If you loved
Books like Open
A breathtakingly honest dissection of the psychological toll of greatness and the painful journey to finding one's true self. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Open.
- claustrophobic
- high-stakes
- emotionally raw
- cathartic
- 01
String Theory
David Foster Wallace
A reflective and analytical essay collection that dissects the physical and narrative complexities of tennis.
- 02
Kaffir Boy
Mark Mathabane · 1986
An unflinching, visceral descent into the realities of systemic oppression that ultimately transforms into a testament to human endurance.
- 03
The truth
Neil Strauss
A brutally raw, voyeuristic plunge into the chaotic psychology of sex, addiction, and the terrifying vulnerability of true intimacy.
- 04
Tommyland
Anthony Bozza
A chaotic, unapologetic rollercoaster ride through the highest highs and lowest lows of rock and roll excess.
- 05
Carrie Soto Is Back
Taylor Jenkins Reid
A fierce, sweat-drenched exploration of ambition, legacy, and what it costs a woman to be the absolute best.
- 06
Shoe Dog
Phil Knight
A scrappy, sweat-soaked sprint through the chaotic, high-stakes early days of building an empire from the trunk of a car.
- 07
Crooked Little Heart
Anne Lamott
A warm, riotously funny, and unexpectedly suspenseful portrait of a messy family navigating the perils of adolescence and obsession under the California sun.
- 08
The Story of a Marriage
Andrew Sean Greer
A lyrical, quietly devastating exploration of the profound mysteries hidden within a seemingly ordinary marriage.
- 09
Moonwalk
Michael Jackson
A rare, carefully curated glimpse into the mind of a musical genius grappling with the crushing weight of unprecedented fame.
- 10
Committed
Elizabeth Gilbert
A witty, research-driven memoir that dismantles romantic fantasies in favor of the complex, humbling realities of adult love.
- 11
Just Kids
Patti Smith · 2006
A tender, poetic elegy to a transformative friendship and the gritty, magical crucible of 1970s bohemian New York.
- 12
The heroin diaries
Nikki Sixx · 2007
A chaotic, visceral plunge into the darkest depths of rock-and-roll excess and the paranoid isolation of addiction.
