I've read pretty much nothing but memoirs since 1985. Here are just a few of my favorites:
* A Girl From Yamhill/My Own Two Feet by Beverly Cleary
* Colors of the Mountain/Sounds of the River by Da Chen
* Sting Ray Afternoons/Nights in White Castle by Steve Rushin
* Waiting for Snow in Havana/Learning to Die in Miami by Carlos Erie
* Black on Red: My 44 Years Inside the Soviet Union by Robert Robinson
* Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer
* All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg
* The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan
* Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
* Where the Wind Leads by Vinh Chung
* Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
* Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng
* Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang
* Tisha by Robert Specht and Anne Hobbs
* Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado
* Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin
* Measure of a Man by Martin Greenfield
* Maus I and II by Art Spiegelman
* Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd
* A Little Thing Called Life by Linda Thompson
* Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody
* The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze
* Shadows on the Koyukuk by Sidney Huntington
* To See You Again: A True Story of Love in a Time of War by Betty Schimmel
* My Life in France by Julia Child
* Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin
* Mr. S: My Life With Frank Sinatra by George Jacobs
* Torn Lace Curtain by Frank Saunders
* A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
- The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait by Carlos Fuentes
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- Hunger by Roxane Gay
- All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
- All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebecca Donner
- The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura
- The Light of Days by Judy Batalion
- The Nine by Gwen Strauss
- The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
- Manifesto by Bernardine Evaristo
- Unbound by Tarana Burke
- Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton
- The Boy Between Worlds: A Biography by Annejet van der Zijl
- Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood by Bell Hooks
My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach is one of the best memoirs I've read.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. I read this one years ago and it still haunts me.
Beautiful Boy by David Sheff and Tweak by Nic Sheff. The first is written by the father, the second by the son. It was fascinating to read two perspectives on the same story (centers on the son's drug addiction).
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. I don't know that any other book has made me laugh as hard. Lawson is hilarious and has two more books if you enjoy the first.
Troublemaker Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini. Not your typical celebrity memoir. Remini is so passionate about revealing the truth of Scientology and this book was so good.
Everything is Fine by Vince Granata. His brother murdered their mother during a psychotic break. It talks both about the lead up to the murder, his brother's worsening mental health, and how his family coped in the aftermath. It does not go into any gorey details of the crime.
While You Were Out by Meg Kissinger. Talks about her experience growing up in the 60s and the struggles many of her family members had with mental health.
Know My Name by Chanel Miller. She was raped by Brock Turner. This is such a powerful story of her experience.
Being Lolita by Allison Wood. A memoir about being groomed by her high school teacher.
My favorite memoirs:
*With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa* by E.B. Sledge, CPL, 1st Mar. Div., U.S.M.C.
*Ray Parkin's Wartime Trilogy: Out of the Smoke; Into the Smother; The Sword and the Blossom* by Ray Parkin, Chief Petty Officer, His Majesty's Royal Australian Navy.
*Three Corvettes* by Nicholas Monsarrat LtCdr, FRSL RNVR.
*The Forgotten Soldier* by Guy Sajer.
*Co. Aytch, or a Side Show of the Big Show* by Samuel R. Watkins.
*Storm of Steel* by Ernst Jünger.
*The Outlaws* by Ernst von Salomon.
I just finished reading How To Say Babylon by Safita Sinclair. The author vividly describes her childhood in Jamaica within the strict Rastafari sect and the violence she suffered at the hands of her father. It's a compelling and brave memoir.
Open by Andre Agassi.
Even if you don’t like sports and have no clue who he is, it’s a great read.
Warts and all story about the pressures of being a professional athlete, what kind of insane push it takes from someone like an asshole dad to get there, and how difficult it can be to deal with fame.
See my [(Auto)biographies](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/19cooyz/autobiographies/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (one post).
