We’ve all got stories to tell. The question is whether or not those stories are entertaining enough to warrant a memoir. Perhaps, if you’ve lived through a particularly tumultuous event or have a unique perspective on a popular topic (and have the writing chops to execute such a feat), your personal stories will dazzle strangers enough that they’ll spend their hard-earned cash to read all about you. Odds are, most of our tales, as wild and as captivating as they may be, won’t venture beyond the realm of dinner party fodder.
On the other hand, for those few who have the right combination of fresh perspective, wordsmithing expertise and unyielding honesty, their stories may just have what it takes to coax laughter or tears out of even the most stone-faced of readers. This list of eight titles is concerned with eliciting the former reaction while readers eagerly turn pages. From an award-winning blogger’s musings on somewhat regrettable life experiences to a doctor’s recollection of attending med school with a brain injury, these unconventional and outlandish tales don’t throw any punches; they hit you right in the funny bone.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
“This book is totally true, except for the parts that aren’t,” writes Jenny Lawson as she begins this eccentric, hilarious and “mostly true” memoir. Known for her award-winning blog, thebloggess.com, Lawson has made a name for herself writing about life through her own hysterically skewed lens. This memoir, her 2012 literary debut, explores the moments in life that we’d like to pretend never happened because, oddly enough, those moments are usually the life-defining ones. With chapters like “Thanks for the Zombies, Jesus” and “Just to Clarify: We Don’t Sleep with Goats,” it’s easy to see why Lawson’s irreverent book has left many a reader in stitches while questioning her sanity. You won’t want to miss a single word Lawson writes, especially her footnotes, which often function like ridiculous tangents rather than the ancillary information one might expect to accompany the main text. Needless to say, reading this book thoroughly from cover to cover is a must to maximize laughter.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
On the outset, this memoir sounds entirely serious: a young man, born to a European father and Xhosa mother during the rule of apartheid in South Africa (meaning his very existence is a crime), explores growing up in an era marked by violence. After all, the book opens with the Immorality Act of 1927, which states that “illicit carnal intercourse between Europeans and natives” is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years! However, the author is Trevor Noah, the comic tapped to replace Jon Stewart in 2015 as the host of The Daily Show. So, yes, Noah’s story doesn’t shy away from the horrific scenes that followed the end of apartheid, but as a comic, he’s able to inject these with humor. Albeit often darkly comedic, the reader cannot help but chuckle at his cutting observations about topics like race and religion amid more personal but equally funny observations about his own coming-of-age. It’s at once alarming and highly amusing. (Read BookTrib’s review of the young readers’ adaptation here.)
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Here is a memoir that’s quirky in its very construction. Like the title might suggest, Amy Krouse Rosenthal has written this book as if it were an encyclopedia, offering information no respectable scholar is likely to record (at least, not without more serious data or context): “To Whom Americans Attribute Power: Movie stars, Rock stars, Sports stars, Rich people, Major political figures.” Even before readers reach these encyclopedic entries, Rosenthal begins the entire book with an uncommon “Reader’s Agreement.” This section first requests that readers do not replicate or reprint material found within (entirely reasonable), and then spirals into a list of random but entertaining concessions such as refraining “from complaining on Monday about it being Monday” or that “playwright should be spelled playwrite” as prerequisites for reading the book. (That last one may just be commonsense.) This one is highly absurd, playful and filled with life observations that readers won’t easily forget.
Hits, Heathens and Hippos: Stories From an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer by Marty Essen
Hits, Heathens and Hippos: Stories From an Agent, Activist, and Adventurer by Marty Essen
This book opens with a hilarious but relatable childhood mistake. As a young Marty Essen sits and listens intently to a reverend’s sermon, he beams at the mention of his father, Paul. Of course, the Paul in question is the one from the Bible, and not, in fact, Paul Essen, President of the Commercial State Bank in Minnesota. (Easy mistake to make. How many Pauls could there possibly be in the world?) This story paves the way for Essen’s entertaining memoir about the many lessons we learn while deciding what to do with the rest of our lives. And who better to share these lessons than Essen, whose many dreams and career ventures included becoming a herpetologist, a DJ, a big-time talent manager, an author and a college speaker? The result is an engaging and inspirational look at the many paths we tread. Midwest Book Review calls Essen’s memoir “A thoroughly absorbing and inherently fascinating account of a most unusual life lived out in a series of equally unusual circumstances.”
