The beauty of autobiographical writing is that it’s candidly relatable. It’s comforting to read the account of another, especially someone you admire and feel like you can relate with. It’s a refreshing reminder that everyone is human. Everyone has their ups and downs no matter how successful they seem and life is never smooth sailing.
We’ve rounded up some of the funniest, most honest and fabulously real celebrity lives in the form of their autobiographical books to add to your spring reading list. Trust us, you’ll want to read these books, cover to cover…
Tyra Banks
Writing with her mother Carolyn, Tyra details what they have both learnt from her starting out as an insecure teenager and moving up to a supermodel and entrepreneur. Through funny and endearing anecdotes, the pair share stories of coping with fashion industry discrimination, media fat-shaming and a no-holds-barred discussion about sex.
Perfect is Boring will be out in April 2018
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union’s autobiography is a New York Times Bestseller and the opening line of the book reads, “This kind of feels like a first date.” That realness and bluntness carries on through essays that are funny, complicated and true. Everything is up for discussion; from sexual assault to infertility and relationships, all her cards are on the table. Among all that is a radical awareness that makes the book more than just a collection of personal memories and instead a wider representation of many women’s life experiences.
We’re Going to Need More Wine, Shop here
Tiffany Haddish
“Girls Trip” star, comedian and actress, Tiffany Haddish, tells the story of her turbulent childhood in The Last Black Unicorn. Growing up in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of South Central Los Angeles, Tiffany explains how making people laugh helped her to survive. In school she was the paid school mascot and in-demand “Bar Mitzvah hype woman.” She tells all in an honest and uplifting account of her life, where she teaches the art of finding humour in the struggles of life and the limitlessness of her success.
The Last Black Unicorn, Shop here
Taraji P Henson
In 2016, she was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time. Taraji P Henson shares her story as the daughter of a Vietnam vet and a mother who was a survivor of abuse. In her own life, she talks about her wonderful experience as a single mother and shares memoirs of her world-class education at Howard University. She touches on issues of being a black actress in a notoriously white industry and shares the highs and lows of her life.
Around the Way Girl, Shop here
Gabourey Sidibe
Known as Gabby to all her friends, Gabourey Sidibe is best-known for her leading role in the 2009 movie by Lee Daniels, Precious. She gives an honest account of her life growing up with a polygamous father and singer mother who made her money from singing in the subway. Sidibe tells the incredible story of her first job as a phone sex worker and her unconventional rise to fame from Precious. She talks friendship, depression, celebrity, haters, fashion, race, and weight. She is a role model for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t fit the mould and an example of unique success.
This is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare, Shop here
Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis’ memoir, The Mother of Black Hollywood, is her story of a Midwestern “Mega Diva” and a tale of true rags to riches. She talks about her undiagnosed mental illness and her quest for self-wholeness. She admits to revelations of bipolar disorder and sex addiction amid her wild success as a Hollywood matriarch. Her ultimate message is clear throughout: “Love yourself so that love will not be a stranger when it comes.”
The Mother of Black Hollywood, Shop here
