Kaitlan Collins Loves This Emotional 2026 Memoir & The Reviews Say It All

While book reviews highlighted some standout memoirs of 2025, Kaitlan Collins has given her stamp of approval to a moving memoir release from 2026. The CNN anchor is known for her White House coverage rather than her book recommendations, but she's shared some reads to social media that are worth checking out. She took to Instagram in March to praise Tom Junod's "In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man" via Instagram Story, sharing a snapshot indicating she was reading while flying on Air Force One.

"I just finished @tom_junod's book while doing pool duty this week," Collins wrote. "It's the story of his complex relationship with his charismatic, larger than life father. 10/10 must read." In the March release, Junod chronicles his father's domineering presence in his youth and the secrets he uncovers after his death in an attempt to reconcile with the swaggery and debauched version of manhood he always pressed on his son. "I was wondering who this man was — and why," Junod told Vulture. "That took me through my childhood and adolescence, and it never really stopped."

While Collins has added the heavy, emotional memoir to her limited list of book recs, she's not the only one who's had positive things to say about the title. "In The Days of My Youth" has a 4.44 average star rating on Goodreads at the time of writing, with plenty of reviewers echoing the TV personality's sentiment.

Though Kaitlan Collins has majorly missed the mark with some of her CNN outfits, her recommendation of Tom Junod's "In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man" has been right on the money. The memoir has received critical acclaim, with outlets like The New York Times highlighting the title's poignant examination of an indulgent, shapeshifting masculinity. The 2026 release has also been a hit among readers, yielding a notable amount of four and five-star responses on Goodreads. 

Users on the platform praise the book's research-heavy exploration of family trauma and parental secrets, pointing to the author's background as a magazine writer as integral to the title's success. "Junod creates indelible characters and settings from the ['60s] and ['70s], then brings them forward into the 21st century without judgment," writes user Leslie Nipkow. "There is an edge to the writing, as well. And there's not a hint of sentimentality in the work. Junod, the journalist, does the work he knows how to do so masterfully ... on himself." So, if you're looking to pick up a non-celebrity memoir with an important story to tell, this Kaitlan Collins-approved pick will make a great addition to your book club roster or personal TBR.