We admit it: We’ve got memoirs on our minds!
Here at KCM, there’s little that gives us more joy than truly great books. Our staff’s eclectic taste runs the gamut, but we’re always passing around an exciting title or two that we can’t stop reading.
Lately, our minds have been on memoirs — and not just because the one and only Katie has been hard at work on her own. (More on that below!) In a time when there’s so much noise clogging up our collective conversation, taking a deep dive into an intimate, personal story is one of the best ways to feel that often-elusive sense of connection with others.
With almost three-quarters of 2021 behind us (already?!), by now we’ve devoured many of the year’s best memoirs. From Sharon Stone’s no-holds-barred tales of life in Hollywood to Julianna Margulies’s insight into the pressures of personal positivity, we’ve learned so much from the fantastic writing that’s been released over the last few months.
But what about the rest of the year? There’s a ton of brand new, exciting reads headed our way this fall, and some of the best are memoirs. We’re already loving a few fresh releases that just hit shelves, like Gabrielle Union’s You Got Anything Stronger? and Tarana Burke’s Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement, but here’s a look at the best of what’s slated for the months ahead. Get into your cozy clothes and settle in — your reading list is about to get a whole lot longer!
Best Upcoming Memoirs
‘Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes’ by Phoebe Robinson
This book from 2 Dope Queens star Phoebe Robinson is technically a collection of essays, but it’s got enough hilarious (and moving) biographical content to earn its place on the memoir shelf. Mixed in with great stories about an exciting visit with Michelle Obama and going zip-lining are thoughtful explorations of big-picture societal issues, like being happily child-free in a world where motherhood is expected to be every woman’s goal. If you want to laugh, think, and then laugh some more, this one’s for you.
Available Sept. 28
‘No Cure for Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)’ by Kate Bowler
Kate Bowler calls herself an incurable optimist, but that label was put to the test when, at 35, she was hit by a devastating cancer diagnosis. In this memoir, she explores not only the fight for her life, but the way our society talks about that battle. She dives into the expansive advice industry, which makes tons of money every year by telling us “we can out-eat, out-learn, and out-perform our humanness.” If you’ve enjoyed her previous work chronicling the history of religion and how it’s marketed in America, you’ll love this thoughtful journey, too.
Available Sept. 28
‘A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries (2003-2020)’ by David Sedaris
Fans of Sedaris classics like Me Talk Pretty One Day already know what they’re in for with this one: laugh-out-loud tales deliciously spun by one of the great storytellers of our time. Sedaris’s genius skill for mining his personal life for strange and hilarious anecdotes is unmatched. In this collection, he focuses partly on our changing politics over the last several administrations, as well as the shifting ideas about what is and isn’t acceptable to say in public. But this is David Sedaris, after all, so expect some knee-slappers about his idiosyncratic family, too.
Available Oct. 5
‘Taste: My Life Through Food’ by Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci has already written a couple of top-notch cookbooks, but now he’s taking things a step further by sharing the personal stories behind his relationship with food. He writes about falling in love with his wife (Emily Blunt’s sister!) and the meals they had along the way, his New York childhood, and the behind-the-scenes stories of his most beloved food-centric films. If you were obsessed with his show Searching for Italy, you’ll definitely devour this.
Available Oct. 5
‘Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life’ by Sutton Foster
This is a story about how deeply Broadway superstar Sutton Foster loves cross-stitching and crocheting, but it’s also so much more than that. For this Tony winner, the crafts aren’t just fun — they’re also a way to deal with life’s big problems. She writes candidly about getting divorced, dealing with her agoraphobic mother, and the fertility challenges she faced before adopting her daughter. Crafting and confessions? Sign us up.
Available Oct. 12
‘Never Silent: ACT UP and My Life in Activism’ by Peter Staley
After four years of working on Wall Street while living a closeted life as a gay man, Peter Staley found himself at a massive demonstration to support the lives torn apart by the AIDS epidemic. Soon he became an integral figure with the legendary group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power), where he helped pull off incredible feats like shutting down the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to make a statement. Over time, these efforts successfully pressured the government to invest in AIDS research that ultimately saved millions of lives, and he shares the gritty details of how he did it in this chronicle of activism and advocacy.
Available Oct. 12
‘Going There’ by Katie Couric
Our fearless leader has lived quite a life, and now she’s spilling the details about what happened behind the scenes of the stories you know — and some you don’t. She shares tales from her illustrious career, including her time at the TODAY show and becoming the first solo female anchor of a primetime network newscast. She also goes there with her personal life, opening up about losing her husband, Jay, to cancer, being a mom to her two amazing daughters, and meeting Molner (our other fearless leader!). Trust us: You don’t want to miss this one.
Available Oct. 26
‘All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business’ by Mel Brooks
With 95 years of life and a whole collection of Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys under his belt, Mel Brooks is one of the defining voices in American comedy. And his time in Hollywood (making classics like The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles) is only part of his story. In this treasure trove of a memoir, Brooks shares tales of being a kid in Brooklyn during the Great Depression, serving in the Army during World War II, and his lifelong quest to make us all laugh. And if that’s not enough, how about some dishy stories of his relationships with the likes of Gene Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, and Anne Bancroft?
Available Nov. 30