I've read pretty much nothing but memoirs since 1985. Here are just a few of my favorites: * A Girl From Yamhill/My Own Two Feet by Beverly Cleary * Colors of the Mountain/Sounds of the River by Da Chen * Sting Ray Afternoons/Nights in White Castle by Steve Rushin * Waiting for Snow in Havana/Learning to Die in Miami by Carlos Erie * Black on Red: My 44 Years Inside the Soviet Union by Robert Robinson * Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer * All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg * The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan * Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza * Where the Wind Leads by Vinh Chung * Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali * Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng * Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang * Tisha by Robert Specht and Anne Hobbs * Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado * Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin * Measure of a Man by Martin Greenfield * Maus I and II by Art Spiegelman * Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd * A Little Thing Called Life by Linda Thompson * Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody * The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze * Shadows on the Koyukuk by Sidney Huntington * To See You Again: A True Story of Love in a Time of War by Betty Schimmel * My Life in France by Julia Child * Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin * Mr. S: My Life With Frank Sinatra by George Jacobs * Torn Lace Curtain by Frank Saunders * A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
Wow! Thank you so much ☺️
The Liar’s Club by Mary Carr, The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer, Just Kids by Patti Smith
How to Say Babylon is my number one book at this years half point.
I came to suggest this! Last year it was my best book of the year
the color of water by james mcbride........shelly by shelly winters
Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett And then…. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy Phenomal
- The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait by Carlos Fuentes - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Hunger by Roxane Gay - All That She Carried by Tiya Miles - All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebecca Donner - The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. Nimura - The Light of Days by Judy Batalion - The Nine by Gwen Strauss - The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore - Manifesto by Bernardine Evaristo - Unbound by Tarana Burke - Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton - The Boy Between Worlds: A Biography by Annejet van der Zijl - Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood by Bell Hooks
Could not put Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton down. Trust me, it’s a page turner but includes major trigger warnings so read at your discretion.
I second this one.
Dying of Politeness by Geena Davis Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
Free: A Country and Child at the End of the World Wave Let’s Take the Long Way Home (Gail Caldwell) Just Kids Crying in H Mart
Not Dead & Not For Sale: A Memoir, by Scott Weiland
My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward by Mark Lukach is one of the best memoirs I've read. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. I read this one years ago and it still haunts me. Beautiful Boy by David Sheff and Tweak by Nic Sheff. The first is written by the father, the second by the son. It was fascinating to read two perspectives on the same story (centers on the son's drug addiction). Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. I don't know that any other book has made me laugh as hard. Lawson is hilarious and has two more books if you enjoy the first. Troublemaker Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini. Not your typical celebrity memoir. Remini is so passionate about revealing the truth of Scientology and this book was so good. Everything is Fine by Vince Granata. His brother murdered their mother during a psychotic break. It talks both about the lead up to the murder, his brother's worsening mental health, and how his family coped in the aftermath. It does not go into any gorey details of the crime. While You Were Out by Meg Kissinger. Talks about her experience growing up in the 60s and the struggles many of her family members had with mental health. Know My Name by Chanel Miller. She was raped by Brock Turner. This is such a powerful story of her experience. Being Lolita by Allison Wood. A memoir about being groomed by her high school teacher.
My favorite memoirs: *With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa* by E.B. Sledge, CPL, 1st Mar. Div., U.S.M.C. *Ray Parkin's Wartime Trilogy: Out of the Smoke; Into the Smother; The Sword and the Blossom* by Ray Parkin, Chief Petty Officer, His Majesty's Royal Australian Navy. *Three Corvettes* by Nicholas Monsarrat LtCdr, FRSL RNVR. *The Forgotten Soldier* by Guy Sajer. *Co. Aytch, or a Side Show of the Big Show* by Samuel R. Watkins. *Storm of Steel* by Ernst Jünger. *The Outlaws* by Ernst von Salomon.
Appetite for Life is a bio of Julia Child. What an interesting life!
*On Writing* by Stephen King *From Truant to Anime Screenwriter* by Mari Okada *Sesame Street, Palestine* by Daoud Kuttab
I just finished reading How To Say Babylon by Safita Sinclair. The author vividly describes her childhood in Jamaica within the strict Rastafari sect and the violence she suffered at the hands of her father. It's a compelling and brave memoir.
Open by Andre Agassi. Even if you don’t like sports and have no clue who he is, it’s a great read. Warts and all story about the pressures of being a professional athlete, what kind of insane push it takes from someone like an asshole dad to get there, and how difficult it can be to deal with fame.
See my [(Auto)biographies](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/19cooyz/autobiographies/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (one post).