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12 of the Best Celebrity Memoirs of All Time

From what they eat for breakfast to their fleeting trysts, it can often seem like every aspect of a celeb's life is public knowledge. In most cases, however, a more interesting narrative exists just under the surface. Celebrity memoirs offer us a unique view into the minds and lives of our most beloved stars, and these 12 literary portrayals are no exception. Read on, pop culture aficionados, because these are 12 of the best celebrity memoirs (in our humble opinion). 

tina fey celebrity memoirs
Jemal Countess/Getty Images & Hachette Book Group

‘bossypants’ By Tina Fey

The reigning queen of comedy touches on everything from Internet trolls to her misadventures as a lady boss. It's maybe the best thing she's written since Mean Girls. MAYBE. 

rob lowe celebrity memoirs
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images & Henry Holt & Co

‘stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography’ By Rob Lowe

Aside from Lowe's delightful self-deprecating humor, his refreshing memoir offers such little-known anecdotes as his time spent in a song-and-dance group called Peanut Butter and Jelly. 

amy poehler yes please memoir
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images & Harper Collins

‘yes Please’ By Amy Poehler

Poehler recounts her glory days on Saturday Night Live and Park and Rec with this poignant tale of her rise to Knopedom. She offers more than enough life advice and stories to relate to in her 2014 memoir. 

drew barrymore celebrity memoirs
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images & Penguin Random House

‘wildflower’ By Drew Barrymore

From getting emancipated at the age of 14 to the birth of her children, Barrymore's emotional page-turner comes full circle. And we love every single twist and turn of her journey. 

alec baldwin celebrity memoirs
Vincent Sandoval/Getty Images & Harper Collins

‘nevertheless: A Memoir’ By Alec Baldwin

Baldwin's exploration of self touches on his childhood growing up in an unhappy home, his later struggle with addiction and his time spent as a soap star. The frank, poignant memoir shows Baldwin in an entirely new light. 

anna kendrick celebrity memoirs
Jason Merritt/Getty Images & Simon & Schuster

‘scrappy Little Nobody’ By Anna Kendrick

Kendrick's clever wit shines in her effortlessly honest and quirky compilation of life tales. You'll love the story of how she once had to pick a butt double for a film role and why she thinks Zac Efron could actually start a cult.

mindy kaling is everyone hanging out without me celebrity memoir
Jason Merritt/Getty Images & Penguin Random House

‘is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and Other Concerns)' By Mindy Kaling

Kaling offers a glimpse into her inner monologue in this delightfully neurotic account of her thoughts on fame (she wants just enough never to have to worry about being convicted of murder), friendship and her journey from the writers' room to sitcom star. 

anderson cooper gloria vanderbilt the rainbow comes and goes memoir
Jim Spellman/Getty Images & Harper Collins

‘the Rainbow Comes And Goes’ By Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt

A beautiful testament to the love between parent and child, this memoir was born out of Cooper and his mother Gloria Vanderbilt's desire to grow closer after Vanderbilt's recent health scare. The collection is peppered with life lessons and proof that families can overcome anything, good or bad. 

joan rivers bouncing back memoir
Steve Jennings/Getty Images & Harper Collins

‘bouncing Back : I've Survived Everything...and I Mean Everything...and You Can Too!' By Joan Rivers

An oldie but a goodie. This gem is the most celebrated of Rivers's many memoirs. In it, the comedienne recounts her struggles as a mother (she and Melissa were once estranged), widow and woman on the brink of financial ruin. Oh, our dear Joan. How we miss her biting wit. 

amy schumer the girl with the lower back tattoo memoir
Jemal Countess/Getty Images & Simon & Schuster

‘the Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo' By Amy Schumer

There's a reason Schumer's book debuted at number one on The New York Times best sellers list. The bold anthology had us doubled over in laughter one moment and nodding our head in solidarity the next. 

jane fonda my life so far memoir
Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho & Penguin Random House

‘my Life So Far' By Jane Fonda

From hitting a two-timing Ted Turner with a car phone (true story) to her battle with bulimia, Fonda's story is raw and beautifully written. Her candid memoir highlights the importance of self-love and strength in the face of tribulation. 

dolly parton dream more memoir
NBC/Getty Images & JP Putnam Sons

‘dream More: Celebrate The Dreamer In You' By Dolly Parton

Country music's unrivaled darling implores her reader to dream more, learn more, care more and be more in her second memoir. Debunking all possible excuses for not meeting one's true potential, Dolly says, “I have no taste and no style and nobody cares. I love it!” They don't call her the Dolly-Lama for nothin'!

8 Celebrity Memoirs That Are Actually Worth Reading



lex

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.