Best Memoirs by Women: 9 Powerful True Stories Everyone Is Reading Right Now

A great memoir feels like a long conversation with someone who has decided to tell you the truth. The best ones are funny and painful in the same chapter, and they stay with you long after the last page. This list of the best memoirs by women brings together nine books that readers are buying right now, from a former First Lady and a beloved cook to a poet, a musician and two actresses who grew up in front of the camera.

These memoir books were chosen with care. Every title appears on Amazon’s Biographies and Memoirs best-seller chart or is one of the best-selling memoirs of recent years. For each book we share what it is about (based on the publisher’s description), who will love it and when you might want to skip it, plus tips on choosing a memoir and getting more reading into a busy week.

The Best Memoirs by Women at a Glance

• Best Overall: Educated by Tara Westover
• Best New Release: Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
• Best Celebrity Memoir: You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate
• Best Feel-Good Memoir: Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
• Best Inspiring Read: Becoming by Michelle Obama
• Best About Food and Family: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
• Best Darkly Funny Memoir: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
• Best Pop Culture Memoir: The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
• Best Literary Memoir: You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

Quick Comparison

The 9 Best Memoirs by Women to Read Next

Looking for memoirs to read this season? These are the best memoirs by women for every mood, from uplifting to heartbreaking. Most are available in paperback, which keeps them budget-friendly, while new releases are hardcover-first and make generous gifts.

1. Educated by Tara Westover

Few of the best memoirs by women have had the reach of Educated, a #1 New York Times bestseller that the publisher says has sold more than four million copies. Westover grew up in a survivalist family in the mountains of Idaho and was kept out of school, yet she went on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. The book is a gripping account of what it costs to build a life your family does not understand.

Best for: anyone who has never read memoir books and wants to start with a modern classic. Skip it if: you are not in the mood for family conflict and scenes of injury and abuse.

2. Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden

The newest book on this list is an instant #1 New York Times bestseller about a marriage that looked like a great love story until it was not. People called it a searing, probing memoir about intimacy and the author’s own spirit, and it was a finalist for the New England Book Award. It asks a question many readers recognize: can we ever truly know the people closest to us?

Best for: readers who devour relationship stories and want something to discuss with friends. Skip it if: you are going through a breakup and want lighter reading for now.

3. You with the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate

The New York Times described this memoir as “funny, furious, and profane,” and Jimmy Kimmel called it “not your typical celebrity memoir.” Applegate came of age on sets and stages, where work became an escape from a tumultuous home life in Los Angeles, and she writes about it all with dark humor and unflinching honesty.

Best for: fans of her TV work and anyone who likes memoirs by women with real substance. Skip it if: strong language bothers you.

4. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, makes everything look easy. In her long-awaited memoir she shares, for the first time, the personal story behind the cookbooks and the television show, and the publisher stresses that her success came from hard work and bold choices rather than luck alone. It is warm, encouraging and full of the confidence fans love her for.

Best for: home cooks, career changers and anyone who needs a gentle push. Skip it if: you want a dramatic or dark memoir; this is the comforting choice.

5. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama’s memoir traces her journey from Chicago’s South Side to the White House, where she became the first African American First Lady of the United States. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller, an Oprah’s Book Club pick and an NAACP Image Award winner, and it inspired an Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary. It is one of the best memoirs by women for anyone who wants an inspiring, big-hearted read.

Best for: readers who want inspiration and reflection. Skip it if: you only want a short read; it is a substantial book.

6. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Michelle Zauner, the musician behind the band Japanese Breakfast, wrote this #1 New York Times bestseller about family, food, grief and growing up Korean American. After losing her mother, she found her way back to her through cooking, and NPR summed it up beautifully: in bringing her mother back to life through food, Zauner became herself.

Best for: food lovers and anyone who has lost a parent. Skip it if: you are grieving and not ready for a story about illness.

7. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

The provocative title is the first clue that this is no ordinary memoir. The former iCarly star writes about her struggles as a child actor, including eating disorders, addiction and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother, and how she took back control of her life. The publisher reports more than three million copies sold.

