100 Biographies & Memoirs to Read in a Lifetime: Readers' Picks

The Amazon books editors got together and chose 100 Biographies & Memoirs to Read in a Lifetime. We want to know what books you would choose. Add titles below, and vote on the titles added by fellow readers.

See all of our picks at www.amazon.com/100biographies.

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.18 avg rating — 3,505,579 ratings score: 35,863, and 362 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai 4.15 avg rating — 545,471 ratings score: 18,888, and 192 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Night (The Night Trilogy, #1) by Elie Wiesel 4.36 avg rating — 1,176,061 ratings score: 18,671, and 190 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Goodreads Author) 4.31 avg rating — 1,126,653 ratings score: 17,033, and 173 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand 4.37 avg rating — 900,134 ratings score: 13,669, and 140 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1) by Maya Angelou 4.28 avg rating — 504,226 ratings score: 11,469, and 117 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 698,041 ratings score: 10,053, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom by Corrie ten Boom 4.45 avg rating — 307,136 ratings score: 7,728, and 80 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 1,191,409 ratings score: 7,396, and 76 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 3.78 avg rating — 3,920 ratings score: 7,359, and 74 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt, #1) by Frank McCourt 4.14 avg rating — 610,063 ratings score: 6,942, and 72 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X 4.35 avg rating — 255,538 ratings score: 6,934, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 4.39 avg rating — 168,922 ratings score: 6,901, and 71 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 751,608 ratings score: 6,761, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,040,245 ratings score: 6,450, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Story of My Life by Helen Keller 4.08 avg rating — 145,024 ratings score: 5,158, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 477,093 ratings score: 5,100, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 4.22 avg rating — 159,818 ratings score: 4,596, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup 4.21 avg rating — 112,901 ratings score: 4,572, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl 4.37 avg rating — 633,366 ratings score: 4,453, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman 4.57 avg rating — 201,704 ratings score: 4,317, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 4.27 avg rating — 108,399 ratings score: 4,268, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 960,144 ratings score: 4,262, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	John Adams by David McCullough 4.07 avg rating — 353,261 ratings score: 4,220, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass 4.09 avg rating — 117,135 ratings score: 4,195, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Yes Please by Amy Poehler 3.84 avg rating — 503,738 ratings score: 4,138, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah 4.15 avg rating — 182,743 ratings score: 4,075, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 221,027 ratings score: 4,000, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 682,724 ratings score: 3,949, and 42 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson 4.06 avg rating — 394,185 ratings score: 3,793, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Confessions by Augustine of Hippo 3.95 avg rating — 59,971 ratings score: 3,678, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman (Goodreads Author) 3.72 avg rating — 196,701 ratings score: 3,588, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Sybil: The Classic True Story of a Woman Possessed by Sixteen Personalities by Flora Rheta Schreiber 3.98 avg rating — 88,753 ratings score: 3,476, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Just Kids by Patti Smith (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 249,795 ratings score: 3,313, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Goodreads Author) 4.37 avg rating — 276,708 ratings score: 3,239, and 34 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser 3.92 avg rating — 36,394 ratings score: 2,913, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 272,098 ratings score: 2,901, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway 4.02 avg rating — 142,684 ratings score: 2,845, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 117,934 ratings score: 2,801, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Schindlers List by Thomas Keneally 4.34 avg rating — 157,303 ratings score: 2,724, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie 3.93 avg rating — 102,728 ratings score: 2,626, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 4.18 avg rating — 88,747 ratings score: 2,494, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	West with the Night by Beryl Markham 4.14 avg rating — 36,527 ratings score: 2,418, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth 4.18 avg rating — 69,196 ratings score: 2,325, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	My Life in France by Julia Child 4.15 avg rating — 87,722 ratings score: 2,298, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Goodreads Author) 3.75 avg rating — 382,392 ratings score: 2,254, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.27 avg rating — 180,363 ratings score: 2,234, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Total Recall by Arnold Schwarzenegger 4.15 avg rating — 20,130 ratings score: 2,198, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil by Rüdiger Safranski 3.84 avg rating — 1,771 ratings score: 2,172, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Liars' Club