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Original poster

I've never read biographies and I'd like to start

58 replies

Hoolahoophop · 18/01/2022 11:15

I'm trying the 50 book challenge this year. So far iv read 3
Mrs England by Stacy Halls
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Passing by Nella Larsen

I've never really got into biographies by id like to splatter a few in between the easy reads I enjoy and a few classics.

I've just got into audiobook so think biographies might be good for the walk to work.

I've reserved Michelle Obarma, Louis Therox and Dave Grohl from the library as I was scanning through and they caught my eye.

Can anyone recommend biographies that are easy reading, funny and uplifting. Maybe someone inspiring in a gentle way. I'm a Mum, an accidental business woman (who procrastinates terribly, so could do with some kick up the arse inspiration).

Or someone who takes a completely opposite path, a homespun natural healer of mystic!

Any ideas. Thanks

OP posts:
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NameChangeinHaste · 21/01/2022 21:15

Tara Westover - Educated
Cheryl Strayd - Wild

elkiedee · 21/01/2022 21:07

Radio 4 has various book serials - Book of the Week is their non fiction serial slot - these tend to be even more heavily abridged than the novels because novels unless they're very short will be spread over a couple of weeks whereas Book of the Week is nearly always one week so it's really just an hour of readings from the book. Each serial is available for at least a few weeks after broadcast and you can find them all on BBC Sounds website/app. If I like a book I want to read it properly and I'm such a Radio 4/R4 Extra addict that I just srtuggle to get round to audio books even more than print ones, but this way you can listen to 15 minutes from a book and decide whether you want to borrow or buy, you can.

Some of the Radio 4 books are've de real doorstep biographies and history, but they've done quite a lof of reasonably well written memoirs as well - Eileen Atkins' memoir of acting was on at the end of last year, I think the Grace Dent and

Maggie O'Farrell books mentioned above both featured, and the other night I heard a repeat on R4 Extra from Jo Brand. So there are books for all tastes to sample.

Really old but if you like big house stories (and Mrs England sounds like a big house historical novel) Jessica Mitford was one of the Mitford sisters and her memoir of growing up in a very eccentric aristocratic family in the 1920s is sometimes sad but often very, very funny. If you like it, you can also try older sister Nancy's most famous novels Love in a Cold Climate and the Pursuit of Love and younger sister Deborah's memoirs. I don't know whether any have been done on Audible or otherwise on audio. There are two or three TV adaptations of the novels,, and I know my mum, my sister and I watched the most recent one on DVD, but that could be 7 to 10 years ago now (at least 6 years).

TheOrigRights · 21/01/2022 18:22

Jenni Murray's is good.

WellTidy · 21/01/2022 18:15

Do you have any hobbies? Famous people who share a hobby of yours might be up your street. I am a massive tennis fan, so I’ve read many ex players’ biographies and autobiographies. Billie Jean King’s was amazing, but very long and I’m not sure I’d recommend it other than to die-hard fans. Whereas Serious by John McEnroe would have more mass appeal, I’d say.

Whitney168 · 21/01/2022 18:06

@theleafandnotthetree

Not a biography strictly speaking but Wild by Cheryl Strayed is fantastic
This was going to be my recommendation too.

Also loved John Bishop's on Audible, randomly.

Louis Theroux books fox me - love him completely on TV, comes across as an arse to me in books, but I can still never resist.

Michelle Obama not my favourite, I have to say.

Am currently on Billy Connolly - bit of a weird writing style, but interesting.

Ihopeyourcakeisshit · 21/01/2022 18:03

Also loved Jane Fonda's autobiography.
I also read Jerry Lewis' book about his partnership with Dean Martin which was a great read. (I'm not actually as old as my book recommend might suggest) Grin

theleafandnotthetree · 21/01/2022 12:58

@CovidCorvid

I found Piers Morgan’s book about his time as a newspaper editor and the Blair years interesting and well written.
He's a bellend obviously but it IS a fantastic read and a great insight into tabloid culture.
Original poster
Hoolahoophop · 21/01/2022 12:44

Thanks all just added 15 books to my reading list. Will pop over to borrow box and see what is available for loan from my library.

@Matbest I enjoyed Mrs England. I think the author is probably a fan of Daphne du Maurier it has a mystery, a history, a mix of servants and big grand houses, quite atmospheric. The ending didn't really come as much of a surprise to me but I enjoyed it as a good winter read. I wouldn't revisit it but would recommend it to someone who wanted to a book to read by the fire.

OP posts:
HollowTalk · 21/01/2022 12:41

@PersonIrresponsible Your book sounds good but the price! Most Kindle books are £2.99 or less.

CovidCorvid · 21/01/2022 12:40

I found Piers Morgan’s book about his time as a newspaper editor and the Blair years interesting and well written.

PeggyGa · 21/01/2022 12:38

I like comedians:

Michael McIntyre
Jason manford
Peter Kay

theleafandnotthetree · 21/01/2022 12:32

@Aworldofmyown

Educated - Tara Westover Just Ignore Him - Alan Davies
Oh yes, Educated is amazing, more of a memoir but so interesting. One of the biggest ever hits at our book club.
Aworldofmyown · 21/01/2022 12:23

Educated - Tara Westover
Just Ignore Him - Alan Davies

shamalidacdak · 21/01/2022 12:04

I've read hundreds of biographies and bay far the most interesting was Jane Fondas. Wow has she had a fascinating life.

Ancientdreams · 21/01/2022 11:57

I thoroughly enjoyed Shirley Ballas Behind the Sequins, if you are a Strictly fan.

Weepingwillows12 · 21/01/2022 11:57

There's a lot of good tips above. Trying to think of others.

I liked "I am, IAM, I am" by Maggie O'Farrell. It's basically a list of the times she almost died but a mix of funny and scary.

Are you interested in sports at all? There are lots of sports autobiographies but you kind of need to be interested a bit in the sport.

I also liked Dirt about motley crue. It's not a band I like but they take turns to write their view on events and have such different takes on it. So dysfunctional but interesting in a way.

greypot · 21/01/2022 11:48

If you like Succession, Brian Cox's autobiography (the actor, not the scientist) is a good read.

theleafandnotthetree · 19/01/2022 23:04

Yes to Andre Agassi and Elton John. I really enjoyed PD James' Time to be in Earnest: A fragment of autobiography but I love her style of writing anyway.

elizaco · 19/01/2022 21:27

I really enjoyed Hungry by Grace Dent and Till The Cows Come Home by Sara Cox.

Ktay · 19/01/2022 19:25

Anne Glenconner excellent. Then if you aren’t sick of Princess Margaret by then, Ma’am Darling by Craig Brown is a hilarious book about her as seen through the eyes of 99 (iirc?) other people

Riapia · 19/01/2022 19:19

Peter O’Toole. Loitering with intent.

Matbest · 19/01/2022 19:13

Bossy Pants by Tina Fey is my favourite ever autobiography

Matbest · 19/01/2022 19:12

Not a biography but I think you'd enjoy Hamnet.

What is Mrs England like?

gvb8 · 19/01/2022 19:08

Seconding Open by Andre Agassi, it's a brilliant read.

I also enjoyed Airhead, by Emily Maitlis

DisforDarkChocolate · 19/01/2022 18:56

How not to be a Boy by Robert Webb.

I loved this, its an autobiography but you get so much more from it than that.