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
by Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson, the renowned writer behind A Walk in the Woods and A Short History of Nearly Everything, dives into his childhood in 1950s America. Introducing “the thunderbolt kid,” an alter ego of Bryson’s that made him feel powerful as a child, he imbues the narrative with a sense of childlike whimsy as he recounts stories from his first day of school, bomb drills and getting into trouble. Outside of his own tales, Bryson discusses larger events going on in the background, namely the invention of the atomic bomb, the civil rights movement and the Cold War. Fans of Bryson’s travel writing may be excited to glimpse the beginnings of his friendship with Stephen Katz who has joined Bryson on many of his adventures over the years. This book promises to transport readers of Bryson’s generation back in time to their own childhoods with a story that evokes an inescapable sense of nostalgia. For younger readers, his tale is a humorous snapshot of times gone by.
The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell
Contrary to popular belief, the happiest place on Earth isn’t Disneyland, it’s Denmark. At least, that’s what statistics suggest. So, when Londoner Helen Russell’s husband is hired to work at Lego, she decides to spend their year abroad investigating what makes this country — known for its dark winters, cured herring and pastries — so happy. Infused with dry wit and humor, the book touches on childcare, taxes, healthcare, sex, politics, food, education, interior design and much more. By immersing herself in Danish culture, Russell is able to provide her reader with a first-hand and comprehensive image of this extremely content country. It should come as no surprise, however, that while the Danes get many things right, they’re not without their faults. Speaking honestly throughout, Russell doesn’t shy away from pointing out the areas where they get things wrong. While examining the true “happiest place on Earth,” Russell offers her readers a guide to living a happier life in this fun, insightful and highly enjoyable romp through a foreign land.
A Bad Idea I’m About to Do by Chris Gethard
A Bad Idea I’m About to Do by Chris Gethard
This is yet another memoir that doesn’t take itself too seriously, seizing opportunities for humor outside of the main text, including a testimonial from the author’s mother that reads, “Maybe you shouldn’t tell me things like that.” Comedian Chirs Gethard details his life growing up in New Jersey with a very loud family. Seems relatable enough, but then again, how many people can say they’ve secured a position as a goat-caretaker while aiming for an easy A in college? Well, there’s more where that came from. With chapters like “My Father Is Not the Kindly Mustachioed Man He Seems” and “My Lows at Lowes,” readers can expect hilarious and zany stories that highlight the many unusual and painfully awkward situations Gethard has found himself in over the years. Readers may cringe through some stories, which occasionally seem like a “bad idea” in the retelling, but ultimately, they’ll be glad to have never experienced most of the wild and absurd action Gethard shares throughout his book.
Playing Doctor by John Lawrence
Playing Doctor by John Lawrence
This book’s subtitle says it all in“Medical School: Stumbling Through with Amnesia.” That description of John Lawrence’s atypical experience with medical training, an understandably rigorous endeavor under the most optimal of circumstances, is both concerning and highly intriguing. Not only did Lawrence never plan to attend medical school, but when he started, he was suffering from a traumatic head injury. (Not optimal, indeed!) The book pulls back the curtain on medical education, offering those unfamiliar with the world of medicine an accessible and highly entertaining look inside. Additionally, Lawrence’s stories instill readers with a renewed sense of respect for the myriad of medical professionals working to provide patients with the best care. Exploring the many ups and downs of his training and his time as a junior doctor, Lawrence brings his readers candid, laugh-out-loud tales full of self-deprecating humor that feel at once irreverent and extremely heartfelt.
