New Celebrity Memoirs to Excite your 2025 Nonfiction Reading Goals
Check them out on audiobooks as well. The author is the narrator!
From Hollywood icons to music legends and sports superstars, celebrity memoirs offer a front-row seat to the highs, lows, and behind-the-scenes moments of fame. Whether they’re filled with jaw-dropping revelations, heartfelt reflections, or laugh-out-loud stories, these books give readers an intimate look at the lives of the rich and famous. This list features the biggest celebrity memoirs that hit shelves at the end of last year and the most-anticipated releases coming in the first half of this year—perfect for anyone who loves a mix of glamour, grit, and unforgettable life stories.
24 Memoirs from Celebrities A-Z:
Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations
by Alton Brown
From Alton Brown, the New York Times bestselling cookbook author and beloved culinary food personality, a debut collection of personal essays defined by his flair, wit, and insight.
From cameraman to chef, musician to food scientist, Alton Brown has had a diverse and remarkable career. His work on the Food Network, including creating Good Eats and hosting Iron Chef America and Cutthroat Kitchen, has resonated with countless viewers and home cooks. Now, he shares exactly what's on his mind, mixing compelling anecdotes from his personal and professional life with in-depth observations on the culinary world, film, personal style, defining meals of his lifetime, and much more.
Heartbreaker: A Memoir
by Mike Campbell - Ari Surdoval
"An exhilarating account. . . . an exemplary music memoir."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
A fast-paced, tender-hearted rock 'n' roll memoir for the ages, Mike Campbell's Heartbreaker is part rags-to-riches story and part raucous, seat-of-the-pants adventure, recounting Campbell's life and times as lead guitarist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Mike Campbell was the lead guitarist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from the band's inception in 1976 to Petty's tragic death in 2017. His iconic, melodic playing helped form the foundation of the band's sound, as heard on definitive classics like "American Girl," "Breakdown," "Don't Come Around Here No More," "Mary Jane's Last Dance," "Learning to Fly" and "Into the Great Wide Open."
Together, Petty and Campbell wrote countless songs, including some of the band's biggest hits: "Refugee," "Here Comes My Girl," "You Got Lucky" and "Runnin' Down a Dream" among them.
Cher: Part One: The Memoir
by Cher Cher
C
***The Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller***
***The Global #1 Bestseller***
The extraordinary life of Cher can be told by only one person . . . Cher herself.
After more than seventy years of fighting to live her life on her own terms, Cher finally reveals her true story in intimate detail, in a two-part memoir.
Her remarkable career is unique and unparalleled. The only woman to top Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades, she is the winner of an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, and an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame who has been lauded by the Kennedy Center.
She is a lifelong activist and philanthropist.
Connie: A Memoir
by Connie Chung
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER
In a sharp, witty, and frank memoir, iconic trailblazer and legendary journalist Connie Chung pulls no punches in detailing her storied career as the first Asian woman to break into an overwhelmingly white, male-dominated television news industry.
Connie Chung is a pioneer. The youngest of ten children, she was the only one born in the U.S., after her parents escaped war-torn China in a harrowing journey to America, where Connie would one day make history as the first woman (and Asian) to co-anchor the CBS Evening News. Profoundly influenced by her family's cultural traditions, yet growing up completely Americanized, she dealt with overt sexism and racism. Despite this, her tenacity led her to become a household name.
Citizen: My Life After the White House
by Bill Clinton
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A powerful, candid, and richly detailed memoir from an American icon, revealing what life looks like after the presidency: triumphs, tribulations, and all.
On January 20, 2001, after nearly thirty years in politics--eight of them as president of the United States--Bill Clinton was suddenly a private citizen. Only fifty-four years old, full of energy and ideas, he wanted to make meaningful use of his skills, his relationships with world leaders, and all he'd learned in a lifetime of politics, but how? Just days after leaving the White House, the call came to aid victims of a devastating earthquake in India, and Clinton hit the ground running. Over the next two decades, he would create an enduring legacy of public service and advocacy work, from Indonesia to Louisiana, Northern Ireland to South Africa, and in the process reimagine philanthropy and redefine the impact a former president could have on the world.
Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion, and Tech
by Maureen Dowd
A sly and chatty collection of the revered Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist's most notorious celebrity profiles.
Shining a white-hot spotlight on America's famous, from Hollywood legends to Broadway stars to media moguls, Notorious is a captivating assortment of Maureen Dowd's most compelling style features and profiles. Using her signature wit and incisive commentary as a scalpel, Dowd dissects influential cultural elites, including:
Notorious is the perfect antidote to our current political malaise and an intimate, gossipy romp through the culture of celebrity from a legend in American journalism.
In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some
by Josh Gad
A heartfelt and hilarious collection of essays from the comedian and entertainer known for voicing Olaf in the phenomenon Disney franchise of Frozen, and for his award-winning turn as Elder Cunningham in the Broadway smash hit The Book of Mormon.
For the first and possibly last time, Josh Gad dives into a wide array of personal topics: the lasting impact of his parents' divorce; how he struggled with weight and self-image; his first big break; how everyone was sure his most successful ventures (both on the big screen and the stage) would fail; his take on fatherhood, and so much more. This trip down the rabbit hole of overly personal stories will distract readers from climate change, the downward descent of democracy in Western civilization, and the existential threat that AI poses to Drake's music--with never-before-seen photos and few-to-no spelling errors.
I'll Have What She's Having
by Chelsea Handler
In hilarious and tender essays, #1 New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Handler shares her unforgettable story of becoming the woman she always wanted to be.
There's a woman I want to become, Chelsea Handler thought as a child. She'll be strong and confident. She'll light up a room and spread that light to make others feel better. She'll make a living being herself. She'll be a survivor.
At ten years old, Chelsea opened a lemonade stand and realized she'd make more money if the drinks were spiked. So she added vodka to her recipe and used her earnings to upgrade herself to first-class on a family vacation--leaving her parents and siblings in coach. She moved to Los Angeles and got fired from her temp job when she admitted she didn't know how to transfer calls. She's played pickleball with the scions of an American dynasty. She's sexted a governor. She shared psychedelics with strangers in Spain. When she accidentally ended up at dinner with Woody Allen, she was not going to leave the table without asking him a very personal pointed question. She went on national television and talked about having threesomes. She's never been one to hold back.
A Fabulous Disaster: From the Garage to Madison Square Garden, the Hard Way
by Gary Holt - Adem Tepedelen - Kirk Hammett
Prolific guitarist and Exodus songwriter Gary Holt presents an entertaining, personal memoir detailing his "destruction-laden" life and the origins of the Thrash Metal scene from the Bay Area to its world dominance.
Since exploding out of the Bay Area heavy metal scene in the 1980s, thrash metal has made its way to every corner of the globe, conquering worldwide charts year after year. As the guitarist and primary songwriter of Exodus, and an originator of the subgenre and one of its fiercest proponents, Gary Holt watched as his peers--Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax--soared to superstardom. As his fellow artists amassed millions of fans and record sales, Exodus's albums received critical recognition and inspired generations of listeners but struggled to reach the same heights of success, as the band was plagued by years of bad management, bad luck, and bad decision-making.
The Beautiful Dream: A Memoir
by Atiba Hutchinson - Dan Robson
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
"A captivating read from one of our country's greatest athletes."
―Christine Sinclair, former captain of the Canadian Women's National Soccer Team and National Bestselling Author of Playing the Long Game
Out of the Toronto suburb of Brampton comes an irresistible story of trials, perseverance, the limelight of international soccer, and--above all--heart.
Despite debuting on Canada's senior national soccer team 20 years ago, scarce is known of Atiba Hutchinson. We've watched him win Canadian Men's Player of the Year six times; celebrated his club team championships; and mourned his injuries. We've lamented the state of Canadian soccer and cursed the lost potential--and years. Yet, we know little about Atiba's personal life, or how he rose from suburban Brampton to becoming Canada's most-capped national men's team player, often described as the country's greatest athlete you haven't heard about.
