Penn's thoughtful memoir explores serious issues yet also made me laugh out loud. I'm generally in for memoirs, and lately I've been drawn to memoirs by funny people. Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into, Six Illuminating Memoirs I've Read This Year, Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In, Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite, and Six Powerful Memoirs about Or simply search "Memoir" in the Bossy search bar on each page of this site.

The author shares his love of food, cooking, and sharing meals in this irresistible memoir that's also I've been on an audiobook memoir kick, and Stanley Tucci's Taste is the latest love of mine on that list But Taste is also a memoir. For more memoirs you might like, check out the Greedy Reading List Six Fascinating Memoirs to Explore It also links to five more memoir lists, including a foodie memoir roundup!

Abby Jimenez layers tough situations and messy complications into her rom-coms, and here, her main protagonists must face and overcome past and present difficulties in order to banter their way through the story and build a sweet life together. Samantha creates zippy social media posts for a local mustard company (I kept feeling surprise, but also joy, that this job seemed to provide a sustainable salary)--and she doesn't take any attitude from anyone. Xavier is a young veterinarian who feels grumpy, exhausted, and as though he may be losing faith in humanity--but he loves the animals he cares for. After one disastrous encounter involving a rescued kitten with a serious congenital disorder, then one magical, extended date, the two are falling for each other. But Xavier's painful past and Samantha's challenging present might make a future for the two impossible. Jimenez never shies away from including heavy themes and tough situations in her rom-coms. Here, childhood abuse, animal abuse, and dementia are all part of Xavier and Samantha's past and present stories, so nothing is too easy on their path to togetherness. Family and business circumstances add realistic chaos and unpredictability to the couple's plans for a melded life together, and when they must wait and delay their combined life, then break up because it's too difficult to cope with forced distance, their reasoning feels sound, if heartbreaking. Jimenez writes irresistible characters, and I loved the weight of the difficulties behind this sweet story of love. I received a prepublication audiobook edition of Say You'll Remember Me  courtesy of Hachette Audio and Libro.fm . More Abby Jimenez love Jimenez is also the author of Just for the Summer   (one of my Favorite Rom-Coms of the Year  last year), Part of Your World , Yours Truly , The Friend Zone , and The Happy-Ever-After Playlist .

Harper's memoir begins when her marriage is ending and her medical career as an ER doctor is beginning Another doctor's memoir that came to mind as I read this book (a memoir that connects faith and science in a memoir that made me cry) was I've Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon's Look at Faith, Doubt, and #memoir, #threestarbookreview

I do like a thoughtful memoir if I can get it, and in A Very Punchable Face: A Memoir, Colin Jost offers Memoirs have been hitting the spot for me during Pandemic Times even more than usual. #memoir, #nonfiction, #threestarbookreview

Haig is vulnerable and specific in his short memoir about his own experiences with mental illness and Matt Haig explores his experiences with depression and mental illness in his short memoir Reasons to If you like to read memoirs, you might try the titles on the Greedy Reading Lists Six Illuminating Memoirs to Dive Into, Six More Illuminating Memoirs to Lose Yourself In, Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality , and Six Foodie Memoirs to Whet Your Appetite.

Parton shares the background and context for 175 of her songs, frankly discussing her inspiration, life, and the formerly untouchable topics she dove into headfirst through songs. What's better than listening to Dolly talk about her inspirations, her artistic journey, her joys and her silliness, those who have influenced her, and her motivations--along with short musical snippets? Nothing. This is a fast-paced book, as Dolly talks about various thoughts as related to 175 of her songs, while country music author Robert K. Oermann intersperses short intros to add structure and background. The interjections from Oermann are necessary, but they sometimes feel abrupt, and while Dolly's stories are as intriguing and delightful as I'd hoped, she seems to feel the need to provide summations, which begin to feel repetitive. But none of that really mattered to me. I adored listening to Dolly laugh and ponder and reminisce and reflect. Through decades of straight-talking song lyrics, she has instinctively and repeatedly offered sympathetic points of view of the persecuted, disrespected, and dismissed: prostitutes, the poor, unwed teenage mothers, and more. The characters in her songs are often driven to the edge of what they can cope with. Sometimes Dolly lets them fall, but other times her songs about freedom (with her metaphors of butterflies and eagles) set those in her songs soaring. Meanwhile, Dolly's offhanded mentions of endless projects, ideas, collaborations, and plans make clear she's one of the hardest working women in show business. I mentioned Dolly Parton, Songteller in the Greedy Reading List of book ideas Shhh! More Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? Another Dolly-focused book I'd like to read is She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh. The author examines the social progressiveness that progressive female singers like Dolly have championed through song.

Jaouad offers a powerful, introspective memoir about coping with leukemia and its accompanying emotions Some shared wisdom, some showed caring through food, and one memorable acquaintance spoke to her about The journey around the country, in comparison, takes up far less space in Jaouad's memoir although it

I wasn't familiar with McCurdy when I began listening to her memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, although I

I listened to Dave Grohl's memoir, in which he tracks his youth in Springfield, Virginia; through his

Reading memoirs centered around cancer is not always a go for me, but this book was special. Kate's book Everything Happens for a Reason (And Other Lies I've Loved) in the Greedy Reading List Six Powerful Memoirs about Facing Mortality. For more books I thought warranted five big stars, check out the Greedy Reading List Six Five-Star Bossy

In her newest memoir Bomb Shelter, Mary Laura Philpott explores her worries about and views of the world Mary Laura Philpott is also the author of the memoir I Miss You When I Blink.

who are often bitter or disappointed with the imperfections of their lives; then the novel examines memory and memory loss along with a zigzagging journey to forgiveness, ultimately set against the backdrop Anyway, later Dream State is a meditation on memory and memory loss as related to personhood. together; forgiveness for past missteps; then a poignant considering of what it all means if one person's memory

ICYMI: This five-star read--part memoir/part essay--is one of my favorite books of Ann Patchett's, and In This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage, a book that's part memoir, part essay, Ann Patchett shares

characters that spans centuries, Cloud Cuckoo Land; I'm listening to Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner's memoir Ford's memoir about growing up while her father was incarcerated and the complicated childhood that shaped 28, courtesy of NetGalley and Scribner. 02 Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner I'm listening to this memoir In her memoir Somebody's Daughter, Ford explores her complicated relationship with her mother, her endless

The tone of the book is often playful--but dark humor often surrounds Libby's diminishing memory, and

travel, and she shares how she sometimes struggled to fit into either of these settings. 02 Blood: A Memoir I didn't know about Allison Moorer before her memoir began getting good reviews. Blood: A Memoir is said to read like a personal journal. Have you read some captivating memoirs lately? If you like memoirs, you might also like to take a look at the Greedy Reading List Six Illuminating Memoirs

ICYMI: Forty Autumns offers fascinating, wonderfully detailed perspectives in a rich, layered family memoir Forty Autumns is A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall, and her memoir Forty Autumns offers fascinating, wonderfully detailed perspectives in this rich, layered family memoir For historical fiction about female spies, you might want to check out the Greedy Reading List Six Books

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm listening to The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher's memoir focused on the Macintyre also wrote the fantastic Spy and the Traitor, which was one of my Six Favorite Nonfiction Books of the Year last year and which I also listed on the Greedy Reading List Six Compelling Nonfiction Books If you like reading about female spies, you might like the Greedy Reading List Six Books about Brave I love listening to her fantastically raspy voice as she reads her memoir in audiobook form, and I'd

Wong structures her memoir into letters for her daughters without editing out her intimate experiences Sometimes a celebrity memoir just hits the spot. #memoir, #threestarbookreview

#memoir, #fivestarbookreview

brutal honesty, but I admit to sometimes becoming impatient with the navel-gazing necessary to create a memoir #memoir, #fourstarbookreview

I'm a sucker for a celebrity memoir, and especially listening to the audiobook as I did here, when I #memoir, #fourstarbookreview

I Am, I Am, I Am is Maggie O'Farrell's memoir of pivotal near-death experiences that shaped her life

A book I loved, in case you missed it: Wood's memoir is captivating and lovely, poignant, sweet without Wood's memoir is heartwarming and funny and tragic and vivid. This memoir is fantastic. here that in the notes I made with my five-star rating just after reading this in 2012, I said "This memoir

caring for his young niece and nephew after their mother's death; Reasons to Stay Alive, Matt Haig's memoir in recent years has been primarily focused on shutting off the outside world, but the demands of a six The Midnight Library and How to Stop Time explores his own depression and mental illness in his short memoir

I listened to this memoir, written and read by Michelle Zauner (of the band Japanese Breakfast).

I loved listening to her fantastically raspy voice as she read her memoir in audiobook form, and I'd

Whether Sedaris is reliving specific, offbeat memories and mining them for poignancy and also laughs,

story structure, dark humor, and deeply flawed characters as main protagonist Lucy works to resolve her memory murderous voice repeatedly creeps into Lucy's head, and the reader eventually determines whether these are memories and Savvy was being earnest in her desire to do away with certain characters, whether they're memories

Harkin's fascinating debut speculative fiction considers a memory clinic that erases and reinstates memories The key memory and all connected elements are eliminated, presumably allowing these individuals to plow forms our idea of self and how much our idea of self forms our memory. they want to opt in to the chance to restore these memories. Meanwhile, a renegade psychologist at the memory recovery clinic begins reinstating memories at individuals

That said, I have a tough time reading memoirs in which someone is fighting cancer, and I understand #memoir, #nonfiction, #heartwarming, #fourstarbookreview

