Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis

“The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” September 2020

What it covers: As a connoisseur of celebrity biographies, I always appreciate when a celebrity author credits their co-author on the cover. Trust me, it doesn’t always happen. Most celebrities won’t even cop to using a co-author, let alone give them cover credit. But Mariah Carey included Michaela Angela Davis’ name on the cover, which should tell you a lot. Fans of Mimi won’t be surprised that her memoir, the long-awaited “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” is beautifully written and thoughtfully executed. Despite employing a co-author, Mariah has some major skills in the writing department: she writes or co-writes her own songs. Not bad for a big-voiced diva who grew up in chaos and found herself living her dream life after meeting and marrying Sony record producer Tommy Mottola in the ’90s.

Best reasons to read: Mottola might have helped propel Carey’s career, but her talent and work ethic has kept her there. The book delves into her troubled childhood, strained relationships with her family, her marriage to the controlling Mottola, a steamy fling with Derek Jeter and more — warts and all. Critics argue that she neglected to discuss her quickie engagement to Australian billionaire James Packer in 2016. In response, Carey told The Guardian that she only included relationships that mattered.