autobiography books

•   50 best autobiographies & biographies of all time

50 best autobiographies & biographies of all time

Enlightening and inspiring: these are the best autobiographies and biographies of 2024, and all time. .

Reading an autobiography can offer a unique insight into a world and experience very different from your own – and these real-life stories are even more entertaining, and stranger, than fiction . Take a glimpse into the lives of some of the world's most inspiring and successful celebrities , politicians and sports people and more in our edit of the best autobiographies and biographies to read right now.

• New autobiographies & biographies
• Inspiring autobiographies & biographies
• Sports autobiographies & biographies
• Celebrity autobiographies & biographies
• Political & historical autobiographies
• Literary autobiographies & biographies

The best new autobiographies and biographies

Sociopath: a memoir, by patric gagne.

The most unputdownable memoir you’ll read this year, Sociopath is the story of Patric Gagne, and her extraordinary life lived on the edge. With seering honestly, Patric explains how, as a child she always knew she was different. Graduating from feelings of apathy to petty theft and stalking, she realised as an adult that she was a sociopath, uncaring of the impact of her actions on others. Sharing the conflict she feels between her impulses, and her desire to live a settled, loving life with her partner, Sociopath is a fascinating story of one woman’s journey to find a place for herself in the world. 

Charles III

By robert hardman.

Meet the man behind the monarch in this new biography of King Charles III by royal expert and journalist Robert Hardman. Charting Charles III’s extraordinary first year on the throne, a year plighted by sadness and family scandal, Hardman shares insider details on the true nature of the Windsor family feud, and Queen Camilla’s role within the Royal Family. Detailing the highs and lows of royal life in dazzling detail, this new biography of the man who waited his whole life to be King is one of 2024’s must-reads. 

Naked Portrait: A Memoir of Lucian Freud

By rose boyt.

When Rose Boyt finds her old diary in a cardboard box in the summer of 2016, she is transported back to 1989 and her teenage years, a time she never remembered as especially remarkable. However, as Rose reads her accounts of sitting for her father, the painter Lucian Feud, she begins to realise how extraordinary and shocking her experiences truly were. In Naked Portrait: A Memoir of Lucian Freud , Rose Boyt explores her relationship with her father with fresh eyes, painting a vivid portrait of the brilliant, complex man he was. 

Air and Love

By or rosenboim.

When Or Rosenboim was growing up, she knew little of her family’s complex history, with her memories of family instead rooted in the traditional dishes her grandmothers prepared with love. After they had both passed away, she began to explore their recipe books, full of handwritten notes for how to make kneidlach balls in hot chicken broth, cinnamon-scented noodle kugel and stuffed vine leaves. There, Or learned of their shared past, one fraught with displacement and change. Interspersing her family’s story with their cherished recipes, Or Rosenboim’s Air and Love is a memoir about food, migration and family.

Lisa Marie Presley's memoir

By lisa marie presley.

Lisa Marie Presley was never truly understood . . . until now. Before her death in 2023, she’d been working on a raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir for years, recording countless hours of breathtakingly vulnerable tape, which has finally been put on the page by her daughter, Riley Keough.

Went to London, Took the Dog: A Diary

By nina stibbe.

Ten years after the publication of the prize-winning  Love, Nina  comes the author’s diary of her return to London in her sixty-first year. After twenty years, Nina Stibbe, accompanied by her dog Peggy, stays with writer Debby Moggach in London for a year. With few obligations, Nina explores the city, reflecting on her past and embracing new experiences. From indulging in banana splits to navigating her son's dating life, this diary captures the essence of a sixty-year-old runaway finding her place as a "proper adult" once and for all.

Literature for the People

By sarah harkness.

When Daniel and Alexander Macmillan moved to London from the Scottish Highlands in 1830, little did they know that the city was on the brink of huge social change, and that they would change publishing forever. This is the story of the Macmillan brothers who, after an impoverished, working-class childhood, went on to bring Alice in Wonderland and numerous other literary classics and ideas to the world. Through meticulous research and highly entertaining storytelling, Sarah Harkness brings to life the two men who founded a publishing house which has stood the test of time for almost two centuries. 

Hildasay to Home

By christian lewis.

The follow-up to his bestselling memoir Finding Hildasay , in Hildasay to Home Christian Lewis tells the next chapter of his extraordinary journey, step by step. From the unexpected way he found love, to his and Kate's journey on foot back down the coastline and into their new lives as parents to baby Marcus, Christian shares his highs and lows as he and his dog Jet leave Hildasay behind. Join the family as they adjust to life away from the island, and set off on a new journey together. 

Life's Work

By david milch.

Best known for creating smash-hit shows including NYPD Blue and Deadwood, you’d be forgiven for thinking that David Milch had lived a charmed life of luxury and stardom. In this, his new memoir, Milch dispels that myth, shedding light on his extraordinary life in the spotlight. Born in Buffalo New York to a father gripped by drug-addiction, Milch enrolled at Yale Law befire being expelled and finding his true passion for writing. Written following his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s in 2015, in Life’s Work Milch records his joys, sadnesses and struggles with startling clarity and grace. 

Will You Care If I Die?

By nicolas lunabba.

In a world where children murder children, and where gun violence is the worst in Europe, Nicolas Lunabba's job as a social organizer with Malmö's underclass requires firm boundaries and emotional detachment. But all that changes when he meets Elijah – an unruly teenage boy of mixed heritage whose perilous future reminds Nicolas of his own troubled past amongst the marginalized people who live on the fringes of every society. Written as a letter to Elijah,  Will You Care If I Die?  is a disarmingly direct memoir about social class, race, friendship and unexpected love.

The best inspiring autobiographies and biographies

By yusra mardini.

After fleeing her native Syria to the Turkish coast in 2015, Yusra Mardini boarded a small dinghy full of refugees headed for Greece. On the journey, the boat's engine cut out and it started to sink. Yusra, her sister, and two others took to the water to push the overcrowded boat for three and a half hours in open water, saving the lives of those on board. Butterfly is Yusra Mardini's journey from war-torn Damascus to Berlin and from there to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Game. A UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and one of People magazine's 25 Women Changing the World, discover Yusra and her incredible story of resilience and unstoppable spirit.

Finding Hildasay

After hitting rock bottom having suffered with depression for years, Christian Lewis made an impulsive decision to walk the entire coastline of the UK. Just a few days later he set off with a tent, walking boots and a tenner in his pocket. Finding Hildasay tells us some of this incredible story, including the brutal three months Christian Lewis spent on the uninhabited island of Hildasay in Scotland with no fresh water or food. It was there, where his route was most barren, that he discovered pride and respect for himself. This is not just a story of a remarkable journey, but one of depression, survival and the meaning of home. 

The Happiest Man on Earth

By eddie jaku.

A lesson in how happiness can be found in the darkest of times, this is the story of Eddie Jaku, a German Jew who survived seven years at the hands of the Nazis. Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, and a Jew second. All of that changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a concentration camp. But through his courage and tenacity he still came to live life as 'the happiest man on earth'. Published at the author turns one hundred, The Happiest Man on Earth is a heartbreaking but hopeful memoir full of inspiration. 

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I know why the caged bird sings, by maya angelou.

A favourite book of former president Obama and countless others, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , recounts Angelou’s childhood in the American south in the 1930s. A beautifully written classic, this is the first of Maya Angelou's seven bestselling autobiographies. 

I Am Malala

By malala yousafzai.

After speaking out about her right to education almost cost her her life, Malala Yousafzi refused to be silenced. Instead, her amazing story has taken her all over the world. This is the story of Malala and her inspirational family, and of how one person's voice can inspire change across the globe. 

In Extremis: The Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin

By lindsey hilsum.

In her job as a foreign correspondent, Marie Colvin reported from some of the most dangerous places in the world. It was a job that would eventually cost her her life. In this posthumous biography of the award-winning news journalist, Lindsey Hilsum shares the story of one of the most daring and inspirational women of our times with warmth and wit, conveying Colvin's trademark glamour. 

The best memoirs

This is going to hurt, by adam kay.

Offering a unique insight into life as an NHS junior doctor through his diary entries, Adam Kay's bestselling autobiography is equal parts heartwarming and humorous, and oftentimes horrifying too. With 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions and a tsunami of bodily fluids, Kay provides a no-holds-barred account of working on the NHS frontline. Now a major BBC comedy-drama, don't miss this special edition of This Is Going To Hurt including a bonus diary entries and an afterword from the author. 

The Colour of Madness

By samara linton.

The Colour of Madness  brings together memoirs, essays, poetry, short fiction and artworks by people of colour who have experienced difficulties with mental health. From experiencing micro-aggressions to bias, and stigma to religious and cultural issues, people of colour have to fight harder than others to be heard and helped. Statistics show that people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK experience poor mental health treatment in comparison to their white counterparts, and are more likely to be held under the Mental Health Act. 

Nothing But The Truth

By the secret barrister.

How do you become a barrister? Why do only 1 per cent of those who study law succeed in joining this mysterious profession? And why might a practising barrister come to feel the need to reveal the lies, secrets, failures and crises at the heart of this world of wigs and gowns? Full of hilarious, shocking and surprising stories,  Nothing But The Truth  tracks the Secret Barrister’s transformation from hang ‘em and flog ‘em, austerity-supporting twenty-something to a campaigning, bestselling, reforming author whose writing in defence of the law is celebrated around the globe.

Is This Ok?

By harriet gibsone.

Harriet spent much of her young life feeding neuroses and insecurities with obsessive internet searching and indulging in whirlwind ‘parasocial relationships'. But after a diagnosis of early menopause in her late twenties, her relationship with the internet took a darker turn, as her online addictions were thrown into sharp relief by the corporeal realities of illness and motherhood. An outrageously funny, raw and painfully honest account of trying to find connection in the age of the internet,  Is This Ok? is the stunning literary debut from music journalist, Harriet Gibsone. 

A Letter to My Transgender Daughter

By carolyn hays.

