Favorite memoirs

[Anonymous]

Yes, Crying in HMart is amazing.

Some of my other favorites:

Lit by Mary Carr
Growing Up by Russell Baker
The Road from Coorain by Jill Ker Conway

[Anonymous]

NP here.
I don't read a lot of memoirs, but I wanted to chime in to say that the book titles for memoirs are almost always impressive.
When I scroll through libby and see the titles for memoir books, I think so many of them are awesome. And that is also evidenced in so many of the posts here.

[Anonymous]

Sunshine Girl by Julianna Marguiles
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Patak’s (this is really a historical fiction but it’s a good read.

[Anonymous]

Michael J. Fox has several books and unfortunately I can't remember which one I read (it's been awhile), but it was very good. I remember thinking how well written it was.

[Anonymous]

My favorite is storyteller by Dave Grohl.

I also really enjoyed Michael J. Fox’s last memoir.

Educated was a did not finish for me, couldn’t get into it.

Demi Moore’s was surprisingly good. Jennifer Grey’s was decent as well. Minka Kelly also. Her mom had her very young and was addicted to drugs most of her life.

I also enjoyed Katie Couric’s. She wasn’t afraid to make herself look bad in a lot of parts and her published text messages with Matt Lauer were pretty crazy. Let’s just say they don’t speak any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony - Annabelle Tometich

I went to a reading with her (I live in Florida) and she was delightful. I bought her book but haven't read it yet. What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the middle of it now and enjoying London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency

That looks fun - just downloaded on Kindle!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony - Annabelle Tometich

I went to a reading with her (I live in Florida) and she was delightful. I bought her book but haven't read it yet. What do you think?

The writing is great, it might start off a little slow but picks up after a while and doesnt let up. There's a lot of hard hitting stuff (growing up biracial, chaotic childhood, untimely deaths, immigrant Filipina single mom struggles) but all narrated with a deft, wry and somewhat humorous tone. A lot of memoirs in that genre tend to focus on the childhood trauma alone (understandably) but here, she also lays out why her mother was the way she was with grace and empathy. What it must have been for her mother - intelligent and resourceful but continuously undermined because of who she was - an immigrant POC and a woman.

I read a lot of memoirs - celebrity, childhood, immigrant sub genres and this was one of the best I have read in recent times, highly recommended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hons and Rebels (J Mitford)
Lady in Waiting (Anne Glenconner)

Hons and Rebels holds up very well, what a crazy lot the Mitfords were, both in good and bad ways

Lady in Waiting was interesting but also sad, all the money and connections cannot make for a happy life like in here

[Anonymous]

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing - Anya Von Bremzen

Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War - Annia Ciezadlo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just Kids by Patti Smith. I'm not the biggest fan of Patti's music (though I appreciate why she's famous and her place in history of rock), but I found her memoir really engaging.

Also really enjoyed:

- My Name is Barbra (Barbra Streisand)
- High on Arrival (Mackenzie Phillips)
- Open (Andre Agassi)

Of course you aren't.

I didn't realize it was a requirement to like Patti Smith's music. People are allowed to have different taste, you know.

I really did enjoy her memoir, nevertheless. It's a snapshot of two artists (her and Robert Mapplethorpe) living the bohemian lifestyle in late-60s-NYC creating art and philosophizing - something I can't remotely identify with, with my UMC life in suburban DC with my 9-5 job, 401K, and a minivan. But she writes beautifully and I found the book really engaging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony - Annabelle Tometich

I went to a reading with her (I live in Florida) and she was delightful. I bought her book but haven't read it yet. What do you think?

The writing is great, it might start off a little slow but picks up after a while and doesnt let up. There's a lot of hard hitting stuff (growing up biracial, chaotic childhood, untimely deaths, immigrant Filipina single mom struggles) but all narrated with a deft, wry and somewhat humorous tone. A lot of memoirs in that genre tend to focus on the childhood trauma alone (understandably) but here, she also lays out why her mother was the way she was with grace and empathy. What it must have been for her mother - intelligent and resourceful but continuously undermined because of who she was - an immigrant POC and a woman.

I read a lot of memoirs - celebrity, childhood, immigrant sub genres and this was one of the best I have read in recent times, highly recommended.

Thanks - sounds amazing.

[Anonymous]

Happens Every Day and the follow up, A Year and Six Seconds -- Isabel Gilles. Actress moves to Oberlin with her professor husband who has an affair with a colleague -- they have small children and she is devastated. Sequel is a happy ending.

All of the memoirs by Alexandra Fuller but I think Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight and Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness are my favorites -- growing up in Rhodesia with semi-insane British parents.

[Anonymous]

I know I'm being a snob, but I honestly can't imagine wanting to read an memoir by Jennifer Grey or Demi Moore or some of the other lame celenbrities people have mentioned. Just get a subscription to People magazine for god's sake.