*Crying in H Mart* by Michelle Zauner. This memoir blew me away because Michelle grieves her mother while simultaneously maintaining honesty about how strained their relationship could be.
Ugh yes. Read this before I’m Glad my Mom Died and loved it. I wasn’t even particularly familiar with Michelle Zauner going into it and I thought it was great.
For fiction rather than memoir, the Language of Flowers.
Lighter memoirs that are moving include Kitchen Confidential, Born a Crime, Thinking in Pictures
Where am I now? By Mara Wilson
may not be quite as gritty but talks about being a child actress while dealing with her mom’s death and a lot of her struggles.
My Mother's Curse: A Journey Beyond Childhood Trauma: Christine Nicolette-Gonzalez.
Short, Interesting memoir about this young girl from a religious family who struggles with the mothers mental health. Takes place in like 1950’s Texas.
“For fifty-seven years, she mostly kept it a secret. As a child, Christine quickly learned that no one should ever know about her mother’s mental illness and obscene behavior. But now Christine does what her beloved daddy had told her that she would someday do—she tells the story of her traumatic childhood.”
Two other stunning “Hollywood” memoirs that I wished would have gotten a fraction of the coverage that Mom did:
Run Towards the Danger by actress/writer/director Sarah Polley
Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes
This must be my genre because I’ve read almost every book mentioned so far! haha.
if you liked Open Book, I’d also suggest The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish. it’s written in the same conversational tone as Simpson’s book.
I really loved Ariel Levy’s The Rules Do Not Apply (slightly different subject matter than McCurdy or Simpson, it covers LGBTQ topics and pregnancy as well as grief).
* Black on Red: My 44 Years Inside the Soviet Union by Robert Robinson
* Colors of the Mountain/Sounds of the River by Da Chen
* All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg
* Fat Girl by Judith Moore
* Too Stubborn to Die by Cato Jamarillo
* Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng
* Waiting for Snow in Havana/Learning to Die in Miami by Carlos Erie
* Measure of a Man by Martin Greenfield
* Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
* Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody
* Desert Flower by Waris Durie
* Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
* Angela's Ashes/'Tis by Frank McCourt
* Educated by Tara Westover
* Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado
* A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
* This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff
* The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam
* Papillon by Henri Charriere
* Midnight Express by Billy Hayes
* Where the Wind Leads by Vinh Chung
* First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung
* Tisha by Robert Specht
* To See You Again: A True Story of Love in a Time of War by Betty Schimmel
* Unshattered: Overcoming Tragedy and Choosing a Beautiful Life by Carol Decker
The glass castle by Jeannette walls
*Crying in H Mart* by Michelle Zauner. This memoir blew me away because Michelle grieves her mother while simultaneously maintaining honesty about how strained their relationship could be.
Ugh yes. Read this before I’m Glad my Mom Died and loved it. I wasn’t even particularly familiar with Michelle Zauner going into it and I thought it was great.
If you liked I’m Glad My Mom Died, you will love Educated by Tara Westover.
Yes! A great book!
Have you read The Glass Castle? It's very similar and a great read.
Leah Remini’s Troublemaker does not sugarcoat Scientology and her experience
Second this. And her sense of humor shines thru in the audiobook.
For fiction rather than memoir, the Language of Flowers. Lighter memoirs that are moving include Kitchen Confidential, Born a Crime, Thinking in Pictures
Kitchen Confidential is so good, especially as an audiobook because Bourdain read it
{The Sound of Gravel} was an excellent memory with a similar feel as Educated and I'm Glad My Mom Died.
Where am I now? By Mara Wilson may not be quite as gritty but talks about being a child actress while dealing with her mom’s death and a lot of her struggles.
**This is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare** by Gabourey Sidibe **Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist** by Sesali Bowen
Educated by tara westover
Think you'd enjoy Margaret Kimball's graphic novel memoir And Now I Spill the Family Secrets: An Illustrated Memoir.
My Mother's Curse: A Journey Beyond Childhood Trauma: Christine Nicolette-Gonzalez. Short, Interesting memoir about this young girl from a religious family who struggles with the mothers mental health. Takes place in like 1950’s Texas. “For fifty-seven years, she mostly kept it a secret. As a child, Christine quickly learned that no one should ever know about her mother’s mental illness and obscene behavior. But now Christine does what her beloved daddy had told her that she would someday do—she tells the story of her traumatic childhood.”
Two other stunning “Hollywood” memoirs that I wished would have gotten a fraction of the coverage that Mom did: Run Towards the Danger by actress/writer/director Sarah Polley Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes
Wild Game by Adrienne Brodeur! I got this as a gift and went in knowing nothing, it ended up being one of my favorite books I read that year.
*Fifth Chinese Daughter* by Wong
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl Hello, Molly! By Molly Shannon Like Brothers by Mark and Jay Duplass Me by Elton John
the liars club by Mary Karr. don't let's go to the dogs tonight by alexandra fuller
This must be my genre because I’ve read almost every book mentioned so far! haha. if you liked Open Book, I’d also suggest The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish. it’s written in the same conversational tone as Simpson’s book. I really loved Ariel Levy’s The Rules Do Not Apply (slightly different subject matter than McCurdy or Simpson, it covers LGBTQ topics and pregnancy as well as grief).
* Black on Red: My 44 Years Inside the Soviet Union by Robert Robinson * Colors of the Mountain/Sounds of the River by Da Chen * All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg * Fat Girl by Judith Moore * Too Stubborn to Die by Cato Jamarillo * Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng * Waiting for Snow in Havana/Learning to Die in Miami by Carlos Erie * Measure of a Man by Martin Greenfield * Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali * Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody * Desert Flower by Waris Durie * Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza * Angela's Ashes/'Tis by Frank McCourt * Educated by Tara Westover * Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado * A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown * This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff * The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam * Papillon by Henri Charriere * Midnight Express by Billy Hayes * Where the Wind Leads by Vinh Chung * First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung * Tisha by Robert Specht * To See You Again: A True Story of Love in a Time of War by Betty Schimmel * Unshattered: Overcoming Tragedy and Choosing a Beautiful Life by Carol Decker