This moving memoir is an ode to Hays' transgender daughter – a love letter to a child who has always known herself. After a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on the door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child, the Hays family moved away from their Republican state. In A Girlhood, Hays tells of the brutal truths of being trans, of the sacrificial nature of motherhood and of the lengths a family will go to shield their youngest from the cruel realities of the world. Hays asks us all to love better, for children everywhere enduring injustice and prejudice.

by Michelle Obama

This bestselling autobiography lifts the lid on the life of one of the most inspiring women of a generation, former first lady Michelle Obama. From her childhood as a gifted young woman in south Chicago to becoming the first black First Lady of the USA, Obama tells the story of her extraordinary life with humour, warmth and honesty. 

Kitchen Confidential

By anthony bourdain.

Regarded as one of the greatest books about food ever written, Kitchen Confidential lays bare the wild tales of the culinary industry. From his lowly position as a dishwasher in Provincetown to cooking at some of the finest restaurants across the world, the much-loved Bourdain translates his sultry, sarcastic and quick-witted personality to paper in this uncensored 'sex, drugs, bad behaviour and haute cuisine' account of life as a professional chef. Bourdain's tales of the kitchen are as passionate as they are unpredictable, as shocking as they are funny.

Everything I Know About Love

By dolly alderton.

Dolly Alderton, perhaps more than any other author, represents the rise of the messy millennial woman – in the very best way possible. Her internationally bestselling memoir gives an unflinching account of the bad dates and squalid flat-shares, the heartaches and humiliations, and most importantly, the unbreakable female friendships that defined her twenties. She weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age. This is a memoir that you'll discuss with loved ones long after the final page. 

The best sports autobiographies and biographies

By chris kamara.

Presenter, commentator, (sometimes masked) singer, footballer, manager and campaigner, Kammy's action-packed career has made him a bona fide British hero. Kammy had a tough upbringing, faced racism on the terraces during his playing career and has, in recent years, dealt with a rare brain condition – apraxia – that has affected his speech and seen him say goodbye to Sky Sports. With entertaining stories of his playing career from Pompey to Leeds and beyond; his management at Bradford City and Stoke; his crazy travels around the world; of  Soccer Saturday  banter; presenting  Ninja   Warrior ; and the incredible friendships he's made along the way,  Kammy  is an unforgettable ride from one of Britain's best-loved broadcasters.

Alone on the Wall

By alex honnold.

In the last forty years, only a handful of climbers have pushed themselves as far, ‘free soloing’ to the absolute limit of human capabilities. Half of them are dead. Although Alex Honnold’s exploits are probably a bit  too  extreme for most of us, the stories behind his incredible climbs are exciting, uplifting and truly awe-inspiring. Alone on the Wall  is a book about the essential truth of being free to pursue your passions and the ability to maintain a singular focus, even in the face of mortal danger. This updated edition contains the account of Alex's El Capitan climb, which is the subject of the Oscar and BAFTA winning documentary,  Free Solo .

On Days Like These

By martin o'neill.

Martin O’Neill has had one of the most incredible careers in football.   With a story spanning over fifty years, Martin tells of his exhilarating highs and painful lows; from the joys of winning trophies, promotion and fighting for World Cups to being harangued by fans, boardroom drama, relegation scraps and being fired. Written with his trademark honesty and humour,  On Days Like These  is one of the most insightful and captivating sports autobiographies and a must-read for any fans of the beautiful game.

Too Many Reasons to Live

As a child, Rob Burrow was told he was too small to be a rugby player. Some 500 games for Leeds later, Rob had proved his doubters wrong: he won eight Super League Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, three World Club Challenges and played for his country in two World Cups. In 2019 though, Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and given just two years to live. He went public with the news, determined to fight it all the way. Full of love, bravery and kindness, this is the story of a man who has awed his fans with his positive attitude to life.

With You Every Step, a celebration of friendship by Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield

At home with muhammad ali, by hana yasmeen ali.

Written by his daughter Ali using material from her father's audio journals, love letters and her treasured family memories, this sports biography offers an intimate portrait of one of boxing's most legendary figures, and one of the most iconic sports personalities of all time. 

They Don't Teach This

By eniola aluko.

In her autobiography, footballer Eni Aluko addresses themes of dual nationality, race and institutional prejudice, success, gender and faith through her own experiences growing up in Britain. Part memoir, part manifesto for change, They Don't Teach This is a must-read book for 2020. 

The best celebrity autobiographies and biographies

By adrian edmondson.

From brutal schooldays to 80s anarchy, through The Young Ones and beyond, Berserker! is the one-of-a-kind, fascinating memoir from an icon of British comedy, Adrian Edmondson. His star-studded anecdotes and outrageous stories are set to a soundtrack of pop hits, transporting the reader through time and cranking up the nostalgia. But, as one would expect, these stories are also a guaranteed laugh as Ade traces his journey through life and comedy. 

Beyond the Story

In honor of BTS's 10th anniversary, this remarkable book serves as the band's inaugural official release, offering a treasure trove of unseen photographs and exclusive content. With Myeongseok Kang's extensive interviews and years of coverage, the vibrant world of K-pop springs to life. As digital pioneers, BTS's online presence has bridged continents, and this volume grants readers instant access to trailers, music videos, and more, providing a comprehensive journey through BTS's defining moments. Complete with a milestone timeline, Beyond the Story stands as a comprehensive archive, encapsulating everything about BTS within its pages.

Being Henry

By henry winkler.

Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood, Henry Winkler shares the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia and the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own. Since the glorious era of  Happy Days  fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as  Arrested Development and  Barry , where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos. But Being Henry  is about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and of finding fulfillment within yourself.

What Are You Doing Here?

By floella benjamin.

Actress, television presenter, member of the House of Lords – Baroness Floella Benjamin is an inspiration to many. But it hasn't always been easy: in What Are You Doing Here?   she describes her journey to London as part of the Windrush generation, and the daily racism that caused her so much pain as a child. She has gone on to remain true to her values, from breaking down barriers as a Play School presenter to calling for diversity at the BBC and BAFTA to resisting the pressures of typecasting. Sharing the lessons she has learned, imbued with her joy and positivity, this autobiography is the moving testimony of a remarkable woman.

A Funny Life

By michael mcintyre.

Comic Michael McIntyre specialises in pin-sharp observational routines that have made him the world's bestselling funny man. But when he turns his gaze to himself and his own family, things get even funnier. This bracingly honest memoir covers the highs, lows and pratfalls of a career in comedy, as Michael climbs the greasy pole of success and desperately attempts to stay up there.

by Elton John

Elton John is one of the most successful singer/songwriters of all time, but success didn't come easily to him. In his bestselling autobiography, he charts his extraordinary life, from the early rejection of his work to the heady heights of international stardom and the challenges that came along with it. With candour and humour, he tells the stories of celebrity friendships with John Lennon, George Michael and Freddie Mercury, and of how he turned his life around and found love with David Furnish. Me is the real story of the man behind the music. 

And Away...

By bob mortimer.

National treasure and beloved entertainer, Bob Mortimer, takes us from his childhood in Middlesborough to working as a solicitor in London in his highly acclaimed autobiography. Mortimer’s life was trundling along happily until suddenly in 2015 he was diagnosed with a heart condition that required immediate surgery and forced him to cancel an upcoming tour. The book covers his numerous misadventures along his path to fame but also reflects on more serious themes, making this both one of the most humorous and poignant celebrity memoirs of recent years. 

by Walter Isaacson

Based on interviews conducted with Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson's biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is filled with lessons about innovation, leadership, and values and has inspired a movie starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen. Isaacson tells the story of the rollercoaster life and searingly intense personality of creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized the tech industry. Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written and put nothing off limits, making this an unflinchingly candid account of one of the key figures of modern history.

Maybe I Don't Belong Here

By david harewood.

When David Harewood was twenty-three, his acting career began to take flight and he had what he now understands to be a psychotic breakdown. He was physically restrained by six police officers, sedated, then hospitalized and transferred to a locked ward. Only now, thirty years later, has he been able to process what he went through. In this powerful and provocative account of a life lived after psychosis, critically acclaimed actor, David Harewood, uncovers a devastating family history and investigates the very real impact of racism on Black mental health.

Scenes from My Life

By michael k. williams.

When Michael K. Williams died on 6 September 2021, he left behind a career as one of the most electrifying actors of his generation. At the time of his death, Williams had nearly finished his memoir, which traces his life in whole, from his childhood and his early years as a dancer to his battles with addiction. Alongside his achievements on screen he was a committed activist who dedicated his life to helping at-risk young people find their voice and carve out their future. Imbued with poignance and raw honesty,  Scenes from My Life  is the story of a performer who gave his all to everything he did – in his own voice, in his own words.

The best political and historical autobiographies

The fall of boris johnson, by sebastian payne.

Sebastian Payne, Whitehall Editor for the Financial Times, tells the behind-the-scenes story of the fall of former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. After being touted saviour of the Conservative Party, it took Johnson just three years to resign after a series of scandals. From the blocked suspension of Owen Patterson to Partygate and the Chris Pincher allegations, Payne gives us unparalleled access to those who were in the room when key decisions were made, ultimately culminating in Boris's downfall. This is a gripping and timely look at how power is gained, wielded and lost in Britain today.

by Sung-Yoon Lee

The Sister , written by Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar and specialist on North Korea, uncovers the truth about Kim Yo Jong and her close bond with Kim Jong Un. In 2022, Kim Yo Jong threatened to nuke South Korea, reminding the world of the dangers posed by her state. But how did the youngest daughter of Dear Leader Kim Jong Il, his ‘sweet princess’, become the ruthless chief propagandist, internal administrator and foreign policymaker for her brother’s totalitarian regime? Readable and insightful, this book is an invaluable portrait of a woman who might yet hold the survival of her despotic dynasty in her hands.

Long Walk To Freedom

By nelson mandela.

Deemed 'essential reading for anyone who wants to understand history' by former US President, Barack Obama, this is the autobiography of one of the world's greatest moral and political leaders, Nelson Mandela. Imprisoned for more than 25 years, president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, the Nobel Peace Prize winner's life was nothing short of extraordinary. Long Walk to Freedom vividly tells this story; one of hardship, resilience and ultimate triumph, written with the clarity and eloquence of a born leader. 

The Diary of a Young Girl

By anne frank.

No list of inspiring autobiographies would be complete without Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl . Charting the thirteen-year-old's time hiding in a 'Secret Annex' with her family to escape Gestapo detection, this book (which was discovered after Anne Frank's death), is a must-read, and a testament to the courage shown by the millions persecuted during the Second World War. 

