Best Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs
- List of the Month
- January 2023 (see all)
- Description
- Our List of the Month for January is devoted to the Best Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs. Each participant may vote on ten titles. Please only downvote titles if they do not fit the theme.
1
9,832 members
516 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 80.52
Added 2023-01-16, 02:54 PM
- 25 Members
- ablachly, dimajazz, kaulsu, ecb06c, Micheller7, terran, bjappleg8, foof2you, sturlington, katemcangus, vwinsloe, ahef1963, nancykric, bookmary2, ReecerCreek, hallhope, ManWithAnAgenda, Wordslinger1919, cathy.lemann, Louanne, Tosta, WynneWages, javad114, Chanda.Leah, Csufgirl84,
- Explanations
- ReecerCreek: Fave in our book group. Bill Gates also posted a great interview
2
by Helene Hanff
5,862 members
348 reviews
4.2
Score 65.99
Added 2023-01-16, 01:28 PM
- 20 Members
- rosalita, BookDoc16, gbelik, kaulsu, Faradaydon, ecb06c, VenusofUrbino, mstrust, merrystar, perennialreader, souloftherose, ahef1963, Michael.Rimmer, bookmary2, Ravenk, barefootsong, rtoker, cathy.lemann, Tosta, Gayle4th
- Explanations
- perennialreader: Feel good book.
3
by Trevor Noah
6,150 members
361 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 64.38
Added 2023-01-17, 01:07 PM
- 21 Members
- karenb, rosalita, BookDoc16, bangerlm, kaulsu, camelama, bjappleg8, PaperbackPirate, sturlington, souloftherose, vwinsloe, peterveen, ahef1963, megbmore, Patchshank, fionaanne, barefootsong, hallhope, Brandy1411, Louanne, Chanda.Leah,bookmary2
4
7,877 members
138 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 63.03
Added 2023-01-16, 01:27 PM
- 21 Members
- Aquila, BookDoc16, harrietgate, camelama, bjappleg8, mstrust, cbl_tn, PaperbackPirate, atozgrl, PatsyMurray, perennialreader, Fjumonvi, miller.max, al.vick, AnneSteph, bookmary2, barefootsong, Karen74Leigh, Joy62, dave3pt0, Chanda.Leah
- Explanations
- cbl_tn: I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Christopher Timothy!perennialreader: Loved the whole series!
5
by Anne Frank
28,398 members
514 reviews
4.1
Score 55.14
Added 2023-01-16, 01:31 PM
- 19 Members
- timspalding, kaulsu, camelama, bjappleg8, mstrust, sundancer, merrystar, atozgrl, perennialreader, susanbooks, Patchshank, hallhope, Karen74Leigh, Brandy1411, Tosta, Nikkimf88, DoomLuz, Joy62, WynneWages
- Explanations
- perennialreader: Read this book when I was her age. It has haunted me ever since.
6
14,677 members
741 reviews
4.2
Score 52.11
Added 2023-01-17, 10:28 AM
- 19 Members
- BookDoc16, kaulsu, Micheller7, raidergirl3, VenusofUrbino, mstrust, PaperbackPirate, vwinsloe, gypsysmom, msemmag, bookmary2, Ravenk, hallhope, cathy.lemann, Louanne, Tosta, Joy62, WynneWages, Chanda.Leah,ahef1963
7
8,171 members
368 reviews
4.2
Score 51.52
Added 2023-01-16, 01:29 PM
- 16 Members
- Aquila, ablachly, lulaa, EerierIdyllMeme, lahochstetler, mstrust, Heather39, sturlington, Dilara86, nancykric, Ravenk, hallhope, ManWithAnAgenda, KurtWombat, Tosta, SOShea
8
- 16 Members
- timspalding, rosalita, BookDoc16, kaulsu, Cecrow, mstrust, PaperbackPirate, Bretzky1, harray, Patchshank, hallhope, ManWithAnAgenda, Louanne, Tosta, Joy62, WynneWages,bookmary2
9
5,268 members
150 reviews
4.2
Score 48.54
Added 2023-01-16, 01:46 PM
- 15 Members
- tardis, harrietgate, camelama, mstrust, CarltonC, azimrin, miller.max, Michael.Rimmer, bookmary2, Ravenk, barefootsong, Karen74Leigh, Louanne, myebooks, megstar111
10
2,966 members
154 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 37.77
Added 2023-01-17, 11:33 PM
- 13 Members
- brewergirl, rosalita, bangerlm, oregonobsessionz, foof2you, RBeffa, noveltea, Patchshank, bookmary2, bujeya, Tosta, KeithChaffee, Chanda.Leah
11
- 12 Members
- gbelik, oregonobsessionz, kaulsu, camelama, atozgrl, AbigailAdams26, harray, bookmary2, Wordslinger1919, Joy62, WynneWages, Chanda.Leah
- Explanations
- AbigailAdams26: One of the best biographies I have read, over the last ten years. The kick-off title of my Presidential Biography Book Club.
