Up until now I had no idea, but I’ve always been drawn to memoirs. Typically, I find myself picking up the more emotional, heartbreaking, not-so-happy ones but if you know me, you know that makes sense. Looking at my shelf, I still have a handful of memoirs I read in my twenties. Was Tom Green’s memoir, Hollywood Causes Cancer, my first ever memoir? I think it might have been. (Yes, THAT Tom Green…)
Many of the memoirs I read back then were ones that had been turned into movies (I went to film school so that tracks). There were many, but a few standouts come to mind:
- Prozac Nation by Elizabth Wurtzel
- Party Monster by James St. James
- The Pianist by Władysław Szpilman
Flashforward to 2021 and if you’ve been listening to the podcast the last couple of years, you know my love of memoirs has continued. We did a whole episode on the genre and a few episodes dedicated to some of the best memoir books. Obsessed much? Maybe, but I’m okay with that.
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The Top 5 Best Memoir Books on Jette’s Shelf
It’s difficult to choose just a few great memoirs from everything that I’ve read, but if you’re going to make me decide, here are my top 5 picks in no particular order.
1. Everything is Horrible and Wonderful by Stephanie Wittels Wach
Remember how I said I like the heartbreaking, emotional stories? Well… that would be this book. I saw Wittels Wach on an episode of Seth Meyers and I knew I had to read the book. I even made it a book club book and we discussed it on a podcast episode.
This memoir takes you through the death of her brother, Harris Wittels—a writer in Hollywood. Days before her wedding, she learned he had an addiction to heroin and the story flips between the time before his death and the year after it, while Wittels Wach was sorting out her life and new family. It’s a crushing story that is told so beautifully it hurts. Or hurts even more, I should say.
2. The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton Morgan
This book has everything:
- A famous husband
- A candy store
- Animal husbandry
- Recipes
- Brutal honesty
While you do get tidbits about life on the set of One Tree Hill and living in Hollywood, the book is really about love and loss. Burton Morgan opens up about her struggles with fertility, including more than one miscarriage, as well as the troubles in her relationship and eventual marriage to Jeffrey Dean Morgan. She even shares what it is like to be alone on a farm in the Hudson Valley. Our love for Hilarie Burton Morgan only grew. I read the memoir in one sitting and it’s one of my favourite podcast episodes that we’ve done.
3. To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins
Jenkins’s memoir was another one of my book club book picks and a great podcast episode. It follows Jenkins as he rides a bicycle from Oregon to the tip of Patagonia. He lets us into his deeply personal musings on his sexuality and how it opposes his Christian beliefs.
Readers are enthralled by all of the people he meets along the way to South America. This is one of the best memoir books, because it’s about identity and travel and so much more. His way of writing is insightful and welcoming. I was lucky enough to get an early copy of his newest book, Like Streams to the Ocean, that comes out February 2, 2021. Heading back into his mind and world feels like a warm embrace.
4. Can I Say by Travis Barker
The book starts with a very graphic recount of being on fire and running from a crashed airplane about to explode. You’re immediately hooked. The author is Travis Barker—the incredibly famous drummer from Blink-182, +44, Boxcar Racer, and so on.
His memoir takes you through his life and lays everything on the line. He leaves nothing out, even if that means some unpleasant and embarrassing happenings. Whether you are a fan of his music or not, this book will take you on a journey I think everyone should go on. It will challenge everything you thought you knew about being a famous musician.
5. From the Atelier Tovar: Selected Writings of Guy Maddin
I went to film school in Winnipeg in the early 2000s and while Guy Maddin may be unknown to you – he was the true cinematic auteur of the city. My professors worked with him often and we were regaled with his genius daily. We went to film festivals to see his work. A true genius.
I will be honest – I have not finished this book. I got it when it first came out in 2003 and couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. But I couldn’t bear the thought that the book would end, so it has sat on my shelf ever since. From the Atelier Tovar includes some of Maddin’s journalism, film ideas, and spicy tidbits from his personal journals. He is a true artist and his mind is a place I will always treasure.
The Obsession with Memoirs Continues on the TBR List
Picking my top 5 memoirs was tough and the list may change as I have more waiting for me on my TBR. I am currently listening to A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost over on Libro.fm and I have Debbie Harry’s Face It waiting for me on my Kobo.
Let us know what your favourite memoirs are in the comments!
