“I always forget that trying to reason with the unreasonable is… unreasonable.”
I’m Glad My Mom Died is the internationally bestselling memoir by Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy. At times hilarious and other times heartbreaking, McCurdy lifts the lid on the trials and struggles of being a child actor, as well as her complicated relationship with her mother. After securing her first big break on the set of iCarly and being thrust into the public spotlight, McCurdy speaks in unflinching detail about her struggles with addictions, anxiety, self-loathing and unhealthy relationships. But it is also an inspiring story of recovery, resilience and rediscovery, with McCurdy explaining how she was able to reclaim her independence and carve a happier, more fulfilling life. If you loved Jennette McCurdy’s candid honesty and dark humour, join us at What We Reading for the best memoirs, biographies and other books like I’m Glad My Mom Died!
Open Books – Jessica Simpson
Kicking off our list of the best books like I’m Glad My Mom Died, Open Book is a 2020 autobiography by singer, actor, designer and philanthropist, Jessica Simpson. In it, she recounts growing up in Texas in the 1980s, being abused by the daughter of a family friend, auditioning for the Mickey Mouse Club alongside the likes of Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling, before signing a record deal with Columbia Records and marrying Nick Lachey.
Along the way, she documents the many challenges she faced along the way. Pressure as a teenager to provide for her family, divorcing Lachey, an emotionally rocky relationship with John Mayer, bouts of heavy drinking and the many pitfalls of an industry built around appearances are all revealed with stunning honesty. But Simpson also ends things on an optimistic note with her marriage to Eric Johnson, her three children and her billion-dollar apparel line.
Hello, Molly!: A Memoir – Molly Shannon
At just four years old, Molly Shannon’s world was upended when she lost her mother, sister and cousin in her car accident where her father had the wheel. Held together by the tender, if complicated, relationship with her grieving father, her gift for improvising and role-playing as well as her fearlessness would eventually lead to her becoming a world-renowned actress.
Venturing into New York and Los Angeles show business, Shannon describes how she developed her daring and empathetic comedy and began to source her business opportunities. Revealing private stories involving everyone from Monica Lewinsky to Whitney Houston, many of them for the first time, Hello, Molly! Chronicles her time on the set of Saturday Night Live whilst also delving into how her humour, candour, energy and heart helped produce one of America’s most free-spirited performers. Similar to I’m Glad My Mom Died, Shannon’s memoir is a story of complicated family relationships, resilience and the inside stories of show business.
Confessions Of A Video Vixen – Karrine Steffans
Part tell-all, part cautionary tale to others dreaming of a life inside the sparkly world of Hip-Hop, Karrine Steffans’ Confessions of a Video Vixen is a memoir like I’m Glad My Mom Died that exposes the inner workings of the dance industry, and the abuses rampant across it.
Karrine Steffans was once the most sought-after video girl on the planet, helping platinum artists ranging from Jay-Z to LL Cool J sell millions on the back of her sensual dancing. Yet, away from the music and film sets, Hollywood signs New York restaurants and shiny magazine covers, Steffans also documents the abuse, addiction, homelessness and single motherhood – all by the age of twenty-six – that also came with the ride. By sharing her story in Confessions of a Video Vixen, Steffans attempts to warn other young women of this often-glamourised world, avoid the same pitfalls she fell into, and inspire others to break free as she did.
How To Murder Your Life – Cat Marnell
At the age of fifteen, Cat Marnell unwittingly set out to murder her life. After a privileged, yet emotionally-stale, childhood, she would develop an addiction to ADHD medication provided by her psychiatrist father before moving on to Xanax, cocaine, ecstasy and whatever else came her way. By the time she was twenty-six, she had become an adept ‘doctor shopper’ who manipulated Upper East Side psychiatrists into giving her a neverending supply of prescriptions, all whilst attempting to hold down a high-profile job at Conde Naste during the day.
