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50 of the Greatest Memoirs Ever Written

Memoirs tell a story from someone's life, but the best ones are able to transcend just being about one person's experience to relate something that not only entertains, but deeply resonates with readers. Sometimes these stories are hilarious, heartbreaking, horrifying, or a combination of all three. Check out our list of essentials to make your memoir collection complete.
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Out of Africa (Isak Dinesen)
Out of Africa
1
Isak Dinesen
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
2
Dave Eggers
Hillbilly Elegy (JD Vance)
Hillbilly Elegy
3
JD Vance
A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway)
A Moveable Feast
4
Ernest Hemingway
Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer)
Into Thin Air
5
Jon Krakauer
I Am Malala (Malala Yousafzai)
I Am Malala
6
Malala Yousafzai
Black Boy (Richard Wright)
Black Boy
7
Richard Wright
Fun Home (Alison Bechdel)
Fun Home
8
Alison Bechdel
I Feel Bad About My Neck (Ephron)
I Feel Bad About My Neck
9
Ephron
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
10
Maya Angelou
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Jean-Dominique Bauby)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
11
Jean-Dominique Bauby
My Life in France
My Life in France
12
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) (Mindy Kaling)
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
13
Mindy Kaling
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Anthony Bourdain)
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
14
Anthony Bourdain
On Writing (Stephen King)
On Writing
15
Stephen King
Tales of a Female Nomad (Rita Golden Gelman)
Tales of a Female Nomad
16
Rita Golden Gelman
Born Standing Up
Born Standing Up
17
Dreams From My Father (Barack Obama)
Dreams From My Father
18
Barack Obama
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir (Jenny Lawson)
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
19
Jenny Lawson
Running With Scissors (Augusten Burroughs)
Running With Scissors
20
Augusten Burroughs
Down and Out in Paris and London (George Orwell)
Down and Out in Paris and London
21
George Orwell
Wild (Cheryl Strayed)
Wild
22
Cheryl Strayed
Adrift: Seventy Six Days Lost at Sea (Steven Callahan)
Adrift: Seventy Six Days Lost at Sea
23
Steven Callahan
Drinking: A Love Story
Drinking: A Love Story
24
A Walk in the Woods (Bill Bryson)
A Walk in the Woods
25
Bill Bryson
Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)
Eat Pray Love
26
Elizabeth Gilbert
When Breath Becomes Air (Paul Kalanithi)
When Breath Becomes Air
27
Paul Kalanithi
Love Warrior (Melton)
Love Warrior
28
Melton
Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)
Angela's Ashes
29
Frank McCourt
The Liars' Club: A Memoir (Mary Karr)
The Liars' Club: A Memoir
30
Mary Karr
The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
The Diary of a Young Girl
31
Anne Frank
Brain on Fire (Susannah Cahalan)
Brain on Fire
32
Susannah Cahalan
Me Talk Pretty One Day (David Sedaris)
Me Talk Pretty One Day
33
David Sedaris
Bossypants (Tina Fey)
Bossypants
34
Tina Fey
The Year of Magical Thinking (Joan Didion)
The Year of Magical Thinking
35
Joan Didion
The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls)
The Glass Castle
36
Jeannette Walls
Coming Clean (Miller)
Coming Clean
37
Miller
Traveling Mercies (Anne Lamott)
Traveling Mercies
38
Anne Lamott
The Memory Palace (Mira Bartok)
The Memory Palace
39
Mira Bartok
Reading Lolita in Tehran (Azar Nafisi)
Reading Lolita in Tehran
40
Azar Nafisi
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