Top Ten Memoirs
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. If you want to play along, post a link on their site to your blog post and then post a link to them from your blog.
1) A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel, and its sequel 2) She Got Up Off the Couch.
Haven Kimmel has a marvelous gift of storytelling. Both of these autobiographical stories (She Got Up Off the Couch is more about her mother, but still…) are funny, heartwarming, easy-to-read and unforgettable.
3.)Yearning for the Living God: Reflections from the Life of F. Enzio Busche by F. Enzio Busche
This was so inspirational and uplifting I bought copies for my children as well.
4.) The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio: How my Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less by Terry Ryan
Amazing story of a woman who entered (and won!) contests to provide for her family. So, technically not a memoir, as it’s about her mother, but it’s also about her life growing up with her mother, so I’m sticking to it!
5.) The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Incidents from Corrie’s story come to me periodically years after reading it, to provide inspiration, (“Thank-you, God, for the fleas!”)
6.) Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet
There is some autism in our family and I am fascinated by the idiosyncrasies of this condition.
7.) Always Looking Up: the Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox
I’ve love Michael J. Fox since Family Ties, and admire how he has coped and inspired others through his talking about his disease.
8.) The Glass Castle, A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
Every page of this book had me amazed! Hard to believe, but it is a true story!
9.) Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Utltramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek
I ran one marathon and have no intentions of running an Ultra, but having struggled through one 26.2, I can appreciate in a tiny way what goes into these ultras…I just don’t get why anyone would do it!
10.) The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband, by David Finch
Another peek into life with Aspergers. Sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating and sad. If you know someone like this, it is a must-read to increase understanding.
Bonus Book! I am currently reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed and recommend it for lessons on what NOT to do. Learn from Cheryl’s mistakes…
Making Life an Art 
I really liked Journal Of Best Practices–I really enjoyed the author’s honesty and his writing voice. I haven’t read any of the other books you’ve listed, but i may need to take a look at some of them!
It was really an eye-opener, especially if you may know someone with those “tendencies.”
I’ve never heard of any of the books on your list except The Hiding Place. I read that years ago when I was in college and I really liked it. The other books on the list look very interesting. My TBR list just got longer. Thanks for sharing.
Hiding place is the only “oldie” on the list–I, too read it years ago–but couldn’t leave it off, it made such an impact. the others I read within the last 2 years. I used to only read mysteries, but as I get older, my time seems to be worth more to me and I get impatient spending it on stuff that “isn’t real.” Has to be a pretty awesome fiction to tempt me!
I loved The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. It was a strange mix of funny and tragic. I haven’t seen the movie but I keep being tempted by it. The Hiding Place is one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read. I’d forgotten about Michael J Fox’s book so I’ll have to grab it next time I’m in the library. Great list!
Thanks! I didn’t know there was a movie of Prize Winner! I’ll have to check it out, though I usually prefer the book to the movie. We saw Ender’s Game this week, and they did a pretty good job on that one…