We always enjoy talking with people who are interested in memoirs and family histories. We often learn that we have a love of reading in common. The conversation naturally turns to books we’ve read and enjoyed. If you’re working on a memoir or family history, reading similar books is not only interesting, it is instructive.
Wouldn’t it be great to model a memoir after the style of Angela’s Ashes, or Russell Baker’s Growing Up?
If you are a member of a book discussion group or a writers’ group you’re probably always on the lookout for new titles for the group to read. Memoir and family history can make for a lively discussion.
Blogger Maureen Mackey at Reader’sDigest.com recently offered a list of 10 Great Memoirs to Read (along with an interesting list of honorable mentions).
Hers is a diverse list, including memoirs by Katherine Graham of the Washington Post, Thomas Watson of IBM, Art Buchwald, Frank McCourt, Katherine Hepburn, U.S. Grant, Susan Cheever writing about her relationship with her father John Cheever, and Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. Mackey offers a thumbnail review of each recommendation.
If your group is looking for more than titles you may want to check out ReadingGroupGuides.com. The site offers a synopsis and discussion questions for over 180 memoirs and family sagas. There are guides for 29 other genres as well. You will also find lists of the Most Requested, Ongoing Favorites, New Favorites, and even a guide on “What to do when there’s no guide available?”
The Public Library in Madison, Wisconsin offers questions for book discussion groups on 26 memoir titles. The questions are available free on the libraries website www.madisonpubliclibrary.org. Just look under book groups.
BestSellers.about.com provides discussion questions for hundreds of titles including several memoirs and family histories.
