy, who is now her responsibility. Feeling totally unprepared for motherhood, and knowing the unforgiving prairie is no place for a child, she apprehensively brings Dorothy back to Kansas. Uncle Henry has always wanted children, so he welcomes Dorothy with open arms, but would he be so understanding if he knew the whole story? 

As the lack of rain and dust bowls that steal your breath increase, Emily and Henry watch as their dreams shrivel like scorched crops. And when Emily is forced to face her worst fear, she must decide if she will open her heart to Dorothy so that she can heal. 

Oh. My. Goodness! Before Dorothy is not what I expected at all, but it is the backstory that lovers of The Wizard of Oz will appreciate. Traveling back and forth between the present day and Emily's years growing up in Chicago with her sisters Annie and Nell, this is the story of the beloved Auntie Em we never doubted loved Dorothy with all her heart. With excerpts of Emily's thoughts from her journals titled "Wonderful--A Life on the Prairie," readers dive deeply into Emily's life in Kansas. A touching epilogue told from Dorothy's point of view makes this one of the most moving novels about fictional movie characters you will ever read. 

Gaynor has an extraordinary gift for painting vivid images in the minds of her readers, and as she is also a fan of The Wizard of Oz, you will find little hints and nods to that story woven throughout Before Dorothy. This is such a beautifully and masterfully told story that it has led me to order the entire series of books by L. Frank Baum. This is the backstory you never knew you needed until you read it. 

Highly recommended!

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 17, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593440331
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593440339

I purchased this book with an Audible credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Audible Book Review: 100 Rules for Living to 100 by Dick Van Dyke

If you have spent your life admiring the work of Dick Van Dyke, then you will want to grab a copy of his latest book, 100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to A Happy Life. With a career spanning decades, this centenarian has tons of stories and sage advice to offer us all. 

This audiobook opens with a message from the actor, but the rest is narrated by his good friend and television personality Tom Bergeron (America's Funniest Home Videos, Dancing with the Stars). Van Dyke sees his optimism as being a key to his longevity in life and his profession, with each themed section sharing a rule about living to 100. He dives deeply into his personal life and shares stories from the many acting roles he has been blessed to play. 

As someone who grew up watching reruns of the Dick Van Dyke Show, singing songs from Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and appreciating Van Dyke's more dramatic role in Diagnosis Murder, I loved getting to know more about Van Dyke's life, family, his fellow actors, and acting roles I never knew about. 

If you are looking for a book that embraces a nostalgic journey through life and Hollywood, with an abundance of kind-hearted humor and optimism along the way, you will find no greater choice than Dick Van Dyke's 100 Rules for Living to 100. 

Listening Length	7 hours and 27 minutes
Author	Dick Van Dyke
Narrator	Tom Bergeron, Dick Van Dyke
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	November 18, 2025
Publisher	Grand Central Publishing
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0F6YWZC24

I bought a copy of this book with an Audible credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Audible Book Review: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

 

Horowitz, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, invites you to follow along his entrepreneurial journey--the highlights, the disappointments, and the challenges that left him and his team making decisions that could unleash success or lead to their company's demise. His resume features well-known companies in the technology space: Netscape, AOL, Loudcloud, Opsware, and Hewlett-Packard. He has had an amazing journey so far, and you can read his content here.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things came to me as a recommendation from Leigh Brown. It's not a book I would have grabbed from the virtual bookshelf. I am not a technology person. My husband was familiar with Loudcloud and Opsware, but this was the first time I had heard of them. Rest assured, however, that you don't need to be in the technology field or even aware of what those companies do to find value in this book. 

Rather than a step-by-step outline, The Hard Thing About Hard Things gives you a dose of reality. You will face tough choices. You might lose some friends to other companies. You could be a great founder and not a superb CEO. There will be sleepless nights in between celebrating successes.

• Horowitz shows you how to endure those sleepless nights by sharing the wisdom he has gained through decades of experience in prioritizing company culture and effectively hiring and training the people who help you drive results.
• He encourages you to embrace the struggle and to make the best move when there aren't any good ones.
• One chapter is dedicated to leading when you have no idea where you're going. Doesn't that sound like a lot of--if not all--start-ups?
• And in the final chapter, Horowitz humbly shares the lessons he learned during his entrepreneurial journey. 

If you're looking for real insights into what it takes to start a business, shift when needed, and make tough decisions, then The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz should be on your to-be-read list. 

• Listening Length ‏ : ‎ 7 hours and 57 minutes
• Author ‏ : ‎ Ben Horowitz
• Narrator ‏ : ‎ Kevin Kenerly
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 4, 2014
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Business
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00I0A6HUO
• Version ‏ : ‎ Unabridged

I used an Audible credit to purchase this book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Audible Book Review: Next Is Now by Leigh Brown

 

We know her. We love her. And Leigh Brown is back with the book that has been on her heart for a while, Next Is Now: How to Move Forward When Disruption, Doubt, and Discomfort Hit All at Once. 

If you're living a life that appears successful but isn't filling your cup, Next Is Now should be your next purchase. This is a book about getting real with yourself and embracing your calling. It's a book about learning what is in your way and why you can't move forward, shutting off the outside voices, building trust, and embracing what you feel called to do--even if it doesn't make sense to everyone else. 

I've been privileged to know Leigh for years, and while we are separated by the miles, every time I take one of her classes or read one of her books, I feel like she understands right where I am and comes to me with bold advice I can immediately put into practice. She's not afraid to tell her story and use it as a way to lift up others. While I knew some of the stories that unfolded, I learned more about what she went through and respected her even more through the humble way she gave of herself in this book. You cannot listen to Leigh and walk away without pearls of wisdom. She is a woman of character, a woman of faith, and a person who can motivate you to uncover your purpose despite the disruption, doubt, and discomfort that tries to interfere.

Highly recommended!

Listening Length	3 hours and 22 minutes
Author	Leigh Brown
Narrator	Leigh Brown
Audible.com Release Date	December 03, 2025
Publisher	Leigh Brown
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0G4SNR8SZ

I downloaded this book with an Audible credit. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Audible Book Review: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

 

From the author of Eat, Pray, Love comes a book for creatives that asks us to "embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering."

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, narrated by the author, is a compelling masterpiece encouraging all creative people to dive right into their craft--no matter what it is--and face our fears. She provides such amazing insight that the reader can't help but nod their head in agreement when they see themselves as the "martyr" instead of the "trickster." But, as Gilbert points out, we don't need to stay there. We can embrace the traits of a "trickster" and propel ourselves forward to a happier and more fulfilling creative life.

This book came to me as a recommendation during a workshop about mindset. While I had heard of Eat, Pray, Love, I had never read it, or anything else by Gilbert. Now, I want to read everything she has ever written. She is the perfect narrator for this book, and I feel like I got to know her better simply by listening. It didn't even seem like this book was 5 hours and 6 minutes long. I'm ready to read it again. 

If you are struggling with your creativity, looking to move beyond fear, seeking to be more curious in your creative life, or simply trying to move yourself out of a rut, Big Magic is a great resource!

Listening Length	5 hours and 6 minutes
Author	Elizabeth Gilbert
Narrator	Elizabeth Gilbert
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	September 22, 2015
Publisher	Penguin Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00U08ECQA

I used an Audible credit to purchase this book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.