The best literary autobiographies

Winner of Pulitzer Prize in Memoir, Stay True  is a deeply moving and intimate memoir about growing up and moving through the world in search of meaning and belonging. When Hua Hsu first meets Ken in a Berkeley dorm room, he hates him. A frat boy with terrible taste in music, Ken seems exactly like everyone else. For Hua, Ken represents all that he defines himself in opposition to – the mainstream. The only thing Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, and Ken, whose Japanese American family has been in the US for generations, have in common is that, however they engage with it, American culture doesn’t seem to have a place for either of them. 

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

By rebecca skloot.

Born to a poor black tobacco farmer in rural Virginia in 1920, Henrietta Lacks died of cancer when she was just 31. However, her story does not end there, as her cancer cells, taken without permission during her treatment continued to live on being used for research all over the world and becoming a multi-million dollar industry, with her family only learning of her impact more than two decades after her death. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot tells the story of a woman who never knew of her lifesaving impact and asks: do we ever really own our bodies? 

A Fortunate Woman

By polly morland.

Funny, emotional and imbued with great depth, A Fortunate Woman is an exploration of the life of a country doctor in a remote and wild wooded valley in the Forest of Dean. The story was sparked when writer and documentary maker Polly Morland found a photograph of the valley she lives in tucked inside a tattered copy of John Berger’s  A Fortunate Man . Itself an account of the life of a country doctor, the book inspired a woman doctor to follow her vocation in the same remote place. And it is the story of this woman that Polly Morland tells, in this compelling portrait of landscape and community.

Father and Son

By jonathan raban.

On 11 June 2011, three days short of his sixty-ninth birthday, Jonathan Raban suffered a stroke which left him unable to use the right side of his body. Learning to use a wheelchair in a rehab facility outside Seattle and resisting the ministrations of the nurses overseeing his recovery, Raban began to reflect upon the measure of his own life in the face of his own mortality. Together with the chronicle of his recovery is the extraordinary story of his parents’ marriage, the early years of which were conducted by letter while his father fought in the Second World War.

Crying in H Mart

By michelle zauner.

This radiant read by singer, songwriter and guitarist Michelle Zauner delves into the experience of being the only Asian-American child at her school in Eugene, Oregon, combined with family struggles and blissful escapes to her grandmother's tiny Seoul apartment. The family bond is the shared love of Korean food, which helped Michelle reclaim her Asian identity in her twenties. A lively, honest, riveting read.

The Reluctant Carer

By the reluctant carer.

The phone rings. Your elderly father has been taken to hospital, and your even older mother is home with nobody to look after her. What do you do? Drop everything and go and help of course. But it's not that straightforward, and your own life starts to fall apart as quickly as their health. Irresistibly funny, unflinching and deeply moving, this is a love letter to family and friends, to carers and to anyone who has ever packed a small bag intent on staying for just a few days. This is a true story of what it really means to be a carer, and of the ties that bind even tighter when you least expect it. 

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The 40+ Best Autobiographies Ever Written, Ranked By Readers

There's something profoundly compelling about delving into the firsthand accounts of individuals who've shaped our world. The best autobiographies ever written afford us a unique glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who've lived extraordinary lives. Through their words, we're invited to experience their joys, sorrows, triumphs, and failures, bridging the gap between history and humanity in the most intimate way possible.

Among the countless stories that have been shared, The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank and Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela stand out as monumental. Anne Frank's diary offers a heart-wrenching perspective of life during the Holocaust that's both deeply personal and universally resonant. On the other hand, Mandela's autobiography tells a tale of resilience and dedication to justice that inspired a nation and the world. These works not only chronicle significant historical events but also serve as testaments to the indomitable spirit of their authors.

Compiling a list of the best autobiographies of all time was a labor of love for a group of book enthusiasts, passionate about bringing remarkable narratives to the forefront. After careful consideration, these selections were then presented to readers, who cast their votes, ensuring that the final list is reflective of stories that resonate deeply and inspire continuously. Cast your votes below to update these rankings.

The Diary of a Young Girl

Angela's Ashes

The Story of My Experiments with Truth

Long Walk to Freedom

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Best Autobiographies

These are the top autobiographies and memoirs according to the web’s most popular book blogs. ranked by how often they were featured..

Memoirs That Changed a Generation

Personal stories, universal impact.

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In the three decades since, the memoir has become a powerful force for healing and change on both the individual and the cultural level. Here are 33 unforgettable personal narratives: the naked truth of real lives, elevated by gorgeous language, unforgettable scenes, breathtaking humor, and artful suspense. Each has the power to change your life and heal your heart.

Autobiography of a Face, by Lucy Grealy

Childhood cancer left Grealy with half her jaw removed, a disfigurement that filled her with self-loathing. A heartbreakingly wise child reborn as a brilliant writer, she puts readers in touch with a self beyond ugliness or pain.

The Liars' Club, by Mary Karr

With deadpan humor, a killer eye for detail, and a badass persona founded at age 7, Karr makes a convincing case that there's no dysfunctional childhood that can't be redeemed with a great story.

Prozac Nation, by Elizabeth Wurtzel

Wurtzel's raw emotional honesty about coming of age with a diagnosis and a bottomless pill bottle stirred up a storm of criticism and outrage but spoke straight to the hearts of the Kurt Cobain generation.

Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt

A childhood of abject poverty and brutal loss in Limerick, Ireland, becomes a luminous legend in this extraordinary account. Feeling sorry for yourself about something? Here's a sure end to that.

Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel

LGBTQIA+ hero Bechdel grew up in a small-town funeral home run by her father, a man with many secrets. This beautifully illustrated graphic memoir inspires us to rethink the mysteries of our own pasts.

Wild, by Cheryl Strayed

Strayed cut short a self-destructive spinout after her mother's death with an 1,100-mile hike up the Pacific Crest Trail, blazing a path for readers who are having trouble forgiving themselves.

Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

Lifting up brokenhearted women since 2006, this iconic story of reinvention after divorce goes from the pits—a cold bathroom floor—to the peaks, a year of sensory delights and spiritual magic in Italy, India, and Bali.

Girl, Interrupted, by Susanna Kaysen

Kaysen's parents were so frightened by her adolescent melodrama that they hustled her into treatment and she spent over a year in a mental hospital. Her ability to recreate the mindset of a miserable 18-year-old qualifies this memoir as a self-help book for parents.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers

When their parents died within weeks of each other, leaving him the caretaker of his 8-year-old brother, the 21-year-old author had just one superpower—irony. If there's a grief guide for the cool kids, this is it.

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The Greatest "Autobiography" Books of All Time

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Autobiography.

Autobiography is a literary genre that focuses on the life story of the author. It is a first-person account of the author's experiences, thoughts, and emotions, often including significant events and milestones that have shaped their life. Autobiographies can be written by anyone, from famous public figures to ordinary people, and can cover a wide range of topics, including personal growth, career achievements, struggles, and relationships. This genre provides readers with a unique insight into the author's life and perspective, making it a popular and engaging category of books.

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1. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

This book is a real-life account of a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis during World War II, written in diary format. The girl and her family are forced to live in a secret annex in Amsterdam for two years, during which she writes about her experiences, fears, dreams, and the onset of adolescence. The diary provides a poignant and deeply personal insight into the horrors of the Holocaust, making it a powerful testament to the human spirit.

2. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

This book is an autobiography narrating the life of a renowned African-American activist. It delves into his transformation from a young man involved in criminal activities to becoming one of the most influential voices in the fight against racial inequality in America. The book provides a deep insight into his philosophies, his time in prison, conversion to Islam, his role in the Nation of Islam, his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his eventual split from the Nation. It also addresses his assassination, making it a powerful account of resilience, redemption, and personal growth.

3. Confessions by Augustine

"Confessions" is an autobiographical work by a renowned theologian, in which he outlines his sinful youth and his conversion to Christianity. It is written in the form of a long, introspective prayer directed to God, exploring the author's spiritual journey and deep philosophical ponderings. The book is renowned for its eloquent and deeply personal exploration of faith, making it a cornerstone of Christian theology and Western literature.

4. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

This memoir recounts the early years of an African-American girl's life, focusing on her experiences with racism and trauma in the South during the 1930s. Despite the hardships she faces, including sexual abuse, she learns to rise above her circumstances through strength of character and a love of literature. Her journey from victim to survivor and her transformation into a young woman who respects herself is a testament to the human capacity to overcome adversity.

5. The Double Helix by James D. Watson

This book is a personal account of the race to discover the structure of DNA, told from the perspective of one of the co-discoverers. It provides an insider's view of scientific research, the collaboration and competition, the dedication, the doubt, the exhilaration of discovery, and the often fraught relationship between science and the rest of life. The book also explores the personalities, quirks, and conflicts of the scientists involved in the groundbreaking discovery.

6. If This Is a Man by Primo Levi

This book is a deeply moving and insightful memoir of a survivor of Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. The author, an Italian Jew, provides a detailed account of his life in the camp, the brutal conditions, the dehumanization, and the struggle for survival. The narrative is a profound exploration of the human spirit, resilience, and the will to live, despite unimaginable horror and suffering. It also raises profound questions about humanity, morality, and the capacity for evil.

7. The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

"The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau" is an autobiographical work by a prominent philosopher of the Enlightenment era, who candidly shares his life story, from his humble beginnings in Geneva to his later years in exile. The book delves into his personal struggles, his intellectual journey, and his relationships, all while exploring his philosophical ideas on education, politics, and morality. The author's introspective narrative provides a unique perspective on his life and times, making it a seminal work in the history of autobiography.

8. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen

The book is a memoir that recounts the author's experiences and observations living in Kenya, then British East Africa, from 1914 to 1931. It is a lyrical meditation on her life amongst the diverse cultures and wildlife of Africa. The author shares her trials and tribulations of running a coffee plantation, her deep respect for the people and land of Africa, and her intimate understanding of the subtle nuances of African culture and society.

9. Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov

"Speak, Memory" is an autobiographical memoir that explores the author's life from his birth in 1899 to his emigration to the United States in 1940. The narrative details his privileged childhood in Russia, his experiences during the Russian Revolution, his time in Europe as an émigré, and his career as a writer and scholar. The book is noted for its intricate descriptions, its exploration of the nature of memory, and its intricate linguistic play.

10. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

The book is a personal account of the author's experiences during the Spanish Civil War, specifically his time with the POUM (Partit Obrer d'Unificació Marxista) militia in Catalonia. He provides an in-depth look at the social revolution that took place, the daily life of a soldier, the political infighting and betrayals among the Republican factions, and his eventual disillusionment with the cause he initially supported. The book is both a war memoir and a detailed analysis of a complex political situation.

11. Maus by Art Spiegelman

This graphic novel tells the story of a Holocaust survivor, as narrated by his son. The unique use of animals to represent different nationalities and ethnic groups adds a distinctive layer to the narrative. The protagonist's father recounts his experiences as a Polish Jew during World War II, offering a poignant depiction of the horrors of the Holocaust. The narrative also explores the complex father-son relationship, revealing the impact of such traumatic historical events on subsequent generations.

12. The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

"The Education of Henry Adams" is an autobiographical account that explores the changes in society and politics during the 19th and 20th century from the perspective of an individual who is both a product and critic of that era. The narrative is structured around the author's self-perceived failure to understand or adapt to these changes, despite his privileged education and social status. The book is a reflection on the author's life, his attempts to make sense of the world around him, and his struggle to reconcile his traditional upbringing with the rapid advancements of the modern world.

13. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein

This book is an innovative and unconventional autobiography, penned from the perspective of the author's life partner, providing an intimate view into the lives of the Parisian avant-garde in the early 20th century. It offers a personal account of their life together, filled with anecdotes of their interactions with famous figures such as Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway. The narrative also delves into the author's own thoughts and experiences, creating a unique blend of biography, autobiography, and personal memoir.

14. The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois

This seminal work is a collection of essays that explores the history and condition of African Americans at the turn of the 20th century. It delves into the issues of race, class, and the socio-economic realities faced by black people post-emancipation. The author employs a combination of history, sociology, and personal narrative to present a powerful critique of American society, highlighting the struggle for civil rights, the importance of black spirituals, and the concept of "double consciousness" - the idea of viewing oneself through the lens of a society that sees you as inferior.

15. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

This autobiographical book provides a first-hand account of the life of a former slave, chronicling his experiences from his early years in bondage, his struggle to teach himself to read and write, his daring escape to freedom, and his subsequent rise as a prominent abolitionist. The narrative is a powerful exploration of the physical and psychological effects of slavery, making it a significant work in American history.

16. Testament Of Youth by Vera Brittain

Testament of Youth is a poignant memoir detailing the author's experiences during World War I. The narrative follows her journey from her early life, her time as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse serving in London, Malta, and France, and her later years as a writer and pacifist. The author's personal loss, including the death of her fiancé and her brother, and the impact of the war on her generation, is a central theme, offering a unique female perspective on the devastating effects of war.

17. The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston

This memoir explores the life of a first-generation Chinese-American woman, navigating the complexities of her dual heritage. Through five interconnected stories, the book delves into the author's childhood experiences, her mother's tales of old China, and the struggles of reconciling these two worlds. The memoir is a blend of reality and mythology, illustrating the author's struggle with her identity, the expectations of her traditional Chinese family, and the challenges of growing up in a predominantly white American society.

18. Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

This book is a memoir written by a psychiatrist who survived the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The author shares his experiences in the camps and his psychological approach to surviving and finding meaning amidst extreme suffering. He introduces his theory of logotherapy, which suggests that life's primary motivational force is the search for meaning, and argues that even in the most absurd, painful, and dehumanized situation, life can be given meaning.

19. Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

This memoir offers a glimpse into the life of a young American writer living in Paris during the 1920s. The book is filled with personal anecdotes and observations about his life and experiences, including his relationships with other expatriate writers and artists of the Lost Generation. The focus is on the joy of life, the art of writing, and the struggle of a writer. The book also explores the author's love for the city of Paris, which he refers to as a "moveable feast".

20. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

This book is a raw and honest exploration of grief and mourning, written by a woman who lost her husband of 40 years to a heart attack while their only child lay comatose in the hospital. The narrative delves into the year following her husband's death, a year marked by grief, confusion, and a desperate hope for things to return to normal. The author's poignant reflections on death, love, and loss serve as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

21. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

This graphic novel is a memoir that provides a personal account of the author's childhood and young adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. The story portrays the impact of war, political upheaval, and religious extremism on ordinary people, while also exploring themes of identity, resilience, and the power of storytelling. Despite the harsh realities the protagonist faces, the narrative also includes moments of humor and warmth, providing a nuanced view of life in Iran during this tumultuous period.

22. Good-Bye to All That by Robert Graves

This memoir provides a candid and unflinching look at the horrors of World War I, as experienced by a young British officer. The narrative explores the brutality and futility of war, the author's struggle with shell shock, his disillusionment with the military and British society, and his decision to leave England for a new life abroad. It also offers insights into the author's personal life, including his troubled marriage and his relationships with other prominent figures of the time.

23. Night by Elie Wiesel

This book is a memoir of the author's experiences during the Holocaust, specifically in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. The narrative focuses on the relationship between a father and son under the most extreme circumstances, the loss of faith in God, humanity, and in each other, and the horrifying reality of the systematic genocide of six million Jews during World War II. The book is a poignant and stark examination of the depths of human evil and the enduring power of hope and survival.

24. Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee

"Cider with Rosie" is a memoir that captures the experiences of a young boy growing up in a small Cotswold village in England during the early 20th century. The narrative vividly portrays the simplicity and beauty of rural life, while also exploring the complexities of adolescence and first love. It is a nostalgic and evocative account of a bygone era, filled with memorable characters and richly detailed descriptions of the natural world.

25. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

This book is a personal narrative of the author's explorations near her home at Tinker Creek in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. The narrative is filled with detailed observations on nature and philosophical musings. It reflects on themes of solitude, the presence of God in nature, and the interconnectedness of life. The author's deep reflections and contemplations about the mysteries and beauty of the world make it a profound meditation on the natural world.

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Best Biographies » The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies

The best memoirs: the 2019 national book critics circle awards shortlist, recommended by laurie hertzel.

Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug

An increasing diversity of voices and willingness to experiment has heralded a new golden age of autobiography, says literary critic Laurie Hertzel . Here she highlights the very best: the six memoirs recently shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Awards.

Interview by Cal Flyn , Deputy Editor

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

The Day That Went Missing: A Family's Story by Richard Beard

All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung

What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth: A Memoir of Brotherhood by Rigoberto González

Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter

1 Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

2 the day that went missing: a family's story by richard beard, 3 all you can ever know: a memoir by nicole chung, 4 what drowns the flowers in your mouth: a memoir of brotherhood by rigoberto gonzález, 5 belonging: a german reckons with history and home by nora krug, 6 old in art school: a memoir of starting over by nell painter.

Y ou are chair of the National Book Critics Circle Awards’ autobiography committee. So you’re in a good position to tell us: what ingredients make good autobiography?

Voice is crucial. We also look for authenticity, which is a tricky thing with memoir because the genre is morphing all the time. There’s a question, really, as to how literally accurate a memoir has to be. If someone is writing about childhood, and they weren’t taking notes as a kid, can they include dialogue from way back then? Is that cheating? I should add—I am a journalist, and I believe that nothing in a memoir should be made up. But that is an enormous discussion, not just on the NBCC committee but in the world of writing in general.

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So: voice, authenticity, a good story and a certain plumbing of one’s . . . not just life, but soul. The author should be always trying to figure out: ‘what did I think?’ and ‘who am I?’ and ‘why did this happen?’ and ‘what does this mean?’ I think, also, that we’re interested in a book that’s not just one person’s story alone, but that has some universal theme, something that shows how a person’s life fits into the world or into a particular time.

Absolutely. Before we move onto the books, we’ve been using two words here almost interchangeably: autobiography and memoir. I suppose memoir is a sub-genre of autobiography. But could you clarify for our readers how these terms are normally applied?

Yes. Autobiographies, in general, are works of scholarship. Memoirs are more personal. Memoir often is just a certain sliver of a person’s life, not the story of one’s entire life. Autobiography usually doesn’t involve a person’s inner life as much or emotional journey, as a memoir does. And with memoir, there’s a lot more leeway as to how you might tell the story.

As you notice, one of the memoirs on this list is a graphic novel, it’s told mainly through visuals with some text. Last year, too, we had a finalist that was told in comic book form— Thi Bui’s memoir about her parents leaving Vietnam during the war, and about her growing up in America as an immigrant. It would be harder to do a full autobiography in this way. Generally, an autobiography is straight chronological narrative.

Typically, the National Book Critics Circle names five finalists per category. For 2019, you’ve chosen six autobiographical titles. Why?

Yes. This year we got deadlocked. My committee happened to have an even number of people; we went through a number of votes but people were fervent about the books they supported.

Let’s look at the books that made the shortlist. Perhaps we could start with Tara Westover’s, Educated . In it, Westover describes growing up in rural Idaho in a Mormon fundamentalist family, before eventually departing to study at Harvard and Cambridge. I’ve seen it reviewed and recommended all over the place, not least by Barack Obama . I enjoyed it myself. But could you say: does it deserve all the acclaim?

I think so. She has a remarkable story. All of these books, as you’ve probably noticed, are quite different from one another, with different strengths. With Westover’s book, it’s the story. It is simply so remarkable that people could not put it down.

I like how she wrote it in three sections, and how her voice changes in each section. The first is written from the point of view of herself as a child and I thought that was the strongest section of the book. She had a terrible childhood, I think, by anybody’s standards. I think she knew it was terrible at the time but she didn’t know it was unusual . To her, it was normal. That first section reminded me, in a way, of Angela’s Ashes , which Frank McCourt wrote in the voice of himself as a child. His family was living in abject poverty. But when you’re a kid, you don’t really understand how hard life is when everybody around you is living the same way. So, I thought the first section of Educated did that as well.

In the second section, where she starts getting out into the world and realises what a freak she is, her voice changes. She’s not as sure of herself, she’s amazed by what she doesn’t know, and she’s a little terrified by the world and what is expected of her.

