Memoir autobiography books
The 10 best memoirs and autobiographies to read now
1
Barbra Streisand, 'My Name is Barbra'
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This exhilarating and startlingly honest autobiography of the legendary star is already a Sunday Times bestseller, thanks to its incredible depth, breadth and heart. Including outfit-by-outfit recalls of her onstage looks and analyses of her films, as well as details of her relationships with Pierre Trudeau, Omar Sharif and Marlon Brando, this long-awaited memoir tells Streisand's story in her own words, over a career spanning six decades. An essential read for any fan.
2
Matthew Perry, 'Friends, Lovers And The Big Terrible Thing'
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In the wake of Matthew Perry's tragic death, his memoir feels a more important read than ever before. In it, the Friends actor takes us on a journey from childhood ambition to fame and addiction, then, recovery and stints in rehab. From his fractured family life to the peace he's found in sobriety, this is a life story told with unflinching honesty, as well as self-awareness, tenderness and Perry's trademark humour.
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3
Deborah Levy, 'The Cost Of Living'
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Following on from the critically acclaimed Things I Don't Want to Know, the powerful second book in Deborah Levy's essential three-part 'Living Autobiography' is part-memoir, part-feminist manifesto. In it, she writes about her recent divorce, which is supposed to signal a fresh start – yet the societal prejudice she faces as a single mother soon becomes clear. No one writes quite like Levy on what it is to be a woman, and this (as well as most of Levy's other work) is essential reading on the topics of personhood, feminism and finding yourself.
4
Helen Mort, 'A Line Above The Sky'
An unusual and touching memoir, Helen Mort reflects on climbing – and the risk-taking, freedom and connection to the natural world that comes with it – through the lens of mo
Rules & Eligibility
The Goodreads Choice Awards have two rounds of voting open to all registered Goodreads members. Winners will be announced December 07,
Opening Round: Nov 14 - 26
In the first round there are 20 books in each of the 15 categories, and members can vote for one book in each category.
Final Round: Nov 28 - Dec 03
The field narrows to the top 10 books in each category, and members have one last chance to vote!
Books published in the United States in English, including works in translation and other significant rereleases, between November 17, , and November 15, , are eligible for the Goodreads Choice Awards. Books published between November 16, , and November 14, , will be eligible for the awards.
We analyze statistics from the millions of books added, rated, and reviewed on Goodreads to nominate 20 books in each category. For the Audiobook category, nominations are based on the millions of titles added, rated, and reviewed both on Goodreads and Audible.
Opening round official nominees must have an average rating of or higher at the time of launch. A book may be nominated in no more than one genre category, but can also be nominated in the Debut Novel and/or Audiobook categories. Only one book in a series may be nominated per category. An author may receive multiple nominations within a single category if they have more than one eligible series or more than one eligible stand-alone book. Learn more
Fierce Attachments
“I remember only the women,” Vivian Gornick writes near the start of her memoir of growing up in the Bronx tenements in the s, surrounded by the blunt, brawling, yearning women of the neighborhood, chief among them her indomitable mother. “I absorbed them as I would chloroform on a cloth laid against my face. It has taken me 30 years to understand how much of them I understood.”
When Gornick’s father died suddenly, she looked in the coffin for so long that she had to be pulled away. That fearlessness suffuses this book; she stares unflinchingly at all that is hidden, difficult, strange, unresolvable in herself and others — at loneliness, sexual malice and the devouring, claustral closeness of mothers and daughters. The book is propelled by Gornick’s attempts to extricate herself from the stifling sorrow of her home — first through sex and marriage, but later, and more reliably, through the life of the mind, the “glamorous company” of ideas. It’s a portrait of the artist as she finds a language — original, allergic to euphemism and therapeutic banalities — worthy of the women that raised her. — Parul Sehgal
I love this book — even during those moments when I want to scream at Gornick, which are the times when she becomes the hypercritical, constantly disappointed woman that her mother, through her words and example, taught the author to be. There’s a clarity to this memoir that’s so brilliant it's unsettling; Gornick finds a measure of freedom in her writing and her feminist activism, but even then, she and her mother can never let each other go. — Jennifer Szalai
Gornick’s language is so fresh and so blunt; it’s a quintessentially American voice, and a beautiful one. The confidence of her tone in “Fierce Attachments” reminds me of the Saul Bellow who wrote, in the opening lines of “The Adventures of Augie March,” “I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way.” — Dwight Garner
(Non)Fiction Memoirs &#; Autobiographies
Real Life, Real Stories: Memoirs and Autobiographies
by Shelby D., Evening Supervisor
Hi! This is Fiction where I talk about books and genres — from cozy reads, to mysteries, to fantasy, and everything in between. Last month, in honor of the Summer Reading Program, I focused on adventure fiction. This month, I’m going to talk about memoirs and autobiographies.
Memoirs and autobiographies are true stories that the author tells about themselves — a memoir is about a specific period of time in an author’s life while an autobiography covers the author’s entire life. Both are written by the author, as opposed to a biography which is a true story about a person, but written by someone else. Memoirs bring insight into other people and their lives, providing content that can be relatable and possibly help readers process their own experiences. Other times, these books can grant awareness into the lives of others. In my opinion, audiobooks can be a fun way to listen to memoirs and autobiographies, especially when the author narrates the book themselves — it adds an even more personal touch!
Ready to dive in? Check out these memoir and autobiography recommendations:
- I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
- Yes Please by Amy Poehler
- I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
- Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Memoirs and autobiographies can be such amazing reads since people live such unique lives. As such, learning more about favorite celebrities and others can sometimes be better than fiction! Personally, I have a weakness for memoirs by comedians who have such a gift for funny storytelling and outlooks on life that differ from mine. I always make it a goal every year to read memoirs by some of my favorite people.
Thank you for joining me for (Non)Fiction Join me next month for a dive into graphic novels!