People have been asking, “What’s on your summer reading list for 2024?” As anyone who knows me can attest, I love to read and I’m not particular about the format either. As someone who has traveled extensively for both pleasure and business, I’ve appreciated the convenience of having a Kindle. It saves me from lugging around heavy books in my overstuffed bags. I also enjoy Audible and always have an audiobook ready for those nights when I wake up at 3:00 a.m.
Memoirs are my favorite at that time; they’re like bedtime stories from childhood. Even the more intense ones have a comforting effect on me, although I often have to catch up the next day as I tend to drift off to sleep, even during the most exciting moments.
So, I’d like to share a list of my most recent memoirs. Here are the memoirs I highly recommend:
Review of “Consent” by Jill Ciment
“Consent” is an ambiguous and ambitious memoir, marking Jill Ciment’s second unflinching look at her long marriage to her former art teacher, who was a married man with two children when she was a teenager. She offers an open and reflective view of their 47-year marriage. However, it’s a difficult read, and I was left with my own biases intact, especially having worked with girls in schools. I kept wondering where the guardrails and the adults were. It is unsettling, yet I never felt that the author intended to defend her decision.
Review of “A Very Private School” by Charles Spencer
“A Very Private School” is a heartbreaking story of abandonment and horrific abuse by Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The book offers a close-up view of the loneliness and abandonment experienced by the Spencer children, providing a deeper peek beyond the tabloids. It is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, revealing the tawdriness behind the glitter and gilding.
Review of “The Friday Afternoon Club” by Griffin Dunne
“The Friday Afternoon Club” is one of my favorite nighttime listens. I was drawn to it by my love for Griffin Dunne’s aunt, Joan Didion, and stayed for the whole rollicking family story. It is hilarious, heartbreaking, and wonderfully told. Dunne has a remarkable ability to see his family for who they were and to treat them with generosity, truth, and love.
Review of Going There by Katie Couric
I have always loved Katie Couric and took her memoir on walks and on drives as I felt as though I was traveling with a friend, which for me is the sign of a great memoir. While I knew the major beats of her life, hearing her story from her made them all the more touching. She is a spicy storyteller and I loved every minute of it.
Review of “You Could Make This Place Beautiful” by Maggie Smith
This is a hauntingly beautiful and sad story of the dissolution of Maggie Smith’s marriage as told in a lyrical narrative as befitting a poet of Smith’s stature. It is poignant and redemptive at the same time and whether a reader can share the experience the gift of the book is the story of rebuilding and relying on one’s self.
Share Your Favorite Memoirs
Share your favorite memoirs and let me know which personal stories have inspired or moved you the most. Join the conversation and let’s build an incredible summer reading list together. Leave a comment below or tag us on social media with your top picks! #FavoriteMemoirs #SummerReadingList2024 #DrPriscillaSands
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