12
by Maya Angelou
14,848 members
224 reviews
4
Score 35.65
Added 2023-01-16, 01:37 PM
- 12 Members
- lahochstetler, jeshakespeare, camelama, PaperbackPirate, perennialreader, nancykric, Patchshank, hallhope, KurtWombat, Brandy1411, dave3pt0, megstar111
- Explanations
- perennialreader: Wonderful writing.
13
6,897 members
253 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 30.38
Added 2023-01-16, 01:19 PM
- 11 Members
- Aquila, stillramona, EerierIdyllMeme, bjappleg8, ahef1963, nancykric, Patchshank, hallhope, KurtWombat, Tosta, DoomLuz
14
by Isak Dinesen
2,112 members
22 reviews
4
Score 30.19
Added 2023-01-16, 01:27 PM
- 9 Members
- gbelik, camelama, merrystar, RBeffa, perennialreader, peterveen, Karen74Leigh, loulourevisited, Chanda.Leah
- Explanations
- perennialreader: Beautifully written.
15
- 11 Members
- lahochstetler, oregonobsessionz, ecb06c, raidergirl3, terran, foof2you, PaperbackPirate, RBeffa, nancykric, AnneSteph, SOShea
16
7,775 members
369 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 29.01
Added 2023-01-17, 08:06 AM
- 10 Members
- stillramona, rosalita, sturlington, nancykric, kristilabrie, Patchshank, msemmag, Ravenk, hallhope, Chanda.Leah
17
6,195 members
105 reviews
4.1
Score 26.67
Added 2023-01-16, 01:18 PM
- 9 Members
- gbelik, pitjrw, FAMeulstee, amanda4242, CarltonC, miller.max, nancykric, Ravenk, elahrairah
18
- 9 Members
- brewergirl, oregonobsessionz, kaulsu, camelama, Bretzky1, noveltea, AbigailAdams26, davidflem1984, Joy62
- Explanations
- AbigailAdams26: As someone named for Abigail Adams, I have been given biographies of various Adams family members many times. This was one of my last Christmas gifts from my father.
19
3,613 members
128 reviews
4.1
Score 25.71
Added 2023-01-16, 01:27 PM
- 9 Members
- gbelik, camelama, PatsyMurray, perennialreader, msemmag, bookmary2, Karen74Leigh, loulourevisited, Joy62
- Explanations
- perennialreader: Amazing woman.
20
10,202 members
144 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 25.15
Added 2023-01-17, 10:52 PM
- 9 Members
- sherryearly, raidergirl3, sundancer, cbl_tn, atozgrl, AnneSteph, slimikin, Joy62, WynneWages
21
- 9 Members
- languagehat, BookDoc16, ecb06c, thalassa_thalassa, msemmag, bujeya, Karen74Leigh, KurtWombat, elahrairah
- Explanations
- elahrairah: How not to survive the unsurvivable.
