Year Ender 2023 | Elon Musk to Gurcharan Das: 10 best memoirs and biographies of this year

Another Sort of Freedom by Gurcharan Das

A funny, moving and honest memoir of a man’s struggle to break free from expectations, this is the tale of celebrated writer and public intellectual Gurcharan Das, who was born in Lyallpur, Punjab, during World War II and went on to become the CEO of Procter & Gamble India, only to leave the position at the peak of his career. Candid, witty and wry, the memoir is filled with moments of deep introspection at every turn alongside wise observations on the author’s encounters with history on four continents.

Schoenberg: Why He Matters by Harvey Sachs

Penned by an author who has written over a dozen books over several years about conventional music, this biography of one of the twentieth century’s most influential composers and teachers stands out for its understanding of the late composer’s place in the scheme of music.

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice — her truth — was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. Written with remarkable candour and humour, The Woman in Me reveals her incredible journey — and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Pageboy by Elliot Page

The groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir by Academy Award-winning actor Elliot Page debuted atop The New York Times Best Seller List for Nonfiction on its release in June 2023. The “brutally honest” (as reviewed by The New York Times) memoir chronicles Page’s life as a child actor, the pressures of conforming to a gender binary and the perils of stardom and fame.

Twice as Hard by Jasmine Brown

In this work of extensive research, Rhodes Scholar and University of Pennsylvania medical student Jasmine Brown offers a rich new perspective, penning the long-erased stories of nine pioneering black women physicians beginning in 1860, including Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black American woman to earn a medical degree in the 1860s, and Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders.

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand

This much-awaited memoir from the living legend and an iconic figure whose career spanned more than six decades in entertainment chronicles her early struggles, highlights from her album recordings which cross 50, the friendships and associations she formed over the years and the challenges and successes that came her way. Messy, bawdy and funny are some of the adjectives that have been used to describe the book which spans almost 1,000 pages.

King by Jonathan Eig

The first major biography of Martin Luther King in 40 years is based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of newly discovered documents and is a comprehensive look at a complex yet flawed human being under heavy attack by the FBI.

Madonna: A Rebel Life by Mary Gabriel

Pulitzer Prize finalist Gabriel’s account of Madonna Louise Ciccone’s life is not just about the singer but also places her in the larger context of politics and art history. The Washington Post’s review called the book a “deep commitment” about how “Madonna wielded irony and humor, and sex as power, and how her consciousness expanded the culture’s.”

Einstein in Time and Space: A Life in 99 Particles by Samuel Graydon

In this book, Samuel Graydon brings history's most famous scientist back to life. From his lost daughter to escaping the Nazis, from his love letters to unlikely inventions, from telling jokes to cheer up his sad parrot Bibo to refusing the Presidency of Israel, through the discoveries and thought experiments that changed science, Einstein in Time and Space tells 99 unforgettable stories of the man who redefined how we view our universe and our place within it.