Best for: readers who appreciate dark humor alongside hard truths. Skip it if: descriptions of eating disorders could be triggering for you.

8. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Britney Spears’s memoir won the Goodreads Choice Award for best memoir, sold more than three million copies according to the publisher, and was named a best book of the year by outlets including Elle and NPR. The New York Times called it radiant. It is the story of one of the most famous pop stars in the world, in her own words.

Best for: pop culture fans and anyone curious about life behind the headlines. Skip it if: you prefer polished literary writing; this one is direct and conversational.

9. You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

Rounding out our best memoirs by women, poet Maggie Smith’s memoir-in-vignettes explores the end of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself. Time called it “a bittersweet study in both grief and joy.” Short chapters make it easy to read a few pages at a time, and the writing is as beautiful as you would expect from a poet.

Best for: readers who love lyrical writing and stories about starting over in midlife. Skip it if: you want a linear, plot-driven narrative.

How We Chose the Best Memoirs by Women

We started with Amazon’s Biographies and Memoirs best-seller list and the best-selling women’s memoirs of recent years, then read each book’s official description. Summaries are based on publisher materials and widely known facts; we have not added private details about anyone’s life. We aimed for variety in tone and subject, from uplifting to heartbreaking. Read more about our process in our editorial policy.

How to Choose Memoir Books You Will Love

A memoir focuses on one part of a life rather than telling the whole story from birth, which is why two memoirs by the same kind of person can feel completely different. Ask yourself three questions.

What mood are you in?

The best memoirs by women cover every emotion. For comfort, pick Ina Garten. For inspiration, Michelle Obama. For an emotional deep-dive, Crying in H Mart or Educated. For candor and dark humor, Christina Applegate or Jennette McCurdy.

Do you care about the person or the story?

Some of the best memoirs by women come from people you have never heard of; Educated is the perfect example. If you are not already a fan of a celebrity, choose a memoir for its theme instead.

Print, Kindle or audio?

Memoirs by women are especially good on audio when the author narrates, because you hear the story in her own voice. Many of these titles are free to try with an Audible free trial. Paperbacks remain the budget-friendly option, and hardcovers make the nicest gifts.

Tips for Reading More Memoirs by Women

• Alternate heavy and light. Follow an intense memoir with a feel-good one to avoid burnout; a mix keeps your list of memoirs to read fresh.
• Read the acknowledgments. They often reveal who shaped the story.
• Pair a memoir with its world. Cook a recipe after Crying in H Mart or Ina Garten’s book; it makes the story stick.
• Discuss it. Memoirs spark some of the best book club conversations; see our best book club books.

Common Mistakes When Picking Memoirs to Read

Do not assume a celebrity memoir will be light, even among the best memoirs by women: several on this list deal with addiction, abuse or grief. Check content notes if you are sensitive to certain topics. And remember that a memoir is one person’s memory of events; it is honest to her experience, but other people involved may remember things differently.

FAQ About the Best Memoirs by Women

What is the best-selling memoir by a woman?

Becoming by Michelle Obama is one of the best-selling memoirs of all time, and Educated by Tara Westover has sold more than four million copies, according to its publisher.

What are good memoirs by women for a book club?

Educated, Crying in H Mart and Strangers all raise big questions about family, identity and love that lead to lively discussions.

What is the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?

An autobiography usually covers a whole life in order; a memoir focuses on a theme or period and reads more like a story.

Are celebrity memoirs worth reading?

The best memoirs are, whoever wrote them. You with the Sad Eyes, I’m Glad My Mom Died and The Woman in Me are valued for their honesty, not just their fame.

Final Thoughts

If you read only one of these memoir books, choose Educated; if you want something brand-new, pick up Strangers. Whichever you choose, the best memoirs by women offer something fiction cannot: a true story, told by the person who lived it. For more ideas, try our best historical fiction books and best self-help books for women, or shop for a fellow reader with our gifts for book lovers.