22
5,636 members
313 reviews
4.2
Score 22.31
Added 2023-01-16, 02:52 PM
- 6 Members
- stillramona, gbelik, nicolecervone, katemcangus, Louanne, PhebeQ
23
3,617 members
44 reviews
4.2
Score 22.19
Added 2023-01-17, 09:56 AM
- 7 Members
- timspalding, languagehat, lulaa, pitjrw, ecb06c, peterveen, nancykric
24
744 members
32 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 21.73
Added 2023-01-16, 01:26 PM
- 7 Members
- Aquila, anglemark, RBeffa, vwinsloe, noveltea, KeithChaffee, Chanda.Leah
25
- 7 Members
- brewergirl, bangerlm, raidergirl3, terran, lottpoet, nancykric, hallhope
26
by Allie Brosh
5,141 members
291 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 20.65
Added 2023-01-18, 02:00 PM
- 8 Members
- lahochstetler, camelama, Heather39, sturlington, Patchshank, Ravenk, elahrairah, SOShea
27
by Malcolm X
9,800 members
124 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 19.56
Added 2023-01-17, 02:27 PM
- 7 Members
- brewergirl, stillramona, kaulsu, foof2you, Patchshank, KurtWombat, Wordslinger1919
28
29
by Bill Bryson
6,555 members
235 reviews
3.9
Score 18.1
Added 2023-01-17, 06:45 PM
30
8,722 members
517 reviews
3.9
Score 17.05
Added 2023-01-16, 02:56 PM
- 5 Members
- PaperbackPirate, sturlington, katemcangus, StMatthewOCLibrary, mclevbrt756
31
- 6 Members
- hipdeep, pitjrw, PatsyMurray, RBeffa, Karen74Leigh, Louanne
32
12,253 members
594 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 16.49
Added 2023-01-17, 08:48 PM
33
- 6 Members
- sherryearly, oregonobsessionz, atozgrl, al.vick, Wordslinger1919, SOShea
34
- 6 Members
- kaulsu, PatsyMurray, Heather39, nancykric, kristilabrie, bookmary2
35
- 4 Members
- thorold, birder4106, Dilara86, Cansu_Jasmine_Otan
36
- 4 Members
- lulaa, minkscat, MLShaw, megstar111
37
by Eudora Welty
1,732 members
25 reviews
4
Score 13.44
Added 2023-01-16, 02:52 PM
- 4 Members
- dimajazz, katemcangus, AnneSteph, JustJune
38
- 4 Members
- kaixo, KarenFunt, JuliaMaria, sekinehnasiri
39
4,316 members
78 reviews
4
Score 13.02
Added 2023-01-19, 09:04 AM
- 4 Members
- rocketjk, susanbooks, Brandy1411, Cansu_Jasmine_Otan
40
4,792 members
55 reviews
4
Score 12.76
Added 2023-01-16, 01:17 PM
- 4 Members
- pitjrw, amanda4242, Karen74Leigh, sekinehnasiri
41
1,793 members
33 reviews
3.9
Score 12.68
Added 2023-01-19, 11:43 PM
- 5 Members
- brewergirl, BookDoc16, PaperbackPirate, merrystar, Fjumonvi
42
3,906 members
42 reviews
4.2
Score 12.08
Added 2023-01-17, 10:48 PM
- 4 Members
- sherryearly, PatsyMurray, JuliaMaria, Karen74Leigh
43
by Tom Reiss
1,691 members
111 reviews
4.1
Score 11.75
Added 2023-01-21, 09:03 AM
- 4 Members
- EerierIdyllMeme, souloftherose, noveltea, KurtWombat
44
- 4 Members
- harrietgate, abbottthomas, dewasus1, atozgrl
45
2,103 members
102 reviews
4.1
Score 11.5
Added 2023-01-18, 01:55 PM
- 4 Members
- nicolecervone, lahochstetler, elahrairah, SOShea
- Explanations
- elahrairah: Funny and sad.
