I’m a little bit dark and twisty. I love Intervention, Law & Order: SVU, and memoirs by people who have lived through unbearable heartbreak, addiction, mental illnesses and just down right unimaginable circumstances.
It’s not that I love the drama and despair, it’s more so that I am fascinated by the courage and perseverance that these stories illuminate.
My love of memoirs all started with Happens Every Day: An All Too True Story by Isabelle Gillies and I have been hooked ever since. After absolutely devouring two books on my latest vacation (Ghost Boy and A House in the Sky) and being “vacation book stalked” by my cousin Serena, I thought it might be worthwhile to share a list of my favourites with you.
If you are a little bit dark and twisty and love a good underdog with an insanely inspiring but often gut wrenching story, I think you just might love these too.
It should be noted that I take no responsibility for the sleepless nights you may spend unable the put these novels down. I also take no responsibility if you absolutely hate these books. Basically I take zero responsibility, you’re on your own… unless you like them and then yes, all responsibility can be back on me, you’re welcome.
Enjoy!
- Happens Every Day: An All Too True Story – Isabelle Gillies (The memoir that started it all for me.)
- A Piece of Cake: A Memoir – Cupcake Brown
- Beautiful Buttons – Cathrine Ann (Canadian!)
- Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness – Susannah Cahalan
- With or Without You: A Memoir – Domenica Ruta
- Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain – Portia de Rossi
- Lucky: A Memoir – Alice Seabold
- Through the Glass – Shannon Maroney
- Dry: A Memoir – Augusten Burroughs
- Running With Scissors: A Memoir – Augusten Burroughs
- A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir of My Father – Augusten Burroughs
- The Glass Castle: A Memoir – Jeannette Walls
- Sharp: A Memoir – David Fitzpatrick (I actually couldn’t finish the last bit of this one, it got a little too descriptive for me to handle, enter at your own risk!)
- A Stolen Life: A Memoir – Jaycee Dugard
- House Rules – Rachel Sontag
- Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir – Frank McCourt
- From This Moment On – Shania Twain (No seriously, it’s really great, I promise.)
- After Visiting Friends: A Son’s Story – Michael Hainey
- Orange is the New Black – Piper Kerman
- Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped in His Own Body – Martin Pistorius
- A House in the Sky: A Memoir – Amanda Lindhout, Sara Crobett (Canadian!)
Am I missing any of your favourites? Let me know!
