Tackle Twelve - Spotlight on Read a Celebrity Memoir

As part of BPL’s Tackle Twelve promotion, 16 reading challenges have been issued. This week’s blog takes a closer look at ‘Read a Celebrity Memoir’ and offers up recommendations.

Pretty Mess by Erika Jayne

The model, singer, and reality television star traces her rise to fame, the ups and downs of her family life, and the obstacles she overcame to achieve success.

And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready by Meaghan O'Connell

When Meaghan O'Connell got accidentally pregnant in her twenties and decided to keep the baby, she realized that the book she needed -- a brutally honest, agenda-free reckoning with the emotional and existential impact of motherhood -- didn't exist. So she decided to write it herself.

I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell

Presents a memoir told entirely in seventeen near-death experiences stemming from a dangerous childhood illness, accidents, an encounter with a disturbed person, and the author's daily efforts to protect her daughter from the vulnerabilities of a high-risk condition.

Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler

A divinity professor and young mother diagnosed with Stage IV cancer shares her perspectives on friendship, love, and death while describing her efforts to remain true to her faith in spite of impossible hardships.

Stronger by Jeff Bauman

A survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, who helped to set off one of the biggest manhunts in the country's history, discusses his experiences that day and his ongoing mission to walk again after losing both legs.

Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict

In 2009, Tiger Woods was the most famous athlete on the planet, a transcendent star of almost unfathomable fame, fortune, and what appeared to be the perfect life. But it was all a carefully crafted illusion. As it turned out, Woods had been living a double life for years. Thus, leaving the world to wonder, who is Tiger Woods, really?

Robin by Dave Itzkoff

Presents a compelling portrait of Williams that illuminates his comic brilliance and often misunderstood character, his struggles with addiction and depression, and his relationships with friends and family members.

Everything is Possible: Finding the Faith and Courage to Follow Your Dreams by Jen Bricker

A gymnast, performer, and motivational speaker who was born without legs, describes the challenges of growing up different and inspires readers to remove the words coincidence and limitation from their vocabularies.

Lennon: The Man, the Myth, the Music -- The Definitive Life by Tim Riley

Granted access to previously untapped files, the author challenges many popular assumptions about the Beatle's life by presenting an authoritative examination of Lennon's life and creative legacy.

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

The comedian and actress presents autobiographical essays that reflect on her disadvantaged youth, her discovery of comedy, and her struggles with gender, race, and class boundaries in the entertainment industry.