46
4,878 members
63 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 11.42
Added 2023-01-19, 02:38 PM
- 4 Members
- oregonobsessionz, PaperbackPirate, ahef1963, SOShea
47
3,322 members
58 reviews
3.9
Score 11.33
Added 2023-01-17, 07:19 PM
- 4 Members
- princessgarnet, mstrust, peterveen, Karen74Leigh
48
1,303 members
94 reviews
4.2
Score 10.85
Added 2023-01-16, 01:29 PM
- 4 Members
- lahochstetler, Faradaydon, Heather39, perennialreader
- Explanations
- perennialreader: About a woman who is bedridden for a year or so and how she manages.
49
20,617 members
797 reviews
4.2
Score 10.85
Added 2023-01-20, 08:04 AM
- 4 Members
- lahochstetler, vwinsloe, AnneSteph, Louanne
50
by Edward Abbey
3,935 members
88 reviews
4.2
Score 10.79
Added 2023-01-20, 09:20 PM
- 4 Members
- oregonobsessionz, gypsysmom, miller.max, JustJune
51
1,985 members
86 reviews
4.1
Score 10.68
Added 2023-01-16, 04:18 PM
- 3 Members
- kaixo, JuliaMaria, miller.max
52
by Nien Cheng
1,484 members
20 reviews
4.2
Score 10.4
Added 2023-01-17, 10:49 PM
- 3 Members
- sherryearly, sssolstice, Louanne
53
900 members
22 reviews
4
Score 10.19
Added 2023-01-18, 06:01 PM
- 3 Members
- harrietgate, CarltonC, souloftherose
- Explanations
- CarltonC: Not so much an archaeological memoir, as a memoir about a time (1930's) and places (Orient Express, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq) that I imagine have changed beyond recognition. This memoir and travelogue clearly shows the author's happiness at that time, which she conveys so wonderfully in this brief book, so full of love and humour. There is little about archaeology, it is about the sights, sounds, smells and above all the people that she encountered. I was enchanted.
54
15,794 members
314 reviews
4.2
Score 10.09
Added 2023-01-18, 01:54 PM
- 4 Members
- bjappleg8, sundancer, msemmag, elahrairah
- Explanations
- elahrairah: How to survive the unsurvivable.
55
2,626 members
96 reviews
4
Score 9.87
Added 2023-01-16, 04:27 PM
56
4,710 members
243 reviews
½ 4.6
Score 9.82
Added 2023-01-17, 10:28 AM
- 4 Members
- hipdeep, barefootsong, Tosta, SOShea
57
3,675 members
158 reviews
4
Score 9.74
Added 2023-01-16, 01:28 PM
58
by Stefan Zweig
2,567 members
76 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 9.67
Added 2023-01-17, 09:03 AM
- 3 Members
- FAMeulstee, Ravenk, cipeciop
59
by Dani Shapiro
950 members
56 reviews
3.9
Score 9.61
Added 2023-01-16, 06:06 PM
- 3 Members
- Micheller7, Ravenk, Julie_in_the_Library
60
by Andrea Wulf
2,372 members
83 reviews
4.1
Score 9.4
Added 2023-01-24, 11:48 AM
- 3 Members
- sssolstice, peterveen, msemmag
61
2,993 members
97 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 9.35
Added 2023-01-20, 06:11 PM
- 3 Members
- nicolecervone, megbmore, Wordslinger1919
62
- 3 Members
- gypsysmom, DoomLuz, WynneWages
63
by Maia Kobabe
1,362 members
93 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 9.21
Added 2023-01-18, 04:29 AM
- 3 Members
- EerierIdyllMeme, Heather39, Michael.Rimmer
64
216 members
17 reviews
½ 4.6
Score 9.05
Added 2023-01-18, 10:26 AM
65
- 3 Members
