The Best Celeb Memoirs Of The 2020s (So Far)

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Celebrity memoirs don't always get the best rep, and avid readers and bibliophiles alike might eye the literary selection offered by the rich and famous with understandable skepticism. These authors aren't known for being writers; they're famous for other reasons, one might think, so what are they doing writing a book? There can also be a justifiable desire to highlight and lift up lesser-known memoirs by people whose primary focus in life is to be a writer. Why does a movie star or a socialite deserve a place on these shelves? 

While that can be true for some celebrity memoirs, there are others out there that are genuinely worth reading. Yes, these figures might be better known for their acting roles, famous families, or public antics, but that doesn't mean that their memoirs are a waste of time. The truth is that there are several celebrity memoirs that are actually great, well-written books. The themes of these memoirs vary widely; there are powerful celebrity memoirs about mental health, and amazing memoirs written by female musicians. With so many to choose from, we're narrowing our scope to look at the best celebrity memoirs from the 2020s so far, and the choices are wonderful. 

Stanley Tucci might be best known for his acting credits, ranging from films like "Conclave," where he played an ambitious cardinal, to "The King's Man." And we'll never forget him in "The Devil Wears Prada." But Tucci is also an avid cook and writer, and he combined these two passions in his 2021 memoir "Taste: My Life Through Food." The charming book is the story of Tucci's life and childhood told through the lens of his Italian-American family and their passion for family meals. He also writes about the role that food played in some of his foodie flicks, from "Julie & Julia," a film about American chef Julia Child, and "Big Night," a film about opening an Italian restaurant in New Jersey. For Tucci, food is everywhere. 

The book became an instant New York Times bestseller and was named a Notable Book of the Year by The Washington Post, as well as NPR. On Goodreads, the memoir earned 4.2 stars out of 5, received a Goodreads Choice Award, and became a nominee for readers' favorite memoir and autobiography in 2021. The memoir is well written and sure delight other cooks and foodies alike, who share Tucci's love of a meal cooked for family.

Mariah Carey doesn't hold back in her 2020 memoir, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," written with Michaela Angela Davis. Carey goes through her tough childhood without holding back and talks about the hardships in her relationships. It's a candid, brutally honest life story. In an unboxing video, Carey documents the first time she sees her memoir in the flesh. Every detail of the memoir is deeply personal to the singer, including the back cover, which features a photo of her as a young girl. Carey explains that the day the photograph was taken was very special, and she writes about it in her book. "It's the first time my hair was ever combed through," she explains, "and looked presentable." Carey goes on to show that her hair in that young photo crosses over on the spine of the book and connects to her adult hair on the cover. "This hair is connected to my little girl hair," she shows. That intertwining feature is very symbolic.

The memoir became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and was a Goodreads nominee for readers' favorite memoir and autobiography in 2020, earning a 4.08 on Goodreads. It was such a hit because Carey finally got the chance to tell her story without someone else filtering it. She was fearless in talking about her journey: her music, her failures and successes, and her resilience. 

Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters tried his hand at writing, and the result was an incredible success. His 2021 memoir, "The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music," blew up, landing in the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list. The musical themes in the memoir were also widely appreciated, and "The Storyteller" was named one of Variety's best music books of 2021 and one of NME's best music books of the year. 

The book dominated on Goodreads, earning a hefty 4.44 stars out of 5 with readers. "The Storyteller had me laughing out loud often," one happy reader wrote, touching on Grohl's unexpected humor throughout his memoir. "This was a fantastic memoir about music, family and friendship and I loved each and every page of it," another reader commented. "I wish I could meet Dave Grohl in real life. He seems so cool and laid-back and absolutely the kind of person I'd want to befriend." While some mentioned that they wished Grohl wrote about Kurt Cobain more, others appreciated the focus of his book. "Kudos to Dave Grohl for keeping it classy and crafting a memoir that exudes his appreciation for the musical life he's lived without resorting to titillating gossip and scandalous revelations," someone else wrote. It was a huge hit. 

