For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Milena Durek’s review of the audiobook of “Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts” by Margaret Atwood, first published February 12, 2026, at Booklist Online.
Enjoy.
“Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts”
By Margaret Atwood. Read by the author.
November 2025. Books on Tape, DD, (9798217166718).
This long-awaited autobiography by Margaret Atwood is read by the author with a virtuosity matching her signature writing style. Daunting as the idea of dually retelling and interpreting a prolific and multi-faceted life may seem, Atwood approaches the Herculean task with her priceless dry wit and a sense of irony as a driving force of life and literature. Golden anecdotes are at the core of the book, and brief but significant references suggest the rest of the “go-figure iceberg” underneath. Responding to her readership’s wishes, she flings open a door a door to her unique childhood and youth, literary, and personal lives (and vice versa), but also to the adventure of being a Canadian author. Atwood allows insights into her writer’s “kitchen,” pays a touching homage to her parents and to the love of her life, her friends and editors, and no less, in an unsentimental but poignant way, Canada. Atwood’s voice is always magical and never more apt than here, where listeners have a chance to sit alongside the master and hear her weave the tales of her fascinating literary life.— Milena Durek
About Booklist
Since 1905, Booklist has published thousands of book and audiobook reviews each year, helping library and education workers decide what to buy and how to guide patrons and students of all ages in choosing what to read, view, or listen to.
We’re proud to share these reviews with you each week. If you’d like to read more—along with must-read lists, author interviews, and top reading recommendations for adults, youth, and audiobook lovers—you can enjoy a free subscription to Booklist Reader, Booklist’s magazine for library patrons, as a benefit of becoming a Supporter of the American Library Association. What could be better?
How you can support libraries
With library funding being gutted and censorship on the rise, supporting libraries is more critical than ever. If you’re looking for a way to help, we urge you to become a Supporter of the American Library Association by donating.
At the American Library Association, we are here to protect libraries — today and for generations to come. What does your donation do? It helps a neighbor gain skills to start a business. It helps a child discover themselves through books and programs. And it helps keep libraries strong, open, and free for everyone.
Become a Supporter
Subscribe to the I Love Libraries newsletter! You’ll get news from the library world, advocacy updates, author interviews, book lists, and more delivered to your inbox every month.
