In a targeted memoir that is revealing, challenging, and вЂ“ yes вЂ“ funny, you walk away with a sense of the formative experiences that followed Noah to the US and informed his rapidly ascending star in the US. Born a Crime gives him the opportunity to stretch his legs and tell his own stories he doesnвЂ™t waste a second of the opportunity. As a frequent memoir reader, I have a high bar for whatвЂ™s deemed вЂњexceptionalвЂќ in the form, and Between Breaths clears it easily.Д«uoyed by a stellar writing staff and supporting cast for The Daily Show, it might be easy to overlook or forget NoahвЂ™s strength as a writer. Her story is told frankly, openly, and without dismissing the struggle that she continues to live with. Vargas details her own relationship with alcohol, anxiety, and the journey toward sobriety with visceral detail. VargasвЂ™ Between Breaths is one of the first books I read in 2017, and the first memoir on addiction I read since giving up alcohol in late 2016. I canвЂ™t wait to finishвЂ¦and my own copy is making its way to my shelf VERY soon. Irby is equal parts hilarious and brutally honest, making this collection a vulnerable and yet approachable read. Irby writes with a refreshing and relatable voice that grabbed me early and hasnвЂ™t let go in a manner similar to Phoebe RobinsonвЂ™s вЂњYou CanвЂ™t Touch My HairвЂќ did from last yearвЂ™s list. But this book has already exceeded sky-high expectationsвЂ¦four essays in. IвЂ™ll admit, I donвЂ™t tend to put books on this list if I havenвЂ™t finished them.

Best reads 2017