Memoirs of the Famous and Not-So-Famous
August is memoir month! Ever wonder about your favorite celebrity’s personal life story? Here are some suggestions for funny, inspirational, interesting, and dramatic stories from some famous and not-so-famous people.
Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
At the time of Princess Diana’s death, Prince Harry was known as happy and carefree, the “Spare” to his brother, Prince William, the Heir to the British throne. His mother’s death and the resulting grief, anger and loneliness changed everything. He struggled at school, and because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight. This is Prince Harry’s story at last, with raw, unflinching honesty, full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson is an actress, activist, and once infamous Playboy Playmate telling the story of her life, alternating between storytelling and her own poetry. As she rose to the height of her celebrity status, she was hurt by the media’s false reporting and the public’s perception of who she was…and who she wasn’t. Fighting back with a sense Driven by her love of art and literature, her devotion to her children, and the causes she cares about most, Pamela Anderson has reclaimed her free spirit and stands firm as a strong, creative, confident woman.
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in uncertain Times by Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama asks readers to join her in considering questions about how to handle change and challenge in our lives. She shares the principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles, with humor and compassion. It is also an examination of issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, with tools to help readers work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.
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Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page
Elliot Page became one of the world’s most beloved actors, and an Oscar nominated star, with his performance and the massive success of the film Juno. Elliot shares his story of about the criticism and abuse, which turned his dream career into a nightmare. After a long silence, Elliot bravely recounts the winding journey of love, family, fame untangling himself from the expectations of others, and stepping into his true self with strength and joy.
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Former child actor Jeannette McCurdy tells the heartbreaking and hilarious story about her struggles with eating disorders, addiction, and her complicated relationship with her mother, who’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star. Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy, eating little, enduring extensive at-home makeovers, and even being showered by Mom until age sixteen. When her mother dies of cancer, Jeannette quits acting, discovers therapy and recovery to help her decide for what she really wants.
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Vuolo
Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family shares how in her early twenties, a brother-in-law who didn’t believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true, caused her to examine her beliefs, and allowed her to see that her life was built on rules, not God’s Word. With a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.
You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith
From the bestselling poet and author of Keep Moving, “Life, like a poem, is a series of choices.” Poet Maggie Smith writes her memoir about her personal heartbreak of the disintegration of her marriage, which widens into a study of contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics in many progressive homes. Smith interweaves meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself.
Quietly Hostile: Essays by Samantha Irby
A hilarious new essay collection from Samantha Irby, begins by telling readers to respond to cultural snobs with the simple declaration, “I like it!” And yes, “the exclamation point is necessary.” A humorous celebration of quirky, even socially unacceptable, behavior. Bursting with compassion, insight, honesty, and wit that have made Irby a household name.
The Honey Bus: a Memoir of Loss, Courage, and a Girl Saved by Bees by Meredith May
The extraordinary story of a girl and the first time a honeybee crawled on her arm. Her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in a rusty old military bus in the yard, helped her discover everything she needed to know about life and family was in the secret world of bees. During this pivotal time in her childhood, Meredith learned to take care of herself, forging an unbreakable bond with her grandfather, and discovered the magic and wisdom of nature.
Finding Me by Viola Davis
Meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever. From a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me. Viola wrote this for anyone who needs to be reminded that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you. Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self.
