Our Favorite Memoirs of 2019
There’s a lot of incredible fiction out there, but we have to admit that real life also makes for a fascinating read. Whether you’re looking for something heartbreaking or laugh-out-loud funny to peruse alongside your favorite book scented candle, you’ll find it in the memoir section. Here (in our humble opinion) are some of the best memoirs of 2019!
Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered
Fans of the My Favorite Murder podcast, this one’s for you. Authors Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstack rose to fame with their weekly true crime/comedy podcast, which has garnered them a worldwide fan base. They tour the country recording live shows and continue to put out new episodes each week. The two are known for their humorous banter in-between recounting true crime stories. Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered (also the tagline of their podcast) is less true crime-focused and more centered on the unique life experiences that got them where they are today. We think you’ll enjoy these smart, funny ladies even if you haven’t heard their podcast.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
What do therapists do when they’re having a hard time? They find their own therapist, of course! Psychotherapist and national advice columnist Lori Gottlieb explores her personal experiences with therapy alongside those of her patients in this candid, often humorous look at the human experience. Between the funny and sincere Gottlieb, her unassuming therapist, and her own roster of patients, this cast of characters offers something relatable to just about everyone. Ultimately, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone reveals that, while no one has all the answers, we’re all asking the same questions.
Good Talk
Did you know that autobiographies come in graphic novel form, too? Mira Jacob’s Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations is told through a series of dialogues with her six-year-old, half-Jewish, half-Indian son. Together, Jacob and Z cover topics ranging from the innocuous to the tense, leaving readers with a cutting, yet tender look into what it means to guide a child’s formative experiences and memories. And not only is Jacob superb, truthful writer – she also illustrated the volume!
Acid for the Children
You might know Flea as the bass player in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but that’s just his stage name. He started life as Michael Peter Balzary, born in Australia and raised in New York and Los Angeles. Acid for the Children is the story of his tumultuous childhood and eventual rise to stardom. This isn’t a fairytale, though – Flea ruminates on his upbringing, his dysfunctional family, and the enduring sense of loneliness that he eventually channeled into music. If you’re looking for a powerful coming of age story, this recently published memoir is for you.
Naturally Tan
Tan France is an icon (okay, all the Fab Five are), and we couldn’t get our hands on his memoir fast enough when it was published over the summer. “Queer Eye’s” fashion expert is witty, funny, and endlessly stylish, and it’s a treat to experience his journey through his own eyes. Not only did Tan grow up struggling with his sexuality in a traditional Muslim family, but he was also one of the few people of color in his English neighborhood. In Naturally Tan, he takes us through his upbringing, his self-realization, his happy marriage, and, finally, his coming out to his family at the age of 34. Fans of the show and fans of joyful, unapologetic expression are welcome!
Into the Planet
Heart-pounding action isn’t limited to thrillers and spy novels; it’s a very real part of some everyday jobs! Jill Heinerth’s Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver will have you on the edge of your seat to the very last page – and beyond. Heinerth is one of the most respected cave divers in the world, as well as one of the few women in her profession. She’s the first person to take a deep dive into an Antarctic iceberg and has gone deeper into the ocean than any other woman. Fighting against the might of the sea and the prejudices of her unique workplace, she embarks on a number of unsettling dives and daring missions. If you’re not a fan of claustrophobia or the massive, unexplored depths of the Earth’s oceans, this might not be the memoir for you. But if you’re less unnerved and more intrigued by the archaeological ruins and natural wonders that lie below, you’ll want to join Heinerth on this journey.
