Memoirs are hands down my favourite genre. Intimate, revealing, and full of wisdom, memoirs are where the knitty-gritty of the human experience is laid out on paper; it’s edited, re-arranged, and patched together to create the story the author wants to tell, making both the creation and consumption of memoir an act of healing. Is there anything more beautiful than that?
- Becoming By Michelle Obama
Read this if . . . you want a peek into the life of this former first lady (she’s just as smart and educated as her husband!) and to learn about the effects of systemic racism in America today.
- Miracle in the Andes By Nanda Parrado with Vince Rause
Read this if . . . you need a reminder about the power of hope, the importance of family, and the strength of the human spirit (cannibalism is actually the least interesting aspect of this story).
- The Shift By Theresa Brown, RN
Read this if . . . you’re into beautiful writing (Brown was an English professor before becoming a nurse) and want a glimpse into the constant and exhausting work of being a nurse.
- Confessions of a Funeral Director By Caleb Wilde
Read this if . . . you want to discover how to lead a fuller life (I know that sounds counterintuitive, but trust me on this one).
- High Achiever By Tiffany Jenkins
Read this if . . . you want to understand the desperation and manipulation and deception that results from addiction.
- Maybe You Should Talk to Someone By Lori Gottleib
Read this if . . . you want to laugh, cry, and scream as you learn about the world of therapy (and our shared humanity) through the eyes of a therapist who starts attending sessions herself.
- What The Psychic Told The Pilgrim By Jane Christmas
Read this if . . . you need to be reminded of the importance of just putting one foot in front of the other on any journey.
- Working Stiff By Judy Melnek, MD
Read this if . . . you want to know what the heck goes on at a medical examiner’s office, and what it was like working in NYC at the time of 9/11.
