24 Comments

Lyz Lenz's "This American Ex Wife" released TODAY and has been on my list for a while. I read just the first five pages standing in the entryway and am already sucked in.

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Did you finish?

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I love memoirs -- and this prompted several holds at the library, of course. Thanks, Elizabeth!

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Report back please!

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I loved reading Ruth Reichl’s Tender at bone and save the plums for me. Both excellent.

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Rental Person sounds interesting!

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It was! Short, powerful and quirky.

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Oh my! I need to read Family Outing at once.

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LMK what you think.

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Thanks, Elizabeth! Rental Person sounds wonderful--how many times have I felt just a little too much alone and would have liked somebody with me, just with me, that's all.

The faith memoir, Testimony by Jon Ward has an interesting perspective--that of an insider journalist. But for a woman's perspective, and a perspective that a modern faith doesn't require a set of beliefs, there are thrilling branches of Christianity that unfortunately are not as well known as evangelicalism--I recommend two memoirs: Sara Miles' Take This Bread (interestingly she is also a journalist), and The River Beyond the Dam: Shooting the Rapids of Progressive Christianity (my own book), The River finds a church steeped in women's equality, modern scholarship and freedom of thought--no struggle here!

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There's been some great Exvangelical books in the past few years too.

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The memoir that has stayed with me the most is Finding Me by Viola Davis, especially hearing it on audio in her own voice.

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What an icon.

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Sounds Like Titanic is one of my favorites as well. Now I'm REALLY looking forward to Rental Person!

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Truly, might be my favorite.

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Yay, memoirs!

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yay, you.

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I don't gravitate to memoirs but I appreciate them when I stumble across one. This list is full of very compelling stories,ones I didn't know about and want to read. Especially Testimony. The perspective is unique.

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Dangit- 3 more books added to the que!! These all look fantastic thank you for shining a light on memoirs 💛

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I know that feeling.

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Love, love, love memoirs! Thanks for this list. If folks enjoy Nicole Chung's work, I'd highly recommend other adoptee memoirs. In particular: "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal," by Jeanette Winterson, "The Mistress's Daughter," by A.M. Homes, "Surviving the White Gaze," by Rebecca Carroll, "Invisible Boy," by Harrison Mooney, and "The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be," by Shannon Gibney, (part memoir, part speculative fiction), are all fabulous and worth a read!

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These all look fascinating to read, thank-you! The first book... what an interesting idea and project!

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Wow! These sound like great recs. definitely going on the TBR ☺️

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Yes, there have been, Elizabeth. That area may be where some readers would like to start.

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