Why am I passionate about this?

I think thereā€™s a little voyeur in all of us, which is why we love reading memoirs. These stories typically are written by people whoā€™ve wrestled with a life-changing event and emerged on the other side with wisdom to share. Whether theyā€™ve grappled with a heartbreaking loss, a debilitating illness, or an unsettling change in circumstances that left them reeling, authors who temper their truth with humor are the ones who inspire me most. Finding hilarity in the midst of hardship is no easy feat, but it reminds us that humor is a great coping skill. 


I wrote

Sad Sacked

By Liz Alterman,

Book cover of Sad Sacked

What is my book about?

When my husband, Rich, and I, both longtime media professionals, were laid off within six weeks of each other, Iā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (As Told to Me) Story

Liz Alterman Why did I love this book?

I adored this memoir because it is the perfect combination of poignant and hilarious. Emmy-nominated TV writer Bess Kalbā€™s beloved grandmother Bobby has died, but on these pages and in the voicemails Kalb saved, she not only comes alive but also shines.

Though itā€™s clear that Kalb desperately misses this woman who served as a guiding light and her biggest cheerleader, the memoir reads like a celebration of life where humor and wisdom will make you smile rather than weep. After reading this memoir, I gave it to friends whoā€™d lost and missed their parents and grandparents.

By Bess Kalb,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Nobody Will Tell You This But Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**I HAVE NOT BEEN AS PROFOUNDLY MOVED BY A BOOK IN YEARS' JODI PICOULT**
**I LOVED THIS BOOK MORE THAN I CAN SAY**NIGELLA LAWSON

A brilliantly original memoir of a grandmother speaking to her granddaughter from beyond the grave, telling the story of her life with hilarious candor and love.

Bess Kalb has saved every voicemail message her grandmother - her best friend, her confidante - ever left her until the day she died.

In this wildly imaginative memoir, Bobby Bell's voice is still in Bess's head. Stubborn, glamorous, larger than life, she gives Bess critical advice on everything andā€¦


Book cover of A Heart That Works

Liz Alterman Why did I love this book?

Actor and comedian Rob Delaney won my heart in the series Catastrophe. In this memoir, told with unflinching honesty, he shares the story of losing his two-year-old son, Henry, to brain cancer.

As a writer, I couldnā€™t stop thinking about how difficult this mustā€™ve been for Delaney to doā€”to relive this all over and over again, putting it down and then rereading it countless times before it went to publication. But in doing so, he keeps his son close, and his humor amid the darkest days is an absolute inspiration. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Delaney, and his delivery and timing make this a must-listen.

By Rob Delaney,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked A Heart That Works as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York TimesBestseller *New Yorker Best Books of 2022 *Entertainment Weekly Best Books of 2022 *USA TodayBest Books of 2022 *Time100 Must-Read Books of 2022 *Mother JonesBooks We Needed in 2022 *PeopleFall Must Read *2022BuzzFeedFall Reading Pick * New York Post Best Books of 2022 *New York Times Editorsā€™ Choice

This is the story of what happens when you lose a child, and everything you discover about life in the process, by the star of the Amazon Prime series Catastrophe.

In 2018, Rob Delaneyā€™s two-year-old son, Henry, died of a brain tumor. A Heart That Worksis Delaneyā€™s intimate, unflinching, andā€¦


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Book cover of We're All Mad Here

We're All Mad Here by Marie Kuipers,

Fiercely opinionated and unapologetically peculiar, Marie Kuipers credits her New Jersey upbringing for her no-f*cks-given philosophy. As for why she spent most of her adult life underemployed, she points at her momā€”who believes she knows better than God Himselfā€”for that.

Weā€™re All Mad Here dares to peer behind the curtainā€¦

Book cover of You're Leaving When?: Adventures in Downward Mobility

Liz Alterman Why did I love this book?

I adore Annabelle Gurwitchā€™s humor and keen observations. She never loses her trademark wit as she navigates midlife curveballsā€”divorce, empty nest, financial challenges, dating, and taking in roommates.

A finalist for The Thurber Prize, this memoir in essays made me laugh as I nodded along in commiseration. Reinventing yourself in midlife can be funny if you look at it right; Gurwitch reminded me just when I needed it most.

By Annabelle Gurwitch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked You're Leaving When? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor

"In this surprisingly upbeat memoir, Annabelle Gurwitch writes about the financial curveballs that can hit you in midlife . . . Somehow, Ms. Gurwitch manages to find humor in these setbacks. Ultimately, this is a story about harnessing resilience and learning how lifeā€™s disappointments can teach you about the things that matter most." ā€”Tara Parker-Pope, The New York Times

From the New York Times bestselling author of I See You Made an Effort comes a timely and hilarious chronicle of downward mobility, financial and emotional.

With signature "sharp wit" (NPR), Annabelle Gurwitchā€¦


Book cover of Running with Scissors: A Memoir

Liz Alterman Why did I love this book?

When my book club read this, we were universally blown away by Augusten Burroughsā€™ humor. Mining his tumultuous childhood, Burroughs paints a vivid and unforgettable picture of life with the ultimate dysfunctional family.

I went on to read the authorā€™s other memoirs, and while I always enjoy his one-of-a-kind spin on the world, this remains my favorite of his works.

By Augusten Burroughs,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked Running with Scissors as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times Bestseller

An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year

Now a Major Motion Picture

This is the true story of a boy who wanted to grow up with the Brady Bunch, but ended up living with the Addams Family. Augusten Burroughs's mother gave him away to be raised by her psychiatrist, a dead ringer for Santa Claus and a certifiable lunatic into the bargain. The doctor's bizarre family, a few patients and a sinister man living in the garden shed completed the tableau. The perfect squalor of their dilapidated Victorian house, there were noā€¦


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Book cover of Follow Me to Africa

Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw,

Historical fiction inspired by the story of Mary Leakey, who carved her own path to become one of the world's most distinguished paleoanthropologists.

It's 1983 and seventeen-year-old Grace Clark has just lost her mother when she begrudgingly accompanies her estranged father to an archeological dig at Olduvai Gorge on theā€¦

Book cover of Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things

Liz Alterman Why did I love this book?

Lawson, better known as The Bloggess, isnā€™t afraid to share the most intimate details of her life and mental health challenges. Her ability to find joy, wonder, and humor in the most unexpected places makes this book a must-read for anyone wrestling with anxiety and/or depression.

Her unique take on life had me laughing out loud while also enlightening me about what itā€™s like to live with these conditions and, ultimately, thrive.

By Jenny Lawson,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Furiously Happy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 New York Times Bestseller

In Furiously Happy, a humor memoir tinged with just enough tragedy and pathos to make it worthwhile, Jenny Lawson examines her own experience with severe depression and a host of other conditions, and explains how it has led her to live life to the fullest:

"I've often thought that people with severe depression have developed such a well for experiencing extreme emotion that they might be able to experience extreme joy in a way that ā€˜normal people' also might never understand. And that's what Furiously Happy is all about."

Jennyā€™s readings are standing room only,ā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

Sad Sacked

By Liz Alterman,

Book cover of Sad Sacked

What is my book about?

When my husband, Rich, and I, both longtime media professionals, were laid off within six weeks of each other, I didn't know how we'd continue to pay the mortgage or keep our marriage intact. Complicating matters, we had different approaches to our unexpected unemployment. While Rich was skipping through the rooms, delighted to no longer have to catch a 5:43 am train, I panicked. 

In writing this memoir, I wanted to shine a light on the toll unemployment takes and remove a bit of the stigma that surrounds job loss. I couldnā€™t find the book that talked about all the agony and absurdity of job hunting at midlife so I attempted to capture the simultaneous horror and hilarity of those challenging times in my book.

Book cover of Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (As Told to Me) Story
Book cover of A Heart That Works
Book cover of You're Leaving When?: Adventures in Downward Mobility

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