For the first time, Atiba is ready to share the extraordinary story of his ascent to the heights of professional soccer, nationally and internationally, and what he believes makes a true champion.
The World of Nancy Kwan: A Memoir by Hollywood's Asian Superstar
by Nancy Kwan - Deborah Davis - Kevin Kwan
A Hollywood superstar shares the inspiring story of her groundbreaking career.
When Nancy Kwan burst onto the scene in the early 1960s, Asian characters in film were portrayed by white actors in makeup playing "yellowface," and those minor roles were the stuff of cliché shopkeepers, maids, prostitutes, servants. When--against all odds--Nancy landed the lead role in the much-anticipated 1960 film The World of Suzie Wong, she became an international superstar and was celebrated for her beauty, grace, authenticity, and spunk: a "Chinese Garbo," the “Asian Bardot.”
Model Citizen: The Autobiography of Jeremy Meeks
by Jeremy Meeks
Jeremy Meeks first catapulted to fame when his mugshot went viral, earning him the nickname "Prison Bae." But beyond the headlines and the high fashion, Model Citizen reveals a complex journey from hardship to reinvention.
This memoir traces Meeks's early life of adversity--from an unsettled childhood to the struggles that led to prison and, eventually, to an unexpected turn on the runway. With grit and a drive to rebuild, Meeks transitioned from gang-tied adolescence to modeling and Hollywood. But his story isn't about a perfect transformation; rather, it's a real and ongoing journey, shaped by resilience and an ever-evolving pursuit of something more.
Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer
by Dylan Mulvaney
"Dylan makes me laugh and makes me brave. I love Paper Doll, and I love this woman." --Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed
Actress and content creator Dylan Mulvaney's honest account of her journey through girlhood
When Dylan Mulvaney came out as a woman online, she was a viral sensation almost overnight, emerging as a trailblazing voice on social media. Dylan's personal coming-out story blossomed into a platform for advocacy and empowerment for trans people all over the world.
Through her "Days of Girlhood" series, she connected with followers by exploring what it means to be a girl, from experimenting with makeup to story times to spilling the tea about laser hair removal, while never shying away from discussing the transphobia she faced online. Nevertheless, she was determined to be a beacon of positivity.
Boat Baby: A Memoir
by Vicky Nguyen
In a memoir where heroism meets humor, NBC News anchor and correspondent Vicky Nguyen tells the story of her family's daring escape from communist Vietnam and her unlikely journey from refugee to reporter with laughter and fierce love.
Starting in 1975, Vietnam's "boat people"--desperate families seeking freedom--fled the Communist government and violence in their country any way they could, usually by boat across the South China Sea. Vicky Nguyen and her family were among them. Attacked at sea by pirates before reaching a refugee camp in Malaysia, Vicky's family survived on rations and waited months until they were sponsored to go to America.
But deciding to leave and start a new life in a new country is half the story...figuring out how to be American is the other. Boat Baby is Vicky's memoir of growing up in America with unconventional Vietnamese parents who didn't always know how to bridge the cultural gaps.
Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation
by Jim O'Heir
"An incredible book that shares a behind-the-scenes look from our time on set! You're going to love it; Jim shares so many memories that I hold near and dear to my heart." -- Chris Pratt
"Filled with hilarious stories and sweet observations, Welcome to Pawnee is a book for any Parks and Rec fan. It's funny and straight from the heart. Jim did a great job of not Jerry-ing this book." -- Amy Poehler
"This book is full of lies. Only the Dark Lord himself knows the truth about Pawnee. Do not trust Jerry." -- Aubrey Plaza
Jim O'Heir, who played Jerry (or Garry or Larry) on Parks and Recreation brings fans a heartfelt look at one of America's most beloved sitcoms, brimming with never-before-told stories featuring the cast and crew, along with dozens of unseen photos!
