Three books I love: Memoirs you should read

Memoirs are some of my favourite books. They don't always have to be of a famous person either. Sometimes a person has a unique story to tell. (And I don't say that because I am desperately trying to write one of my own.)

The stories we tell each other are important. They help us understands ourselves and understand the world and our place in it. They give us insight into a time and place far away and deep within. Here are three memoirs that blew me away. I still think about these stories long after I turned the last page.

Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime 

Trevor Noah, best known as the host of the Daily Show, is also a damn fine comedian. More than that, he’s also just a fabulous human being and I enjoyed the hell out of his memoir Born a Crime. I grew up in the 80s as the apartheid regime in South Africa was becoming an international issue. To hear Noah’s experience as he lived it through what I safely observed through news reports changed me. I still think of the stories he told. I read this book years ago and it still resonates with me.

Alan Cumming’s Not My Father’s Son 

First of all, I have to say upfront that I adore Alan Cumming. Like he could read me the phone book and I would find it fascinating. Even in small parts in movies he’s absolutely notable in every scene. He’s the kind of actor that just steals your gaze when you’re supposed to be watching the rest of the scene. He always creates a character you just can’t forget.

For example:

"I am invincible!" -- Cumming's tech-geek character Boris, from Golden Eye before being frozen by liquid nitrogen tanks.

Other reasons I love Alan Cumming is he's bisexual (shout out for bisexual representation!), funny as hell, and uncommonly insightful. Like I love how his brain works.

One of the comments from his memoir I can’t get out of my brain:

“...women have been coerced into a way of presenting themselves that is basically a form of bondage. Their shoes, their skirts, even their nails seem designed to stop them from being able to escape...”

I haven’t worn heels since without thinking about that statement.

Harrison Mooney’s Invisible Boy 

If you grew up in any form of the Pentecostal church, this book might smack you in the face. I remembered things I had long forgotten. But there’s so much more here. Ultimately, there’s a little boy desperately seeking his mother – her love, her approval – for certain, but heartbreakingly he’s simply seeking to be seen. To be seen as he is. At times funny, at times overwhelmingly sad, this book speaks to the triumphant resilience of Black people in Canada who find their identity despite great efforts by society (and subcultures, like religion) to strip it away.

Bonus: Stephen King’s On Writing 

For the writers among us, On Writing offers us a glimpse into the life and career of one of the most successful writers on the planet. If you’re a fan of horror writer Stephen King, you’ll find this book fascinating. I am not a fan of horror in general – despite my family’s best efforts to educate me on the genre, and I still found it fascinating. The book is divided into two parts – memoir and writing bits. The memoir is a delicious mix of salacious tidbits of his life, like his first job at a hospital laundry and his first sale to a publisher, reminding you that a blockbuster novelist and television producer is still a real life person. If you’re a writer, the writing bits will provide you some nuggets of wisdom on your writing journey.

There you have it! Four of my favourite memoirs. What are your favourite memoirs?