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Quick answer: If you read I'm Glad My Mom Died, read Educated, Crying in H Mart, Hunger and The Glass Castle. All are honest memoirs about hard families, grief and finding your own voice.
Jennette McCurdy's 2022 memoir recounts her childhood as an actor under the control of her mother, her struggles with eating disorders and her journey to freedom. It is darkly funny, direct and moving. The books below offer similar candid memoirs about difficult parents, trauma and healing.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educated | Tara Westover | Adult | memoir of education |
| Crying in H Mart | Michelle Zauner | Adult | grief and food |
| Hunger | Roxane Gay | Adult | body and trauma |
| The Glass Castle | Jeannette Walls | Adult | hardship and resilience |
| Maybe You Should Talk to Someone | Lori Gottlieb | Adult | therapy memoir |
| Spare | Prince Harry | Adult | royal memoir |
| Finding Me | Viola Davis | Adult | actor's journey |
| Know My Name | Chanel Miller | Adult | survivor memoir |
| Born a Crime | Trevor Noah | Adult | funny and moving |
| Girl, Interrupted | Susanna Kaysen | Adult | memoir of hospitalisation |
| Running with Scissors | Augusten Burroughs | Adult | chaotic family memoir |
| Wishful Drinking | Carrie Fisher | Adult | Hollywood memoir |
| Untamed | Glennon Doyle | Adult | honest memoir |
| The Liars' Club | Mary Karr | Adult | Texas memoir |
| Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? | Mindy Kaling | Adult | funny essays |
1. Educated by Tara Westover
A woman raised off the grid teaches herself and goes to university. Powerful and moving.
Best for: memoir of education.
2. Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
A musician writes about her Korean mother and food. Touching and honest.
Best for: grief and food.
3. Hunger by Roxane Gay
Gay writes honestly about trauma and body image. Fierce and tender.
Best for: body and trauma.
4. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A woman recalls growing up poor with eccentric parents. Compelling and honest.
Best for: hardship and resilience.
5. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
A therapist becomes a patient. Warm, funny and wise.
Best for: therapy memoir.
6. Spare by Prince Harry
The Duke of Sussex tells his own story of grief and family. Candid and widely discussed.
Best for: royal memoir.
7. Finding Me by Viola Davis
Davis writes about poverty and her rise as an actor. Honest and inspiring.
Best for: actor's journey.
8. Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Miller reclaims her story after a sexual assault case. Powerful and lyrical.
Best for: survivor memoir.
9. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Noah recounts growing up in apartheid South Africa. Humorous and humane.
Best for: funny and moving.
10. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
Kaysen recalls her time in a psychiatric hospital. Short and haunting.
Best for: memoir of hospitalisation.
11. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
A teenager's years in the household of his mother's psychiatrist. Dark and funny.
Best for: chaotic family memoir.
12. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
Fisher writes frankly about fame, addiction and bipolar disorder. Funny and honest.
Best for: Hollywood memoir.
13. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Doyle writes about trusting your own voice. Warm, funny and popular.
Best for: honest memoir.
14. The Liars' Club by Mary Karr
Karr recalls her chaotic childhood in a refinery town. Funny, raw and brilliant.
Best for: Texas memoir.
15. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Kaling writes about friendship and fame. Light and breezy.
Best for: funny essays.
How to Choose
For intense family stories choose Educated, The Glass Castle or The Liars' Club. For grief and healing pick Crying in H Mart or Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. For celebrity memoirs read Spare, Finding Me or Wishful Drinking. For survivor stories try Know My Name or Hunger. Many of these deal with abuse, loss and mental health, so check content notes first. Memoirs by former child performers have become a genre of their own, and McCurdy's stands out for its mix of comedy and honesty. Readers who enjoy this book often move on to essays and interviews by the same author, and McCurdy narrates her own audiobook, which many listeners recommend.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is I'm Glad My Mom Died about?
McCurdy's childhood as an actor under an abusive, controlling mother, and her recovery.
Who wrote it?
Jennette McCurdy.
When was it published?
2022.
Is it funny?
It has dark humour, but the subject is serious.
Does it contain difficult topics?
Yes, including abuse, eating disorders and grief.
Does she narrate the audiobook?
Yes.
Is it a bestseller?
Yes, a major bestseller.
Is it suitable for teens?
It is an adult memoir, so older teens should read with care.
What should I read next?
Try Educated or Crying in H Mart.
Which book here is best for hardship and resilience?
Try The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, which is a good fit if you want hardship and resilience.
Which book here is best for actor's journey?
Try Finding Me by Viola Davis, which is a good fit if you want actor's journey.
Which book here is best for memoir of hospitalisation?
Try Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, which is a good fit if you want memoir of hospitalisation.
Which book here is best for honest memoir?
Try Untamed by Glennon Doyle, which is a good fit if you want honest memoir.
Which book here is best for grief and food?
Try Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, which is a good fit if you want grief and food.