Jen Hatmaker's memoir explores her shock, grief, then growth after the end of her marriage, which she tells in her signature bold, frank, lionhearted manner while always displaying her deep love for her family and friends. Jen Hatmaker, who was married before she could legally have a drink and who built her identity as a woman dedicated to her family, her religion, and her community, found her world turned upside down when she discovered in 2020 that her husband of over 25 ye

Gould's memoir of her life as a paramedic is frank, captivating, often revolting, and disarmingly honest. She takes the reader on ride-alongs so vividly described, it's as though we're in the ambulance. She shares her pride in caring for patients, her deep frustrations, and she is open about her mental health struggles. Sally Gould's memoir is named after a darkly humorous term of affection for paramedics in Australia (frog, because everything a paramedic touches croaks). Gou

Woolever's experiences working for Mario Batali and Tony Bourdain are fascinating--and, in the case of Batali, often disturbing. The food-focused writing and restaurant workings are the highlights; the author also recounts the implosion of her personal life, addiction, and extramarital affairs as well as shaping a new normal for herself. Laurie Woolever is fresh from culinary school and realizing that she doesn't want to be a chef when she stumbles into a position as an assis

Comedian Maria Bamford's memoir is unflinching in examining her own base impulses and personal challenges such as mental illness and...

Molly Jong-Fast's frank memoir explores her complicated, unsatisfying relationship with her famous mother Erica as she faces...

The Daily Show 's Michael Kosta recounts his youth as a pro tennis player (#864 in the world), an assistant college tennis coach, then a...

Memorial Days is Geraldine Brooks's memoir of sudden loss, delayed grief, and a delving into sorrow so she can move forward with her life....

Six Nonfiction Reads I love mixing nonfiction into my reading lists--and oh, the memoirs! I think I'll read anyone's story, as long as...

Comedian Zarna Garg lived several lives before falling into comedy in midlife and realizing it was where she'd belonged all along. Her...

Gagne never experienced emotions the way other kids did, and when she grew older, while acting out, lying, stealing, and fighting violent...

Mayer's memoir focuses on straddling two cultures without feeling fully integrated into either; the various frustrations, injustices, and...

Lorne is a thorough, 650-page look at Michaels's creation of and steering of SNL . What I found most fascinating were the...

Cher's lack of agency in her relationship with Sonny Bono came through in passive, reactive behavior, but as she grew older, she found...

Comedian Leanne Morgan's memoir traces her path from an attention-seeking, beloved young girl to a young adult facing missteps and...

Met Museum guard Bringley reflects on the decade he spent guarding priceless works of art, encountering a fascinating range of...

Ina's memoir is personal and thoughtful. Her charm comes through in candid reflections about her fascinating life, and her young life's...

More Memoirs I've Loved I love a good memoir, one that offers a glimpse or a deep dive into the life and pivotal experiences of another...

The gems of What I Ate in One Year are, as promised in the title, the food-related moments Stanley Tucci delves into over the course of...

ICYMI: Food critic and writer Ruth Reichl recounts her time at Gourmet magazine--the childhood reading of which had inspired her...

Powerful Books about the Experiences of Immigrants I could have listed many other powerful books about immigrants. But these four fiction...