I’ve got to say, I really like how beautiful all the book covers are. I’m so used to memoirs being boring portraits or uninspired pictures, so it’s refreshing to see the creativity in these covers.
Great list! Another fascinating but little known memoir is "Riding with Reindeer: A Bicycle Odyssey through Finland, Lapland and Artic Norway" by Robert M. Goldstein. The author who was a Seattle librarian rides from the most southern part of Finland to the most northern. It's all about his experiences on the journey, the people he meets and the challenges along the way. I loved it. It is one of Nancy Pearl's recommendations.
I'm not really into memoirs but there are two who really stuck with me throughout the years: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt & The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson .. love those books so much
Adding literally all of these to my TBR. My #1 memoir rec is Know My Name by Chanel Miller if you are able to read that subject matter. Also high on the list is Crying In H Mart by Michele Zauner and What Is a Girl Worth by Rachael Denhollander
One of my favorite memoirs is from a very small indie press. It is By the Forces of Gravity by Rebecca Fish Ewan. It is about growing up in Berkeley, CA in the 70s, starting with the author as a 12 year old, essentially living without parental oversight and homeless. Her experiences are shocking, but the main focus of the book isn’t trauma, but the friendship she developed with another young girl. Told on free verse with hand drawn pictures on ever other page, it is unusual in form, but I found it very readable.
I am doing my first memoir, these videos are helping enormously, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. I am extremely nervous about the whole thing but with the help I am picking up on here, will make it so much easier and organized.
I'm new to your channel and impressed by your in-depth and comprehensible reviews! I also loved hearing about these not-so-common memoirs. Will definitely give some of those a chance. Thank you for your wonderful content ❤
Just to let you know the book you recommended in a previous video The Secret Lives of Bats is wonderful. I was able to get the book from the library and the pictures included are truly beautiful. Thank you for the recommendation.
Tranny by Laura Jane Grace is one of my favorite modern memoirs, but Living My Life by Emma Goldman and My Life by Isodara Duncan are my all-time favorites (- even if they are more autobiography than memoir.)
My favourite memoir it's: "snow leopard" The author, a renowned naturalist and writer by Peter accompanies the field biologist George Schaller on an expedition to the remote Himalayas in search of the elusive snow leopard. However, the quest for this rare creature becomes a metaphor for Matthiessen's personal quest for understanding and enlightenment. I'm surprised you don't mention it as a nature lover
I cannot help myself and must recommend two excellent memoirs: - Relish, by Lucy Knisley (about the joy of food) - Every Tool's a Hammer, by Adam Savage (about making anything)
I read Liquid Gold this weekend. Oh so wonderful!!! ❤❤❤ Would have never found it if it were not for you. It gave me such a warm fuzzy I want to bask in it for a couple of days before diving into a new book. THANK YOU Olive! ❤
I suggest "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," memoir by Sherman Alexie, about growing up on the Indian Reservation in southeast Washington state. It moved me greatly. Thanks for introducing us to your list.
I’ve only read memoirs for over a decade now and some that stayed with me were: Drinking: a love story, her friend’s memoir about their friendship, Let’s take the long way home, Wave about a psunami survivor and The Unwinding of a Miracle.
Wonderful recommendations! There is a memoir I read a while back Invisible thread by Laura Schroff, that touched me very deeply- the relationship of an executive woman in New York and an eleven years old panhandler boy!
Two great memoirs that I would recommend are Last Summer of the Drive-In Movies by Bob Gunner and Memoirs of a Bread Man by Justin John Scheck. The former is a great nostalgic trip through the 1970s as told in the perspective of a group of teenagers who are coming-of-age in Texas. The latter is a great war story as told through blue collar workers in Madison, WI at the height of the Iraq War. The main character, who was raised by his dad-a Vietnam vet-and his boss-a Marine Corps veteran from the Gulf War-tries to confront his demons and heal the wounds that haunt him. If one loves movies like The Deer Hunter, then this book would be sure to please.
My favorite memoir that I haven’t heard anyone mention is Stir: My Broken Brain And the Meals That Brought Me Home, by Jessica Fechtor ❤ Thank you for your recommendations Olive! Saving Jemima is on my want-to-read list since I first saw it recommended by you!!! It sounds beautiful ❤ I added The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater!
760 Days to Freedom: A Memoir of a Love Story Contemporary Epistolary Romance What if love letters exchanged between a young Danish woman and an Englishman in the late 1980s, having lain dormant within a trunk for over three decades, are suddenly revived? How might they choose to respond to the realities of a world that has changed so drastically? Preserving the senders’ distinctive body scents and style of their time, they bring a voice to resonate with brokenhearted souls, young and mature, who had a love that’s now departed. Yet, bringing intrigue, doubt, an implicit threat, drama, loss of control, and a modern pertinence, could they be forgotten forever? Nicholas Sparks, the author, wrote: ‘Love stories usually end tragically or, at best, on a bittersweet note.’ These letters are the proof….
