Memoirs We Can't Wait To Read In 2025

If you've ever wondered where people get the audacity to write a memoir, the answer is easy: it feels good to do so. Really! According to 2012 research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences via Time, the brain actually lights up and enjoys the fact that we are talking about ourselves. So much so that one of the studies conducted during this research process found that people spend about 40% of every conversation they have disclosing information about themselves, including their thoughts, opinions, and anything else that comes to mind.

So if the average person inherently wants to go on and on about themselves, possibly for hundreds of pages, it makes sense that people in the public eye might want that attention even more or, in some cases, feel the need to set the record straight. Naturally, the easiest way to do that is to write a memoir. While there are some celebrity memoirs we'd love to see and others we wish didn't exist, we ultimately need to take what we can get. And, as far as 2025 goes, some memoirs are scheduled to be published that look really, really good.

Even if you've never heard of Ione Skye, listen up. Skye is the daughter of legendary British folk singer Donovan and American model Enid Karl. Although she wasn't an official part of the Brat Pack — a group of actors who appeared in several coming-of-age movies together in the 1980s — she was in a few unforgettable films of that time, most notably "Say Anything." No matter your age, you've seen the iconic scene where Lloyd Dobler, played by John Cusack, holds a boombox over his head that plays the song "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. If you haven't, then you've seen the memes.

Growing up in Hollywood took its toll on Skye, and her memoir is about both her struggles of being the daughter of Donovan and the drama of her personal life. In the past, Skye has talked about her wild years, the fact that she found validation in sex with men, and was a serial cheater while married to Ad-Rock (Adam Horvitz) of the Beastie Boys.

In a press release sent to People, Skye said of her upcoming memoir, "As an actress, thinking of my life as a drama helped me keep the painful parts at a distance ... Now, as an author, I am able to reconnect with the young woman I was and re-examine my life fully, with clarity and compassion." Needless to say, it's going to be an interesting ride. "Say Everything" is slated to come out in March 2025.

Over the last few years, transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has made a name for herself. She rose to fame with her TikTok series, "Days of Girlhood," which candidly documented her transition. Just as things were taking off for her, Mulvaney received aggressive backlash when she partnered with Bud Light in 2023 after heaps of beer fans revealed their transphobic beliefs.

"What transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined," Mulvaney said in a video on her TikTok page, in which she added the brand never reached out to offer support. When Anheuser-Busch finally released a response, it was far too little too late. So what does one do when life gives them lemons? You pull a Beyoncé and make some art, and that's exactly what Mulvaney did when she scored a two-book deal. The first of which, her memoir "Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer," will be published in March 2025.

As a life-long journaler, Mulvaney told People about her upcoming memoir, "These journal entries, which are sort of the things that I couldn't talk about online, are very personal anecdotes that really were never meant for other people's eyes ... But I think that's why they're special is because they're really for me and getting to share them is kind of the most vulnerable version of how I can tell people things." In other words, it's going to be a great read.

For some, Amanda Knox remains a controversial figure. Although acquitted in 2011 and released after four years in an Italian jail, the Italian justice system wouldn't let it go. In the following years, Knox was tried and found guilty again in 2014, just to be acquitted in 2015. Even after the European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to financially compensate Knox for violating her rights, an Italian appellate court went after her again in June 2024 for slander.

Knox is no longer that confused college student sitting in an Italian courtroom, an image we often associate with her name. These days, Knox is an activist for the wrongfully accused, a married writer and journalist, and a mother of two. Knox is also about to release her second memoir, "Free: My Search for Meaning" in 2025. As the title suggests, the book is about Knox trying to make sense of what happened in Italy that fateful night.

"When my roommate, Meredith, was brutally raped and murdered, I should have been a footnote in her tragic story," Knox told People about her upcoming memoir. "Instead, at 20 years old, I was accused of a horrific crime I had nothing to do with and catapulted into international infamy ... I was trapped in that story. I didn't feel free. It's taken me over a decade, but I slowly learned to make meaning out of my misfortune. I created my own freedom."

There's folk music, then there's Neko Case's swoon-worthy folk music; the two don't even compare. For decades, Case has been delivering gorgeous song lyrics, whether she's performing solo or as a member of the New Pornographers. Although it's been a few years since Case has put out any new music, for those of us who adore her, we're getting something just as good, but in a different format: a memoir.

"The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You" covers everything you might want to know about Neko Case — from her humble beginnings where she was "raised by two dogs and a space heater," to the worldwide success she has as an indie folk artist. According to Brooklyn Vegan, Case said of the memoir in a press statement, "I hope my story will cast a spell of love, invite everyone inside, and smash the illusion that we have no connection to each other." Basically, just like her soulful, Patsy Cline-like voice, this memoir is going to be all heart and we're here for it. It's due to be released in January 2025.

In news that will make every queer heart jump for joy, Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey of "The L Word" wrote a book. And it's about "The L Word." As one of the most famous queer series to ever exist, the fact that Moennig and Hailey have written a memoir about it is just an abundance of happiness for which there are no words. 

Slated to be published in June 2025, Moennig and Hailey dropped the news via Instagram post in September 2024. "This book has been a very special project for us this past year — and in some ways, for the past two decades," the caption reads. "In SO GAY FOR YOU, we write about our journey from being closeted queer kids to actors on 'The L Word,' and beyond. This is the story of our friendship, which has defined our lives for the past 20 years, and has been a consistent anchor through our highs and lows, loves and losses ... most importantly, this book is a love story to our relationship with our community, our chosen family, and all of you."

Although "The L Word" wrapped up its six seasons back in 2009, it remains a relatable rite of passage for people who identify as queer. So get ready to feel all the emotions, because with these two at the helm, it'll be a good one.