One of the most influential and iconic actors in the history of modern film, Charlie Chaplin’s heartfelt and humorous memoir covers his childhood, rise to fame, international celebrity, controversial downfall, and eventual European exile. It’s one of the most candid and fascinating portraits of artistic genius that you’ll read.

A modern classic, Maya Angelou’s memoir of her childhood is equal parts painful, poetic, mysterious, and moving as it recounts the time during which Angelou and her brother were sent to live with their grandmother after their mother abandoned them. This coming-of-age tale is honest and pulls no punches when it comes to the highs and lows of Angelou’s experiences.

The first black actor to win an Oscar in the leading category, Sidney Poitier’s influence on film and culture is significant and triumphant. In this memoir of the many roles he’s played—actor, father, husband, activist, and man—he journeys into the depths of his personal and public lives to explore the nature of love, art, sacrifice, race, rage, forgiveness, and integrity.

Before she was charming us with cooking lesson on national television, Julia Child was living in France with her diplomat husband, Paul. She didn’t speak a word of the language and knew nothing about the country or its cuisine, but she knew she had to occupy her time somehow. Soon she found herself falling in love with French culture and food. In this unforgettable story, she finds her second life, and the reader sees a new side of a classic American personality.

Originally released in 1956, this timeless memoir chronicles the struggles and sensational life of Billie Holliday, the legendary jazz singer who found herself on a roller-coaster ride from a difficult childhood in Baltimore, the blossoming Harlem music scene and sold-out performances, to the tragic addictions and barriers that brought about her decline.

Celebrated for her genre-defying, game-changing artistic style and talent, Grace Jones is one of the most iconic entertainers of the twentieth century. When she emerged from the Studio 54/disco scene of the 1970s, Jones was a musician, but soon she expanded her career into film and fashion. Spanning her life—and the world, from Jamaica to Paris, New York, and everywhere in between—with endlessly entertaining and insightful reflections, readers will be glad that Jones’s title isn’t a true statement.

Bruce Springsteen spent seven years writing the story of his life, and the result is this revelatory and riveting memoir, which spans his childhood in New Jersey to his rise to fame with the E Street Band and the personal experiences and struggles that have inspired his iconic body of work. It’s an account that could only come from the man himself, and it transcends the typical musical memoir, being instead a story about coming-of-age, ambition, devotion, and humanity.

Since her appointment to the Supreme Court in 1993, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has played a crucial role in determining life-changing legislation for countless Americans. This collection of writing, briefs, arguments, and context for her personal beliefs, organized and introduced by the Notorious RBG and her biographers, is the best example of her enduring legacy and influence on law, society, and American history, and is both insightful and inspiring.

If there’s one name that defines television in the twentieth century, it’s Lucy. No comedienne has made America smile so big, feel so much, or care so deeply. In this warm and witty memoir from Lucille Ball, we learn about the woman behind the character, whose fiery spirit defined culture onscreen and off. It’s a story of her childhood, her career, her marriage (and divorce) to Desi Arnaz, and her eventual happy ending that is filled with light and laughter.

An extraordinary story of an extraordinary man, this classic autobiography documents not only Malcolm X’s life but also the rise of a movement that shook an entire nation to its core—then and now. As the controversial leader of Black Muslim activists, he gave critical perspective on the limitations of the American Dream, the inherent racism that plagues our culture, and the timelessness of the struggle.