Books like

Books like I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood

12 books with a reading profile close to I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood by Jessi Klein. Inward-looking; an easy read.

1

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls

by David Sedaris

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

In this collection of personal essays, David Sedaris recounts his travels through foreign lands and the peculiar habits of his own family members.
2

Strong Female Character

by Fern Brady

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

Fern Brady details her life through the lens of a late-stage autism diagnosis, documenting how neurodivergence shaped her experiences with homelessness, sex work, and the comedy industry.
3

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir

by Jenny Lawson

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

Jenny Lawson details an unconventional upbringing in rural Texas, defined by a taxidermist father who frequently brought home dead animals and live predators.
4

Calypso

by David Sedaris

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

In this collection of autobiographical essays, David Sedaris focuses on his middle age and the shifting dynamics of his family after his mother’s death and his sister’s suicide.
5

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.

by Samantha Irby

entertainment, memoir

In this essay collection, Samantha Irby details the unvarnished realities of adulthood, focusing on the indignities of chronic illness, financial instability, and the complexities of modern dating.
6

Wow, No Thank You.: Essays

by Samantha Irby

entertainment, memoir

Samantha Irby documents her transition from city life in Chicago to a quieter existence in a blue house in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
7

Possible Side Effects

by Augusten Burroughs

entertainment, memoir

In this collection of autobiographical essays, Augusten Burroughs details the chaotic friction of daily life and the peculiar outcomes of his own decision-making.
8

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

by Lena Dunham

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

Lena Dunham’s collection of personal essays details her experiences growing up in New York City, navigating early adulthood, and establishing a career in the film industry.
9

The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee

by Sarah Silverman

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

Sarah Silverman recounts her development from a precocious child in New Hampshire to a stand-up comedian in New York City.
10

Hello, Molly!: A Memoir

by Molly Shannon

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

Molly Shannon details the childhood tragedy and domestic environment that shaped her comedic career.
11

We're Going to Need More Wine

by Gabrielle Union

Also inward-looking · entertainment, memoir

In this series of personal essays, Gabrielle Union discusses her experiences navigating Hollywood as a Black woman while managing the complexities of family and identity.
12

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

by Steve Martin

entertainment, memoir

Steve Martin recounts his beginnings as a magician at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, tracing the fifteen-year evolution of his stand-up career.

Get picks matched to your own reading on papr.

Get papr

Your library, beautifully understood.