“This was a true coming-of-age memoir about tenacity and the transformative power of education”

And then the last section was the hardest to read because that’s where she has come into her own, but realises she still wants her family—and her family is not prepared to accept her now that she has changed so much. It was heart-breaking. She keeps going home and going home and going home, and hoping they will be different and that they will accept her. And they don’t.

This was a true coming-of-age memoir about tenacity and the transformative power of education, but it was also about the pull of family and the need for love.

You mentioned ‘authenticity’ earlier, and the difficulties of writing so long after the fact. This book contains discussions of the fallibility of memory: although she has her diaries to look back at, what she remembers and how she interprets the diaries changes from year to year.

Is this an issue that dogs memoir as a genre? That variability in how people remember the same events?

I think it does. I think it’s one of the defining characteristics of memoir: that people remember things a certain way, and their memory may or may not be accurate. They’re often challenged by people who grew up with them or who experienced the same thing and remember it in a completely different way. Often these are things you cannot really research. They’re not the facts of the world at that time but they’re personal things that happened to you or your family.

Westover is challenged as well by people in her family who tell her that what she’s experiencing is not actually happening—her older brother in particular. A sort of gas-lighting occurs.

Well, let’s discuss that book: Richard Beard’s, The Day That Went Missing . Could you tell me more about it?

This is the story: In midlife, he has some sort of crisis—I don’t think he explains what the crisis is but I don’t think it really matters—and he decides to go back and try to understand something terrible that happened when he was a little boy. When he was 11 years old, his family went on vacation to the Cornish coast and he and his little brother Nicky, who was nine, were playing in the waves. And then this big wave comes along with an undertow and it sucks them both out to sea. He tries to save his brother, he’s not able to and there’s a point where he has to make a decision to abandon Nicky and save himself. He manages to get back to shore but Nicky dies. That’s how the book opens.

From there, he tries to remember what happened after that. He has few memories. He doesn’t even know the date this happened because his family never talked about it. They buried Nicky and they went back and finished their holiday in this place on the Cornish coast and Beard went back to school and as he recalls it, no one ever spoke about it again.

So he starts interrogating this terrible thing. His father has since died, but he talks to his mother, and he talks to the first responders, and he reads the newspaper stories, and he talks to his other brothers, and he talks to the headmaster at his school, and he starts piecing together what happened. He goes back and revisits where this took place. Walks the coastal path, finds the cove where they were dragged out to sea.

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He’s filled with guilt—guilt for surviving, for not saving Nicky, for coaxing Nicky into the water in the first place. And he’s filled with rage at his father for not trying to rescue his son, and for never speaking about the incident again.

But he also discovers that many of his memories are not accurate.

In his memory, he just went back to school and everything carried on as though nothing had happened. But when he talks to the school headmaster all these years later, the headmaster says, ‘No, don’t you remember? You lay in bed and screamed every night and my wife went in to comfort you.’ So Beard’s book is about the fallibility of memory. It’s about how crippling silence can be. It’s about guilt. And it’s about revisionist history—for instance, the way that his mother remembers things differently and in a way that . . . almost makes the death easier for her to accept. She remembers that Nicky wasn’t that smart of a kid, and he wasn’t that great of an athlete, neither of which is true. But memories change, perhaps to help you protect yourself.

It’s a really angry book too, though written with such restraint. I just found that tone so admirable.

You mentioned the importance of portraying a particular place and time. This book must say a lot about British culture of the time, that sense of a stiff upper lip, the emotional repression.

Your third choice also deals with family relationships: Nicole Chung’s All You Can Ever Know , about her experience with trans-racial adoption and tracking down her birth family after she herself became a mother. What marks this book out?

Well, again, I think that it is a combination of the voice and the story, and also in this case the timeliness of it. This is something that people are just beginning to talk about openly.

There’s always been this idea that America is a big melting pot and we’ve had international adoption for a long time. Romanian orphans, and Russian orphans, and Chinese orphans, and Korean babies: we’ve moved around the world adopting these children and bringing them here to the land of plenty, to blend into our melting pot. But a melting pot is not reality, and this is not what it feels like for these children. I think for a long time adopted children stayed quiet about how they felt—with closed adoptions there was no way for a child to find a birth family, and there was also a sense of not wanting to hurt the feelings of adoptive parents.

“If you find out where you come from, it may not be what you’re expecting”

Chung, though, writes about these things quite openly, and navigates the complicated and sometimes conflicting emotions skilfully. She writes about how isolated she felt growing up as a Korean girl in a white family, in a very white neighbourhood: she always had this sense that she didn’t really belong and that no one really understood her. Nobody looked like her. She felt quite alone. So that’s part of the book.

The other part is her search for her birth family, which does not turn out in the way that one might expect. She did find her birth mother and father, who had divorced, and she found a sister that she had not known about. But it was not an entirely positive experience. Her mother was apparently a pretty brutal person, who beat her children. And so, it’s about finding her place in the world, and examining this idea of multicultural or interracial adoption but then it’s also about what figuring out what family is.

Thank you. Let’s discuss Rigoberto González, who is best known as a poet. His memoir What Drowns the Flowers in Your Mouth was not one I’d come across until your shortlist came out. Have I been missing out?

Well, he is a remarkable writer, both poet and memoirist. This book is just beautifully written. So yes, I think you have been missing out. But—if I can just put a little plug in here for the NBCC—the books that we consider are not nominated, and there’s no entry fees as there are for other significant awards, so that opens up our competition to the world of books in a way that other competitions are not. We read literally hundreds of books over the course of the year.

Rigoberto González’s book was published by the University of Wisconsin Press. They’re a very good press, but they are not huge. So when we are looking for books, we keep an eye out and look for books that are not necessarily being reviewed everywhere, like Educated was. The fact that a book is lesser known is not going to stop us.

Hopefully with these awards we remind people that there are a lot of great books out there that they might not be aware of.

“The book is a window into a life that a lot of us know nothing about”

A few years ago, before I was on the board, a collection of short stories won the National Book Critics Circle award for fiction. It was from a tiny press called Lookout Books, which publishes two books a year. This was a collection of short stories, so it’s even more remarkable that it won the award for fiction.

Gonzalez’s book is the story of growing up a Latino and gay in a very troubled family. His mother dies, his family deserts the family, and it’s a hard, hard life. It’s just a really remarkable story about his relationship with his father and, primarily, his brother, and about pulling away and finding a new life. It’s just beautifully written.

We mentioned Nora Krug’s book, Belonging , earlier because it is in a very interesting format. It’s a graphic memoir.

It’s an interesting choice. Could you talk me through it?

You know, she had such an interesting story. She felt guilt about her family’s German past—she wasn’t sure if there was a Nazi connection, although she suspected there might be.

The way that she tells this story is very visual, like a scrapbook. She has photographs. Sometimes they’re just old photographs that she bought at a flea market, they aren’t even her own family’s photos. Some of them are her family’s, some of them are little newspaper clippings that she found through her research. Some of it is her own words, handwritten. And so, it’s just this sort of patchwork of research and pictures and ephemera and family stories, and it just goes deeper and deeper and deeper.

She does find culpability, on a minor scale. She finds that one of her relatives let Nazis park in his garage, and in order to do that, he had to join the Nazi party. So there are all these complicated themes of guilt and survival, and what you do to get along and live your life in a society that is going insane—and then, how does a family come out of that? It wasn’t her generation and it wasn’t her parent’s generation. This goes back several generations and yet, she had this sense of responsibility, the sense that her family had not done right and she needed to explore that.

Reading about this book has brought me in contact with a German word for a concept we don’t have a literal translation for, ‘Vergangenheitsbewältigung’: the struggle to come to terms with a difficult past. It’s interesting to see this being done at the personal level, the familial level, as well as as a society.

In publishing they talk a lot about the importance of ‘universal’ stories. But some of the books we’ve discussed are almost the opposite of that. They are very culturally specific, specific even to a single family.

Absolutely. Finally, we can look at the last book of six, Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over . It’s by Nell Painter, a former Princeton historian, and I think the title sums it up. It’s an inspiring story!

It is, but it’s also just really fun to read because she has got a great voice, you know? She has a very distinctive way of writing. Huge personality on the page. Painter was 64 and had studied art, I think, as an undergraduate, years ago, but then became a historian and put it aside.

Now in her sixties, it was not a great time to be doing something all consuming. Her parents are failing, she’s just retired from Princeton, but she decides to go to art school. There she experiences some racism, and quite a bit of ageism. But she’s very self-confident and throws herself into it, and has some pretty tough discussions about what it means to be an artist. She’s told at one point that she may become a painter , but she’ll never be an artist —and she really takes exception to that.

“Her age gives her more impetus to work hard and learn—she has less time to waste”

Her memoir is about trying something new, it’s about going a completely different direction in your life, it’s about following a passion that you’ve had but never nourished and pushing through the resistance. She’s a very lively writer. She’s not afraid of all caps, she just puts it out there, she’s smart and ebullient and funny and sharp, and we loved it for those reasons.

Having been a professional historian, and an adult with plenty of life experience, one feels that perhaps she’s better placed to consider those big questions about art.

Yes, she makes clear that her age and experience gives her perspective the younger students don’t have. Her age also gives her more impetus to work hard and learn—she has less time to waste.

But she also found the more she learned, the harder it got. At one point, one of her instructors was looking for something positive to say about her work and finally said, ‘well, you’re not afraid of paint,’ which I thought it was wonderful, because clearly she’s not afraid of anything.

The author photo that goes with this book is an exuberant picture of her standing in front of this wonderful blue and yellow and green painting that she has done, and it made me excited for the book even before I read it.

I think that’s wonderful. To tie off our discussion, I just thought I’d pose a final question: is this a good time for autobiography as a form?

Oh gosh, yes. Every year sees more and more diversity of voices. And I have to say, I’m happy that we have a diverse shortlist but that’s because these books were so good. We didn’t have any checklist that said, ‘we need a black writer, we need a Latino writer, we need an Asian writer,’ you know? It just happened that these were the great books that we all admired this year.