by Mary Karr 3.93 avg rating — 66,451 ratings score: 2,164, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 172,527 ratings score: 2,119, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin 4.19 avg rating — 44,287 ratings score: 2,100, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Truman by David McCullough 4.14 avg rating — 85,549 ratings score: 2,092, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel by Claudia Clark (Goodreads Author) 4.29 avg rating — 4,328 ratings score: 2,054, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4.49 avg rating — 625,634 ratings score: 1,939, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis 4.06 avg rating — 60,881 ratings score: 1,901, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Boy: Tales of Childhood (Roald Dahl's Autobiography, #1) by Roald Dahl 4.07 avg rating — 66,479 ratings score: 1,882, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey 4.15 avg rating — 20,235 ratings score: 1,821, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung 4.32 avg rating — 43,960 ratings score: 1,748, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 65,731 ratings score: 1,738, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Levant Fever: True Stories from Syria's Underground by Wajdy Mustafa (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 63 ratings score: 1,699, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 66,738 ratings score: 1,681, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin 4.10 avg rating — 67,009 ratings score: 1,665, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 157,267 ratings score: 1,650, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Open by Andre Agassi 4.29 avg rating — 111,337 ratings score: 1,621, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Gandhi: An Autobiography by Mahatma Gandhi 4.10 avg rating — 67,706 ratings score: 1,575, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard 4.19 avg rating — 71,045 ratings score: 1,566, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel by Kati Marton 4.34 avg rating — 5,164 ratings score: 1,563, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 60,219 ratings score: 1,534, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story by Ann Rule 4.13 avg rating — 94,175 ratings score: 1,489, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Becoming by Michelle Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 955,348 ratings score: 1,477, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds (Story of Elsa, #1) by Joy Adamson 4.16 avg rating — 33,081 ratings score: 1,465, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela 4.34 avg rating — 82,872 ratings score: 1,462, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 207,330 ratings score: 1,459, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 203,210 ratings score: 1,453, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough (Goodreads Author) 3.31 avg rating — 9,145 ratings score: 1,400, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown 4.24 avg rating — 87,449 ratings score: 1,373, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington 4.09 avg rating — 32,421 ratings score: 1,363, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Obama's Wars by Bob Woodward 3.80 avg rating — 8,396 ratings score: 1,358, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 161,542 ratings score: 1,356, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts 4.18 avg rating — 19,266 ratings score: 1,351, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel 4.08 avg rating — 169,127 ratings score: 1,308, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller 3.96 avg rating — 54,263 ratings score: 1,285, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton 3.92 avg rating — 58,149 ratings score: 1,281, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Naked by David Sedaris 4.09 avg rating — 259,972 ratings score: 1,264, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall 4.30 avg rating — 202,127 ratings score: 1,243, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	In the Company of Heroes: The Personal Story Behind Black Hawk Down by Michael J. Durant 4.25 avg rating — 5,325 ratings score: 1,237, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Ernesto Che Guevara 3.78 avg rating — 38,539 ratings score: 1,225, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote 4.24 avg rating — 14,301 ratings score: 1,220, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton 3.75 avg rating — 33,035 ratings score: 1,211, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux by John G. Neihardt 4.12 avg rating — 16,812 ratings score: 1,206, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris 4.10 avg rating — 271,972 ratings score: 1,196, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew 4.34 avg rating — 40,812 ratings score: 1,190, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann 4.12 avg rating — 22,005 ratings score: 1,163, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan 4.14 avg rating — 464,561 ratings score: 1,151, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Tender Bar: A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer 3.97 avg rating — 41,116 ratings score: 1,143, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs 4.14 avg rating — 51,206 ratings score: 1,137, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow 4.14 avg rating — 69,410 ratings score: 1,104, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Under Water: A Natural Disaster Memoir by Owen Grimenstein (Goodreads Author) 3.62 avg rating — 970 ratings score: 1,100, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star by Nikki Sixx 4.13 avg rating — 34,810 ratings score: 1,097, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,635 books · 1,513 voters · list created February 16th, 2015 by Jon (votes) .

