The best can make you laugh, cry, think and yearn to explore new ideas. I thought I was pretty well-read when it comes to this genre, but as I put together this list of 100 must-read memoirs, I realized the explosion of the genre of late has left me with a lot of catching up to do. Corn-Fed: Cul-de-sacs, Keg Stands, and Coming of Age in the Midwest, Melanie LaForce (2018).
Fans enjoy watching their favorite celebrities from the front page of magazines or other media, hoping to catch a glimpse of their daily lives. For some, it’s confirmation that the rich and famous are just like us; they go grocery shopping, pick up coffee and take their kids to the park.
Perhaps more interesting, is to learn about their childhoods, how they got to the position they’re in now and the drama and relationships that have shaped them.
Clean up memory dumps. Many celebrities have taken the time to write or co-write their memoir, giving fans the often surprising and interesting scoop into their private lives.
These memoirs are popular and have topped Best Sellers lists over the years. Check out some of the top 12 best-selling celebrity memoirs of all time.
12 Becoming by Michelle Obama
During her time as first lady of the White House, Obama connected with millions and made an impact with the world, preaching women empowerment and healthy lifestyles, all while parenting two pre-teens and partnering with the then President of the United States. It’s not a surprise that Becoming became one of the best-selling memoirs ever published according to Best Life. Learn about Obama’s childhood, growing up on the south side of Chicago, to earning her law degree, to leading the world as a political icon.
11 Bossypants by Tina Fey
The movie star and comedian held the attention of men and women as a star on Saturday Night Live and subsequent award-winning television series, 30 Rock. Her best-selling memoir, according to Cosmopolitan, centered on women succeeding in a world built for men. Fey shares her childhood memories and the beginning days of improv at various comedy clubs around the country to finally, her launch into stardom. She shares the humorous side to parenting and behind-the-scenes details of a woman in comedy.
10 Me by Katharine Hepburn
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Unlike many young celebrities today, the iconic movie star didn’t release a memoir until 1991 at 84- years- old. Nearest red post box. Hepburn had 12 Academy Award nominations, earned four Oscars and a lifetime of public relationships. The outspoken actress was just as frank about the details of her life as she was on the big screen. Most notably, Hepburn doesn’t hold anything back on her secret relationship with Spencer Tracy.
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9 Me by Elton John
The legendary musician released his memoir in 2019. John reveals personal details about his childhood in London, facts about various relationships over the years and doesn’t shy away from detailing scenes of sex, drugs and suicide attempts before reaching worldwide icon status.
8 Just Kids by Patti Smith
Winner of the 2010 National Book Award, the punk rocker of the mid-70’s details her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe over the course of 20 years and how she rose to fame in New York City’s punk scene.
7 I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
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She wrote and directed some of the all-time classics, including When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle but prior to making award-winning films, Ephron was a journalist for Esquire magazine. The 2006 memoir shares details of Ephron’s career, her observations as a woman in the industry and growing older.
6 I.M. by Isaac Mizrahi
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The fashion designer rose to fame in the late 80’s, when he took home the Best Newcomer Award and Best Women’s Designer Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Fans watched as he became the face of Target ads, offered expert device in a series of reality shows and launched clothing lines people flocked to purchase. His memoir shares details of the young Jewish boy from Brooklyn to the runways of Paris.
5 In Pieces by Sally Field
Field reportedly wrote her memoir without the assistance of a ghostwriter and fans can relate all the more. She talks about a lifetime of loneliness and insecurity, a childhood riddled with sexual abuse and the path that launched her into stardom. Field includes her relationship with Burt Reynolds and of course, her long and successful Hollywood career.
4 Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
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The late Star Wars icon wrote three memoirs: Wishful Drinking, Postcards From the Edge and The Princess Diarist. The 2008 memoir was the first for Fisher and details her struggles with addiction, her marriage to Paul Simon and her time making the original Star Wars series.
3 My Life in France by Julia Child
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Best Selling Memoir Of All Time 2019
Child’s fame has been played out in novels and movies over the years. You may think you already know everything there is to know about the iconic chef, but nothing compares to hearing her own account of the woman who left her career in U.S. military intelligence to become a world-famous chef. She recounts the establishment of an American cooking school, her legendary cookbook and her rise to fame in television and more.
2 Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox
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We watched the popular sitcom and movie star for years as he rose to stardom in Family Ties and Back to the Future and then fans were shocked to learn of Fox’s 1998 diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. Since then, Fox’s focus has left Hollywood and moved to more pressing research and information to cure the disease that affects millions each year. However, the memoir details Fox’s life, not his diagnosis, and walks fans through his rise to fame.
1 Life by Keith Richards
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Best-selling Book Of All Time Bible
The memoir begins with Richards sitting in a London flat with Mick Jagger and Brian Jones, when three young men shared the love of music and a dream. While fans may not think of Richards as an elegant truth teller, according to Vogue, the novel is straightforward, exciting, glamorous and heartfelt. The No. 1 bestseller is a story of the formation of the iconic band The Rolling Stones, the fame, the addiction, the falling apart and the reunion.
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Sources: Best Life , Vogue, Cosmopolitan
Best Selling Memoir Of All Time New York Times
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Top Selling Memoirs
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