Similar to Jennette McCurdy in I’m Glad My Mom Died, Cat Marnell’s How to Murder Your Life is a portrait of addiction and mental health. Delivered with a magnetic style of writing, a complete lack of self-pity and remarkable honesty, Marnell captures not only the euphoria, comedowns and guilt of substance abuse but also something essential about her generation and our society today.
Wildflower – Drew Barrymore
If you’re looking for another one of the best books like I’m Glad My Mom Died that focuses on growth, healing and finding a fulfilling life out of adversity, Drew Barrymore’s Wildflower needs to be on your TBR list!
Wildflower is a portrait of Barrymore’s life through stories of the adventures, challenges and incredible experiences she lived up to the book’s initial publishing in 2015. From living on her own at fourteen (and how laundry saved her life), getting stuck in a gas station overhang on a cross-country road trip, to saying goodbye to her father in a way only he could have understood, Wildflower is a collection of lessons that led to Barrymore discovering the healthy, happy life she has today.
Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy And Finding Myself – Crystal Hefner
In her 2024 memoir, Only Say Good Things, Crystal Hefner clearly and candidly presents the Playboy universe and her transformative journey from someone who prioritises external validation to recognises her true worth. If you liked the almost cult-like status the likes of Nickelodeon were presented within I’m Glad My Mom Died, Hefner’s story is sure to be a great follow-up.
When she was twenty-one, Crystal Hefner’s life changed forever when she attended a party at the Playboy Mansion. Picked out by the notorious Hugh Hefner, she became one of his infamous ‘girlfriends’, attending glamorous Hollywood events and seeing the world. Yet, this world also had a sinister dark side. As she rose to become Hef’s number one girlfriend, even being surprised with a marriage proposal from the man himself, Crystal recounts the control, hierarchical structure and toxic culture that slowly eroded her sense of identity and worth.
Wishful Drinking – Carrie Fisher
In Wishful Drinking, Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher tells the intoxicating story of her life with the sort of dry wit and humour any fan of I’m Glad My Mom Died will enjoy.
Born to celebrity parents, Fisher was picked to play a princess in a little-known flick called Star Wars by the time she was nineteen. Aside from the demands of her successful career and as a single mother, Fisher also had to spend time battling addiction, weathering manic depression and hanging out in mental institutions. From having the father of her daughter leave her for another man, having Elizabeth Taylor as a stepmother, marrying (and divorcing Paul Simon) to waking up and finding a deceased friend next to her, Carrie Fisher’s remarkable life is recounted by the legendary actor with infallible honesty and humour in Wishful Drinking.
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Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood – Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah’s climb from apartheid in South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show initially began with a crime: his birth. Born to a white Swiss farmer and a black Xhosa mother, this union was punishable with up to five years in prison at the time. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor spent many of his early years inside, hidden away by a protective mother who knew the government, at any time, could steal him away. Finally saved by the end of apartheid, the pair soon embarked on a remarkable adventure of embracing living truly free lives.
Born a Crime is a story of a mischievous young boy who grew into a restless young man struggling to find himself in a world he was never supposed to exist in. It also acts as an interesting flip on I’m Glad My Mom Died, with Noah showing how his fearless mother – and teammate – was determined to save her son from a cycle of poverty, oppression and violence.
The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls
Another one of the best New York Times and internationally bestselling books like I’m Glad My Mom Died about resilience and redemption, The Glass Castle is the astonishing memoir by Jeannette Walls. When sober, Walls’ father was a brilliant and energetic individual, enthralling his children by teaching them about physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But, when he drank, he was utterly destructive and dishonest. Her mother was viciously free-spirited and totally opposed to the idea of settling down and raising a family.
Walls shows how she and her siblings learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed and protected one another, eventually finding their way to New York together. Their parents would follow them there, however, choosing to be homeless even as they all prospered. Singled out by Jenette McCurdy as one of the books that helped her write her memoir, The Glass Castle is another captivating story of surviving a difficult childhood.
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James
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
