While most celebrity books can appear to be money grabs or the work of a ghostwriter, there are some works that stand out as personal and authentic. If you’re looking for a new stack of books to add to your shelf, these powerful memoirs won’t let you down.
My Body by Emily Ratajkowski
My Body is a powerful collection of stories on sexuality, womanhood, vulnerability, pain, and power. After her deeply personal essay "Buying Myself Back" went viral in 2020, model, actress, and activist Emily Ratajkowski revealed she was releasing an entire book of essays detailing some of the most intimate moments of her life. She delves into that Robin Thicke video, dealing with predatory photographers and how she tries to survive as a woman in a capitalist world. Ratajkowski's book is insightful and urges readers to think about how men treat women's bodies and the concept of consent in all aspects of life.
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
You may know actress Busy Phillips from 'Freaks and Geeks', 'Dawson's Creek', or 'Cougar Town', but her memoir shows a whole new side of the feisty blonde. Both funny and highly emotional, Phillips delves into her experiences as a child actress, the abortion she got when she was a teenager, and her experience on set with a very young, very angry James Franco. She also explains how she and her best friend Michelle Williams came to be so close and how she managed natural childbirth. A celebrity is rarely honest when describing the ups and downs of their life, but Phillips delivers with this astounding memoir.
I Would Leave Me If I Could by Halsey
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Halsey made her mark as a musician for her powerful lyricism, and her poetry collection shines out in a sea of other celebrity books. In her debut poetry book, Halsey describes the complexity of bipolar disorder, the ups and downs of her relationships, and her sexuality. Some of these poems have been spotted in her songs, and her unwavering force is present throughout.
What Falls Away by Mia Farrow
Actress Mia Farrow holds nothing back in this painful yet powerful memoir as she recalls her relationship with Woody Allen, who infamously married their adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn. Farrow grapples with the guilt of being associated with a known abuser and unknowingly putting her children in an unsafe environment. "Rage and grief are savage companions, but despair is the final undoing," she writes. Farrow's perspective is invaluable for those interested in the various controversies surrounding Woody Allen.
This Will All Be Over Soon by Cecily Strong
'Saturday Night Live' star Cecily Strong holds nothing back in this equally heartbreaking and hilarious memoir. When the actress and comedian lost her cousin Owen due to brain cancer in 2020, she found it challenging to navigate the grieving process. Shortly after her cousin's passing, the pandemic hit New York City, and she quickly relocated to a house upstate, where she began writing this standout memoir on love, pain, and loss. This Will All Be Over Soon reads like a diary entry, and with every chapter, Strong describes the fleeting beauty of life and the importance of living every day to the fullest.