"Shame is such a powerful, powerful thing, and that's a really important message in my book," Paris Hilton said of her 2023 memoir "Paris: The Memoir." She went on, "... The shame shouldn't be on you. It should be on the person that hurt you." Hilton went on to discuss how she held onto shame throughout her life, and her epic memoir was her chance to change that. It was Hilton's moment to address some of those big, highly-publicized moments of her life, from her sex tape to her harrowing experience at the Provo Canyon School, and about having ADHD. For fans of pop culture, it's also sure to be a compelling read because Hilton delves into those early years when she was dubbed a party girl by the media, photographed hanging out with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. 

The memoir became an instant New York Times bestseller and was well received by the Goodreads literary community, earning a 4.21 on the site. "This book is horrifying, excessively disturbing, absolutely gut wrenching, and more than anything: absolutely important," one reader wrote. "I was unbelievably moved by this memoir. I was skeptical, expecting a fun, low-stakes memoir about fame but as the book developed, I found myself rooting for Paris," another commented. "Was not expecting to love this as much as I did," another noted. People were surprised by how much they loved the book.

Will Smith's 2021 memoir "Will," co-written with Mark Manson, author of "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k," was a huge success as far as memoirs go. It won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Achievement, became an instant New York Times bestseller, and scored a whopping 4.25 on Goodreads. For many readers, the charm of the book came from Smith sharing a lot of the life lessons he's learned along the way. Yes, the memoir goes through Smith's childhood and ascent to fame, but it also delves into what he had to go through to gain wisdom and perspective, and he shares that with the reader. 

Smith shared behind-the-scenes footage of his writing process in a video on YouTube called "My Friends Had A LOT to Say About My Memoir." He hosted a book camp of sorts, where he brought people together to give him feedback. At the beginning, Smith spoke about his intentions for the book, ones that permeated through the chapters. "I want the book to entertain, to inspire, and instruct," he said. "I want to extract the lessons from my stories," Smith later went on, stressing the fact that he wanted readers to benefit from the wisdom he's learned and to give readers tools. There's more to "Will" than just a life story. 

Molly Shannon's 2023 memoir "Hello, Molly! A Memoir" was a smashing hit, earning 4.13 stars on Goodreads and becoming an instant New York Times bestseller. The Saturday Night Live star and actor shared her life story in a tender, vulnerable way that was both funny and heartbreakingly tough to read. Her mother, younger sister, and cousin died in a car accident when Shannon was a young girl. Navigating a world of grief and loss, Shannon used her comedic abilities to add levity to her life with her father, and later channeled these into an acting career. Her early SNL stories make for charming reads, with lots of references to other SNL stars like Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, and others. 

The memoir was a very moving read for bibliophiles everywhere. On Reddit, under r/LiveFromNewYork, a reader felt compelled to recommend the memoir. "If you haven't read Molly Shannon's autobiography yet, I highly recommend it. It was probably the best celebrity memoir I've ever read," they began. "I came away from it with an entirely new appreciation for her as an actress." The reader shared that the book was highly emotional for them, as well as absolutely hilarious. Shannon managed to get that charismatic charm she's known for and pack it into a book.   

To select our list of best celebrity memoirs written in the 2020s so far, we used a specific set of criteria. The memoirs had to earn more than four stars on Goodreads, as a way of ensuring that the memoirs were popular with a wide range of readers. The memoirs also had to have earned other notable accolades, like a spot on the New York Times bestseller list, a notable mention from another respected news source, or an award from Goodreads. This ensured that the book had been well received by reputable, rigorous media sources and that we were suggesting books that would be a worthwhile investment of someone's time. 

We tried to be broad in choosing the range of celebrities we included. Of course, Paris Hilton is likely more globally famous than Dave Grohl, but both have earned their status as stars. We chose from actors as well as musicians to make sure that we weren't touching on one kind of famous person exclusively. And we also selected books that weren't just the story of someone's dazzling, glittering life. We wanted celebrity memoirs that had grit, vulnerability, and authenticity to them.