For seven seasons, Leslie Knope and the Parks and Recreation gang charmed millions of viewers with their quirky antics and unwavering positivity. The sitcom continues to be a fan-favorite for streaming services today, nearly a decade after its finale. Now for the first time, Jim O'Heir, who played the lovable Jerry (or, well, Garry/Larry/Terry/Barry, depending on the episode), invites readers back to Pawnee for an exclusive look behind the scenes.
Sonny Boy: A Memoir
by Al Pacino
The Instant New York Times Bestseller - One of People Magazine's Top 10 Books of the Year
"The rare celebrity memoir that's also a literary read. As funny as it is reflecive, it shares stories behind Pacino's hardscrabble upbringing, classic films and journey to icon status." --People Magazine
From one of the most iconic actors in the history of film, an astonishingly revelatory account of a creative life in full
To the wider world, Al Pacino exploded onto the scene like a supernova. He landed his first leading role, in The Panic in Needle Park, in 1971, and by 1975, he had starred in four movies--The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon--that were not just successes but landmarks in the history of film. Those performances became legendary and changed his life forever. Not since Marlon Brando and James Dean in the late 1950s had an actor landed in the culture with such force.
From Here to the Great Unknown: Oprah's Book Club: A Memoir
by Lisa Marie Presley - Riley Keough
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER - NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK - Born to an American myth and raised in the wilds of Graceland, Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in this raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough.
A PEOPLE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
In 2022, Lisa Marie Presley asked her daughter to help finally finish her long-gestating memoir.
A month later, Lisa Marie was dead, and the world would never know her story in her own words, never know the passionate, joyful, caring, and complicated woman that Riley loved and now grieved.
Riley got the tapes that her mother had recorded for the book, lay in her bed, and listened as Lisa Marie told story after story about smashing golf carts together in the yards of Graceland, about the unconditional love she felt from her father, about being upstairs, just the two of them.
My Next Breath: A Memoir
by Jeremy Renner
The gripping and inspiring story of acclaimed actor Jeremy Renner's near-fatal accident, and what he learned about inner strength, endurance and hope as he overcame insurmountable odds to recover, one breath at a time.
Two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner was the second most googled person in 2023... and not for his impressive filmography. His searing portrayals on film ranged from an Iraq-based army bomb technician in The Hurt Locker and a Boston bank robber in The Town to a crooked Camden mayor in American Hustle before he became heir to the Jason Bourne franchise (The Bourne Legacy). Amongst other iconic roles, he also captured hearts as fan-favorite comic book marksman Hawkeye in seven Marvel films.
Yet, his otherworldly success on-screen faded to the periphery when a fourteen-thousand-pound snowplow crushed him on New Year's Day 2023. Somehow able to keep breathing for more than half an hour, he was subsequently rushed to the ICU, after which he would face multiple surgeries and months of painful rehabilitation.
Our Fight: A Memoir
by Ronda Rousey - Maria Burns Ortiz
From New York Times bestselling author and trailblazing athlete Ronda Rousey, an unfiltered and entertaining chronicle of her last decade, tackling not only her explosive career transition but also parenthood, overcoming adversity, and finding meaning in life's journey. Now in paperback!
From the moment she burst onto the MMA scene, Ronda Rousey was unbeatable. She repeatedly strung together back-to-back flawless victories, racking up a collection of records and forever changing the face of sports as the UFC's first female champion. A superstar in her sport, she transcended athletics, appearing in blockbuster films and becoming a role model for women everywhere. Then, on November 15, 2015, it all came crashing down.
Lifeform
by Jenny Slate
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
From actor, comedian, co-creator of Marcel the Shell, and New York Times bestselling author of Little Weirds, Jenny Slate, a wild, soulful, hilarious collection of genre-bending essays depicting the journey into motherhood as you've never seen it before.
What happened was this: Jenny Slate was a human mammal who sniffed the air every morning hoping to find another person to love who would love her, and in that period there was a deep dark loneliness that she had to face and befriend, and then we are pleased to report that she did fall in love, and in that period she was like chimes, or a flock of clean breaths, and her spine lying flat was the many-colored planks on the xylophone, but also she was rabid with fear of losing this love, because of past injury.