There’s room for so many more voices now. There’s a hunger for so many more voices now. And the form is always changing. There’s memoir in comic strip form, and memoir in poetry. Eileen Myles wrote a memoir through the observations of her dog —actually, her dead dog. There are memoirs in first person and second person and third person, and there are a lot of books that are now being marketed as hybrid fiction/memoir. Those I have a little more trouble with, because I think memoir still has to be factually true—and when you blend it with fiction, I’m enough of a journalist to say that it then becomes fiction.

But I also am willing to be open-minded and pay attention and look at what’s going on. It’s the most exciting genre, and it has been for some time. Every year there are new voices and new ways of telling stories, and I think it’s great fun.

Read more in the best books of 2019 interview series.

February 5, 2019

Five Books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. If you are the interviewee and would like to update your choice of books (or even just what you say about them) please email us at [email protected]

Laurie Hertzel

Laurie Hertzel is senior editor for books at the Minneapolis Star Tribune and is an award-winning journalist and writer of short fiction. She has an MFA in creative nonfiction from Queens University, teaches memoir writing at the Loft Literary Center, and serves as autobiography chair of the National Book Critics Circle board.

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Success Mindset

15 best autobiographies everyone should read at least once.

Autobiographies of famous people might be more of a self-help book than a simple account of someone’s life. There are times in our lives when we lose our focus and  feel overwhelmed in life . Getting inspired by real-life stories from some of the best autobiographies can really motivate us.

Reading about other people’s diverse viewpoints and life experiences can provide us with a better perspective towards life and widen our horizon.

“Autobiography is a wound where the blood of history does not dry.” [1]

And this is right. The life lessons from these autobiographies can always inspire us to think and live differently.

15 Best Autobiographies You Need to Read

Here’re some of the best autobiographies for your perusal.

1. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin

Understand Benjamin Franklin's past even if you did not live it.

Through Writing, Franklin creates a place where his memories can live on in perpetuity, separate from his physical body, as part of collective memory.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is an intentional attempt to rewrite his past in a way that readers – including his son and American society – will understand, even if they did not fully live it.

Franklin’s lifelong pursuit of self-improvement began at a young age. Franklin’s desire for perfection led him to devise a plan to achieve it in just 13 weeks by eliminating bad habits and acquiring the 13 virtues he considered most important.

In addition, he laid out a day in which each necessary task was given the appropriate amount of time.

2. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Mandela’s struggles and feats make his autobiography one of the most inspiring ones of all time.

An excerpt from Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s Autobiography, Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom , depicts the battle for black liberation in South Africa. It is one of the best autobiographies if you are looking for inspiration.

First Black President Nelson Mandela was sworn into office on May 10, 1994, ending more than three centuries of white dominance in South Africa. In the country’s first democratic elections, his party took 252 of the 400 seats up for grabs.

The opening ceremony was held in the Union Buildings amphitheater in Pretoria, which was attended by many dignitaries and political personalities from numerous countries.

Affirming his country’s invulnerability to such oppression, Mandela greeted the assembled dignitaries with a polite bow during his speech.

As the country’s first black president, he founded democracy and vowed that no one would be discriminated against, regardless of race, color, creed, or ethnicity.

That the government will treat everyone equally and with respect was a promise he made many times again. Mandela’s struggles and feats make his account one of the most inspiring autobiographies of all time.

3. The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi

Freedom fighter and activist Mohandas Gandhi led India to independence after a long and arduous struggle.

In his book “ An Autobiography: My Life and My Experiences with the Truth ,” he recounts his experiences fighting against English colonialism and spreading his philosophy, known as “Satyagraha.”.

It is, indeed one of the most popular autobiographies through the course of education in India and many countries.

Most people can’t claim Gandhi’s level of moral and ethical commitment. Despite this, he tells us of his own mistakes and how he has grown because of them.

However, these quotations illustrate Gandhi’s devotion to doing what he believes is good, from honesty to vegetarianism, from keeping commitments to self-denial. Morality is the foundation of his worldview, including the experiments that guide his daily activities.

One can even say that in the entire list this one is one of the good autobiographies that will guide you throughout your lives.

4. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

During World War II, Anne Frank was a teenage Jewish girl who wrote a diary while her family hid from the Nazis. The Diary of a Young Girl is one of the best autobiographies of all time.

She and seven others stayed in Amsterdam’s “Secret Annex” for two years before being captured and deported to German concentration camps. In 1945, Anne died in the Bergen-Belsen detention camp.

Frank’s father was the last survivor of the family. He decided to publish Anne’s diary, which details her thoughts, feelings, and observations while hiding.

It has been a best-seller worldwide and a staple of Holocaust teaching programs for decades. Her legacy is honored by several humanitarian groups, and hers is one of the best autobiographies, read in several languages by people all around the world.

5. Chronicles, Vol 1 by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan began his incredible musical career when he landed in New York City in the early 1960s. Dylan’s own words present an intimate glimpse of Dylan’s motives, difficulties, and astonishing creativity in Chronicles, Vol 1.

On the surface, Dylan’s memoir comprises of three chapters on his childhood and youth, which are surrounded by two chapters about

Dylan’s experiences while working on two completely unappreciated albums. The literary aspect of this work is what first grabs the reader’s attention.

So it was wise to arrange the two chapters focusing on an older, more broken self between the three chapters on an artist who is still striving to find his voice, so the dreams witnessed in the latter can be seen refracted, half-lit, but are still present.

The book’s title is also relevant, as this is a work that deals a lot with debts.

6. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The poem compares the features of a caged bird and a free bird, with a focus on the caged bird. The poem opens by describing the freedom of the free bird, which can fly wherever and whenever it wants because there are no other birds to compete with.

As a metaphor for a white person, the free bird follows the tide of air movement. In the sun’s orange light, it appears to be dipping its wings. It appears to be seizing the entire sky as it soars into the air.

Angelou also published one of the most inspiring autobiographies called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . As the title of her whole backstory, it is clear that this title meant a lot to Angelou.

This is what she talked about in her autobiography. She talked about how hard it was to be a black author and poet. She thought that people didn’t hear her because of her skin color.

She thought that, in some ways, she was still being enslaved. People in Angelou’s time were free, but there were still many rules in society that made many black people not feel independent.

7. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X talks a lot about Malcolm’s experiences with racism, and “perception” is used a lot. Malcolm says that people thought of black people in a bad way when he was growing up.

There, Malcolm says that black and white people would not be able to live together in peace because of the idea of perception, which is the main reason he wants to keep them apart.

Malcolm also talks about religion in this book. Malcolm was a big fan of Islam, and he talks about religion in this text. He says Islam is better because it doesn’t support racism.

He says that “America needs to understand Islam because this is the only religion that removes race from its society.” Indeed deserving to be added to the group of truly readable and good autobiographies.

8. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

Unless it’s a sleazy tell-all, you’d better skip the details and get straight to the dirt; the best autobiographies of all time strike a balance between the charming and the indulgent.

Agatha Christie’s Autobiography isn’t a sleazy tell-all (a Dame wouldn’t say such things anyhow), but she does it with enough charm and humor to make it worthwhile.

It wasn’t published until 1977, a year after Agatha Christie’s demise at 85 years old when she penned her autobiography.

Christie is one of the world’s best-known mystery writers, yet the author remained a mystery for many fans of Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple.

Christie was a private person who rarely spoke to the media, never did interviews, and even disappeared for some time. Despite this, she had a long and successful career as a writer.

Christie fans finally had a chance to discover more about their favorite mystery author thanks to the release of one of the most inspiring autobiographies.

9. Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

Although some may disagree that Andre Agassi was the greatest tennis player of all time, it is clear the Las Vegas native was the most successful at attracting attention. The tome is one of the best autobiographies for sports fanatics all over the globe.

He first appeared on the pro tour in the 1980s, wearing a flamboyant outfit sponsored by Nike. It included stone-washed denim, skintight compression shorts called “Hot Lava,” and dark sunglasses that looked like they belonged on a roulette wheel at midnight.

Many were fooled by the granite consistency of Agassi’s game

Tennis star Andre Agassi is widely regarded as one of the greatest players.

Andre’s father, who was emotionally and physically abusive, was a driving force in Andre’s early development as a gymnast.

In the book Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi , Tennis star Andre won his first grand slam at the tender age of twenty-two, which details his sporting career and personal connections with Barbara Streisand and Brook Shields.

Andre Agassi College Prep Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, was founded due to his philanthropic endeavors, as detailed in his autobiography.

10. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Rarely has a book about writing been so simplistic, useful, and illuminating as this one has been.

Author Stephen King’s childhood and early focus on writing to tell stories are recounted in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft ‘s first chapter in one of his top autobiographies.

Readers will gain a new and often hilarious perspective on the development of a writer from the author’s vivid memories of his formative years in high school-college and the years leading up to his debut novel, Carrie.

Next, King discusses the essential tools of the writer’s profession, including how to use them to their full potential and keep them handy at all times.

Readers are taken on a journey through a wide range of topics, from plotting and character development to work habits and rejection, by the author.

It is a poignant tale of how King’s intense drive to write propelled him to recovery and brought him back to his life, which was serialized in the New Yorker to great acclaim.

11. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

A Movable Feast  is one of Ernest Hemingway’s best-known works of fiction. Mary Hemingway, the author’s widow, published the memoir after her husband’s death in the 1950s, based on entries from Hemingway’s diaries from the 1920s.

The writer and his little son, Jack, lived in Paris during this time with his first wife, Hadley.

When Ernest Hemingway was a young American writer in Paris (1921–26), with his first wife Hadley Richardson, he wrote a collection of anecdotes called A Moveable Feast.

Hemingway worked as a journalist while pursuing his dream of becoming a full-time novelist in a modest apartment on Paris’s artsy Left Bank.

Several of the artists and authors mentioned in the sketches were also American ex-pats living in Paris at Hemingway’s writings. Drawing from various perspectives, the sketches show the progression of events rather than following a strict timeline.

12. Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain

Famous American author Mark Twain shares his life story with young readers in one of his best autobiographies of all time. The Autobiography of Mark Twain , as well as insights into the mind of an author and the United States when it was young and hopeful.

The period covered by Mark Twain’s Autobiography ranges from 1835 to 1910, which is a significant one in the history of the US.

Twain’s wit and insight give readers a unique perspective on the Civil War, slavery and race relations, the settlement of the American West, globe travel in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and major literary and historical works.

