Greenlights
Score Modern
What it's about
Matthew McConaughey has kept diaries for 35 years, full of notes on success and failure, joy and sorrow, and the things that made him laugh out loud. This unconventional memoir draws on them: raucous stories from a Texas childhood, his years in Hollywood and beyond, mixed with what he calls outlaw wisdom about how to live with more satisfaction and less stress.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and has spent more than 300 weeks on the lists since it came out in 2020. Readers love its humor and its spirit, and many say the audiobook, which McConaughey reads himself, is the best way to experience it.
You'll love it if you liked
Tuesdays with Morrie, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly or Becoming
Good to know
It's part memoir, part philosophy and part scrapbook, with poems, lists and photos. It's light, funny and quick to read.
Quick answers
Is Greenlights worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and has spent more than 300 weeks on the lists since it came out in 2020. It ranks #90 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Greenlights about?
Matthew McConaughey has kept diaries for 35 years, full of notes on success and failure, joy and sorrow, and the things that made him laugh out loud. This unconventional memoir draws on them: raucous stories from a Texas childhood, his years in Hollywood and beyond, mixed with what he calls outlaw wisdom about how to live with more satisfaction and less stress.
How long does it take to read Greenlights?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Greenlights?
If you liked it, try Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain or Becoming by Michelle Obama.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller79 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz100 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
#1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1).
Where it ranks
- #16 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #51 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #90 of the 2,819 books we rank
Bestseller
- #1 New York Times bestseller (2 weeks at #1)
- 306 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2020
Reads as
True story
If you like this, read next
Becoming
Tuesdays with Morrie
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
Steve Jobs
Have a Little Faith: A True Story
The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America