Does anyone have any suggestions for a really good autobiography?
Does anyone have any suggestions for a really good autobiography? I just finished one and realized I really need to read more of them!
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What did you read?
A River in Darkness:
One Man’s Escape from North Korea
I’ll have to check that out!
Very interesting to look into someone else’s life. Makes you very thankful for what you have.
I just got that one from Amazon. Looking forward to it!
I am listening to Born a Crime right now by Trevor Noah. It is EXCELLENT so far. My son is playing video games in the other room and he said mom can you please put the book back on 🙂
I’ll check it out, thanks!
Born a Crime is excellent. I loved it.
Infidel: My Life by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run. Beautifully written.
Running for my life.
Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Anything by Doris Learns.Goodwin if you like presidential bios.
Doris Kearns Goodwin. Slight typo in @Joan‘s suggestion. Agree wholeheartedly, DKG is an excellent biographer.
Auto correct is a pain. Thanks for the catch!
Auto correct is not your friend. It’s your enema.
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White
Dead end gene pool
Jennie, a biography of Winston Churchill’s mother, is amazing.
Ditto Born a Crime. Made many best books lists. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29780253-born-a-crime?from_search=true
Hunger: A Memoir made all of the best books lists: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22813605-hunger?from_search=true
Lab Girl was my favorite book of 2016. Rarely do I read a book more than once but I can’t wait to read this again: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25733983-lab-girl?ac=1&from_search=true
Katharine Graham, A Personal History.
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
My Mother and Amelia Earhart by Jane Blue
If I can suggest a biography instead, listen to Destiny of the Republic, about James Garfield. It’s very good.
The book is good too.
I now have 3 notebook pages of books I want to read!! Actually, it’s a great feeling.
Ordinary Extraordinary People-Condoleeza Rice
Isaac Asimov. Read it. You will not want to because it is a two parter. But you will be happy ❤️
Size Matters Not by Warwick Davis. I listened to him read it. Here’s an actor with medical issues that could have limited him, but who loves his life, who has had awful things happen, but who believes that life is great. Very uplifting book.
I just checked out “A House in the Sky” by Amanda Lindhout.
I read/loved Notorious RBG about Ruth Bader Ginsbugh (I am fascinated by Supreme Court Justices regardless of political leanings) but that is a biography not autobiography. I have on my list My Own Words – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29868604-my-own-words
April fools day ~ bryce courtney.
<3
A Mother’s Reckoning by Susan Klebold
I don’t read many autobiographies, but Stephen Fry has a few of them, and I loved Katharine Hepburn’s “Me! Stories of My Life”.
When breath becomes air by Paul Kalanithi
The last Black Unicorn, by Tiffany Haddish. Crazy experiences and she is hilarious!!
…and Tiffany is also really smart & has a huge heart and is very funny! I really enjoyed her autobiography!
I have Katherine Hepburn’s Me:Stories of My Life ordered – loved her!
H is fine Hawk by Helen MacDonald… Beautiful prose and powerful account. More an account of her grief on the death of her father than a true autobiography but wonderful and powerful. Also, she gets a hawk.
Also I’m just starting How Not To Be A Boy by Robert Webb which has had good reviews
I have just finished Corey Feldman’s memoirs. Very interesting book indeed.
one of my favourite genres!
Open by Andre Agassi is excellent.
Welcome Katie! Justus you know – there are a number of recent threads here about autobiographies and memoirs. The search bar on the left can help unearth them. Thank you!
A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
This was FASCINATING! But I could only read few pages at a time.! WOW!! WOW!
@Gail very gripping! Amazing what she overcame and to become a lawyer in the end! ?
Absolutely! !!!!!!!
I recently ordered this for my Kindle. Glad to know it was good!
@Shelley brace yourself! Some may find it shocking.
It was a tough read at times, but well worth it.
@Tara, I live for shocking! LOL The more extreme and dark, the better. I love stories of people overcoming devestating circumstances. I’m in awe at how resilient some people are.
Yes, Shelley, like Tara said!
Me too, Shelley. (Extreme and dark)
I think I’ll reread it . Did yall ever read Not Without my Daughter? That’s another one that grabs you and won’t let go. It’s old, but good. (Author is Betty Mamoody, I think)
@Shelley well this is for sure the memoir for you. This woman is so honest about the skeletons in her closet. Please do read this one!
@Gail I just looked at it on GoodReads and oh my oh my I have to get this.
