Title says it all, my library is having a challenge and a biography is on the list! I don’t think I’ve ever read one and I’m not a fan of nonfiction in the slightest, but want to expand my horizons. As narrative as you can get would be preferable. Thanks in advance and suggest away!
by GalaxyJacks
24 Comments
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is wonderful and reads like a novel. Especially good if you have any interest in science!
*Educated* by Tara Westover definitely had me reminding myself it wasn’t fiction.
*Endurance: A Year in Space, A Liftime of Discovery* by Scott Kelly was also an excellent read, if you’re into space stuff.
If you like Margaret Atwood her new biography is excellent
Is a full biography needed or is it open to non fiction with autobiographical content ?
*Furiously Happy* by Jenny Lawson is hilarious, reads almost like a fiction, and had me choking on my own laugh while reading it. That’s not really a biography but that’s a story of her life with depression and anxiety disorder, so it stays in non-fiction. If your challenge allows it.
Depending on what topics interest you, The Wager by David Grann or The Art Thief by Michael Finkel might be great options!
Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Calahan
Would a memoir count? I don’t have any specific recommendations, off the top of my head, but I’ve generally found memoirs to be a lot more engaging than straight biographies.
Naked by David Sedaris is autobiographical, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny! Maybe try that.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever is autobiographical, hilarious, suspenseful, and a little educational.
Kon Tiki is autobiographical, and is an absolutely amazing adventure story. It’s short, too, so if you don’t like nonfiction, at least it will go by quickly.
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah is really well-written and funny. He’s had a really interesting life!
The one biography that thoroughly entertained me is The Agony and The Ecstasy. It reads like fiction probably because a fair amount of it is fiction, but I learned so much about art and the Renaissance along with the life and times of Michaelangelo.
Something I’ve been wanting to read is *The Last Emperor of Mexico* by Edward Shawcross. So one of the Napoleons persuaded a random Duke to cross the Atlantic and become the emperor of Mexico, which no one in Mexico had asked for. Didn’t end well for him, but it’s a pretty interesting bit of history.
*The Dark Queens* by Shelley Puhak is also on my TBR, about these two medieval rival princesses.
If autobiographies count, *I’m Glad My Mom Died* by Jennette McCurdy (who was a child star on Nickelodeon) is worth the read, but it’s pretty dark. Kathleen Hana’s book *Rebel Girl* is pretty interesting – she was the frontwoman for a girlpunk group in the 90s, and she was buddies with Kurt Cobain. An interesting look into the music scene where they got their start, but it was super misogynistic. For something more fun, Amy Phoeler’s *Yes Please* is good.
The way I find to get in to biographies is to match it to something you like. Sports fan? Find a sports bio. Science fan? Scientist bio.
It might help if you could give us some hints to what you like and then maybe would get recommendations that match.
Educated. It reads like a fiction book.
You Never Forget Your First – its a really funny and eye-opening biography of Washington. It’s also a quick read.
Zweig “Magellan”
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/243337/magellan-by-stefan-zweig/
NOT LOST FOREVER by Carmina Salcido is the weirdest autobiography I have ever read. There can’t be 2 lives like hers.
Im glad my mother died
*If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor* by Bruce Campbell (autobiography)
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman”
Physicist Richard Feynman was quite an interesting, amusing person. I really enjoyed his autobiography. I never read biographies.
i really enjoyed ‘just kids’ by patti smith. it’s about nyc art scene and people of 60s living through it, including patti herself
I’m glad my mom died, if memoirs count
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton: The Secret Agent Who Made the Pilgrimage to Mecca, Discovered the Kama Sutra, and Brought the Arabian Nights to the West by Ed Rice
Do we go to the same library? Mine is also doing a challenge next year that includes a biography!
I plan to wait until they send out their recommendations
I would suggest the twins of Auschwitz, I don’t really like non fiction, but this was easy to read
“Seven dirty words : the life and crimes of George Carlin” by
James Sullivan.