I’ve always loved Cher — she’s been an inspiration for as long as I can remember. I even recall seeing her and her sister once at the Deer Park in Los Angeles before it closed for good, which made a lasting impression. I love her music and especially her sassy, unapologetic way of living. In this memoir, she shares her regrets, her challenges, and her triumphs in a way that felt so real and relatable — especially for someone like me.
What I found particularly compelling about Part One is how Cher traces her early life: her childhood (in the San Fernando Valley, where I grew up), the rough edges of fame, her marriage to Sonny Bono, and her navigation of the music business and her identity.
Her openness about mistakes and vulnerabilities makes the narrative deeply human. She doesn’t just celebrate the glamour — she strips it away and shows the work and the cost behind it.
For me, reading this wasn’t just about enjoying a celebrity memoir. It felt like seeing someone I admire say: “Yes, I messed up. Yes, I’ve been scared. Yes, I’ve fought. And I kept going.” That matters. It reminds me that living boldly and honestly is possible.
The Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
The Global #1 Bestseller
After more than seventy years of fighting to live her life on her own terms, Cher finally reveals her true story in intimate detail, in a two-part memoir.
Her remarkable career is unique and unparalleled. The only woman to top Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades, she is the winner of an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, and an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame who has been lauded by the Kennedy Center.
I found myself connecting to this book so deeply — even though our lives couldn’t be more different. Chelsea Handler’s blend of bold audacity and raw honesty is magnetic. What truly pulled me in, though, was how she writes about loving her dogs, being a single woman forging her path in her own way, and showing up for herself with no apologies. Her commitment to living life on her terms, loving her canine family, and embracing vulnerability felt so familiar and so inspiring.
She doesn’t gloss over the hard parts — the breakups, the therapy, the search for meaning — but she reframes them with wit and courage. For me, reading her story was a reminder that you can still feel alone and unsure and yet choose to stand up for yourself and love in your own style.
If you’re looking for a memoir that’s equal parts gutsy and heart-opening, this one’s it.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This will be one of your favorite books of all time. Through her intensely vulnerable, honest, and hilarious reflections, Chelsea shows us more than just her insides. She shows us ourselves.”—Amy Schumer
Don't miss Chelsea Handler's new Netflix stand-up special, Revolution, now streaming!
In the wake of President Donald Trump's election, feeling that her country—her life—has become unrecognizable, Chelsea Handler has an awakening. Fed up with the privileged bubble she's lived in, she decides it's time to make some changes.
She embarks on a year of self-sufficiency and goes into therapy, prepared to do…
I discovered Cheryl Strayed when she wrote the advice column Dear Sugar for The Rumpus and fell in love with her voice: bold, compassionate, real. Tiny Beautiful Things brings together the best of her Dear Sugar essays—her responses to real questions from real people, all served with raw honesty, humor, and an unflinching look at the human heart. And I learned so much—not only from Cheryl’s writing, but from the myriad voices of people asking for help, for comfort, for truth.
What resonates most with me: she asks the hard questions (and tells you to ask them, too): What is yours for the taking? When do you forgive yourself? How do you keep going even when you’re broken? And she answers without pretense—anchoring her advice in her own messy past, her grief, her triumphs, her mistakes. That vulnerability is powerful.
If you haven’t read it yet—this book is more than an advice-column compilation. It’s a map for those of us who feel off-track at times, a companion for the broken and the brave, and a reminder that tiny, beautiful things can carry us through the toughest nights.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Soon to be a Hulu Original series • The internationally acclaimed author of Wild collects the best of The Rumpus's Dear Sugar advice columns plus never-before-published pieces. Rich with humor and insight—and absolute honesty—this "wise and compassionate" (New York Times Book Review) book is a balm for everything life throws our way.
Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can't pay the bills—and it can be great: you've had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the courage to write your novel. Sugar—the…
On Presale Now: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/Teaming-Up-with-Therapy-Dogs/ This powerful new book celebrates the world of therapy dogs. Blending heartfelt memoir, practical insights, and inspiring true stories, it takes readers into healing spaces where the quiet magic of dogs transforms lives. With warmth and insight, the book shares what it takes to become a therapy dog team, offering step-by-step guidance on training, certification, and the unique demands of working in emotionally charged environments. It introduces readers to remarkable handlers and their dogs, each making a difference in the lives of people facing illness, trauma, anxiety, or loss. This book also explores the science behind the human-animal bond and the rich history of therapy dogs. It includes original “Fairy Tale” trick routines—creative, story-based performances the author developed to bring joy to those in need of comfort. Whether you’re considering volunteering, are already part of a therapy dog team, or are simply a dog lover who believes in the power of paws-on healing, this book is a heartfelt tribute to the magic that happens when a therapy dog team shows up at the right moment.
