Audiobook recommendations - non-fiction and life affirming?

[TheRoaringGirl]

I need something calming and cheering with no peril to keep me zen and teach me life lessons on my morning walks. I don't want to fully discount fiction. This is an annoying post as I'm not really sure what I'm looking for! I just want an hour out of the day that's for me and that I will benefit from. So essentially I want to hear about amazing audiobooks you've enjoyed. Thank you so much for any recommendations!

Bump

Do you have Audible? There’s a Jon Ronson series called the Butterfly Effect which is funny but very human and may fit the bill? I find his voice oddly reassuring! It’s free to Audible subscribers so worth a shot if you are.

His book Them is also funny yet human, but I’ve only read the paper version so can’t vouch for the audio recording.

Thank you! I'll look those up now

I loved the Michelle Obama autobiography - would that be the kind of thing you're after?

Also, not an audiobook, but I have really enjoyed the Good Life Project podcasts.

You Are Dope by Ovie Soko

I really enjoyed tim peake's limitless (non fiction) & also weirdly enjoyed listening to the bullet journal method!

These all look on totally the right track!

I’m listening to The Salt Path by Raynor Winn atm.

Oh gosh it looks lovely but even reading they synopsis at the beginning is making me horrendously weepy - I'm too sensitive at the moment for it I think!

I downloaded Think Like A Monk but so far all it's done is make me aware of how I don't and can't think like a monk!

Ooh, following as I need similar.

I adore Ella Risbridger's Midnight Chicken to the point where I've started buying the book for all my friends. It's a glorious memoir about food and grief and healing
I think it would be lovely to listen to. I've heard her on podcasts too and she comes across as warm and generous and interesting.

For podcasts Reasons to be Cheerful with Ed Miliband abs Geoff Lloyd is great, as is You're Booked With Daisy Buchanan- not the easiest to find but lovely, she talks to writers about their bookshelves.

I also love Sentimental Garbage with Caroline O'Donoghue, which celebrates chick lit/poetry/commercial women's fiction. There is actually a lovely episode where she talks about poetry with Ella Risbridger. I'm not a poetry person, but I loved the ones they chose.

Would love to see more suggestions.

@TheRoaringGirl

Oh gosh it looks lovely but even reading they synopsis at the beginning is making me horrendously weepy - I'm too sensitive at the moment for it I think!

That sounds like breathing exercises in which make me think I can't even breathe right.

Spamming your thread to also say How to Fail (Book and Podcast) is very soothing. Elizabeth Day has, like me, gone through miscarriage and it really helped me to hear her reframe failure.

I liked A Life Worth Breathing by Max Strom on Audible. Such a nice voice to listen to as well.

Both the Obama audiobooks are good.

Recently enjoyed A Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell. It's very light but found it somewhat uplifting and interesting.

Not what you've asked for but I love Audible on my walks for engrossing long fiction that I would never read in paper form. Recently finished The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Loved it.

Gratefully looking up all of these

Anything travel related by Bill Bryson. Soothing, funny and informative!