So, You Want to Read a Memoir?
Has anyone ever told you to try and take a walk in someone else’s shoes? We’re very pleased to tell you: now you can! Drop your roommate’s cruddy old sneakers and take a trip through a few of our favorite memoir recommendations. Memoirs provide us with the unique ability to see the world through someone else’s eyes for a while and live out lives we never could have imagined. They give us the ability to gain empathy and understanding for people unlike ourselves and can even teach us about historical events. Grow your understanding of the world around you and get even smarter through reading these incredible stories.
Classics
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
By
Maya Angelou
Foreword by
Oprah Winfrey
In Stock Online
Paperback $18.00
Beautiful, brutal, and often banned – this modern classic gives an unflinching view of a childhood rooted in pain that flowers into a tale of redemption and hope.
Beautiful, brutal, and often banned – this modern classic gives an unflinching view of a childhood rooted in pain that flowers into a tale of redemption and hope.
The Liars' Club (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
The Liars' Club (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
By
Mary Karr
Foreword by
Lena Dunham
Illustrator
Brian Rea
In Stock Online
Paperback $18.00
Bestselling, award-winning author Mary Karr’s remarkable memoir Liars’ Club chronicles her childhood in a small Texas town, giving the world an instant classic. Required reading for those of us who, no matter how old, constantly feel like we’re coming of age.
Bestselling, award-winning author Mary Karr’s remarkable memoir Liars’ Club chronicles her childhood in a small Texas town, giving the world an instant classic. Required reading for those of us who, no matter how old, constantly feel like we’re coming of age.
The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition
The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition
By
Anne Frank
Editor
Otto M. Frank
,
Mirjam Pressler
Translator
Susan Massotty
Introduction
Nadia Murad
In Stock Online
Paperback $14.00
The Diary of a Young Girl is an intimate account of the Holocaust and the unbreakable spirit of a young girl forced into hiding. A difficult but necessary read, this diary illustrates the life of a brilliant girl whose life was taken too soon.
The Diary of a Young Girl is an intimate account of the Holocaust and the unbreakable spirit of a young girl forced into hiding. A difficult but necessary read, this diary illustrates the life of a brilliant girl whose life was taken too soon.
Entertainment
I'm Glad My Mom Died
I'm Glad My Mom Died
In Stock Online
Hardcover $27.99
Readers get the chance to learn how “the industry” really works, as Jennette describes what it’s like as a child star, further fueling the narrative around how victimizing Hollywood can be. Jennette is direct, honest and hilarious, and despite it all, delivers an inspiring story of resilience and recovery.
Readers get the chance to learn how “the industry” really works, as Jennette describes what it’s like as a child star, further fueling the narrative around how victimizing Hollywood can be. Jennette is direct, honest and hilarious, and despite it all, delivers an inspiring story of resilience and recovery.
Crying in H Mart
Crying in H Mart
In Stock Online
Paperback $17.00
If you’re not familiar with the name Michelle Zauner, you may recognize her band, Japanese Breakfast. Zauner is a singer, songwriter and author, and this former B&N Monthly Pick title follows her rebellious youth while trying to reconcile her Asian heritage in a very white Eugene, Oregon
If you’re not familiar with the name Michelle Zauner, you may recognize her band, Japanese Breakfast. Zauner is a singer, songwriter and author, and this former B&N Monthly Pick title follows her rebellious youth while trying to reconcile her Asian heritage in a very white Eugene, Oregon
Greenlights
Greenlights
In Stock Online
Hardcover $30.00
Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey’s first memoir is a lot like his filmography. The kind of book that teaches us about all of life’s intricacies; learn to seize the day and move through life with Matthew’s musings.
Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey’s first memoir is a lot like his filmography. The kind of book that teaches us about all of life’s intricacies; learn to seize the day and move through life with Matthew’s musings.
