If anything rivals my passion for travel, it’s my aggressive love of reading. I never board a plane without at least one book tucked into my carry-on. While my reading list usually leans toward mysteries and fiction, a truly great celebrity memoir is one of my favorite in-flight companions.
The best celebrity memoirs do something standard biographies can't. They strip away the polished public relations veneer and offer a raw, highly personal window into the life of the person. There are loads of celebrity memoirs on the bookstore shelves, but not all of them are worth your time. The best ones I’ve read have stayed with me long after I closed the book.
If you want to laugh out loud, get all in your feels, or dig deeper into the life of your favorite celebrity, here are five memoirs you won't be able to put down until the very last page.
In this article
“Taste: My Life Through Food” by Stanley Tucci
If you love reading about incredible food with a side dish of celebrity gossip, this book is for you. Stanley Tucci’s memoir reads like a warm and witty love letter to family, travel, and the culinary moments that shape us. As I read it, I felt like Tucci and I were chatting away in his kitchen sipping wine and becoming instant besties. He details everything from his grandmother's pasta sauce to eating on film sets, as well as his battle with oral cancer. Tucci gets bonus points from me for including a bevy of recipes, including Spaghetti with Lentils, Ragu Tucci, and Pasta alla Norma.
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
Before he was a global comedy superstar as host of “The Daily Show,” Trevor Noah was a child in South Africa whose very birth was a criminal act under apartheid because of his mixed-race heritage. This book is a beautiful tribute to his fierce, rebellious mother and a masterclass in finding humor in the darkest corners of history. I listened to the audiobook, which Noah narrated. Hearing him share his own story added layers of authenticity and intimacy that really brought the book to life for me.
“I'm Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy
My daughters grew up watching the Nickelodeon show “iCarly” and the spinoff series “Sam & Cat,” both in which McCurdy starred. As such, this book was on my radar as soon as it was released in 2022. I still think about it today. McCurdy’s memoir deals with incredibly tough themes, like the reality of child stardom, eating disorders, and an abusive maternal relationship. While she doesn’t minimize her trauma, her sharp wit and empathy act as a buffer against the bleakness. I found it compelling how she was able to look back at her childhood with clarity rather than just pain.
“Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain
Oh, how I miss this man. I’ve watched every episode of “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” and “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” but I fell in love with him when I first read this book in 2000. Bourdain’s memoir chronicles his culinary beginnings as a restaurant line cook in New York City. His expose-style prose crackles with the adrenaline of late-night kitchen service. He changed food writing forever, and even all these years later, his words still pack the same unforgettable punch. When you finish “Kitchen Confidential,” consider diving into his follow-up book, “A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines.”
“The Third Gilmore Girl” by Kelly Bishop
Many people might know Kelly Bishop from the hit television series “Gilmore Girls.” However, long before she honed her role as the sharp-tongued matriarch Emily Gilmore, she was a Tony Award-winning Broadway star. Bishop actually originated the role of Sheila in “A Chorus Line,” and the character was inspired by her own life. In “The Third Gilmore Girl,” Bishop traces her remarkable career from the stage to Hollywood. She shares behind-the-scenes stories from her Broadway and Hollywood performances alongside candid reflections on love, loss, ambition, and resilience. It's a warm, witty memoir that proves her greatest role has always been simply being herself.
The Shortcut
A good memoir doesn't require "literary stamina." The conversational, candid writing style makes them incredibly easy to breeze through in one flight.
Because autobiographies are often structured as a series of essays, they offer great natural stopping points, so you can easily put the book down to listen to the airline safety briefing or make a quick bathroom run.
Celebrity memoirs make ideal travel audiobooks. Having authors like Stanley Tucci or Trevor Noah narrate their own stories in your headphones feels like a friend sharing secrets with you on a long flight.
Up next: If you need more books to add to your vacation TBR, check out these perfect poolside thrillers.
