As promised (threatened?), here is the first in what I hope to be a successful blog series of book recs for those inclined to be swayed. And I thought memoirs would be safe way to kick things off. So, here are three I think you should read if you’re nosy like me and want to know how other people live.

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood— I put this one out on my Father’s Day display every year even before I read it because with a title like that, how could I not? Writer and poet Patricia Lockwood weaves a humorous yet deep narrative between her religious upbringing with a father who received special permission to become a priest after he was a married father and the eight months she and her husband had to live with her parents after a decade of living on their own. To say that her father is a character would be putting it so mildly that it might as well be beige. You have to read it to believe it.

Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald— This memoir-in-essays kicks off with Isaac Fitzgerald announcing that when he was born his parents were married -to other people. And it just takes off from there. Recounting a childhood of poverty and homelessness, going from altar boy and fat kid to bartender and biker, Fitzgerald struggled to make peace with his life while finding his place in the world, which led him as far as Burma and back. It’s a wild ride to read about.

Brace for Impact by Gabe Montesanti— Can roller derby save your life? For Gabe Montesanti, it kind of did. After growing up queer in a conservative Midwestern town, throwing herself into competitive swimming and allowing perfectionism to rule her world, Montesanti decided to make a fresh start when she moved to St. Louis for grad school. She found a home in Arch Rival, a top ranked roller derby league, but when she suffered a devastating injury, she was forced to reckon with the baggage and trauma she thought she left behind. As a queer kid from a Midwestern town with perfectionism issues, I found it highly relatable, but also totally honest and inspiring.

Let me know if you end up reading any of these and if you don’t like them, don’t tell me.