In 2019, I read 9 memoirs and biographies and I want to take some time today to tell you about them, highlighting the ones I would recommend as must-reads and gift ideas. These books covered a variety of subjects and times, and looking back at them now, it is quite amazing to me that I read such diverse ideas. I was fortunate to get author interviews for a couple of these books so if you like reading these genres or know someone who would, take a look at this list and the interviews as well.
~ Re-read Worthy ~
Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson
I read Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson towards the beginning of the year. This is the first work by Isaccson that I have ever read and I am sure I will reread him again. That aside, Steve Jobs is a fascinating person to read about. His vision for Apple, his earlier struggles with the company, the way his creativity led to Pixar and the vision he always had for Apple were great ideas to read about. I am myself an avid Apple user and that is partly why I loved this book.
I did not know a lot about Steve Jobs and this also served as a history lesson in his role in building Apple and how the company came to be. The book highlights his many achievements and some of his flaws, but overall it is balanced and paints a great picture of the tech giant.
Know someone who loves Apple or technology? Gift them this book!
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
I added The Glass Castle to my to-read list back in January 2018 and remembered about it last month while browsing the library. Jeannette is the second oldest child in a family of six. Her mom is an artist and her dad does odd jobs to support them, working towards making a beautiful glass castle one day.
What captivated me about this story was how close the siblings were to each other and the many lessons that they learned as they grew older. They learned that parents lie, they also learned that promises are broken and sometimes, some glass castles never get built at all. The memoir also brings up some amazing questions about living lives the way we want to, and not wanting to become our parents. Jeannette’s journey from the slumps and as a traveler around the United States is quite fascinating. A book I would reread again!
Looking for a memoir about growing up and finding one’s place in the world? Jeannette’s story is an inspiration.
~ Education around the World ~
World Class by Teru Clavel
Education is a topic close to my heart. I have always been a learner and my teaching degree gave me many perspectives on how hard it is to be responsible for someone else’s education. Teru Clavel’s memoir, World Class: One Mother’s Journey Halfway around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for Her Children quenched my thirst to compare and contrast different education systems.
This is a well-researched book and it treads carefully on topics of funding for schools, teacher certification, role of community in helping children learn, mindsets, academic pressure, cultural norms and advocacy. Using research, interviews and personal experience, the reader is provided as much information as possible. The underlying story of Teru’s journey through different cultures and their school systems makes this an engaging read that imparts lots of facts, first-hand experiences, anecdotes as well as tips when thinking about one’s own children’s education. I took away so much from this book, bookmarking portions I would come back to when I am at that stage in life. This book also led to me and my partner to have some great discussions about education and what we would like for our children.
Know someone who is involved in education or interested in it? Get them this book! It was fantastic!
~ Living in War Times ~
When a toy dog became a wolf and the moon broke curfew… by Hendrika de Vries
I love wartime stories but so much history is focused around the major countries and superpowers involved in the war that the stories of the common people gets hidden away. When a toy dog became a wolf and the moon broke curfew… is a memoir by Hendrika de Vries when she was 5-13 years old. Set in the Netherlands before her family moved to Australia, the story does an amazing job of personalizing the experience and bringing awareness to the undiscussed aspects of war.
I found the narrative related to after the war the most fascinating. I had never thought about what happens when men return to their families, older and with experiences that they cannot speak about. At the same time, we have the women who have had trying experiences of their own, and become independent. The power of the power of imagination and storytelling are key in this tale.
Know someone who loves second world war stories? This is the book for them!
~ Learning from Life ~
Resilience Road by Beth Koritz
A story about struggles, obstacles, disappointments, illness and much more, Resilience road is the true story of finding the authentic life path. I am always on the look out to learn from people’s experiences and it is not often that my mind has multiple light bulbs suddenly turning on, epiphanies taking root. This book did that to me. It made me question the checklist that we embrace from the society as well as acknowledging the truth that we always believe that we will be okay – life will never throw thousands of obstacles at the same time… but what do you do when life does just that? You persevere.
Through Resilience Road, Beth provides the reader with tools to help find you ‘why’ and think deeply, while her experiences are a reminded to not get lost in the ‘what’ and ‘how’.
Looking for a real story about heartbreak and health? Check this one out.
~ Ethics & Social Engineering ~
Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick
In this memoir, Kevin Mitnick shares his journey from the time he was a curious teenager, social engineering people who worked at telephone companies and hacking into the system for fun, to years after his release from prison. This is a fascinating account of the extent to which a person’s drive and exhilaration from an activity can lead them into dangerous conflicts with big cooperation and the government. The feeling of challenge and satisfaction are not enough justification to collect information, violating privacy of thousands of people, even if it would never be used. The account of the court case bring up many questions about the rights of the defendant as well as the ethics around hacking.
Kevin’s account of his activities is thorough and he describes the time when the internet hadn’t even been discovered yet and the information one needed had to come from asking the right people. An adventure with ups and downs, I was mesmerized by the life he lived, saddened by the betrayals and role of the government and agencies, moved by the movement that his final arrest led to, and impressed by the opportunities and avenues that opened to him later.
Know a geek who loves computers and the Internet? This is the book for them! 🙂
Three other books that I read this year and which did not make it to the list are:
- Why not me? by Mindy Kaling – It was an interesting read about Mindy’s life that you can check out.
- When Turtles Come Home: A Memoir on Life in the Philippines by Victoria Hoffarth – Victoria recounts her life, from childhood to present, discussing the state of Philippines in these times, Germany and other countries that she has lived in during her lifetime.
- Never Sit If You Can Dance: Lessons from My Mother by Jo Giese – I loved this book: it is a set of lessons that Jo learned from her mom. Quite an enjoyable read that I’ll talk about more in the new year.
What memoirs and biographies did you pick up this year? Do share in the comments!
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
I have not read a single one of these books, I think that is going to have to change. Thanks for sharing!
Hope you like them. 🙂 Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.