Twain was widely recognized as a brilliant storyteller throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and readers eagerly awaited his memoirs.

13. I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne

Through the pages of one of his popular autobiographies, the world gets to meet Ozzy Osbourne. For the first time, Ozzy reveals the details of his life to the public. After filming a TV show, he’s now released an entire book about his family’s privacy invasion. Take a tour through the life of Ozzy Osbourne.

He recalls everything from his childhood to the present day throughout his life. I Am Ozzy is Ozzy’s way of telling you about the things that have shaped him into who he is now and the things that have made him laugh. As a result, Ozzy divided his book into two parts.

“Starting Over” is what he calls the second section of the book. But he makes an intriguing choice in how to divide up a book and name the parts. He has chapters inside each portion.” At the outset of his autobiography, he says that no one expected him to write it, yet he did.

From his working-class childhood, his decision to leave the factory job for music, how his band was formed, why he is notorious for biting off bats and fowl heads, drug and alcohol problems, near-death encounters with STDs, and the realities of becoming a grandfather.

14. Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler wrote the Mein Kampf book, which translates to “My Struggle” in English. One volume was published in 1925, followed by another in the following year. It is one of the most popular autobiographies in the world.

Being one of the best autobiographies to read, the book explains Hitler’s political theory, including his views on the state, politics, and race.

In the early 1930s, Hitler amassed a small fortune thanks to the popularity of his book, Main Kampf.

After Hitler became chancellor, the book was made required reading for most Germans, and it served as a means of spreading Nazi ideology and principles throughout the country.

For instance, the book was provided to newlywed couples by the German government as a marriage gift during Hitler’s leadership in Germany.

Additionally, it was made available to all German troops serving in the field throughout World War II. Mein Kampf had sold more than 10 million copies in Germany by the end of World War II and translated them into 11 languages.

As a picture of fascism and Nazism in Germany at the time, it is still relevant today.

15. Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama

Among other things, Barack Obama was an author before he became a politician. Dreams from My Father  is a refreshing and insightful depiction of a young man pondering the big concerns of identity and belonging.

It was an emotional journey for Obama, born to an African-American father and an American mother. When his mother’s family relocated from Kansas to Hawaii, he followed in their footsteps and grew up in Indonesia.

When he finally gets to Kenya, he faces the painful truth of his father’s death and finally makes peace with his father’s two estates.

Final Thoughts

Biographies and autobiographies can improve your life by allowing you to reading others’ words and apply their knowledge and experience to your own life.

Just let these best autobiographies mentor you. You will be able to learn valuable life lessons without having to experience the same things as these famous people.

Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com

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From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir Hardcover – October 15, 2024

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House (October 15, 2024)
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They Revolutionized Shopping, With Tea Sandwiches on the Side

In “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue,” Julie Satow celebrates the savvy leaders who made Bonwit, Bendel’s and Lord & Taylor into retail meccas of their moment.

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WHEN WOMEN RAN FIFTH AVENUE: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion, by Julie Satow

In 1980, Donald J. Trump made the front page of The New York Times after assaulting a pair of scantily clad women at a Fifth Avenue department store .

That the women were made of stone and were attached to the building of Bonwit Teller, in the process of being razed and replaced by Trump Tower , was of little comfort to the trustees at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which had been promised these Art Deco bas-relief beauties — long hovering over pedestrians, now shattered.

The sculptures’ significance was allegorical as well as architectural: Department stores, though erected mostly by men, have always been feminine domains. “The Ladies’ Paradise” is the English title of Émile Zola’s 1883 novel, set at a store modeled after Le Bon Marché, still standing in Paris despite the ravages of e-commerce. Patricia Highsmith framed her 1952 lesbian romance “The Price of Salt” at the fictional Frankenberg’s, based on Bloomingdale’s .

Now Julie Satow has written a group biography of the department-store doyennes who ran the show — and these places in their heyday really were a form of theater — for the male founders and owners whose names adorned the facades.

She nimbly braids together the stories of Hortense Odlum of Bonwit, which moved locations but basically disappeared by 2000; Geraldine Stutz of Henri Bendel, shuttered since 2019 ; and Dorothy Shaver of Lord & Taylor, which after slow decline was delivered a definitive death blow by the pandemic. Cover the stores’ coffins in the faded iconography of their shopping bags: respectively, a spray of violets , brown and white stripes and a single red rose .

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The Best New Royal Books of 2024 (So Far)

It's shaping up to be a major year for royal books, with a memoir by Kate Middleton's brother, a new biography of Anne Boleyn, and a royal cookbook by Queen Camilla's son.

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A Very Private School: A Memoir

Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, pens a memoir that focuses on his time at Maidwell Hall boarding school. "I spent five years of my childhood in this school, trying to crack the code by which it lived. Now, forty-five years on, I think I’m finally there. I’m writing this book before my memories of half a century ago tip over into that chasm of forgetfulness that shadows old age," Spencer said in a statement. More on his memoir, here.

Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII

Prince Harry wasn't the first member of the House of Windsor to write his memoirs . In fact, decades ago, the former King Edward VIII—who abdicated the throne and became the Duke of Windsor—published his memoir, A King's Story , working with ghostwriter Charles Murphy. Author Jane Marguerite Tippett discovered Murphy's notes, including an early draft of the memoir, and offers new insight into Edward and his decision to abdicate in her book Once a King . Read more about it, here.

The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy

Robert Hardman's new biography takes readers inside the first year of Charles's reign, from September 2022 to 2023. It's an "authoritative" but not authorized biography. "I've been allowed into the royal archives to look at some of the files," he told T&C . "I have been allowed to look at the details on [Queen Elizabeth's] coronation, which has been very useful in comparing it to the coronation we've just seen. I've spoken to the current Prime Minister, the previous Prime Minister. I spoke to various members of the King's family, Queen Camilla's family, staff—past and present." Those he interviewed for the book include Princess Anne and Camilla's sister Annabel Elliot. Read an interview with Robert Hardman, here.

Young Elizabeth: Elizabeth I and Her Perilous Path to the Crown

In Young Elizabeth, Nicola Tallis, a PhD-holding historian and royal expert, dives into the early life of the famed Queen Elizabeth I. "It is little wonder that to writers, historians, novelists and the like, the lure of Elizabeth is irresistible, and I am no exception," Tallis writes in the introduction. "In many ways it is surprising that my attempt to untangle part of her story has taken so long, for thanks to my mother's careful history lessons during childhood, I have been captivated by her—and surrounded by her—since I was very young." It's the first new biography of Elizabeth in over twenty years, and it focuses on her tumultuous journey to the throne—including the death of her mother, Anne Boleyn, and her imprisonment in the Tower of London after a plot to overthrow her half-sister-Mary. Consider it a must-read for anyone who is fascinated by the Tudors.

Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty

Alexander Larman's Power and Glory is a history that focuses in on the start of the new Elizabethan age, as Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI. It's actually the third book in a series focusing on the royal family: The first, The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication , goes in depth on the abdication while the second, The Windsors at War: The King, His Brother, and a Family Divided , focuses on the royal family during World War II. Power and Glory is a fitting close to the trilogy.

The Unlikely Duke

This is a royal-adjacent book, but we're counting it anyway: Harry Beaufort, the 12th Duke of Beaufort, inherited his Dukedom in 2017. His memoir, The Unlikely Duke , takes readers throughout his life, which includes people watching with Queen Elizabeth from a balcony at Windsor Castle. He was inspired to write his memoirs when on vacation in Mustique with Lady Anne Glenconner , a former lady-in-waiting for Queen Elizabeth II and close friend of Princess Margaret, who published her memoir to great success.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales: A Biography of the Future Queen

To be published August 6, 2024

Robert Jobson's new biography of Kate Middleton looks at her life from childhood through her role as Princess of Wales. "Behind that sparkling public smile is a strong-willed woman with a sharp intellect and a tenacious resolve," Jobson said in a statement when the book was announced. "Someday, this middle-class Berkshire girl, will become King William V’s consort, arguably becoming the first true queen of the people, from the people. I’m really pleased to... bring Catherine’s story to light."

The Royal Palaces: Secrets and Scandals

To be published August 20, 2024

Royal historian Kate Williams—who hosted the Secrets of the Royal Palaces TV show on PBS—teamed up with illustrator James Oses for this fun look into 30 palaces, castles, and British royal residences. She writes about famous spots like Hatfield House, where a young Elizabeth I held court before she was Queen; Glamis Castle , the inspiration for Shakespeare's Macbeth ; Frogmore House , a royal residence used by Queen Charlotte and others; and Windsor Castle , Queen Elizabeth's final residence.

Lady Pamela: My Mother's Extraordinary Years as Daughter to the Viceroy of India, Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen, and Wife of David Hicks

To be published September 3, 2024

India Hicks's new book, Lady Pamela , is a loving (and gorgeous) tribute to her beloved mother, Lady Pamela Hicks . Lady Pamela was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth; she was also the daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and a first cousin of Prince Philip, and was present for so many key moments in royal history, including Elizabeth's wedding and coronation. Per the publisher, Lady Pamela is "for lovers of history, royal watchers, and all style enthusiasts."

Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life

To be published September 26, 2024

Kate Middleton's younger brother is writing a memoir. Meet Ella , named for his beloved dog, will be published this fall. In the announcement of his memoir, James wrote, "I credit Ella to saving my life when I was eclipsed with Clinical depression, she introduced me to my wife, gave me purpose and loved me unconditionally. I know many of you have your own Ella’s [sic] or might be in need of one now and I hope this book will also help us to talk more openly about our mental health, our need for connection, and the way in which the animals that we think we are taking care are always looking after us in return." More on James Middleton's memoir, here.

Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III [A Cookbook]

To be published October 22, 2024

Queen Camilla's son, Tom Parker Bowles , is publishing a royal cookbook this year, featuring recipes from the royal kitchens. "As a food history geek, I cannot tell you how exciting it has been to write this book," Parker Bowles said in a statement. "To read original recipes in the royal archive in Windsor, and disappear into the lives and reigns (and eating habits) of sovereigns from Queen Victoria onwards. But this is not about roast cygnet, ortolans and snipe stuffed with foie gras – rather a proper cookbook, filled with recipes that I’ve loved cooking. And hope that you will too." More on Tom Parker Bowles's royal cookbook, here.

Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn

To be published November 12, 2024

A new biography of Anne Boleyn is coming this November, from historian Estelle Paranque, author of Blood, Fire & Gold: The Story of Elizabeth I & Catherine de Medici . Per the publisher, "How did this courtier's daughter become the queen of England, and what was it that really tore apart this illustrious marriage, making her the whore of England, an abandoned woman executed on the scaffold?" Paranque's Thorns, Lust, and Glory purports to have the answers—and sets out to understand the "origins of her tragic fate." Count us intrigued.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Dive into LGBTQ+ Pride Month with These 12 Books

From steamy romances to in-depth biographies to poignant memoirs, these reads will keep you turning pages.

Sophie Yarin

Did you know that the first unofficial Pride Month was celebrated in October? It was changed in 1999, when President Bill Clinton officially designated June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. June was chosen in honor of the 1969 Stonewall riots, the infamous clash that took place in New York City between gay men and the city’s vehemently antigay police force, an event largely credited with launching the gay rights movement. Today, Pride Month is celebrated from coast to coast with parades, film festivals, parties, and other joyful events. (Check out our list of local picks here. )

We’ve put together a list of a dozen books for Pride Month that captures the complex and diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ life. From a biography of a forgotten trans It Girl to a graphic memoir by a nonbinary athlete to a cheeky romance to a vampire novel (that’s right—they’re making a comeback), we’ve chosen books that should appeal to fiction and nonfiction readers alike. Read on, Terriers, and happy Pride!

A Place of Our Own: Six Spaces That Shaped Queer Women’s Culture

By june thomas (seal press, 2024).

In this ethnography, journalist June Thomas takes us to six environments where queer women have found safety, community, and fulfillment: the lesbian bar, the softball field, the rural commune, the sex toy boutique, the vacation spot, and the feminist bookstore. Thomas interviews figureheads of the lesbian and women-loving-women community, combining their perspectives with archival resources and anecdotal memories of her own. The result is a nostalgic portrait of an era before widespread inclusivity initiatives, where camaraderie and collectivity was hard won. In these stories, which pioneering lesbian cartoonist and social critic Alison Bechdel calls “riveting” and “indispensable,” a lost map is redrawn. Buy it here .

In Memoriam

By alice winn (penguin random house, 2023).

Alice Winn’s debut novel winds the clock back to the height of World War I, where boys on the cusp of manhood are swept up in the international conflict. On the English homefront, best friends Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood live in a bucolic paradise, but yearn for battlefield action. Henry is the first to enlist, and does so partially to get away from his confusing feelings for Sidney. It doesn’t help matters when Sidney joins up right beside him, amid a raft of their glory-seeking classmates. But the fight is nothing like the boys imagined, and heartbreak looms large over the trenches of Europe. A Washington Post , NPR , and New Yorker best book of 2023, In Memoriam also garnered favorable reviews from the New York Times and best-selling historical fiction author Maggie O’Farrell (Hamnet , The Marriage Portrait) .

Candy Darling: Dreamer, Icon, Superstar

By cynthia carr (farrar, straus & giroux, 2024).

Candy Darling was at once an icon, an iconoclast, and a woman ahead of her time, and this new biography by Cynthia Carr proves that the legendary trans “It Girl” still has the power to make heads turn. A muse to Andy Warhol who came to epitomize the late 1960s and early 1970s art scene in New York, Darling came from humble beginnings and led a tumultuous life as one of the very few visible trans women in American culture at the time. Her life was cut short at 29 after a battle with lymphoma, but she was immortalized by the likes of Warhol, the Velvet Underground, the Rolling Stones, and now in the pages of this highly lauded biography, which also includes 16 pages of photographs that capture her haunting beauty.

The ABCs of Queer History

By seema yasmin, illustrations by lucy kirk (workman publishing company, 2024).

A is for allies, B is for belonging, C is for celebrate, and of course, P is for pride. This picture book, from the publisher behind the ABCs of Black History , is a great way to introduce your early reader to the important moments and foundational tenets of LGBTQ+ history. With 26 pages of rhyming verse from acclaimed poet Seema Yasmin and colorful, engaging illustrations by Lucy Kirke, this little volume is a warm, informative, and charming way to introduce an inquisitive mind to the richness of the queer story in America and around the world. Don’t miss shout-outs to trailblazers like Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, and George Takei.

City of Laughter

By temim fruchter (grove atlantic, 2024).

This time-jumping debut novel has already garnered high praise from Shondaland, the Jewish Book Council, and the New York Times , which lauded its “queer sensibility and…deep understanding of Modern Orthodox Jewish tradition.” Shiva Margolin, a young woman in the middle of grieving her father’s death and the end of her first queer relationship, takes the opportunity to travel to Ropshitz, Poland, to explore her family’s mysterious history. Meanwhile, in 18th century Ropshitz, a badchan (a Yiddish holy fool) receives a visit from a mysterious stranger. In a story that weaves together past and present, mirth and sorrow, history and folklore, there’s no way you won’t come away moved by City of Laughter .

Crooked Teeth: A Queer Syrian Refugee Memoir

By danny ramadan (viking, 2024).

The first thing Danny Ramadan acknowledges in his earth-shattering book is that “[w]riting this memoir is a betrayal.” Up until Crooked Teeth , Ramadan has trafficked mainly in fiction, but his decision to excavate a painful, harrowing past has made for one of the most gripping memoirs of the year. From Damascus to Cairo to Beirut to Canada, the author has struggled with shifting political sands (including the 2011 Arab Spring protests) and a constant search to find safety and community with fellow LGBTQ+ people in the Middle East. It’s a story that pulls no punches, but also spares no opportunity for celebration and overwhelming love. It’s a complicated picture, but one where Ramadan emerges triumphant.

A Little Kissing Between Friends

By chencia c. higgins (carina press, 2024).

This torrid romance homes in on Cyn Tha Starr, a music producer and romantic cat about town, and her best friend and muse Juleesa, aka Jucee, a stripclub dancer. A recent fling of Cyn’s winds up bringing Jucee and Cyn closer than they’ve ever been—which comes with its usual litany of complications. Can they keep their lives in order while exploring a friendship with benefits, or will it all fall to pieces? Or could it turn into love? From the author of D’Vaughan and Kris Plan A Wedding (“Triumphantly Black, queer and contemporary,” according to the New York Times ) comes a new sizzling summer read.

by Thomas Grattan (MCD Books, 2024)

In 2001, young Gordon leaves his Minnesota home for New York City in search of a strong queer community. As a broke newcomer, he quickly picks up a gig walking dogs, which is how he meets Phillip and Nicola, a well-heeled Manhattan couple. The boundaries of employer and employee begin to blur and distort, and our striving antihero winds up eschewing his morals for a chance at the beautiful life. Named a Most Anticipated Book by Time and Bloomberg , as well as a RuPaul’s book club pick for June, In Tongues is called an “elegy for every gay reader rejected by a parent” by the New York Times. Think a lurid Brideshead Revisited , shot through with a queasy nostalgia for something you didn’t really miss.

Middle Distance: A Graphic Memoir

By mylo choy (selfmadehero, 2023).

Another recent addition to the burgeoning graphic memoir genre, Mylo Choy’s poignant autobiography pairs charming black-and-white illustrations with a meditation on bodies and the freedom afforded by physical exertion. The author, a nonbinary individual, has a complicated experience with their body, but they know one thing for sure: it was born to run. Running helps them grow as a person, become stronger, and learn to care for themselves. Not your average sports memoir, Choy’s reflections reveal a practiced and nuanced balance between vulnerability and strength, growth and fear.

Out in the World: An LGBTQIA+ (and Friends!) Travel Guide to More Than 100 Destinations Around the World

By amy b. scher and mark jason williams (national geographic, 2024).

Created by two longtime travel journalists, this travel guide combines practical tips and fun suggestions to help LGBTQ+ travelers make the most of their vacations. Featured locations include hidden gems and historically inclusive communities like Ojai, Calif., and Eureka Springs, Ark. You can also check out itineraries to more exotic locales, like the beaches of Curaçao and the meadows of England’s Cotswolds, as well as curated lists of the best haunted, boozy, or romantic spots around. Don’t forget to check out all the tips and tricks related to local customs and traditions, because it’s best to travel safe, smart, and in style.

Now, Conjurers

By freddie kölsch (union square & co., 2024).

It’s fall 1999, and Nesbit Nuñez has just discovered something really disturbing hidden in the woods: the half-eaten corpse of his town’s star quarterback, who’s secretly a witch—and Nesbit’s boyfriend. Nesbit and the rest of his coven are ready for revenge, and they vow to find whoever was responsible for slaying one of their own, but they have no idea who their friend was contending with, or what’s in store for them. Named a favorite new young adult read by Kirkus Reviews , School Library Journal , Publishers Weekly , and Booklist , Now, Conjurers will give you the creeps, make you laugh out loud, and maybe even shed a tear.

by Marina Yuszczuk, translated by Heather Cleary (Dutton, 2024)

Not a YA fan, but still want a macabre tale of the occult? Thirst is for you. Yuszczuk’s novel begins with a vampire’s arrival in the New World, leaving behind her European homeland and all its bloody revelry. It’s the 19th century and yellow fever runs rampant in Argentina, her new home. Survival, even for the undead, is of utmost importance. Needless to say, she succeeds, only to meet a human woman in present-day Argentina and fall in love. Cited by the New York Times for her “lush, lyrical” revival of the vampire novel, Yuszczuk (and translator Heather Cleary) have cleared the path for a new feminist era of vampire fic with this sophomore novel.

Have a favorite new LGBTQIA+ book that’s not on our list? Add it in the comment section below.

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Associate Editor, BU Today; Managing Editor Bostonia

Sophie Yarin is a BU Today associate editor and Bostonia managing editor. She graduated from Emerson College's journalism program and has experience in digital and print publications as a hybrid writer/editor. A lifelong fan of local art and music, she's constantly on the hunt for stories that shine light on Boston's unique creative communities. She lives in Jamaica Plain with her partner and their cats, Ringo and Xerxes, but she’s usually out getting iced coffee. Profile

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