5 Best-Selling Celebrity Memoirs Guaranteed to Make You Laugh

Trevor Noah

Noah, the 36-year-old host of The Daily Show, offers a memoir about his rise to success that manages to be both moving and tragic, as well as very funny. He was born to a black mother and a white father in Apartheid South Africa when that was a criminal act; as a result Noah spent most of his childhood hiding indoors to prevent arrest. But with the help of his fierce, ferociously funny mom, his life became an adventure, leading him to America and fame. Yes, parts of the book are heartbreaking (he ate caterpillars to assuage hunger), but it's ultimately a triumphant story of a remarkable man. Note that the audiobook version, narrated by Noah, is wonderful as well. An Audie Award-winner, it offers asides and conversational inflections that add even more life to the author's already vibrant storytelling.

Bossypants

Tina Fey

Fey, a self-described “super nerd” who turned 50 in May, is as funny in her best-selling 2011 memoir Bossypants as she was as the beloved Liz Lemon on 30 Rock. In this series of autobiographical essays, she describes her early years working the Chicago improv scene, then conquering the male-centric Saturday Night Live (she was the show's first female head writer), writing the hit movie Mean Girls and more. Sure, she's wildly successful, but her stories are full of such appealing enthusiasm and funny self-deprecation, it's hard not to relate — and wish she were your gal pal. A New York Times review of the megahit said Fey offers “Nora Ephronisms for a new generation,” which is high praise indeed.

Wishful Drinking

Carrie Fisher

Forever known as the smart, acerbic Princess Leia of Star Wars fame, Fisher's life as depicted in her 2008 memoir was chaotic and troubled, as well as, at times, hilarious. In Wishful Drinking, which was based on her one-woman stage show, the actress chronicles her childhood spent under the hot lights of Hollywood (her parents were the stars Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds), drug use, bipolar disorder, movie and writing career, and dramatic romantic relationships, including with Paul Simon (they dated, married and divorced, then dated again). Spinning pain into comic gold is no easy feat, but Fisher, who died at age 60 in 2016, does it masterfully here.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Mindy Kaling

Kaling, the 41-year-old creator of the television hit, The Mindy Project, is even funnier on the page than she is on the screen. Her best-selling 2011 memoir details her youth; growing up with immigrant parents and dealing with the trauma of being a chubby kid; and her career, which soared after her stint as a writer and actress on the NBC sitcom The Office (she describes trying and failing to get costar Steve Carell to trade snark with her; he was just too darn nice). Warm and conversational, Kaling also points out spots in the book where readers might take a break, in case they need to go get a snack or put the clothes in the dryer. Who wouldn't want to hang out with an author like that?