A Memoir Lover's Guide to Holiday Reading

In this giving season and throughout the year, books are among the first items that come to my mind as gifts. I enjoy reading nonfiction, especially memoirs. I have written a memoir. Check out my list of five recomended memoirs to snag this holiday season.

A Place for Us By Brandon Wolf

From one of the most vital and passionate LGBTQ+ activists comes a powerful memoir about self-discovery, community, love, and resilience in the face of adversity.

In this unforgettable coming-of-age memoir, Wolf shares his transformative journey from young outsider to galvanizing activist. Marshaling the compassion and strength of a community, Wolf explores how to get through the darkest times with healing, hope, and resistance. “With our backs against the wall,” he writes, “we find a way out together.”

I Have Something to Tell You-For Young Adults By Chasten Buttigieg

The young adult adaptation of the “hopeful” (Kirkus Reviews) and refreshingly candid bestselling memoir by the husband of a former Democratic presidential candidate about growing up gay in his small Midwestern town. Completely rewritten with new stories, including resources for readers, parents, and teachers. Growing up, Chasten Glezman Buttigieg didn’t always fit in. He felt different from his father and brothers, who loved to hunt and go camping, and out of place in the rural, conservative small town where he lived. Back then, blending in was more important than feeling seen. So, when Chasten realized he was gay, he kept that part of himself hidden away for a long, painful time. With incredible bravery, and the support of his loved ones, Chasten eventually came out—and when he did, he learned that being true to himself was the most rewarding journey of all. Finding acceptance and self-love can seem like a tremendous challenge, but it’s never impossible. With honesty, courage, and warmth, Chasten relays his experience of growing up in America and embracing his identity, while inspiring young people across the country to do the same.?

Two Floors Above Grief By Kevin M. O’Connor

As a child in the 1950s, Kevin O’Connor knew his house was different than his friends. A stately, three-story, nineteenth century Victorian. His bed tucked next to a stage in a former ballroom. His uncle and aunt lived with their three daughters on the floor below. A large electric organ in a bay window of the first-floor mortuary business. Stacked caskets and an embalming room in the basement. Nobody had a house like his. Set from the 1920s to ‘80s,?Two Floors Above Grief?is full of fascinating details and anecdotes about life as a funeral home child, brought to vivid life through a compelling collection of letters written by O’Connor and various family members who lived and worked together at the O’Connor Funeral Home in Elgin, Illinois. Blending the twenty-four-hour business of death and its constantly ringing phone with the joy experienced by his families through music, pets, backyard basketball games, co-parenting, faith, and celebrations, O’Connor offers a reflective love letter to the affirmation of family love and embracing life.

MD2B By Martina Nicholson

Writing letters to friends and family from medical school in Mexico, and internship and residency in New York, Martina shares cultural, social and personal challenges in the process of becoming a doctor.

Ulis Journey: Angels Along the Way By Uli Schackman

An insightful and unforgettable memoir about a woman on a journey across North America with only her dog, her determination, and the kindness of friends and strangers to see her through.

In May 2017, Uli Schackmann and her loyal canine companion, Jackson, took off on a six-thousand-mile solo bicycle trip from Alaska to Key West, Florida, to raise money and bring attention to the cause of HIV/AIDS. What began as a daring dream-come-true quickly became a physically and emotionally challenging adventure as Uli battled her own fears and the elements, surviving encounters with bears, rattlesnakes, cougars, and other wildlife. However, her most profound and life-changing encounters were with the people she met along the way—complete strangers who exhibited to Uli, a gay woman and a U.S. immigrant, both the best and the worst of humanity during a very divided time in America.

As we wrap up this journey through holiday book gifts for memoir readers, it's clear that the power of personal narratives knows no bounds. The stories we choose to share and gift hold the potential to inspire, console, and connect us on a profound level. This holiday season, consider the gift of a well-crafted memoir—an invitation to walk in someone else's shoes and experience the world through their eyes. Whether it's a tale of resilience, adventure, or self-discovery, these memoirs offer a unique way to celebrate the spirit of giving.

To learn more about Kevin’s book and sign up for his weekly newsletter, go to his website, https://kevinoconnorauthor.com. The book is available to order at your local bookstores or on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and audio. To go directly to the book site on Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/B0BMZ5P3RF/