Tags: biography, history, memoir

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message 1: by Michelle (new)

Mar 02, 2015 06:19PM

Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biography.

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message 2: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Mar 02, 2015 11:57PM) (new)

Mar 02, 2015 11:05PM

Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biography."

I agree, so I have removed all five books (three different versions of the Bible were on the list).

I'm not sure The Bell Jar (#10) qualifies either, as I always thought is was a novel (and Sylvia Platt's only one, as far as I know). Anyone?

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message 3: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Mar 02, 2015 11:58PM) (new)

Mar 02, 2015 11:08PM

I suppose Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country (#89) could be seen as a memoir, although to me it is more of a travel story than an actual memoir/biography.

I've read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and that's not a biography but a novel (can't even be a memoir or a biography, as the author left Afghanistan as a toddler...), so I've removed the book.

Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang is also fiction, so again, I've removed the book. (Don't be misled by the book's title!)

I've also removed To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, as it is a novel (it received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction !!). The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck also won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, so that's another one I've removed.

People, please, don't just add books because you think they might be a biography or a memoir, but make absolutely sure before you add! If you have even the slightest doubt, don't add...

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message 4: by Mel (new)

Mar 08, 2015 03:00PM

Removed The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. Great book, not biography, autobiography, or memoir.

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message 5: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 02:58PM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biog..."

Yes, The Bell Jar is a novel. So is The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman. I found so many novels on this list that I gave up.

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message 6: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:01PM

Yes The Bell Jar is a novel. So is The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. I came across so many novels on this list that I gave up.

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message 7: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:03PM

The Laura Ingalls Wilder series is fiction. The Souls of Black Folk is an essay collection, not a memoir or biography.

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message 8: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:04PM

104 Number Theory Problems. I think this list needs restart but perhaps it will end up just as irrelevant the second time around.

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message 9: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:05PM

Also, some of the biographies are known for being contrived, such as Sybil.

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message 10: by Ruth (new)

Mar 12, 2015 03:07PM

Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King etc is a 3-volume HISTORY of the Civil Rights Movement. Come on-- can't anyone come up with some actual biographies of darker-skinned people?

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message 11: by Mel (last edited Mar 12, 2015 06:01PM) (new)

Mar 12, 2015 05:28PM

Ruth wrote: "Parting the Waters: Martin Luther King etc is a 3-volume HISTORY of the Civil Rights Movement. Come on-- can't anyone come up with some actual biographies of darker-skinned people?"
Ruth, please don't be upset at others--just add it!(That is, if it is bio and not more a history of a movement. I've never read it at all). I already had 13 black bios on my own list of 38, so without scrolling the whole list it seems like you're being a bit hyperbolic. Again, please add valuable bios.

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message 12: by Mel (new)

Mar 12, 2015 05:54PM

Ruth wrote: "Also, some of the biographies are known for being contrived, such as Sybil."
Absolutely! That is my dilemma with some of them. I maintain that some people's autobiographies/bios are more fiction than other people's historical fiction.
I deleted the Little House set as per its Goodreads classification. I also deleted The Souls of Black Folk. There is a bio of W.E.B. Du Bois on the list. (My edition of The Souls of B F began with a powerful account of Du Bois's early adulthood)(and feel free to add other Du Bois bios).

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message 13: by Mel (new)

Mar 12, 2015 06:13PM

Anybody have a good argument for keeping Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises?

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message 14: by Mel (new)

Mar 12, 2015 06:17PM

All quibbling about a few mis-added books aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this list. Happy reading to all! I am excited to read some of these.

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message 15: by Aubrey (last edited Mar 23, 2015 08:43PM) (new)

Mar 23, 2015 08:37PM

Removed The Bell Jar, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and The Sun Also Rises for being fiction.

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message 16: by Ruth (new)

Mar 24, 2015 07:05AM

I did finally get through the list and found some to add that I hope will be appreciated. All in all, I think the list is good. Thanks for taking off the more obvious fictions... This is all in good fun.

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message 17: by Donna (new)

Apr 04, 2015 08:25PM

Removed for being fiction: Little House in the Big Woods; Little House on the Prairie; The Long Winter. The same applies to any others in this series that anyone might contemplate adding: historical fiction, not memoir.

The system found and deleted 3 duplicates also.

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message 18: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Apr 05, 2015 12:22AM

Ruth wrote: "All in all, I think the list is good. ..."

Dito ;-)

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message 19: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Apr 08, 2015 10:19PM) (new)

Apr 08, 2015 10:17PM

Removed for being a novel (fiction) instead of a biography/memoir: Slaughterhouse-Five

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message 20: by Sharon (new)

Feb 15, 2016 12:20PM

Booklovinglady wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biog..."

I just looked at the list today and these books are still on the list. Maybe someone put them back on?

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message 21: by LindaJ^ (new)

Aug 09, 2016 05:23PM

At least some are still there. Memoirs and biographies are NOT FICTION, i.e., not novels nor short stories nor essays.

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message 22: by Peg (new)

May 14, 2019 11:23AM

Please remove Eragon as well, it's ficton.

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message 23: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited May 14, 2019 09:13PM) (new)

May 14, 2019 09:12PM

Peg wrote: "Please remove Eragon as well, it's ficton."

Which number? (There are 13 pages at the moment, which is bit much to search for a book...)

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message 24: by Book2Dragon (new)

Jul 23, 2020 10:33PM

Eragon is definitely fantasy and not biography/memoir. Someone must have slipped that one in.

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message 25: by Mary (new)

Jul 28, 2021 05:38AM

BookLovingLady wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Too many books on this list are not biographies or memoirs. The Catcher in the Rye is a lovely book but it's fiction. Likewise The Great Gatsby. The Bible is not a memoir or a biog..."

Plath

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message 26: by Naomi (new)

Mar 13, 2022 10:15AM