Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist
by Michael J. Fox (Hyperion, 2008)
Much-loved film and television star Michael J. Fox seems, if anything, even more likeable in this memoir covering his post-acting life with Parkinson’s. The titular optimism comes across not only by way of his actions but in his engaging, companionable writing style.
One Flew into the Cuckoo’s Egg
by Bill Oddie (Hodder & Stoughton, 2008)
Bill Oddie’s autobiography largely omits both birdwatching and The Goodies, preferring instead Oddie’s rather bleak childhood and pre-celebrity years (an engaging reminiscence by someone who’s come to terms with his demons), then his post-celebrity battles with depression (detailed honestly and without self-pity).
Who on Earth is Tom Baker?
by Tom Baker (HarperCollins, 1997)
Although Tom Baker’s autobiography is by no means a bad read, it does (excepting the preamble, which promises at least a measure of absurdism) make for an unremittingly grim read, Baker occupying a headspace far removed from the comforts of Doctor Who.
And It’s Goodnight From Him… The Autobiography of the Two Ronnies
by Ronnie Corbett (Michael Joseph, 2006)
Written not long after Ronnie Barker’s death in 2005, Ronnie Corbett’s singlehanded autobiography (for two!) forms a touching tribute to his departed friend and a companionable stroll down memory lane. Self-effacing yet reverent, Corbett evokes gentle nostalgia for British comedy’s bygone era.