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100 Must-Read Memoirs

"A great memoir takes a reader into a different world, bringing them along as the author faces struggles big and small. The best can make you laugh, cry, think and yearn to explore new ideas"
Here are Bookriot's one hundred must-read memoirs. How many have you read?
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Out of Africa (Isak Dinesen)
Out of Africa
1
Isak Dinesen
West With the Night
West With the Night
2
Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography
Dust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography
3
Night (Elie Wiesel)
Night
4
Elie Wiesel
Paper Lion (GEORGE PLIMPTON)
Paper Lion
5
GEORGE PLIMPTON
Coming of Age in Mississippi (Anne Moody)
Coming of Age in Mississippi
6
Anne Moody
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
7
Maya Angelou
Conundrum (Jan Morris)
Conundrum
8
Jan Morris
The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts
The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts
9
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
10
Girl, Interrupted (Susanna Kaysen)
Girl, Interrupted
11
Susanna Kaysen
Autobiography of a Face (Lucy Grealy)
Autobiography of a Face
12
Lucy Grealy
Dreaming (Carolyn See)
Dreaming
13
Carolyn See
The Liar's Club (Mary Karr)
The Liar's Club
14
Mary Karr
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother (James McBride)
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
15
James McBride
Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)
Angela's Ashes
16
Frank McCourt
Lucky (Alice Sebold)
Lucky
17
Alice Sebold
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
18
Dave Eggers
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Anthony Bourdain)
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
19
Anthony Bourdain
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Stephen King)
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
20
Stephen King
Me Talk Pretty One Day (David Sedaris)
Me Talk Pretty One Day
21
David Sedaris
Long Walk to Freedom (Nelson Mandela)
Long Walk to Freedom
22
Nelson Mandela
First They Killed My Father (Loung Ung)
First They Killed My Father
23
Loung Ung
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (Alexandra Fuller)
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
24
Alexandra Fuller
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders (Jennifer Finney Boylan)
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders
25
Jennifer Finney Boylan
Reading Lolita in Tehran (Azar Nafisi)
Reading Lolita in Tehran
26
Azar Nafisi
Dry (Augusten Burroughs)
Dry
27
Augusten Burroughs
Lipstick Jihad (Moaveni)
Lipstick Jihad
28
Moaveni
The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls)
The Glass Castle
29
Jeannette Walls
The Year of Magical Thinking (Joan Didion)
The Year of Magical Thinking
30
Joan Didion
Garlic and Sapphires (Ruth Reichl)
Garlic and Sapphires
31
Ruth Reichl
Jesus Land (Scheeres)
Jesus Land
32
Scheeres
Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)
Eat Pray Love
33
Elizabeth Gilbert
I Feel Bad About My Neck (Nora Ephron)
I Feel Bad About My Neck
34
Nora Ephron
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (Ishmael Beah)
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
35
Ishmael Beah
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
36
Barbara Kingsolver
Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter (Adeline Yen Mah)
Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter
37
Adeline Yen Mah
The Center Cannot Hold (Elyn Saks)
The Center Cannot Hold
38
Elyn Saks
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Jean-Dominique Bauby)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
39
Jean-Dominique Bauby
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry (Kathleen Finn)
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry
40
Kathleen Finn
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