Nothing like an A-list author to get us turning pages.
15 Celebrity Memoirs To Add To Your Must-Read List
Nothing like an A-list author to get us turning pages.
We’re christening 2023 the year of the celebrity memoir. We’ve already had some of the juiciest and most readable autobiographies from some of the most recognisable names around – from Prince Harry to Paris Hilton – and some more are on the horizon including the upcoming release from Britney Spears in October.
If you love getting the inside scoop straight from the source, celebrity memoirs are your ticket. It’s time to make yourself a tea, cosy up in your Threads and dive into these compelling reads written by some of the most famous faces on the planet.
1. Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson
From her acclaimed Netflix documentary to this memoir – which combines essays with poetry and personal photographs – Pamela Anderson has been having a year…and we are here for it! As revealed by both the documentary and this deeply personal book, the Baywatch star has been grossly mistreated by the press, and is only now beginning to claw back her agency. This memoir is a moving read and, combined with the visceral pieces of poetry, helps to give a sense of Pamela’s unique and singular mind.
2. The Woman In Me by Britney Spears
We’ll hazard a guess that no book in the world is as anticipated as Britney Spears’s memoir The Woman In Me, coming to a bookstore near you in October. There was a bidding war among publishing houses when the singer took the title to market and with good reason: this is the book that will detail, in Britney’s own words, her experience successfully fighting the conservatorship held over her for more than a decade, and emerging on the other side. This is Britney’s story, in Britney’s words, and we will be reading them.
3. Pageboy by Elliot Page
In this beautifully written and heart-wrenching memoir, actor Elliot Page details their transitioning journey. It’s a powerful read by one of our most visible transgender celebrities, and provides so much insight into Elliot’s story that goes well beyond the actor’s many acclaimed on-screen performances. A brilliant and moving read.
4. Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton
Yes, Paris Hilton’s memoir is good. Really good. Let this book serve as a reminder of the DJ slash model slash reality TV star’s perennial dry wit and her ability to tell her own story. You don’t remain at the top of the fame game for decades without being in control of that. Whether she’s writing about her lowest points or her highest ones, Paris does it all with honesty – so much so that reading it will turn even the skeptics into true Paris fans. Our favourite parts involve recounting the years spent on The Simple Life with her co-star and friend Nicole Richie.
5. Honey, Baby, Mine by Laura Dern and Diane Ladd
What a gift this book is! Comprising transcripts of conversations between mother and daughter – and famous actors – Laura Dern and Diane Ladd during long walks taken as part of treatment for Diane’s ailing health, this book is not only an insight into their relationship but an ode to mothers and daughters everywhere. Yes, they talk about famous film sets and roles, from Diane’s Oscar nominated performance in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore to Laura becoming an actor herself and working with David Lynch and Steven Spielberg. But the most moving parts are when they talk about life and love, about family, about regrets and about death. It’s a deeply touching book and beautifully put together.
6. My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
Divas unite… the one, the only Barbra Streisand is releasing her first memoir. This powerhouse singer, actor and director has lived a life. Not only is she part of the rarified EGOT winner club (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners) but she was also the first female director to receive an Oscar nomination. And we haven’t even gotten started on her iconic film roles (Funny Girl! A Star Is Born! Yentl!) or her records. We can’t even begin to imagine the stories she has heard and the scenes she has seen unfold. We’ve pre-ordered and can’t wait for this one to be released in November.
7. Spare by Prince Harry
If you can believe it, this book was only released at the start of this year. It certainly feels like it has been out for longer, given the media furore around it and choice excerpts regarding Prince Harry’s childhood, his relationship with his brother Prince William and his marriage to Meghan Markle. This book was ghostwritten by J R Moehringer, who also ghost wrote Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, and it is certainly readable, no matter what your thoughts are on the royal family. We recommend the audiobook for this one, which is read by none other than the Prince himself.
8. Down The Drain by Julia Fox
Whether you know her from her breakout role in Uncut Gems, her relationship with Kanye West, or her trendsetting style, exaggerated eyeshadow, and mastery of social media, Julia Fox has established herself as someone to watch these past few years. Renowned for being unabashedly and unapologetically herself, Fox has lived quite the life to get to where she is today. In this insightful memoir, she tells heartbreaking tales of her past, where she struggled with addiction, crime, and the hustle and bustle of New York City.
9. Taste by Stanley Tucci
First, he shared with us the magic of the meals he grew up eating in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now actor Stanley Tucci is taking us beyond these recipes and into the compelling stories behind them with Taste: My Life Through Food. Taste is a deliciously funny amalgamation of Tucci’s life experiences, through the lens of food. Sharing everything from five-star dining delights to inedible burnt disasters to the simple beauty of a Pasta con Aglio e Olio, this entertaining book is written for those who love dry humour, and know the power of a home-cooked meal.
10. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Don’t worry, the title shocked us too. This heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy unveils the trials and tribulations she went through as a child star on Disney in the early-to-mid 2000s. The book also delves into Jenette’s struggle with eating disorders, addiction, and her complicated relationship with her overbearing and abusive mother.
11. Becoming By Michelle Obama
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. From growing up on the South Side of Chicago, to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world's most famous address, Becoming is a deep reflection of Michelle’s life told through mesmerising storytelling.
12. Making a Scene by Constance Wu
Described as poignant, frank, and intimate by the New York Times, actor from Fresh Off the Boat and the hit film Crazy Rich Asians, Constance Wu pours out her heart and childhood experiences in her memoir Making a Scene. Recounting how she spent most of her childhood in Richmond, Virginia, suppressing her deep emotions, young Constance found an outlet through community theatre. Being the one place where her big feelings were deemed okay, acting became her refuge, and eventually her vocation.
13. Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business by Dolly Parton
Learn about the Queen of Country in this extensive photographic memoir recounting the early life of Dolly Parton. Known for gracing concert stages, movie sets, and TV screens, Miss Parton’s honest-to-God personality and unique Tennessee twang has charmed millions. In this book, Dolly tells her rags-to-riches story, while unveiling never-before-seen photos from her past.
14. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
In this collection of 18 personal stories, South African comedian Trevor Noah shares what his childhood was like during the final decade of Apartheid and beyond. With a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, Trevor spent much of his early years hiding, his existence evidence of a union that was punishable by five years in prison. Born a Crime charts the extreme measures his mother went to protect him from a government that had the power to take him away at any moment, as well as their journey to embrace their newfound freedoms once segregation was lifted in 1994.
15. Just Kids by Patti Smith
Legendary American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author Patti Smith provides a never-before-seen insight into the tumultuous life she led in the late sixties and early seventies with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Just Kids is an honest and moving story of friendship, brought to life beautifully in the same way she enlivened her visual art, music, and poetry.