I'd recommend Girl Walks Into a Bar by Rachel Dratch. Bossypants by Tina Fey was amusing, but the reader is kept at a distance from the author -- she didn't give the reader any hints of the real person. But Rachel Dratch's book is funny, yet also open and emotional. I enjoyed it much more than many other better known celebrity memoirs.
Everyone should read Maybe you should talk to someone. Fabulous thought provoking book. I think people think it’s a self help book because of the title. I really loved how Lori told her story🙌🏼
Wow! Such solid recommendations! My oldest daughter is a crafter and it helps her with anxiety. I’m curious about the Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater and the one that connects with Dolly Pardon cause I’m a huge fan of hers!😄
So many great recs!! There’s not one book here that I wouldn’t read. Plus! I read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone on your recommendation and two years later I won’t shut up about it😅
What a wonderful list, thank you for these thoughtful recommendations! I loved Liquid Gold as well as Corrections in Ink, and totally agree with your raving reviews. I recently read a fantastic memoir called Proof of Life by Daniel Levin, in which the author shares his experiences looking for a person who had gone missing in Syria in 2014. A gut-wrenching, very moving, and also inspiring book.
Yes, I have read Educated by Tara Westover. I liked it but found some portions extremely repetitive. I want to read when breath becomes air and also Bibi
Mormon life is extremely repetitive. Tara Westover gives readers a sense for how frustrating it would be to live such a repetitive life, to constantly second-guess yourself, and to constantly reprocess memories in the middle of a faith crisis.
@@abookolive I understand that this viewers perception is her own, and that's perfectly fine. I'm not one to put folks on blast on the internet. However, I do want to say that I have never felt spoken down to by you. I find your content to be some of the best on booktube, and absolutely love your videos exactly how you deliver them.
Everytime I watch her recommendation videos, I'm awestruck at how well she articulate things.
Very true
This is the first video of hers that I have seen...and I am quite thoroughly impressed with how she articulates herself. I've just subscribed.
I’ve got to say, I really like how beautiful all the book covers are. I’m so used to memoirs being boring portraits or uninspired pictures, so it’s refreshing to see the creativity in these covers.
What a goldmine this channel is. All the books I’ve been searching for and had not heard of. Thank You!
Great list! Another fascinating but little known memoir is "Riding with Reindeer: A Bicycle Odyssey through Finland, Lapland and Artic Norway" by Robert M. Goldstein. The author who was a Seattle librarian rides from the most southern part of Finland to the most northern. It's all about his experiences on the journey, the people he meets and the challenges along the way. I loved it. It is one of Nancy Pearl's recommendations.
I love memoirs and have read many however I’ve never heard of any of these. I’m so excited to check them all out. Thank you SO much.
I'm not really into memoirs but there are two who really stuck with me throughout the years: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt & The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson .. love those books so much
What a great list of memoirs. Saving Jemima, Our Last Season plus others have my attention. Thanks Olive! 😊💙
You're right. I had never heard of any of those ones. Thanks for the recommendations.
Adding literally all of these to my TBR. My #1 memoir rec is Know My Name by Chanel Miller if you are able to read that subject matter. Also high on the list is Crying In H Mart by Michele Zauner and What Is a Girl Worth by Rachael Denhollander
One of my favorite memoirs is from a very small indie press. It is By the Forces of Gravity by Rebecca Fish Ewan. It is about growing up in Berkeley, CA in the 70s, starting with the author as a 12 year old, essentially living without parental oversight and homeless. Her experiences are shocking, but the main focus of the book isn’t trauma, but the friendship she developed with another young girl. Told on free verse with hand drawn pictures on ever other page, it is unusual in form, but I found it very readable.
It sounds great! Some of the best books out there are the unusual ones, in my humble opinion 😁
Olive, Thank you for recommending The Magical Language Of Others. I am reading it right now. The writing is beautiful.❤
Hi Olive, Corrections and Inc. sounds like my type of Memoir but I also like the ones that have to do with tough mother-daughter relationships. Aloha
Memoirs are my absolute favorite kind of book to read! Bicycling with Butterflies has such a gorgeous cover and sounds interesting, to boot! :)
Olive!!! This video is perfection 🥰
I want to read all of these! Thank you!!
I picked up Our Last Season after seeing your recommendation, and I was blown away how great it was. Thank you Olive!
I am doing my first memoir, these videos are helping enormously, thank you so much for sharing your expertise. I am extremely nervous about the whole thing but with the help I am picking up on here, will make it so much easier and organized.
I'm new to your channel and impressed by your in-depth and comprehensible reviews! I also loved hearing about these not-so-common memoirs. Will definitely give some of those a chance. Thank you for your wonderful content ❤
Corrections in Ink is now added to my TBR. I love memoirs.
Just to let you know the book you recommended in a previous video The Secret Lives of Bats is wonderful. I was able to get the book from the library and the pictures included are truly beautiful. Thank you for the recommendation.
Tranny by Laura Jane Grace is one of my favorite modern memoirs, but Living My Life by Emma Goldman and My Life by Isodara Duncan are my all-time favorites (- even if they are more autobiography than memoir.)
Yes, Tranny! Beautifully written but brutal to read. (LJG superfan here! 🤩)
Saving Jemima sounds like Wesley the Owl, another brilliant book about saving an orphaned bird.
These all sound amazing! And as many memoirs as I read, I haven't heard of any of these. Thank you.
I love the way you talk and about these books! ❤
Is Saving Jemima appropriate for a 12 year old boy? He loves birds and I think he'd really love this book.
My favourite memoir it's: "snow leopard"
The author, a renowned naturalist and writer by Peter accompanies the field biologist George Schaller on an expedition to the remote Himalayas in search of the elusive snow leopard. However, the quest for this rare creature becomes a metaphor for Matthiessen's personal quest for understanding and enlightenment.
I'm surprised you don't mention it as a nature lover
I cannot help myself and must recommend two excellent memoirs:
- Relish, by Lucy Knisley (about the joy of food)
- Every Tool's a Hammer, by Adam Savage (about making anything)
Your transitions are fantastic
I read Liquid Gold this weekend. Oh so wonderful!!! ❤❤❤ Would have never found it if it were not for you. It gave me such a warm fuzzy I want to bask in it for a couple of days before diving into a new book. THANK YOU Olive! ❤
I suggest "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," memoir by Sherman Alexie, about growing up on the Indian Reservation in southeast Washington state. It moved me greatly. Thanks for introducing us to your list.
Thank you Olive for your videos and your book recommendations. I have read so many from you videos.
Has an avid viewer for several years I recognised them all 😅The Saving Jemima is still one of the most gorgeous covers I've seen.
Thank you for these recommendations! Love it!! I am looking forward to checking out a number of them, especially Saving Jemima; I am a bird lover....🐦
Thank you very much 😊
Waiting for your review on the book - Kayan Kollyn: the spiral of the ellmott & messenger of the secret
❤❤❤
Yes, love this list as memoirs are some of my favorite nonfiction reads. Definitely adding Liquid Gold t my "to read" bee/honey list.🐝
Excellent group of memoirs.I’m an avid reader of memoirs some you suggested I’ve read some I am looking forward to reading.
The Best of Us by Joyce Maynard - an incredible unsentimental, pragmatic yet heartrending story of the author’s love of her life ❤
Thank you for covering books that aren't on most lists. I definitely want to read Bicycling with Butterflies and The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater.
Happy to do so!
After watching this video ,I decided to read Saving Jemima; What an awesome read. I loved it!
So glad you liked it! Isn't her artwork gorgeous, too? 😍
@@abookolive ohw yes, photos and sketches :)
I’ve only read memoirs for over a decade now and some that stayed with me were: Drinking: a love story, her friend’s memoir about their friendship, Let’s take the long way home, Wave about a psunami survivor and The Unwinding of a Miracle.
First video of yours and I’m adding all but one to my TBR. I love a good memoir. ❤
Thanks for the recs!
Wonderful recommendations! There is a memoir I read a while back Invisible thread by Laura Schroff, that touched me very deeply- the relationship of an executive woman in New York and an eleven years old panhandler boy!
Meanwhile, you should patent that makeup look. Its so beautiful and so you!!
Im surprised The Glass Castle didnt make this list
Just thinking the same.....it was such a good, and raw read.
Two great memoirs that I would recommend are Last Summer of the Drive-In Movies by Bob Gunner and Memoirs of a Bread Man by Justin John Scheck. The former is a great nostalgic trip through the 1970s as told in the perspective of a group of teenagers who are coming-of-age in Texas. The latter is a great war story as told through blue collar workers in Madison, WI at the height of the Iraq War. The main character, who was raised by his dad-a Vietnam vet-and his boss-a Marine Corps veteran from the Gulf War-tries to confront his demons and heal the wounds that haunt him. If one loves movies like The Deer Hunter, then this book would be sure to please.
These books all sound like excellent recommendations. Thank you.
Thanks for another informative video! I’ve screen shot a few of interest to me!
I’m from east TN so Dolly & Dollywood was just a part of my childhood. I think reading that memoir would be so fun!
My favorite memoir that I haven’t heard anyone mention is Stir: My Broken Brain And the Meals That Brought Me Home, by Jessica Fechtor ❤ Thank you for your recommendations Olive! Saving Jemima is on my want-to-read list since I first saw it recommended by you!!! It sounds beautiful ❤ I added The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater!
Stir sounds so good, thanks for that recommendation!! ♥
I'm currently reading this because I heard you mention it on your channel. I love it so much!
I've added Stir to my TBR. Thanks for the rec! :)
Wow so many great recommendations here. I think Saving Jemima and Liquid Gold are must reads for me!
Love these videos as I really enjoy a non fiction read too. Thanks.
I would like to add Looking for Normal by Steve Slavin to this list. It is a memoir about autism. As someone with autism, I related to a lot of it.
760 Days to Freedom: A Memoir of a Love Story
Contemporary Epistolary Romance
What if love letters exchanged between a young Danish woman and an Englishman in the late 1980s, having lain dormant within a trunk for over three decades, are suddenly revived? How might they choose to respond to the realities of a world that has changed so drastically?
Preserving the senders’ distinctive body scents and style of their time, they bring a voice to resonate with brokenhearted souls, young and mature, who had a love that’s now departed. Yet, bringing intrigue, doubt, an implicit threat, drama, loss of control, and a modern pertinence, could they be forgotten forever?
Nicholas Sparks, the author, wrote: ‘Love stories usually end tragically or, at best, on a bittersweet note.’
These letters are the proof….
I'd recommend Girl Walks Into a Bar by Rachel Dratch. Bossypants by Tina Fey was amusing, but the reader is kept at a distance from the author -- she didn't give the reader any hints of the real person. But Rachel Dratch's book is funny, yet also open and emotional. I enjoyed it much more than many other better known celebrity memoirs.
Everyone should read Maybe you should talk to someone. Fabulous thought provoking book. I think people think it’s a self help book because of the title. I really loved how Lori told her story🙌🏼
Not the kind of books I usually read but impressed by her selections & reasoning
Wow! Such solid recommendations! My oldest daughter is a crafter and it helps her with anxiety. I’m curious about the Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater and the one that connects with Dolly Pardon cause I’m a huge fan of hers!😄
Very cool! Thank you very much!
These sound like great reads, thank you.
I have
I've had to think up a way to survive on my tbr list
So many great recs!! There’s not one book here that I wouldn’t read. Plus! I read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone on your recommendation and two years later I won’t shut up about it😅
What a wonderful list, thank you for these thoughtful recommendations! I loved Liquid Gold as well as Corrections in Ink, and totally agree with your raving reviews. I recently read a fantastic memoir called Proof of Life by Daniel Levin, in which the author shares his experiences looking for a person who had gone missing in Syria in 2014. A gut-wrenching, very moving, and also inspiring book.
great recommendations!
Yes, I have read Educated by Tara Westover. I liked it but found some portions extremely repetitive. I want to read when breath becomes air and also Bibi
I can definitely see how you felt that way!
@@abookolive do you have any recommendation for a very short memoir? Like something very short 😀
Have you read 84 Charing Cross Road? It's technically a collection of letters, but it's very short & an absolute delight!
@@abookolive No, I haven't read that book. Going to add that to the list now. Thanks a lot.
Mormon life is extremely repetitive. Tara Westover gives readers a sense for how frustrating it would be to live such a repetitive life, to constantly second-guess yourself, and to constantly reprocess memories in the middle of a faith crisis.
You should read beyond the wand by tom felton its a really good m
Great recommendations! Wrote down a few
that gives me chance to read a book to my students great ideas
Great recommendations, thank you. Best wishes from Merida México
Thanks Diana!
Would you consider reading my memoir, Not My Story to Tell?
I read this, it was excellent, very moving.
@@gloriathompson423 Thank you!
@@cathybrooks2898where did you publish
I enjoy this video very much then
I grew up on dolly and Kenny
Great 👍🏻
Dolly Parton said,"It takes a lot of money to look this cheap." Hahaha
Any gangster novels that you would suggest Olive maybe crime
i want memoirs reviewed on the basis on how trashy they are. i mean rank them with tiny dumpsters or garbage cans.
Your intro is very condescending. Don’t know if you realize how much you’re talking down to your viewers. 🙄
Could you explain what you mean? I'm not sure I understand what you're referring to.
@@abookolive I understand that this viewers perception is her own, and that's perfectly fine. I'm not one to put folks on blast on the internet. However, I do want to say that I have never felt spoken down to by you. I find your content to be some of the best on booktube, and absolutely love your videos exactly how you deliver them.
I believe its your assumption only .
I find Olive's voice very clear ,precise and easy to listen to .
Keep up the great work !!
@@stacey__withanE Agreed Stacey !
I don't know what you mean. I find Olive very educative ? educating? (English is not my first language.) I like the intro.
Great descriptions
great recs!