I don’t read much fiction. I never have understood why someone would read made-up stuff, when REAL is so much more amazing! However, To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book ever. What are yours?
@Gail I love that one too. Also, Five People You Meet in Heaven, Orphan Train, Book of Negroes are just some that come to mind. Judy Blume classics will always own a part of my heart.
I’ve read all but the Book of Negroes. It’s on my list now. Thanks! And, yes, Judy Blume.
@Shelley, what about you?
@Gail it is unbelievable. Enjoy. What are you reading now?
I am reading a book about the Siamese twins. Very interesting! Called The Two. May not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am intrigued! Authors are Irving and Amy Wallace. What are you reading?
just started Woman in the Window and so far it is living up to its reviews.
I’ll check into it!
Wow…my favorite book? ….. I’m going to have to think about that. I haven’t done much reading lately and it’s been a long time since a book really grabbed me. I’ve actually been a little disappointed in books I’ve read most recently. Let me look at my library and I’ll comment again. I think I know which I’ll say…. BRB!
@Tara, Woman in the Window looks so good
You have given me an impossible task… I can’t pick ONE favorite!! I read some of the books I’m going to mention years ago and remember how I felt about them then. If I read them now, I may not feel the same but I’m still going to mention them because I think of them as favorites.
Oldies but goodies: The Rise of Life on Earth, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Velocity, Dangerous Woman, The Accidental Tourist, White Palace.
Misc: Derailed, She’s Come Undone, Choke (one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Wasn’t interested in any of Palahniuk’s books loved this one)
Period Piece: The Other Boleyn Girl, Mr. Wroe’s Virgins
Memoirs: The Glass Castle, Slave, Food and Loathing
Hard to Catagorize: The Martian, Time Traveler’s Wife, and The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist.
It’s weird that most of these have been made into movies but I found them before the movies were made. I was let down by most of the movies except Mr. Goodbar and The Martian. I’m really surprised The Unit hasn’t been made into a movie. OMG it was so good!!
Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
This one has stayed in my top 5 ! Did you ever see her appear on Oprah?
I don’t think so. But, I love this book!!!!!
And now I’m curious and want to google her to see how she’s doing ♥️
Good idea!
One of my favorite memoirs!! She wrote a follow up but I didnt read it based on the reviews.
@Shelley I didn’t like it….I think it is called All the Broken Horses.
@Tara I remember some of the reviewers said they were disappointed that it was so different from Glass Castle. And the description just didn’t grab me. I’m so picky about what I read LOL
I started All the Broken Horses. But didn’t care for it, so I quit.
I LOVE memoirs. Probably my favorite genre. But I have a taste for darker subject matter. Before I give you some recommendations, wanted to check to see if you like dark books.
Give them to me!
Ok… here’s some (not in any particular order)
Beautiful Stranger: A Memoir of an Obsession with Perfection
Parched: A Memoir
The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness
Fat Girl: A True Story
My Lobotomy
Food and Loathing: A Life Measured Out in Calories
Prozac Nation
Girl Interrupted
Slave: My True Story
Goat: A Memoir
Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood
Born on the Fourth of July
Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder
Lucky: A Memoir
Confessions of a Carb Queen: A Memoir
The Glass Castle
Without a Map
A Child Called It
Wow! Thanks!
I read My Lobotomy. Couldn’t readcA Child Called It. And loved Glass Castle.
I wanted to put “A Million Little Pieces” on the list but, as you know, Frey exaggerated and fabricated some of his story.
There’s been some controversy about Slave. I read it years ago and recently stumbled upon something about it being a fake story. I need to research that.
What did you think about My Lobotomy? ACCI was a hard read….. hard to believe.
Thought the father was a scum for letting the wife (stepmom) do this to his son. What did you think?
I agree about his father. I think his step mother was evil. She doctor shopped until she found one who gave Howard a diagnosis. But, I think his dad is more culpable than his step mother was. I read about meetings Howard had with his father after her wrote the book and his father was emotionally cold and didn’t want to talk about it. Said he let it happen because she manipulated him. He wouldn’t apologize to Howard and when Howard told him he loved him, dad said “I appreciate that.”
Find A Way by Diana Nyad. Extraordinary person, strong but open, very human…
Lucky by Alice Seabold
Walking with the Wind by John Lewis is about the civil rights movement. It’s really amazing! I also just read Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance which is also interesting!
“A Life in Parts” is a wonderful autobiography by Bryan Cranston.
“So That Happened” is by Jon Cryer and also great. Listened to the audiobook read by the author. Very well done.