cover image Love Life

Love Life

Rob Lowe, read by the author. Audioworks, , unabridged, seven CDs, 7.5 hrs., $29.99 ISBN 978-1-4423-6733-3

Lowe, a veteran actor in film and television follows up his bestselling 2011 memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, with this smart collection of personal vignettes. As a narrator, Lowe is clearly in his element. His sardonic humor shines through at some points (as when describing how he was abruptly removed as the coach of his son’s basketball team via a parental coup d’etat), while other scenes are more introspective. Some of the strongest moments feature Lowe describing himself at his weakest: mourning the loss of his longtime manager, Bernie Brillstein, or dropping his oldest child off at college. The audiobook offers the expected behind-the-scenes Hollywood sneak peeks, but with the added bonus of Lowe’s vocal impressions of his colleagues. His take on Warren Beatty is first-rate, and his impersonation of Danny Glover ordering everything on the menu is worth the price of admission by itself. This audio performance reveals someone who is (at last) completely comfortable in his own skin and ready to share his story, equal parts gossip and hard-won wisdom. A Simon & Schuster hardcover. (Apr.)