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading a memoir about coping with chronic illness; a twisty mystery in 01 What Doesn't Kill You by Tessa Miller The subtitle of Miller's memoir What Doesn't Kill You is A Life

Because it's also a doctor's memoir, I can't help comparing this to The Beauty in Breaking. #memoir, #faith, #fourstarbookreview

and to overcome personal tragedy; The Wreckage of My Presence, comedian and actress Casey Wilson's memoir-ish Casey Wilson, actress (Happy Endings), comedian (Saturday Night Live), and writer, shares essays and memories

The Book of Delights is a sunshiny set of thoughts and examinations, yet it's not overly earnest, and it's never corny. I just loved it. “I suppose I could spend time theorizing how it is that people are not bad to each other, but that's really not the point. The point is that in almost every instance of our lives, our social lives, we are, if we pay attention, in the midst of an almost constant, if subtle, caretaking. Holding open doors. Offering elbows at crosswalks. Letting someone else go first. Helping with the heavy bags. Reaching what's too high, or what's been dropped. Pulling someone back to their feet. Stopping at the car wreck, at the struck dog. That alternating merge, also known as the zipper. This caretaking is our default mode and it's always a lie that convinces us to act or believe otherwise. Always.” Ross Gay resolved to write about a joy or delight, large or small, every day for a year, beginning on his birthday, and he pulls together the highlights of these experiences as The Book of Delights. It's a sunshiny set of thoughts and examinations, yet it's not overly earnest, and it's never corny. I just loved it. He considers his process (he's not allowed to hoard or save delights for days that might light on the good stuff; he has to find or notice something new each day), reflects on human nature, recognizes the intense delights of food and love and friendship, shines a light on small moments, and considers everything in between. Some passages are just a few paragraphs, while others are pages long. I listened to this as an audiobook (which I highly recommend), and Gay's voice (both his writing style and his speaking voice) are immensely appealing. He's wonderfully joyful and mischievous. I found myself smiling repeatedly while going about daily tasks and it felt fitting that I listened to the author's many delights for hours while happily planting my spring garden. Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book? My BFF Neha mentioned that her book club read this book, and it wasn't on my radar before that. This was my first Ross Gay book, and I really like how his mind works, so I'm in for all of his books now.

McConaughey mines his decades of diaries, lived experiences, memories, and other frequently unexpected

She had never recognized any curiosity or attraction to women before, but in this memoir, Wizenberg recounts This book was mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Three Memoirs I'm Reading Now, 10/7/20 Edition. If you like memoirs, you might also like Six Illuminating Memoirs I Read This Year.

Brown shares moments of reckoning, everyday evidence of yawning racial divides, and her insistent joy in embracing her black identity and self-worth. Austin Channing Brown's book is slim (185 pages), but I wore out my highlighter as I marked lines and passages to discuss with the group I read it with. In I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, Brown details growing up female, Christian, and black within mainly white educational, religious, and societal frameworks--with a name her parents gave her to intentionally create assumptions that it was the name of a white man. She shows the reader what it's like to navigate organizations that purport to value racial diversity and inclusion, then unapologetically points out where good intentions often go awry, identifying pitfalls (and also some promise) gleaned through everyday life and also in her work as an expert in helping organizations attain increased diversity. She shares shocking, frustrating, heartbreaking moments of reckoning, evidence of yawning racial divides, and her insistent joy in embracing her black identity and her self-worth. Through asking for deeper thought, engagement, and action from all of us, Brown pushes the reader to listen with care and then to do thoughtful, better, specific work toward achieving racial diversity and shifting racial value systems. Any Bossy thoughts on this book? I mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Three Books I'm Reading Now, 12/14/20. You might want to check out So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo or Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America by Jennifer Harvey if you haven't yet read them.

I'm reading (actually listening to, which I recommend in this case) an offbeat, captivating celebrity memoir McConaughey uses his decades of diaries, his lived experiences, his memories, and the avenues that led

Miller is a beautiful, powerful writer with clear and sophisticated arguments and a compelling identity separate from the attack that led to her being in the spotlight. Miller is a beautiful, powerful writer with clear and sophisticated arguments and a compelling identity separate from the pivotal attack that led to her being in the spotlight. She also has a strong, passionate grasp of widely experienced inequalities—and ideas of how to chip away at some of the injustices and societal norms that should be excised from existence. I began reading this because I thought I should, not because I wanted to. Miller surprised me with the delicately balanced tone she was able to strike, of passionate belief in right and wrong, emotional reactions to her situation, and measured arguments and calm determination. I was fascinated by her. Any Bossy thoughts about this book? Miller really took me by surprise with how thoughtfully and powerfully she handled this difficult and emotional topic. Now I'd like Miller to please write more books about varied topics, because I like spending time in her head.

