We all have our go-to genres. While I try to read widely, I tend to gravitate toward a handful of favorites, typically romantic comedy, romantic fantasy, and when I’m in the mood for nonfiction, I’ll often reach for a memoir.
There are several reasons for this. I think one thing that makes memoirs so intriguing is the fact that they often embody the idiom that truth is stranger than fiction. I frequently listen to a story told by a memoir’s author and think, “I couldn’t have made that up.”
The other reason I love them is because it challenges you to consider worldviews and experiences that are not your own. It’s absolutely fascinating to read a true account of a life that is vastly different from mine, and when the story in some way aligns with my life, I feel a sense of kindredness with the author that is comforting. It gives you a sense of connection with a real person, even if you’ve never met.
A good memoir makes you feel something, makes you curious, makes you think about your own story. All the books on this list did one or more of those things for me, and made me want to keep reading past my bedtime. Keep reading for brief introductions to these fantastic books.
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9 Memoirs I Couldn’t Put Down
Comedien Zarna Garg will tug at your heartstrings and poke your funny bone as she recounts her childhood in India and the set of circumstances that led to a period of homelessness and ultimately, immigration to the United States. You may have heard the analogy before that some books are mirrors (reflecting an experience or worldview that you can relate to) while some books are windows (giving you a look at experiences and worldviews that you have no familiarity with). This book was a window for me, and I learned so much about Indian culture while reading. Zarna does an amazing job of wrapping some really traumatic and difficult experiences in humor without diminishing their serious nature. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by the author, and hearing the way her voice would break during some of the most emotional moments was really impactful. I highly recommend it in this format, and suspect this book will end up on my end-of-the-year superlative list.
You might think you’re not interested in Draco Malfoy’s story, but you’re wrong. Tom Felton brings humor and humility to the table as he describes his early life, his time acting in the Harry Potter movies, and the triumphs and struggles that followed his fame. I loved the behind-the-scenes look at his life as a child actor and what it was like to be a kid on the set of such a massive, multi-year production. Tom shares openly about his childhood prior to Hollywood, his struggle with alcoholism, and his special friendship with Emma Watson. He’s much more lovable as a person than as a character!
If you haven’t read this one yet, what are you waiting for? This mega-popular book is hard in a lot of ways, but it’s also a very hopeful example of how you can choose not to let your circumstances define you. Tara Westover was raised in poverty by extremely suspicious survivalist parents who kept her and her siblings isolated. There are stories of abuse and neglect that are hard to read, but I love the way she didn’t let the disadvantage of her upbringing keep her from doing what she wanted to do once she was able to escape that situation. This book was a best seller for a reason.
I mean, what an interesting guy. You think you know about Bill Gates, but you don’t know anything until you read about his childhood and how he got to be the software tycoon he is. While a lot of people condemn Gates for being brought up with every advantage, what this book really brought home for me is that having the advantage doesn’t do you a lot of good if you don’t seize it and make the most of it. Gates was (and I assume probably still is) an extremely hard worker, and I don’t know that another person, if given his same opportunities, would have been able to do what he did. It’s such an interesting read about a really smart guy from an ambitious family that has it’s quirks like an famly does. The book ends sometime after Microsoft is established, but doesn’t give the full picture of his career and later years. I would actually love to read a part two that gives you a more complete picture of his life and work as technology and society has changed over the last few decades.
People tend to throw around the words sociopath and psychopath without really knowing what they mean or considering the fact that there are people in the real world who actually have these personalities and are just trying to live their lives. Patric Gagne started noticing from a very early age that there was something different about the way she saw and interacted with the world. She didn’t feel things like other people did, she struggled to be empathetic, and didn’t seem to have the same moral compass as the people around her. It wasn’t until college that she discovered there was a name for her experience—sociopathy. This book chronicles how she managed her personality differences before and after discovering what it was, and the very unique challenges she faces and decisions she’s made to cope with it. This is such an interesting book, and I felt like it gave me some real information about this personality disorder beyond the sensationalized version you often find in fiction or the media, although some stories in this book fall under the heading “life is stranger than fiction.”
I listened to this whole book in one day. It’s like watching a train wreck before, during, and after, and not being able to look away. Bethany Joy Lentz, an actress best known for her role as Peyton on One Tree Hill, tells the story of how she accidentally ended up in cult as a part of her journey to pursue her faith. It’s heartbreaking to listen as someone who comes across as so earnest and genuine ignores or just doesn’t recognize red flags from the people around her because of her desire to believe the best about others. It also speaks to how difficult it can be to extricate yourself from a bad situation once you’ve identified it as such. Even though her story is hard and shows the lasting consequences of poor decisions, I feel like it ends on a hopeful note.
I had conflicting feelings as I read this book. It was absolutely fascinating to read about the life of an actual prince, and he shared many interesting, heartbreaking, or hilarious stories of life as a royal. At the same time, I had this sense that there’s always another side to every story, and that while his feelings and opinions about his experiences are valid, other people involved might perceive things entirely differently. Families are always complicated, and I imagine being in the public eye makes that even more true. If any other memoirs from other members of the royal family are ever published (which I kind of doubt) I’ll be first in line to read them and get a more complete story.
I still think about this book all the time, even two years after having read it. It’s completely absorbing, and surprisingly funny for memoir about a young woman who takes a job at a crematory and learns the ins and outs of what happens to your physical body after you die. Some of her stories are touching, some are gross, and all of them make you think. I learned so much about the funeral industry, and loved her commentary about the way different cultures approach dying, grief, and what to do with dead bodies. It definitely changed the way I think about death and how we approach mourning and funerals here in America.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
Fans of the show Friends, this one is for you. Matthew Perry tells the whole story of his life and career, including lots of details about his time on the hit sit-com we all love. This isn’t a light read, though. While there is the Chandler Bing style humor you’d expect, much of the book is centered around Matthew’s lifelong battle with addiction. I actually listened to this book not quite a year after his untimely death, and having that knowledge of the true end of his story made certain parts of the narrative extra heartbreaking. If nothing else, hearing him describe his struggle increased my empathy for people who are impacted by addiction and made me feel a righteous anger toward the people who exploit that weakness.
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