Best Memoirs 2024
Booklovers everywhere will rejoice in Barnes & Noble’s lineup of the Best Memoirs of 2024. From personal narratives of empowerment to shocking survival stories and powerful self-reflections, these biographies and memoirs are some of the most compelling books we’ve read this year. Whether you read memoirs to learn something new, find inspiration or to simply get to know interesting people on a deeper level, these top biographies of the year will deliver.
Fostering a deep connection with their readers, memoirs and biographies tell real stories that push us intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. From long-awaited memoirs like Be Ready When Luck Happens , an inspiring, heartfelt and intimate personal narrative chronicling the life of the one and only Ina Garten, to An Unfinished Love Story , a biographical bestseller from America’s favorite historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, these are the new biographies that left a mark this year.
The National Book Award Finalist, Knife , is a moving story of Salmon Rushdie’s near-death experience. No one — including the author himself — knew if he would survive the shocking 2022 attempt on his life, and here he tells the unforgettable (and life-affirming) story as only he can. Despite sustaining multiple stab wounds, Rushdie’s resilience shines through in this literary work that’s one of the best memoirs of 2024 and beyond. Another brilliant book about a brush with death is Sebastian Junger’s In My Time of Dying . The bestselling author relates his own harrowing journey to answer his questions about death and dying in this deeply personal memoir.
For animal lovers, My Beloved Monster is a heartwarming memoir like no other. Built around the human-feline connection, this is more than just a cat memoir. It’s the deeply personal story of trauma, illness and aging in both a human and a cat, and how the two find peace and harmony in each other. An instant bestseller, this book is not to be missed. On the other hand, A Walk in the Park makes for a fascinating read for any nature lover. An ode to nature and the American wilderness that is equal parts personal journey, travelogue and survival story, this is an inspired look at our beautiful world and where we fit in it.
Foodies might enjoy books that blend delicious eats with storytelling. Best read with snacks, Bite by Bite , is the new essay collection from Aimee Nezhukumatathil that will take you on a food tasting adventure around the world. Stanley Tucci’s What I Ate in One Year is another favorite in the food lover’s space. With his immediately identifiable voice, Stanley Tucci walks us through a year of eating and the life, loss and memories that orbit each meal.
Music and basketball and great Ohioans are just the start. In his powerfully moving memoir, There's Always This Year , MacArthur Genius Grant winner Abdurraqib plays with time and memory, intimacy and vulnerability, going away and coming home — and leaves everything on the court. One of the top memoirs of the year, this a great book for anyone who loves basketball or inspirational stories.