I listened to this as an audiobook—I like to listen to people read their own memoirs—and I loved hearing

But Roberts's memoir doesn't merely explore her culture shock, as interesting as that is. This memoir was more than I'd hoped for. I first mentioned this book in the Greedy Reading List Three Memoirs I'm Reading Now, 10/7/20 Edition

#nonfiction, #memoir, #appalachian, #politicssocialjustice, #threestarbookreview

Pan is wonderfully honest, appealingly thoughtful, and often so so funny. I was so happy spending time in her point of view throughout this book. I loved it. Jessica Pan was an introvert out of a job. Her closest friends had moved away, and she found herself lonely, living in another country, and feeling too reliant on her husband for her entire social life. Although she wasn't trying to change her status from introvert to extrovert, she did want to open up to new experiences, broaden her horizons and meet new people, a few of whom she could hopefully in time call true friends. Pan decided to deliberately put herself into extremely uncomfortable social situations for a year, and she fully commits. She does improv, approaches strangers on the Tube, goes on friend dates, attends networking events, takes a vacation alone (to a destination she doesn't learn until she's at the airport), and more. She regrets her one-year plan almost instantly but feels compelled to continue her terrifying exercises. My book club is reading this book, and we were recently saying in anticipation of our upcoming discussion that Pan's concept reminded us somewhat of a book we read years ago, MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend (although that book had a premise that didn't really make sense, since the author seemed surrounded by family, friends, work friends, and didn't seem particularly lonely). Pan is earnest about and determined to see through her gutsy path, which is often horrifyingly frightening for her, frequently not at all what she bargained for, and which gradually pays off in fits and starts of personal growth that are meaningful for her. Her interviews and experiences with others who mentor her journey in different ways could have felt disruptive or jarring but didn't; they added a layer to her story that I found interesting and often revelatory. Pan is wonderfully honest, appealingly thoughtful, and often so so funny. I was so happy spending time in her point of view throughout this book. I loved it and I'd read another book by her in a second. Any Bossy thoughts on this book? Have you read this one? It was the right book at the right time for me. I'd happened to read multiple books in a row in which grim circumstances drove the plots, and this book felt like a breath of fresh air. I first mentioned this book along with The Exiles and The Comeback in the Greedy Reading List Three Books I'm Reading Now, 10/22/20 Edition.

Light fiction, historical fiction mystery, and celebrity memoir. I recently offered a roundup of Six Lighter Fiction Stories for Great Escapism if that feels down your

#nonfiction, #memoir, #spy, #politicssocialjustice, #fourstarbookreview

I love Glennon's heart and her honesty, but many of these essays ended too soon for me. Doyle, the bestselling author of Carry On, Warrior and Love Warrior, writes about her life's ups and downs again in her newest book. In Untamed, she shares lessons she's learned through being true to herself, loving herself and caring for others, bringing up her children, examining her religious faith, and finding love. In often very short essays, she explores living genuinely despite others' criticisms; giving herself permission to take up space in the world and speak up; feeling and expressing a full gamut of emotions rather than keeping the peace; rejecting the myth of ideal mothers being martyrs; and generally relying on her inner voice to guide her through an honest, genuine, and fulfilling life. I found that I missed a more narrative arc here--I would have loved spending more page time in her daily family and work life and seeing time pass in both respects. This might have served as a unifying framework for her thoughts and her exhortations to the reader. Many essays ended too soon for me; I often wanted her to take things a step further to share implications or conclusions, or to explore topics more deeply. I love Glennon's heart and her honesty about her limitations and what she's working on in herself. She's often funny, especially when she's letting us into the small moments of her life. I enjoyed hearing more about her unexpected love story with Abby Wambach, and I admire how she strives to make the world a better place, both generally and also through her wide-reaching nonprofit Together Rising. Any Bossy thoughts on this book? Have you read this one? What about her earlier books? I admit to wanting Doyle to dig further in some of these essays, but I do love how much heart she has. I mentioned this book (along with With or Without You and City of Girls) in Three Books I'm Reading Now, 1/6/21 Edition.

Nonfiction I've Loved If you love nonfiction books, you might like the titles on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Compelling Nonfiction Reads , Six Favorite Nonfiction and Memoir Reads of the Year , Six Nonfiction and Memoir Reads I Loved , Six of My Favorite Nonfiction Reads , or these other nonfiction books I've

the first book in Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines mystery trilogy, Pines ; I'm listening to Ina Garten's memoir As his memory comes back to him in pieces, he recalls that his mission--before a devastating car crash Blake Crouch's Upgrade here , my review of his novel Recursion (mentioned in the Greedy Reading List Six of her former specialty food shop in the Hamptons, Barefoot Contessa, offers a personal, thoughtful memoir The slim book traces a single day in the lives of six astronauts orbiting the earth at seventeen thousand