Compilation: Twenty Books on Memoir

Next month, I plan to visit with a dear old friend who has quite a story to tell. She has asked for my assistance in getting that story down. I feel privileged and honored. Plus, it will be a great distraction from the current intensity of my own story these days. In light of that upcoming process, I compiled a list of memoirs featured on this book review blog. I had not realized the extent of my reading in memoirs. I found around 45 titles. This seemed too intense to provide, so I gleaned a baker's dozen of my favorites to offer up here:

1. Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas Sparks - memoir of a prominent author's travels
2. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson - memoir of a humorist
3. Bloom by Kelle Hampton - memoir of life with a special needs baby
4. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - memoir of wisdom in facing death
5. The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison - memoir of simple pleasures
6. Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller - memoir of a hoarder
7. Colors of Goodbye by September Vaudrey - memoir of a loss of a child
8. Educated by Tara Westover - memoir of life pursuing betterment
9. Beautiful Boy by David Sheff - memoir of life with addicted son
10. An Ocean, an Airplane and Two Countries Full of Kisses by Maria Novajosky - memoir of Italian food, faith, and family
11. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber - memoir of coming to faith
12. My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me by Jason B. Rosenthal - memoir of remarriage after death of spouse
13. Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - memoir of writer's life

In addition, here are 7 books I've read on writing memoir (some involve writing in general):

1. Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner
2. Handling the Truth by Beth Kephart
3. Fearless Confessions by Sue Silverman
4. Before We Get Started by Bret Lott
5. Letters and Life by Bret Lott
6. Old Friend from Far Away by Natalie Goldberg
7. Five Pages a Day by Peg Kehret

What about you? Do you have a life story you need to share with the world? Do you enjoy reading memoirs?