- terran, timetunnel, Wordslinger1919
66
14,376 members
192 reviews
4
Score 8.63
Added 2023-01-23, 07:32 AM
- 3 Members
- BookDoc16, Dannysurtr, msemmag
67
- 3 Members
- dimajazz, Fjumonvi, Wordslinger1919
68
- 3 Members
- KarenFunt, thalassa_thalassa, loulourevisited
69
- 3 Members
- VenusofUrbino, PatsyMurray, miller.max
70
435 members
14 reviews
4.2
Score 8.25
Added 2023-01-16, 04:22 PM
- 3 Members
- kaixo, FAMeulstee, JuliaMaria
71
- 3 Members
- kaixo, ManWithAnAgenda, slimikin
72
3,537 members
141 reviews
4.2
Score 8.18
Added 2023-01-17, 11:33 PM
- 3 Members
- bangerlm, oregonobsessionz, sssolstice
73
- 3 Members
- karenb, susanbooks, ManWithAnAgenda
74
967 members
11 reviews
3.9
Score 8
Added 2023-01-28, 10:11 AM
76
by C. S. Lewis
6,891 members
54 reviews
3.9
Score 7.98
Added 2023-01-17, 09:59 AM
- 3 Members
- timspalding, atozgrl, AnneSteph
77
3,147 members
61 reviews
4.2
Score 7.81
Added 2023-01-16, 01:35 PM
- 3 Members
- EerierIdyllMeme, perennialreader, KurtWombat
- Explanations
- perennialreader: “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”
78
by Joan Didion
10,314 members
291 reviews
3.8
Score 7.36
Added 2023-01-16, 03:00 PM
- 2 Members
- katemcangus, KurtWombat
79
226 members
3 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 7.36
Added 2023-01-16, 02:20 PM
- 2 Members
- paradoxosalpha, amanda4242
- Explanations
- paradoxosalpha: A stand-in for the full ten volumes in the excellent Trask translation.
80
6,456 members
268 reviews
4.1
Score 7.14
Added 2023-01-17, 08:08 AM
- 3 Members
- Cecrow, PaperbackPirate, barefootsong
81
571 members
20 reviews
4
Score 7.04
Added 2023-01-20, 06:36 PM
82
1,867 members
17 reviews
4.1
Score 7
Added 2023-01-20, 09:41 PM
- 3 Members
- oregonobsessionz, pitjrw, RBeffa
83
- 2 Members
- dimajazz, susanbooks
84
710 members
11 reviews
3.9
Score 6.83
Added 2023-01-18, 01:54 PM
- 2 Members
- Faradaydon, elahrairah
- Explanations
- elahrairah: Hilarious, touching, and honest.
85
- 2 Members
- Argenta_Library, AnneSteph
86
by Fawn Brodie
632 members
13 reviews
4.1
Score 6.68
Added 2023-01-23, 03:45 PM
87
- 2 Members
- brewergirl, VenusofUrbino
88
by Brian Boyd
366 members
2 reviews
½ 4.4
Score 6.56
Added 2023-01-17, 09:56 AM
- 2 Members
- timspalding, dimajazz
90
205 members
13 reviews
½ 3.5
Score 6.4
Added 2023-01-19, 09:47 AM
91
by Paul Collins
1,334 members
57 reviews
½ 3.6
Score 6.31
Added 2023-01-18, 10:26 AM
- 2 Members
- mstrust, barefootsong
92
- 2 Members
- sherryearly, Joy62
93
by Roxane Gay
2,240 members
121 reviews
4.2
Score 6.19
Added 2023-01-20, 06:16 PM
- 2 Members
- nicolecervone, sturlington
94
95
1,704 members
32 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 5.92
Added 2023-01-17, 08:07 AM
96
252 members
5 reviews
4.2
Score 5.92
Added 2023-01-18, 01:59 PM
97
by Roz Chast
1,648 members
119 reviews
½ 4.3
Score 5.87
Added 2023-01-17, 10:27 AM
- 2 Members
- lulaa, VenusofUrbino
98
by Chester Nez
543 members
15 reviews
4.1
Score 5.87
Added 2023-01-17, 08:37 AM
100
1,551 members
68 reviews
4.2
Score 5.84
Added 2023-01-18, 12:40 AM
- 3 Members
- nancyjune, souloftherose, Chanda.Leah,