Books like I, Fatty by Jerry Stahl

Dave Eggers' 2000 memoir chronicles his struggles and resilience after the cancer-related deaths of his parents, as he assumes responsibility for his younger brother and confronts the challenges of growing up alone.

Augusten Burroughs recounts his turbulent adolescence spent in a decaying Victorian home run by a psychiatrist, where ordinary rites of childhood give way to a surreal blend of family eccentricity, escape from school, and the early years of a future author.

James Frey's raw, first‑person memoir of addiction and recovery, offering an unflinching look at his struggle with opioids and the brutal path to sobriety.

In the Gulf‑swamp town of Leechfield, Texas, a group of oil workers called the Liars’ Club spin tall tales, while a young woman confronts her family’s hidden past, unmasking lies that threaten her sanity.

Mob-connected loanshark Chili Palmer leaves Miami for Hollywood, chasing a deadbeat client and an opportunity to make a killer movie, only to find the glitter‑filled film world is as treacherous as any mob killing.

A Chilean woman embarks on a quest to find her lover in 1840s California's goldfields, facing numerous challenges and adventures along the way.

Cop Burke kidnaps lawyer Pinkie Duvall's trophy wife, Remy, on Fat Tuesday to save her sister's convent school. Their attraction is electric as they navigate masked crime, romance, and the dangerous world of New Orleans' mobsters.

Set amid Hollywood’s glitter and corruption, *Taboo* follows a passionate writer‑director, a rising glamorous actress, and a fading child star as their lives intersect on the silver screen.

A darkly humorous account of addiction and self-discovery.

The New York Times bestselling follow-up to A Million Little Pieces - the heartrending story of a friendship between a newly-sober James and Leonard, the charismatic, high-living mobster he met in rehab Perhaps the most unconventional and literally breathtaking father-son story you'll ever read, My Friend Leonard pulls you immediately and deeply into a relationship as unusual as it is inspiring. The father figure is Leonard, the high-living, recovering coke addict "West Coast Director of a large Italian-American finance firm" (read: mobster) who helped to keep James Frey clean in A Million Little Pieces. The son is, of course, James, damaged perhaps beyond repair by years of crack and alcohol addiction-and by more than a few cruel tricks of fate. James embarks on his post-rehab existence in Chicago emotionally devastated, broke, and afraid to get close to other people. But then Leonard comes back into his life, and everything changes. Leonard offers his "son" lucrative-if illegal and slightly dangerous-employment. He teaches James to enjoy life, sober, for the first time. He instructs him in the art of "living boldly," pushes him to pursue his passion for writing, and provides a watchful and supportive veil of protection under which James can get his life together. Both Leonard's and James's careers flourish ... but then Leonard vanishes. When the reasons behind his mysterious absence are revealed, the book opens up in unexpected emotional ways. My Friend Leonard showcases a brilliant and energetic young writer rising to important new challenges-displaying surprising warmth, humor, and maturity-without losing his intensity. This book proves that one of the most provocative literary voices of his generation is also one of the most emphatically human.

An unfinished portrait of a Hollywood film producer’s meteoric rise, loosely based on Irving Thalberg, exploring the glittering, ruthless world of motion‑picture power and its personal costs.

A candid account of a young boy's life in 1950s America and his coming of age process in the face of adversity and growth through experiences like paper routes, whiskey, scouting, fistfights, and betrayal.

Aasha Rani, a small‑town girl, is thrust into Bollywood’s cut‑throat world of exploitation, romance, and ambition, risking her innocence and love for a chance at fame.

A candid memoir in which celebrated African‑American actress Cicely Tyson shares her journey through the world of film and stage, reflecting on her career, convictions, and the evolving landscape of American entertainment.