What is the best Anne Lamott book?

From raw motherhood journals to wry meditations on faith, these titles swing between vulnerable memoir and sharp fiction. Which one speaks to you?

1

Bird by Bird

Lamott's beloved 1994 guide on writing and life, built around small steps and messy first drafts.

1000pts

2

Traveling Mercies

A 1999 essay collection on faith and grace that became one of her signature bestsellers.

560pts

3

Small Victories

A 2014 essay collection on unexpected moments of grace found in ordinary life.

560pts

4

Operating Instructions

A raw 1993 journal chronicling the first year of raising her son as a single mother.

503pts

5

Blue Shoe

A 2002 novel about a recently divorced mother rebuilding her life and reconciling with her past.

502pts

6

Almost Everything

A 2018 collection of notes on hope, written partly as a letter to her grandson.

436pts

7

Grace (Eventually)

A 2007 essay collection exploring stumbling toward grace amid everyday struggles.

356pts

8

Plan B

A 2005 collection of further thoughts on faith, continuing the voice from Traveling Mercies.

356pts

9

Some Assembly Required

A 2012 journal co-written with her son documenting her first year as a grandmother.

261pts

10

Stitches

A 2013 meditation on finding meaning and connection amid a chaotic, fractured world.

261pts

11

Hallelujah Anyway

A 2017 book-length meditation on mercy as the path through difficulty.

261pts

12

Dusk, Night, Dawn

A 2021 reflection on renewal and change, written amid a new marriage later in life.

145pts

13

Help, Thanks, Wow

A concise 2012 meditation on the three essential prayers.

145pts

14

Crooked Little Heart

A 1997 novel following a teenage tennis prodigy and her mother navigating competition and faith.

145pts