One of my goals this year is to read outside of my comfort zone. One genre that I have literally never read is memoirs/autobiographies even though there are plenty that have been on my TBR for a while. I figured I’d put together a list of a few that I want to read that I feel are a good start. They’re all on people or topics that interest me or may be slightly easier to read/stay focused on. I don’t want to go into this goal choosing books that may be a bit too heavy, turning me off from the genre altogether!
Here are 10 memoirs/autobiographies that are part of my “starter pack“!
Scrappy Little Nobody
by Anna Kendrick
Who doesn’t love Anna Kendrick? If you don’t love her, or even like her, press restart & try again. 😆
But seriously, I just really like Anna Kendrick. I’m not familiar with her life except for the movies she’s been in. She’s also only 31-years-old (which, by the way, I thought she was much younger!) so I don’t know why type of life experiences she can share in a book. However, I just want to read it in hopes that it will make me laugh!
Talking As Fast As I Can
by Lauren Graham
I love Gilmore Girls, so naturally, I bought this. I’ve already listened to the first chapter and I adore Graham’s tone. She also lived a very interesting childhood, living in some places completely foreign to me. I love the way she describes it and how she pokes fun at herself quite often.
Although I might also buy a physical copy because I had no idea there were images in it! So while listening she’ll say “see image 3” and I have no image!
You’re Never Weird On The Internet (Almost)
by Felicia Day
I’ve wanted to read this book for so long but still haven’t gotten around to it. I love that Felicia Day is a successful nerd and that the theme of the book is to just embrace everything nerdy about yourself. I think sometimes we all need to hear that! Also, I just think she’s such a funny & relatable person.
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
I honestly had no idea Carrie Fisher was an author prior to her death. I knew she did standup comedy, but not that she wrote books. I feel like I missed out on knowing her outside of Star Wars, so now I want to read her works.
This one sounds so raw, heartbreaking, and at times, silly, so I felt like it was a good place to start. I wonder if I’ll cry. 🙁
the princess diarist by Carrie Fisher
Yes, another one of her books.
This one came out just a few months ago, which adds to the sadness I may feel while reading it. Yet, at the same time, it also sounds like such a fun book to read. I’m looking forward to getting into the head of a 19-year-old Carrie Fisher who was thrust into the spotlight.
the glass castle by Jeanette Walls
This book, while probably sad, seems hopeful as well. It’s about Walls life with her dysfunctional parents and how her siblings learned to take care of themselves. It’s received rave reviews calling it inspiring, relatable, hopeful, about loyalty, and beautifully written.
How can I not give this one a chance?
wild
by Cheryl Strayed
Yes, I’ve seen the movie. Yes, I still want to read the book because the movie was so good! I think the book will offer even more insight into Strayed’s life and emotions throughout her hike.
Don’t worry, it won’t inspire me to go on the hike like Lorelai (maybe) 😆
Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
I almost had a perfect girl power list, but I had to include this one. I’ve meant to read this for years, I even started it a while ago. I just don’t think I was in the right state of mind to read it at the time. Now that I’m trying to read out of my comfort zone, this is the perfect book to add to my list for 2017.
Who knows, maybe I’ll come out enlightened.
Maus (#1 & 2) by Art Spiegelman
This is a graphic novel about surviving Hitler’s reign and the horrors of the Holocaust. It also illustrates how it affected the children of that time, as the author was born in 1948 and didn’t move to the United States until 1951.
This is an interesting media to choose to tell his story, but it seems both interesting and moving. It’s also received many great reviews.
Girl, Interrupted
by Susanna Kaysen
If you’ve seen the movie that was based on this book, you already know the premise. I’ve seen it when I was younger and I remember enjoying it. Yet, I had no idea there was truth behind it! Once I found that out, I wanted to know about the real girl who endured this. I think this will be an interesting look into mental health and the radical treatments they had at the time. It has mixed reviews, some saying it was eye-opening and others saying they didn’t feel connected to Susanna. So, we shall see.
These aren’t all the memoirs or autobiographies I want to read, but they’re a good start for a genre I haven’t read at all. I’m hoping to branch out into more difficult topics, or important people, after these.
Are there any here that seem interesting to you?
Do you have any other suggestions that I should read?
20 Comments
Lauren Graham’s book is on my list too. I totally recommend Felicia Day’s one! It’s hilarious and sweet just like her, I loved it.
Yay! I’m glad you liked that one! I’ll definitely be buying it soon 🙂
Memoirs are my jam. I loved Felcia Day’s. The Glass Castle was awesome. I was eh on Wild. Maus was soo good. I really want to get to Anna Kendrick’s and Lauren Graham’s. I also liked Leah Remini’s. Hope you enjoy these!
AW yay! I’m glad you liked Felicia Day’s and The Glass Castle. Makes me feel better going into it. You’re the second person to say “eh” about Wild. Makes me nervous, but I did like the movie so we’ll see! Oh yeah! Leah Remini! Did you watch her show recently?
I read my first memoir just a few months ago. I got lucky enough to get an ARC of Born A Crime by Trevor Noah and I loved it. I want to read one of Carrie’s, maybe not this year but definitely on my list. And of course Anna Kendrick’s.
I’ve never read a memoir before, so I’m hoping the first one I read it a good experience. There are so many on my TBR haha
I didn’t love Wild as much as I wanted to. I’m dying to read Scrappy Little Nobody though!
Aw, thats a bummer! Have you seen the movie?
I did. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was probably just a little too raw for me personally. I know a ton of people that love both book and movie!
Honestly, these all sem really interest. Oh and I’m also a fellow Gilmore Girls nut (it’s a life style). I also wanna pick up more nonfiction some that I’m interested in that aren’t on this list are: Furiously Happy, Quiet (about the power of introverts. It’s not a memoir, but still) and Brain on Fire
Oh! I want to read Quiet as well! I’ve had that on my TBR for a while
I literally want to read all of them! ? The top of my list would be either Carrie Fisher’s books or Girl, Interrupted. I never knew Girl, Interrupted is based on real-life stories! There are so many memoirs I want to read, but I just bought #girlboss and Furiously Happy so they’re currently my priority reads 😀
I didn’t know it was based on a real story either! It got mixed reviews, so we’ll see how it goes. Also, same. There are a lot! But I felt like this is a good place to start. You’re the second person to mention Furiously Happy, I’ll have to check it out 🙂
I want all of them but the Anna Kendrick’s book is on top of my memoirs list!
YES. Same. I love her 😀
I’ve owned Wild for a while, but still haven’t read it! I also haven’t seen the movie, but it looks really good and I do really want to read it. I’ve read most of Talking As Fast As I Can, but I got to the part where it says that if you haven’t watched AYITL then there will be spoilers ahead, so I stopped there for now, lol. It’s kinda funny because I didn’t know that Carrie Fisher was an author OR a stand up comic until after she died, but to be honest I was super young when I first watched the original Star Wars movies and then the prequels came out when I was a kid so my experience was more based around those movies lol. AND I REALLY WANNA READ SCRAPPY LITTLE NOBODY. Because Anna Kendrick.
Same, it’s just been collecting dust on my shelves. I have seen the movie, though, and I really liked it. I started listening to Talking As Fast As I Can, but damn it, I need a physical copy! I didn’t know she was an author at all! I only just saw the standup comedy skit a few months ago, so same boat, sort of. ALSO YES. ANNA KENDRICK. no other reason needed.
Great list, Molly! I really want to read Carrie’s books and Girl, Interrupted!
Most of these are also on my TBR list. Also Carrie Fisher is a really good writer. I really suggest reading all her books, not just her memoirs.
Her other books are definitely on my TBR 🙂