Graphic Narratives
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
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Paperback $18.99
Heartbreaking and hopeful, funny and introspective, Alison Bechdel sees life through a unique lens. From the family funeral home business to big questions about life and love, Fun Home will leave you with a bittersweet ache in your heart.
Heartbreaking and hopeful, funny and introspective, Alison Bechdel sees life through a unique lens. From the family funeral home business to big questions about life and love, Fun Home will leave you with a bittersweet ache in your heart.
March: Book One
March: Book One
By
John Lewis
,
Andrew Aydin
Illustrator
Nate Powell
In Stock Online
Paperback $14.95
A stunning work of illustrated nonfiction, this is the first in a trilogy detailing the remarkable and inspiring life of John Lewis, a United States Congressman who was instrumental in the Civil Rights movement. This is a sweeping narrative, rippling with modern-day impact, and it is masterfully told.
A stunning work of illustrated nonfiction, this is the first in a trilogy detailing the remarkable and inspiring life of John Lewis, a United States Congressman who was instrumental in the Civil Rights movement. This is a sweeping narrative, rippling with modern-day impact, and it is masterfully told.
Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir
Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir
By Tessa Hulls
In Stock Online
Hardcover $40.00
The age of profound literary graphic narratives is upon us, and Tessa Hulls joins the ranks with Feeding Ghosts, a richly woven and visually stunning graphic memoir about three generations of Chinese women. Exploring themes of grief, trauma and familial love, this is a resounding success.
The age of profound literary graphic narratives is upon us, and Tessa Hulls joins the ranks with Feeding Ghosts, a richly woven and visually stunning graphic memoir about three generations of Chinese women. Exploring themes of grief, trauma and familial love, this is a resounding success.
Contemporaries
How to Say Babylon: A Memoir
How to Say Babylon: A Memoir
In Stock Online
Paperback $18.99
Fans of Educated by Tara Westover, we have your next favorite read. A poetic memoir from a writer you’ll be hearing more from, Safiya Sinclair writes about growing up as a Rastafari woman in Jamaica and how words and writing empowered her.
Fans of Educated by Tara Westover, we have your next favorite read. A poetic memoir from a writer you’ll be hearing more from, Safiya Sinclair writes about growing up as a Rastafari woman in Jamaica and how words and writing empowered her.
My Broken Language
My Broken Language
In Stock Online
Paperback $19.99
Lush language and stunning storytelling, Quiara Alegría Hudes’ memoir is an ode to music, love, home, and family. These pages sing with Hudes’ adoration of her heritage and her journey to becoming an artist.
Lush language and stunning storytelling, Quiara Alegría Hudes’ memoir is an ode to music, love, home, and family. These pages sing with Hudes’ adoration of her heritage and her journey to becoming an artist.
The Year of Magical Thinking (National Book Award Winner)
The Year of Magical Thinking (National Book Award Winner)
By Joan Didion
In Stock Online
Paperback $18.00
Who are we without the people we love most? Acclaimed writer Didion garnered a huge new audience with this grief memoir, written in the wake of the death of her husband and hospitalization of their daughter.
Who are we without the people we love most? Acclaimed writer Didion garnered a huge new audience with this grief memoir, written in the wake of the death of her husband and hospitalization of their daughter.
In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife
In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife
In Stock Online
Hardcover $27.99
Bestselling author Sebastian Junger relates his own harrowing journey to answer his questions about death and dying in this deeply personal memoir.
Bestselling author Sebastian Junger relates his own harrowing journey to answer his questions about death and dying in this deeply personal memoir.
Did I Ever Tell You?: A Memoir
Did I Ever Tell You?: A Memoir
In Stock Online
Hardcover $28.99
Genevieve Kingston’s remarkable memoir — as heartbreaking as it is hopeful — is an intimate and compelling story of grief and love, family, and the reverberating impact of what we leave behind.
Genevieve Kingston’s remarkable memoir — as heartbreaking as it is hopeful — is an intimate and compelling story of grief and love, family, and the reverberating impact of what we leave behind.