5 Powerful Memoirs That Read Like Novels

Yes, these are the ones you’ll keep recommending.

There’s something uniquely powerful about a memoir.

Different from reading a biography, a memoir invites you into the author’s life, raw and unfiltered like you are a friend they need to share with. They are often full of pain, resilience, transformation, and quiet truths that come to life on the page.

I’ve always been drawn to stories that aren’t just told, but lived in this way rather than non-fiction in the form of textbooks. Those just don’t hit the same. Don’t get me wrong. Memoirs don’t just entertain, but they unsettle, illuminate, and ultimately, linger.

Memoirs remind me that behind every passing face is a history we’ll never fully know, unless someone decides to share it.

If you’re looking for memoirs that cut deep, stay with you, and maybe even shift the way you see your own story, here are five that I recommend without hesitation. Each one has moved me in a different way, and I hope they do the same for you.

You’ll have to tell me the moment you read any.

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The Glass Eye by Jeannie Vanasco

This is such an under-rated memoir! More people need to read this memoir.

A meditation on grief, obsession, and the slippery terrain of memory, The Glass Eye is a memoir that reads like both a literary masterpiece as well as a conversation with a friend you know you can share anything and everything with.

Vanasco explores creativity, writing, mental health, and the life and death of her father and the strange truth that she was named after his dead daughter and a sister she never met.

It’s real and stunning in the best way that draws you in and won’t let go. In fact, I went into how much I loved this book when I used to have a blogspot blog many many years ago and somehow the post got back to Jeannie Vanasco. She then read all about me gushing over her memoir and emailed me to thank me. Kind of a starstruck moment.

Similar to the next memoir I absolutely loved…

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

Are we shocked this one made it to the list after I talk about it at all points whenever I can?

You shouldn’t be.

“I concentrate on what's in front of me, and work hard, because I love what I do, and I have fun doing it; and then I leave the door open, so I'll be ready when the luck happens.”
― Ina Garten, Be Ready When the Luck Happens

Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, gives us a warm, thoughtful memoir that’s about much more than food. From her time working in government to becoming a Food Network icon that we all know through her everyday recipes anyone can take a tip from, Garten reflects on saying yes to opportunities and learning by doing. This includes flying a plane, working in DC along the line, and opening up a specialty food store in the Hamptons!

I know, wild stories to be told and read here. Which is why you must read it.

It’s comforting, inspiring, and full of that signature Ina charm.

Bonus: There’s plenty of behind the scenes fun for longtime fans and as well as those looking for a new brownie recipe.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont

This classic memoir from Anne Lamont is technically a writing guide, but it’s also a brilliant memoir in disguise which made me read it. Not sure I would’ve had it just been a guide telling me what to do even if I am a writer.

With her trademark wit and emotional honesty about the craft, Lamott shares the lessons she’s learned not just about writing, but about being human.

Whether you're a writer, a reader, or just trying to keep it together, Bird by Bird is like a wise friend who makes you laugh through the chaos.

“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”
― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird