Books most popular in the United States●Literary
Check out the latest list of books that people in the United States are enjoying the most right now. The list is ordered by popularity and the genre of the list is Biographies & Memoirs > Literary.
1. The Professor and the Madman - Simon Winchester. A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
Release date: 2009-10-13 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $11.99
2. Becoming Duchess Goldblatt - Anonymous & Duchess Goldblatt
Release date: 2020-07-07 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
3. Maybe Esther - Katja Petrowskaja & Shelley Frisch. A Family Story
Release date: 2018-01-30 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $11.99
4. Lit - Mary Karr. A Memoir
Release date: 2009-11-03 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $9.99
Comments
1. Loved every page - After reading all of Mary Karr's books I feel she's a friend of mine, quirky one that she is! We're the same age, I've lived in Houston for years so I'm pretty sure I know what city Leechfield is, and I also struggled with religion. I'm sorry there's not another memoir of hers out there. I'm going to miss her!
2016-07-182. Very Honest & Genuine Read! - I'm from west Texas and greatly enjoyed the humorous and very realistic description Karr provides to the reader. She does a marvelous job of describing the trials, tribulations, and inner thought processes that go along with being an adult child of an alcoholic, an alcoholic, single mother, financially strapped, and religiously apprehensive. I strongly recommend this book to anyone battling similar environments.
2014-10-133. You're not better'n me! - I love her honesty, humor and tell it like it is attitude. Through her honest reflections I see myself- mother, daughter, unhappy wife, career driven woman, country girl, sassy, confused, passionate, tortured, bored, and finally and most inspiring- healthy and hopeful. She is Everywoman in many ways and a unique individual you would want as your BFF.
2013-01-165. Hunger - Roxane Gay. A Memoir of (My) Body
Release date: 2017-06-13 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
Comments
1. Honest vulnerable and raw - The author is open and vulnerable which I appreciated. She talks candidly about the discrimination and cruelty she endures due to her body size. However I found her writing style to be repetitive and simple. At times it was an effective way to express herself and at other times for me it was overstated.
2023-01-212. The right side of the story - Whenever you pick up a memoir about obesity, you assume at the end the person is all triumphant and has lost x amount of weight. This story transcends that social stereotype and offers a brutally honest representation of what living as a super morbidly obese person feels like. This is what a memoir is truly about. It is different from shows you see in TV because it deals with past trauma and social contexts. It is focused on Roxane Gay (obviously), an extremely talented and prolific writer, so it is not the most relatable story, but a very necessary one. To understand someone is to better know how to understand the world we live in.
2018-05-243. Absolutely what I needed. - This book has been a wonderfully written explanation of how Roxane Gay navigated (navigates) life. She writes things that many think, or that many feel like they may be alone in thinking. It's so uplifting and wonderful to not feel alone, and to know that it's okay. Hunger is the first of its kind as it dishes brutal realities and breakdowns, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I'll be re reading it for years to come.
2017-06-306. These Precious Days - Ann Patchett. Essays
Release date: 2021-11-23 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Beautifully written essays, but with a caveat - These essays are all well-written, and several are very moving. However, Patchett’s incessant, self-congratulatory name-dropping about her celebrity friends was really off-putting for me. Just in case you didn’t know that she’s a “really famous” award-winning writer, she tells you again and again and again.
2023-01-162. These Precious Days - I wasn’t far into reading “These Precious Days” when I realized my treat was going to be enjoying one essay each day, stretching out the delicious experience. Each selection is a lesson in the art of writing: insightful, thought-provoking, honest, humorous and sometimes sad. Her memories of family, friends, and life experiences come alive for the reader.
2022-07-167. Virginia Woolf - Gillian Gill. And the Women Who Shaped Her World
Release date: 2019-12-03 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
8. Lives of the Wives - Carmela Ciuraru. Five Literary Marriages
Release date: 2023-02-07 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $15.99
10. Who I Am - Pete Townshend. A Memoir
Release date: 2012-10-08 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Honest rock bio - This must be the most honest rock bios ever written. Like with his music, Townsend reaches for dark truths. Sometimes he's gives reason and sometimes he just does nor care what motivates. As a young man I looked up the definition of hypocrite, because someone implied that is what best described Pete. It may have been a Rolling Stone writer or drinking buddy, but either way they had given me the wrong perception until I read this book. Who I Am, is a biography by a man who Is still trying to figure it out plus years of living.
2012-12-272. A memoir to its author - In the closing acknowledgments Pete mentions that this book may be more for his benefit than the readers. Unfortunately for me I felt this was true. There doesn't seem to be much depth to the events regarding The Who and much more dedicated to Pete's search for musical inspirations and women. While he does talk at length about his childhood and possible abuse and his drinking problems those sections never pulled me in and made me care. If you love Pete's solo efforts, which much of this book seemed dedicated to covering, then maybe it's a better fit for your tastes. I'm not a big Stones fan but I couldn't put down Keith Richard's Life. I am a huge Who fan and couldn't wait for this book to end.
2012-12-263. Revealing and entertaining - As a fan of the Who since my high school years in the early s I regularly rotated all of the Who albums and Pete's first two solo albums. The first movie I can remember going to was Tommy when my parents took me ( they made sure to put ear plugs in my ears!) when I was probably too young to go to a movie like that. Pete does an incredible job enrolling the reader in his highs and lows and pulls the curtain back on life behind the scenes in a manner that makes this book a real page turner. Importantly I never really had put in context the depth of his other pursuits that we're not out front. Highly recommended to Who fans, rock fans and fans of theater.
2012-11-274. Brilliance at its best! - An extremely well written and honest account of the life and times of one of the most creative and influential icons of rock and roll music. Knowing the Townshend family I thought I might be bored or suspect of the contents. Indeed the book was informative, truthful and written from the heart. For anyone who is interested in gaining insight into one of the most talented superstars of the baby boomer generation, my generation, this is a must read....a delightful easy read. Dr Harry
2012-11-055. Who I Am - I purchased this book after seeing Pete on the Jon Stewart show. Stewart had a funny comment about Pete's statement about Mick Jagger. So, I thought that this book may have plenty of British humor in it. I think Pete wanted to show he was a work-a-holic and that was how he handled his issues along with the drug use. The book was interesting but thin and not much humor. Pete's manic depressive side dominated this book. It was a decent read.
2012-10-166. Who I Am - While it is always nice for me to read or listen to the words of Pete Townshend, I found this autobiography a little on the thin side. By that I mean that most of the Who's fan base know that he has substance abuse issues and like most rock stars, enjoys women by the score who like to chase him. These attributes were somewhat interesting the first or times that they are mentioned in the book, but after that quite boring to read. There wasn't enough meat and potatoes about how the band created their music, how he wrote songs or for that matter, what the songs were about to suit me. I wanted to read about things that haven't already been discussed a thousand times in the press. Sorry Pete. I really wanted to like it.
2012-10-1011. Tibetan Peach Pie - Tom Robbins. A True Account of an Imaginative Life
Release date: 2014-05-27 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
12. The Bridge Ladies - Betsy Lerner. A Memoir
Release date: 2016-05-03 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $14.99
13. Belle - Paula Byrne. The Slave Daughter and the Lord Chief Justice
Release date: 2014-04-29 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $9.99
15. Memorial Drive - Natasha Trethewey. A Daughter's Memoir
Release date: 2020-07-28 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
16. Making Toast - Roger Rosenblatt. A Family Story
Release date: 2010-02-16 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $11.99
Comments
1. Charming Family Memories - Lovely book about grandparents caring for their grandchildren after the untimely death of their daughter. Reminds me of the beauty in everyday routines & simple activities. These children’s lives will be forever enriched by the daily love & care of family even though they have lost their mother. A support for those in the same situation.
2022-12-112. Name dropping is annoying - This is an excellent look at death that comes too early and the damage it leaves in its wake. Hard to put down. The only thing that distracts and detracts is the name dropping that appears with regularity. The author is famous and has famous friends but it seems wrong and too jarring in an otherwise beautiful book about the loss of his daughter. I found it annoying in the end - just like in Ben Bradlee's autobiography, it seemed like bragging.
2016-01-1118. An American Childhood - Annie Dillard
Release date: 2009-10-13 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Uninteresting and Bland - I'm reading this for a class and simply I can barely even sit through it. The details are stretched absurdly long and there is no particular rhyme or reason to any of it. It is literally just this girls life, and I cannot comprehend how anyone could care enough about that normal life enough to read this and enjoy it. There is nothing interesting to be seen throughout. Some of it is relatable in that yeah, she grows up and all, and I guess thats a big thing for her, but to include every single excruciating, useless, boring detail of her childhood is infuriating to read. I could care less that one time she went out to Florida and saw this one type of super specific bird and then did nothing to elaborate on it. Why is this something worth mentioning? Why should I care? I hated reading this.
2021-08-2419. I'm Your Man - Sylvie Simmons. The Life of Leonard Cohen
Release date: 2012-09-18 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $14.99
Comments
1. Extremely well written and compelling. - Anyone who enjoys language will find the writer of this book A grammarian! Leonard Cohen was a man of profound use of words and emotions. The writer of this book has the same ability to convey deep and contemplative revelations. The book is very interesting. Leonard Cohen absolutely ‘came alive’ as the pages turned. I would suggest that you check with Wikipedia on many of the other people discussed in the book. It expands the experience Leonard Cohen was having in his life to learn more about the main characters in his life as well as Leonard himself. You will not be disappointed by this book. It is interesting and well written. It did a good job of making Leonard feel real and did well with the complications of his personality and temperament. Really really good book!
2021-02-1520. Dust Tracks on a Road - Zora Neale Hurston. An Autobiography
Release date: 2010-07-13 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
21. Death Be Not Proud - John J. Gunther
Release date: 2013-03-26 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $11.99
Comments
1. Living and dying with Glioblastoma - This is an excellent book that I first read in high school in the mid 's. I reread the book and found that after years of research, Glioblastoma treatments have not really improved the life expectancy for those who are diagnosed with this devastating disease. This is a story of bravery, and of unrealistic hope and insurmountable suffering both physical and mental. One critic of this work found it boring. Obviously this person failed to see the importance and significance of this book written years ago to correlate to the recent death of Britney Maynard who end her own life in Oregon who had the same illness. I wonder if she had read this would she had taken her own life so so soon?
2014-11-0922. Finding Fish - Antwone Q. Fisher & Mim E. Rivas. A Memoir
Release date: 2009-10-13 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Wonderful Biography - This story of "Finding Fish" crosses the boundaries of many human emotions: sad, funny, exciting and when he finds his biological family, a lot of love. Antwone Fisher is one tough man to have gone through everything he did from his very early life right to the end of the book. He amazes me on how he got through all the devastation of his time with the Pickettes. I'm amazed he didn't run away several times. "Fish" is a very strong and courageous man who kept plunging forward in his life no matter what was thrown at him. A very good book and yet another true story of born to sadness and suffering but made it to success.
2015-12-2823. Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy - Nicholas Reynolds. Ernest Hemingway's Secret Adventures, 1935-1961
Release date: 2017-03-14 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $19.99
24. North of Normal - Cea Sunrise Person. A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both
Release date: 2014-06-24 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $14.99
25. Where the Past Begins - Amy Tan. Memory and Imagination
Release date: 2017-10-17 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $17.99
26. Paris Without End - Gioia Diliberto. The True Story of Hemingway's First Wife
Release date: 2011-07-05 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
27. The Prince of los Cocuyos - Richard Blanco. A Miami Childhood
Release date: 2014-09-30 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Disappointed - I thought, being Cuban myself, the author would delve into coming out to his family, his struggles with being gay and his gay relationships. The book is mostly an account of assimilation of his Cuban family in Miami, Florida. Some nice writing including fond memories of the family, but I wanted more from the author: especially his challenges growing up as a gay person.
2015-12-0328. Out of the Woods - Lynn Darling. A Memoir of Wayfinding
Release date: 2014-01-07 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $9.99
29. Logical Family - Armistead Maupin. A Memoir
Release date: 2017-10-03 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Rare Gems - I’m almost certain that most individuals believe memoirs are simple to execute, since they are essentially a recitation of life events. Maupin proves the exact opposite is true with Logical Family. The intimacies, textures and flavors of life he shares with us are rare gems usually shared only between trusted friends.
2017-10-152. Thank you for sharing your life memories - I enjoyed reading this autobiography. I look forward to seeing the rest of tales of the city on Netflix. The hell of the hiv/aids pandemic the fear, depression and anxiety as I witnessed the deaths of friends, volunteers and coworkers while working for aids foundation. thank you Armistead Maupin for your light and clarity and putting words together that honor all of us who came through those difficult times.
2017-10-1030. An Autobiography - Agatha Christie
Release date: 2010-06-08 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $16.99
Comments
1. Why is Agatha's autobiography STILL not an AUDIO BOOK?? - I have OFTEN wondered why Agatha Christie's own autobiography is STILL yet to be recorded as an AUDIO BOOK? Why is that? Most all of her writings are audio recorded and even RE-recorded and reproduced, but I STILL find myself waiting on a sound recording of her actual autobiography. That leaves me a little annoyed and still wondering…WHY?? I wish her publishing and production companies would pick up on this and produce a nice professional reading of these remembrances of Agatha Christie. I'd be first in line to purchase a copy and I doubt I'm alone in that. This writing also serves as a terrific first-hand account of the English Victorian Era, a period which still fascinates so many of us.
2014-11-2131. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson. The World as Stage
Release date: 2016-04-26 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
32. Empress of Fashion - Amanda Mackenzie Stuart. A Life of Diana Vreeland
Release date: 2012-12-04 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
33. I Love Yous Are for White People - Lac Su. A Memoir
Release date: 2009-05-12 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
34. The Man Who Sold the World - Peter Doggett. David Bowie and the 1970s
Release date: 2012-07-31 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
36. The Good Life According to Hemingway - A. E. Hotchner
Release date: 2010-10-19 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $7.99
Comments
1. This book too disjointed ro really be enjoyable - Read it all in days. Normally if I am hooked on a book it only takes a day…or less to lovingly finish it. Not sure what the purpose of this Ernest Hemingway 'wisdom' book is, but poor Hemingway's own statements over the years are all so inconsistent, it's confusing for the reader. The format of chapters in parts of his life are just bulleted snippets of supposed Hemingway quotes. Gave it a because some of the quotes are just brilliant, but a cohesive book or even a semi-picture of Hemingway...just a glimmer shown, just a glimmer…
2016-03-0137. Tell Me a Story - Cassandra King Conroy. My Life with Pat Conroy
Release date: 2019-10-29 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Tell Me A Story - If you are looking for insights into Pat Conroy’s writings and process this book will be a major disappointment. It covers the courtship and happy marriage of Conroy and the author. I found it to be highly repetitive, covering their day to day life, travels as well as the deaths of many friends and family members. The author describes Conroy’s humor, heavy drinking, eating and forgetfulness over and over again. I gained much less information about his approach as an author than in his numerous interviews I’ve read over the years. A major disappointment.
2020-03-1338. Between Them - Richard Ford. Remembering My Parents
Release date: 2017-05-02 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
39. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair - Nina Sankovitch. My Year of Magical Reading
Release date: 2011-06-07 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
Comments
1. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair - Wonderful, wonderful book. After losing my husband to cancer in short weeks, this book filled me with peace, with hope, and with the belief that the power of remembering and honoring those we love who leave way before they or we are ready is the pathway to healing. So glad this book jumped out at me and said "Read me! Now!" at the airport bookstore on my return flight from scattering my husband's ashes in the Missouri River.
2012-08-052. A disappointment! - Despite the very real tragedy of her sisters death, the author fails to tell her tale in a manner that ever rises above sentimentality. Ironically, despite the authors own disparaging remarks about the book "The Bridges of Madison County" (an assessment I happen to agree with) in her own story she takes a similarly schmaltzy and unreflective approach in describing thenpath she took to deal with her grief. As a book lover who has found great solace in the words of many an author, this writer failed to reach a level of emotion and honesty I expected. Save your money on this one.
2011-09-1140. The Mad Boy, Lord Berners, My Grandmother, and Me - Sofka Zinovieff. An Aristocratic Family, a High-Society Scandal, and an Extraordinary Legacy
Release date: 2015-03-31 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $16.99
41. The Narnian - Alan Jacobs. The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis
Release date: 2009-10-13 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
42. The Real Jane Austen - Paula Byrne. A Life in Small Things
Release date: 2013-01-29 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $14.99
Comments
1. Paula Byrne brings Jane Austen lovingly to life - A riveting read: you can read it straight through or dip into it for interesting insights into Jane Austen's life and those of family and friends within her sphere. Paula Byrne provides an engaging and new approach to the biography of this beloved author. Recent biographies recount Austen's influence on her writing by a hither-to uncelebrated love interest of Tom Lefroy, but Byrne puts matters in perspective, noting the real affection Jane Austen shares with her sister Cassandra, and how that relationship, as well as Austen's own sense of self, guide her. While examining the interest of several young men in Austen, Byrne reveals her to be the author of her destiny. A balanced and delicious account of a woman whose life and work inspire us still.
2013-03-1643. Daring: My Passages - Gail Sheehy. A Memoir
Release date: 2014-09-02 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
44. Manhood for Amateurs - Michael Chabon. The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son
Release date: 2012-01-24 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
45. The Wars of the Roosevelts - William J. Mann. The Ruthless Rise of America's Greatest Political Family
Release date: 2016-12-06 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $23.99
46. A Garden of Marvels - Ruth Kassinger. How We Discovered that Flowers Have Sex, Leaves Eat Air, and Other Secrets of Plants
Release date: 2014-02-25 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $12.99
47. Pain, Parties, Work - Elizabeth Winder. Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953
Release date: 2013-04-16 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
Comments
1. Insight into Early 's - This book mainly covers the month Sylvia Plath spent in New York City in as a college guest editor for Mademoiselle Magazine. It includes many interviews with fellow guest editors. It is a great insight into what it was like to be a young, intelligent, gifted college woman in the early 's.
2014-08-0348. My Invented Country - Isabel Allende. A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile
Release date: 2020-09-29 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $13.99
49. The Year of Reading Dangerously - Andy Miller. How Fifty Great Books (and Two Not-So-Great Ones) Saved My Life
Release date: 2014-12-09 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $14.99
50. Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties - Robert Stone
Release date: 2009-03-17 Genre:Biographies & Memoirs $7.99
©All data provided by Apple Inc.
©Design by nowtrendy.net.