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Celebrity memoirs will always fascinate people. With the promise of juicy gossip or unknown personal stories (or, hopefully, both!), they can be really great reads.

The celebrity memoirs that are, in my opinion, ones you should spend time with are the ones that not only entertain you, but also teach you something. Without further ado. here are 5 celeb memoirs you should read:

Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson
You may remember Mara Wilson as the little girl from Matilda or The Miracle on 34th Street. Those were some of the last films I remember her being in. Picking up her book was a surprise. It was well-written, it was emotional, and it exposed many of her personal struggles.

 

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
I picked this book up less for the fact that it was Trevor Noah’s memoir and more for the fact that it was a memoir about growing up in South Africa. Noah’s (sometimes unbelievable) family stories are peppered with Noah’s humor. His whole story, though, always centers back to his mother; in a way, this book is more about her than it is about him. In recounting her life and how it gave birth to his, Noah’s story is also an incredibly interesting and honest peek into the life of a South African before and right after apartheid.

 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Aside from being smart and funny, Minday Kaling is a savvy businesswoman. Creating her career on her terms by writing and starring in her own tv show. The Mindy Project, is admirable. Her first memoir (her best, I think) talks about that as well as how she got to where she is. It also hilariously discusses dating and her heritage. Honestly, everyone I know who has read this book is convinced they would be BFFs with Mindy if they ever met (myself included). If that doesn’t show how good of a read it is, I don’t know what would.

 

Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offerman
Like many others, I became a huge Nick Offerman fan as I watched him as the wonderful character of Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. The more I learned about Offerman as a person, the more I liked his public persona so, naturally, when this book (his first of two memoirs) hit the shelves, I read it immediately. The love and pride that he uses when he talks about the people he cares about, his hometown, and his teachers is appealing. He also has seemingly stayed grounded. humble, and kind which are three stellar traits in anyone.

 

Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
Gilmore Girls found a new generation of fans with all seven seasons streaming on Netflix in preparation for the reboot last fall so it’s no surprise that Lauren Graham’s memoir includes a chunk about the show. While I was drawn to the Gilmore Girls aspect of her memoir, her interesting familial history really hooked me. She offers advice, shares many examples of mistakes she’s made so others can learn from them, and keeps a breezy, charming tone the whole time.