Note to Self

I’ll admit: I approached *Note to Self* skeptically. Celebrity-driven projects can often feel like vanity exercises, but this one *earns* its emotional weight. The standout here is the narration—when Oprah reads her letter, you *hear* the younger Oprah in her voice, the hesitation, the fire. Joe Biden’s segment, meanwhile, is unexpectedly moving; his familiar stutter becomes part of the storytelling, a reminder that growth isn’t linear. The pacing is near-perfect: most letters clock in around 5-8 minutes, long enough to land but short enough to avoid self-indulgence. That said, it’s not flawless. A few letters (looking at you, Chelsea Handler) veer into *too* polished territory, their humor sanding down the edges of what could’ve been deeper reflection. And while the diversity of voices is impressive, the production occasionally leans *too* heavily on the ‘inspirational’ score during transitions—it’s a minor gripe, but it risks undermining the rawness of the content. Still, the highs far outweigh the lows. Tammy Duckworth’s letter, read with quiet fury, is worth the price alone. If you’re craving something that feels *human*—not just motivational, but *true*—this is your audiobook. Just keep tissues handy.