Getting Intimate with the Stars

The 10 best celebrity memoirs you haven't read yet

These days, it seems like any Tom, Dick, or Harry with a claim to fame is putting out a memoir. If it’s by a famous person who intrigues us, we might actually read it. And sometimes, wonder of wonders, they turn out to be really good! Here are ten underappreciated memoirs written by (and about) celebrities.

Your Second Act: Inspiring Stories of Reinvention

As one of TV's most recognizable and beloved moms on a series of popular sitcoms from Everybody Loves Raymond to The Middle to Carol's Second Act, Patricia Heaton knows a thing or two about staging second acts. Here she shares wisdom from her own experiences as well as insight from other people's.

More Than Love: An Intimate Portrait of My Mother, Natalie Wood

When Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Catalina Island at the age of 43, it devastated her family, and stunned fans worldwide. This book by her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, offers the never-before-told story of her glamorous life, sudden death, and lasting legacy.

The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss

When Gloria Vanderbilt fell briefly ill, she and her son Anderson Cooper began a dialogue over email that was unlike any they had ever had before. This charming, intimate—and often hilarious—collection of correspondence offers a rare window into their close relationship and fascinating lives.

Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life  

Whether starring in Younger or dazzling audiences on the Broadway stage, Sutton Foster manages to make it all look easy. How? Crafting. From the moment she picked up a cross stitch needle to escape the bullying chorus girls in her early performing days, she was hooked.

You're Not Doing It Right: Tales of Marriage, Sex, Death, and Other Humiliations

Comedian Michael Ian Black delivers a collection of irreverent essays that say the things you're afraid to admit. With the deadpan wit and unexpected candor that has made him one of the most-followed celebs on Twitter, he delivers a darkly funny-because-it's-true take on the joys of suburban family life.

Everything's Trash, But It's Okay

Wouldn't it be great if life came with instructions? Of course, but like access to Michael B. Jordan's house, none of us are getting any. Written in her unfiltered and witty style, Phoebe Robinson's latest collection is a call to arms. If you can laugh at her topsy-turvy life, you can laugh at your own.

Name Drop: The Really Good Celebrity Stories I Usually Only Tell at Happy Hour

The hilarious Ross Mathews has always liked dishing up good stories, even when the biggest celebrity he knew was his favorite lunch lady in the school cafeteria. Here he shares his best Hollywood yarns, from interning at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to judging RuPaul's Drag Race.

I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds

Emmy Award-winning legal journalist, and co-host of The View, Sunny Hostin chronicles her journey from a South Bronx housing project to becoming an assistant U.S. attorney. Timely, poignant, and moving, it is an intimate and unique look at identity, intolerance, and injustice.

Let Love Rule

"I see my story as a suite of songs that have a magical connection. I never understood that connection until I sat down to write. It was then that the magic started to flow." In this work of deep reflection, Lenny Kravitz looks back at his life with candor, self-scrutiny, and humor.

You're On an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a conversation with Parker Posey? Her irreverent, hilarious, and enchanting memoir gives you the opportunity. Through stories, recipes, and handmade collages, the author opens up about the art of acting, life on the set, and the realities of fame.

Cozy up with these celebrities (who, incidentally, also know how to tell a good story). As always, we love hearing from you. So let us know if you have any recommendations to add. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for daily book recommendations, literary tidbits, and more.

Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon