I'm looking for a non celeb memoir to read

[Shosha1]

Any ideas.

I don't like misery books either.

A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold - her son Dylan was one of the Columbine killers. Interesting book.

Dear Tom by Tom Courtenay. Letters from Tom Courtenay's mum to him. Deeply moving.

The Moon's A Balloon by David Niven. Such a well-written and funny memoir.

Unreliable Memoirs by Clive James.

Also, The Farm by Richard Benson.

Once Upon A House on Fire by Andrea ???

And Toast by Nigel Slater.

Haven't rtft, so someone may have mentioned it already, but "if this is a man" by Primo Levi. It's a memoir of his time in auschwitz and is one of the best books I have ever read. Definitely not misery porn- he writes with an almost clinical detachment.

The periodic table, a book of short, autobiographical stories, is also very good.

Ooh, and into thin air is a cracking book! Autobiographical book by Jon krakauer describing an ill-fated expedition to the summit of Everest. Totally engrossing.

Oh yes, Into Thin Air is a great book. Also, Touching the Void by Joe Simpson.

Cut: One Woman's fight against FGM in Britain today. Sounds very dreary, but this woman is extremely inspirational.

www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Cut-One-Womans-Fight-Against-FGM-in-Britain-Today/Hibo-Wardere/9781471153983

The strange lives of the Mitfords is what makes them fascinating. Can't argue with the comments from Ada about the awfulness Diana, Nancy and Unity - all true but they ARE intriguing and unique and each in their own way a window on history.

Mitford books in order of preference for me :

Letters Between Six Sisters, Hons And Rebels, In Tearing Haste, Wait For Me, A Life Of Contrasts

The biographies I've read by Thompson and Lovell were biased I thought

Also Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks and Last Act Of Love - brilliant

Another Bullshit Night In Suck City by Nick Flynn

Shantaram by Gregory Roberts

A Million Little Pieces by that guy who was discredited by Oprah

oh gosh

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - Vietnam memoir

My Traitors Heart by Rian Malan - Apartheid memoir

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat - Oliver Sacks (neurologist memoir)

No non-celeb and no misery either. Try "London for Immigrant suckers"
It has some good Amazon reviews but I usually don't believe them.
The best description is given here forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=38570

It may not be a memoir but it reads like one.

Hello,

DH is currently reading: 'The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen' and is really enjoying it!

It's the diary of an 84-year-old man and it's hilarious.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DOSVSNW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

I should add that Hendrik Groen isn't a celeb. Think it's a pseudonym...

Second Oliver Sacks' works. He was a neurologist and psychologist (who is sadly now deceased) and he wrote a lot of books about fascinating cases he encountered during his work. Brilliant man, my professional hero and it hurts my heart that I'll never get to see him speak.

Call the Midwife series is also good, and if you enjoy them you may also like Yes Sister No Sister (about a trainee nurse in the 50s) and Baby Catcher (about an American midwife). The Midwife's Here! is another midwife memoir, and it's about the life of Linda Fairley who's one of the longest serving midwives in Britain.