On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer
by Rick Steves
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Stow away with Rick Steves for a glimpse into the unforgettable moments, misadventures, and memories of his 1978 journey on the legendary Hippie Trail.
In the 1970s, the ultimate trip for any backpacker was the storied "Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu. A 23-year old Rick Steves made the trek, and like a travel writer in training, he documented everything along the way: jumping off a moving train, making friends in Tehran, getting lost in Lahore, getting high for the first time in Herat, battling leeches in Pokhara, and much more. The experience ignited his love of travel and forever broadened his perspective on the world.
What I Ate in One Year: (And Related Thoughts)
by Stanley Tucci
From Stanley Tucci, award-winning actor and New York Times bestselling author, a deliciously unique memoir chronicling a year's worth of meals.
"Sharing food is one of the purest human acts."
Food has always been an integral part of Stanley Tucci's life: from stracciatella soup served in the shadow of the Pantheon, to marinara sauce cooked between scene rehearsals and costume fittings, to home-made pizza eaten with his children before bedtime.
Now, in What I Ate in One Year Tucci records twelve months of eating--in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself.
Ranging from the mouth-wateringly memorable to the comfortingly domestic and to the infuriatingly inedible, the meals memorialised in this diary are a prism for him to reflect on the ways his life, and his family, are constantly evolving. Through food he marks--and mourns--the passing of time, the loss of loved ones, and steels himself for what is to come.
Legends and Soles: The Memoir of an American Original
by Sonny Vaccaro - Armen Keteyian
The gripping and eye-opening memoir from the "Savior of Nike" and the man who discovered Michael Jordan, Sonny Vaccaro.
Written in collaboration with six-time New York Times bestselling author Armen Keteyian, Legends and Soles provides context and truth to the sensational media stories and headlines, including:
Filled with in-depth stories and sixteen pages of photos illuminating some of Sonny's most treasured career memories, Legends and Soles is the long-awaited memoir of a giant of American sports.
Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known about Menopause
by Naomi Watts - Mary Claire Haver
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A frank, funny and informative guide to menopause and aging by beloved actress Naomi Watts, one of the leading voices in menopause awareness--with a foreword by Mary Claire Haver, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause
At thirty-six, Naomi Watts had just completed filming King Kong and was trying to start a family when she was told that she was on the brink of menopause. It is estimated that seventy-five million women in the United States are currently dealing with menopause symptoms (dry itchy skin, raging hormones, night sweats), and yet the very word "menopause" continues to be associated with stigma and confusion. With so little information, many women feel unprepared, ashamed, and deeply alone when the time comes.
This is the book Naomi Watts wishes she had when she first started experiencing symptoms. Like sitting down over coffee and having an intimate chat with your girlfriend, Dare I Say It blends funny and poignant stories from Naomi and her friends with advice from doctors, hormone experts, and nutritionists to take the secrecy and shame out of menopause and aging. Answering questions such as: What's hormone therapy and should I be on it? Will I ever sleep again? Will I get myself back? What happened to my libido? Do I need eighteen serums for my aging skin? Whose body is this anyway? Who am I now?
Resilient: The Untold Story of Crossfit's Greatest Comeback
by Brooke Wells
An inspirational memoir about CrossFit star Brooke Wells' rise to fame and miraculous comeback.
On the last night of the 2021 CrossFit Games, ten thousand fans watched in horror as Brooke Wells' elbow dislocated under the weight of a 190-pound barbell. This is the extraordinary story of what happened next: How Wells pulled off a highly improbable comeback that transformed her mentally and physically into one of the fittest women in the world.
In Resilient, Wells provides a refreshingly honest, authentic account of how she overcame fear, self-doubt, and a slew of unexpected obstacles to return to the CrossFit Games less than a year after undergoing total elbow reconstruction. A story of strength, passion, courage, and grit, Resilient is a celebration of one athlete's extraordinary spirit and her inspiring ability to never say die.