Get to know the world’s most celebrated figures with some of the most intimate and insightful autobiographies from 2022.
When it comes to famous actors, athletes, comedians or any top celebrity that we all love to follow, biographies are usually the best ways of truly getting to know what they’re actually like as people. Unlike interviews or various other promotional material, these individuals aren’t restricted to any scripts and can set the record exactly as they want. With that in mind, here are some of the most groundbreaking and insightful autobiographies from 2022 at What We Reading.
Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing – Matthew Perry
Named one of the most anticipated books of the entire year, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is the intimate autobiography from Friends star Matthew Perry.
Delivered with his infamously candid tone, the book details life on the set of the famous sitcom and all the struggles the actor has had to deal with outside it. Honest and at times hilarious, the biography is a poignant work on the effects of substance addiction, as well as the hope that can come from a life of sobriety.
Beyond the Wand: The Magic And Mayhem Of Growing Up A Wizard – Tom Felton
Having landed the dream gig of the pompous and arrogant Draco Malfoy from JK Rowling’s beloved wizarding franchise. Playing the role across eight films, Beyond the Wand is actor Tom Felton’s personal tales from behind the scenes of the films, and how growing up as Harry Potter’s biggest rival.
A must-read for Potterheads across all four Hogwarts houses, this candid and witty autobiography details everything from Felton’s big break, life on the set, the lifelong friendships that developed, and all the highs and lows that come from being associated with one of the entertainment world’s biggest blockbusters.
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story – Bono
Paul David Hewson aka. ‘Bono’ is one of the most iconic and infamous frontmen in the music world. The lead singer of Irish rock band U2, Bono’s eye for the garish has helped fuel fourteen studio albums totalling 157 million sales and the highest-grossing concert tour of all time.
He is also known for being one of the most active and outspoken voices on some of the world’s most humanitarian and environmental issues over the years. It is both those aspects of his life he taps into with his 2022 autobiography: Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. With intimate descriptions of his faith, drive, and inspirations, this is one of the best insights into how superstardom hasn’t stripped away this legend’s morals.
Check out the best 2022 Music Biographies here!
The People’s Game: A View from a Front Seat in Football – Gary Neville
Gary Neville has the enviable claim of being able to say he has experienced football at every possible level: player, coach, manager, pundit, and owner. The former Manchester United legend is known as being one of the most knowledgeable and entertaining pundits in the beautiful game but has become a game-changing influence on football with an unapologetically moralistic and authentic approach in the past couple of years.
The People’s Game sees Neville at his very best. In the wake of increasing greed and corruption in the sport, this sports autobiography sees the Englishman’s own take at the state of the game and how his own experiences have led him to his planned dramatic overhaul of its structure. The closest thing the average fan has had to a true spokesman this is an absolute must-have, regardless of who gets your support on a Saturday afternoon.
I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jenette McCurdy
One of the most famous faces and biggest success stories from the rise of Nickelodeon, I’m Glad My Mom Died is Jenette McCurdy’s first literary work and, with a title like that, one of the most unapologetic autobiographies from 2022.
In the book, McCurdy explores her rise up through the ranks as a child star and her troubled relationship with her abusive mother who died when she was 21 in 2013. Detailing all the effects stardom had on her emotional, physical and mental well-being, I’m Glad My Mom Died is one of the most powerful pushback, managing to swerve from the hilarious to the harrowing in a series of masterfully told coming-of-age tales.
Finding Me – Viola Davis
A pick for Oprah’s Book Club, Finding Me is a powerful memoir from renowned actor and producer Viola Davis. Named by Time as one of the most influential people on the planet, Davis has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is renowned for her activism outside of the studio, promoting human rights and opportunities for women of colour around the world.
Finding Me is Davis’ own account of how she rose from a background of poverty and abuse to become the first African-American to win the fabled Triple Crown. One of the most inspiring reads of 2022, it is a hopeful tale of how creative expression can be a truly powerful force.
Go Back To Where You Came From – Wajahat Ali
Wajaharat Ali is a New York Times contributor and one of the most celebrated speakers when it comes to the state of multiculturalism in contemporary America. Born and raised in the States and now a middle-aged father of two, Go Back To Where You Came From is Ali’s personal take on how Muslims have replaced Communists as the country’s go-to targets in the wake of 9/11.
With a mixture of personal stories and wider-reaching studies and insights, Ali’s Go Back To Where You Came From is one of the most educational works on the dangers of xenophobia and hope for inclusivity produced in 2022.
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).
