I'm looking for a non celeb memoir to read

[Shosha1]

Any ideas.

I don't like misery books either.

oh, sorry just seen you don't like misery books.

Ignore mine!

The Mitfords are utterly fascinating.

Also Angela's Ashes.

Right - am about to hide this thread. It's getting expensive!

Surely Your're Joking Mr Feynman is also bloody brilliant. One of the greatest physics minds ever, and the book is funny, moving, completely accessible for a non-scientist (like me).

You might enjoy A Test Of Courage by Christopher Robbins, which is a book about the life of Michel Thomas. Really amazing bloke, worked in the resistance in WW2.
Link here: www.amazon.co.uk/Test-Courage-Biography-Nazi-Hunter-Christopher-ebook/dp/B0071MB022/

Lots of great suggestions here, I"m going to add some to my must-read list :)

For an incredibly inspiring read can I add Let IT Go by Stephanie Shirley. She came to Britain on the Kindertransport, started and ran a very successful IT business (whilst bringing up her son who had severe autism) and then became a major philanthropist.

The Last Act of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink. Raw memoir about her brother's accident and ultimately his death. But also great recognisable evocation of growing up/ family life in eighties and nineties

Fingers in the Sparkle Jar, by Chris Packham (yes, him off Springwatch). Utterly amazing and very intense and raw depiction of his childhood as a ruthlessly bullied child with (undiagnosed at the time) ASD, growing up in the '70s, and his developing passion for animals. Contains a couple of distressing parts. Utterly gripping and one of the best things I have read for a long time.

I would recommend star gazing by Peter hill about a student doing a stint on a remote light house in the 70's

Last act of love by Cathy retzinbrink. Sad but v powerful.
Wrong knickers by bryony Gordon

The spirit of the Mitford sisters is amazing.

The glass castle was interesting

Maggie and me by damain Barr

Romany and Tom by Ben watt.

All made up by Janice Galloway

PinkBuffalo she is a fascinating lady as i met and bought the book from her at Petra a couple of years ago.

I recommend "Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman who Helped to Hide the Frank Family" by Miep Gies.

I would recommend Casting Off by Emma Bamford which is an entertaining memoir about quitting the rat race to become a sailor. Also Once in aHouse on Fire by Andrea Ashworth is brilliant, not a misery memoir even though the blurb would make you think so.

Place marking as there are so many good recommendations.
Thank you OP for starting this thread and to all those making suggestions

I have written a fictional diary, but based on my own experiences of fostering - just the funny ones, I think enough has been written about the tragic children from horrible backgrounds with resultant behavioural problems. My own experience of fostering was with children who are just like any other, but don't normally get a mention - and the carer is also not the got-all-the-answers foster carer usually portrayed, but a disorganised, always running late, constantly behind with the paperwork and having to lie to social workers, despairing about the state of the house sort of foster carer. I am self-published and this is my first attempt, so, unfortunately, book is only available through www.rosallison.com website.

I second DO NO HARM by Henry Marsh. He was my mother's brain surgeon and saved her life, so it was a truly fascinating read.

Enjoying this thread as pp have said.

It's made think, not for the first time, is there anyway that this could be like a kind of what we're reading mumsnet classic hybrid iyswim? Almost like a sticky? So threads where people recommend books of a certain genre/type that we can go back to months or years to come. I know you can find out in search but something a bit easier. E.g. Search: thread recommending biographies. Does that make sense? Or is that as clear as mud? Sorry in advance if so!

Btw that's fascinating comments from previous two posters.

• those are not that's. 😬

Gervase Phinn Dales series about a school inspectors life in Northern Yorkshire

Two that are slightly different but lovely - The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks about a sheep farmer in the Lake District and Meadowland: the private life of an English field by John Lewis-Stempel, a year in the life of a field in Herefordshire.

Seconding ''fifty dead men walking''

Another vote for The Shepherds Life. Couldn't put it down.

ALso Horatio Clare's memoir Running for the Hills about growing up on a Welsh Farm.

I just read a review of ''fifty dead man walking'' from a Swede on good reads. Like James Bond, but raw and real and not dolled up with a Martini''.

I must re-read it. But then there are so many other books I'd love to get through on this thread. I@m going to go through it later and make a note of the ones I want to read