Joy Ride

by Susan Orlean

“The story of my life is the story of my stories,” writes Susan Orlean in this memoir. Joyride is a ride through Orlean’s life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder. Throughout her storied career, her curiosity draws her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places, from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for a legendary profile (“The American Man Age Ten”) to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers, from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.

Not only does Orlean’s account of a writing life offer a trove of indispensable gleanings for writers, it’s also an essential and practical guide to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer’s block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede—a Susan specialty.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Writing, Biography, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Travel

Unknown Binding

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

I'm the product of a happy and uneventful childhood in the suburbs of Cleveland, followed by a happy and pretty eventful four years as a student at University of Michigan. From there, I wandered to the West Coast, landing in Portland, Oregon, where I managed (somehow) to get a job as a writer. This had been my dream, of course, but I had no experience and no credentials. What I did have, in spades, was an abiding passion for storytelling and sentence-making. I fell in love with the experience of writing, and I've never stopped. From Portland, I moved to Boston, where I wrote for the Phoenix and the Globe, and then to New York, where I began writing for magazines, and, in 1987, published my first piece in The New Yorker. I've been a staff writer there since 1992.

Reviews

[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful writer's memoir, but not for me.

Pre-Read Notes:

I grabbed this because it's a writer's memoir and I always find those interesting!

"The swinging eraser of time moving across experience and obliterating it terrified me. Time moving forward made me sad. Writing protected me. It made things last forever." p25

"As Virginia Woolf once wrote to Vita Sackville-West, “Style is a very simple matter: it is all rhythm.”" p36

Final Review

I don't know why I feel this way, but this book isn't for me. I was very excited to read it; Orlean is brilliant and I love a good writer's memoir. I love most of the books I read from Avid Reader Press. This should have been a perfect fit and it wasn't! But books can be like that sometimes!

Please see my reading notes below, because I think this is a good book, and interesting. I recommend this one for writers of literary prose, and also fans of writer's memoirs and The New Yorker.

My Favorite Things:

✔️ "Writing always feels new because you never build equity. Every word and every story come fresh out of the oven. Every sentence is a slippery invention, a bit of quicksilver I release to the world, and then it’s time to make the next one. That’s why being a writer is never boring, but that’s also why it’s always a little terrifying, why every time I’ve sat down to write since 1978, I wonder if this is the time I simply won’t be able to do it and words will fail me. But so far, so good." p11 This is a feeling I both find familiar and also envy-inducing.

✔️ Orlean can write a beautiful sentence, which is harder than it seems. Like this one: "I noted recently that it has been twenty-five years since I published The Orchid Thief, and that unit of time, the quarter-of-a-century monumentality of it, stirred me to think about where I’ve been and where I’m going, and what I’ve seen and learned along the way." p19 So much info delivered in this collection of sentence bits, and it's so elegantly composed. Though long, it runs smooth and keeps it's point. Orlean is a fine writer.

✔️ "If the storytelling was good enough, that justified telling [the story]." p32 No, I disagree. Mechanics are not more important than the story or the content, more generally. Ironically, I think this book proves it.

✔️ "My father trained me to be an observer and to be inquisitive, to be comfortable in settings that were unfamiliar or even strange; without saying it explicitly, he trained me to think like a writer." p34 Training in being comfortable with the unfamiliar -- that is definitely a fine education for a writer. (I hope the writer acknowledges somewhere the many many privileges that allowed her to succeed being a working writer.)

Thank you to the author Susan Orlean, Avid Reader Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of JOY RIDE. All views are mine.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a red-headed Jewish girl with a pixie-like face, Susan Orlean always stood out. That she has been able to write about people (and animals) of all types and stripes from every social strata is also a testament to how well she blends in. Her secret weapon: engaged curiosity. Orlean is drawn to two kinds of stories—“who knew?” and “hiding in plain sight.” In her 2018 bestseller “The Library Book,” she found both: the arson fire in the Los Angeles Public Library on April 29, 1986, was the largest and most destructive inferno in the history of public libraries, but it went relatively unnoticed due to something else in the news—Chernobyl.

In her latest, “Joyride,” Orlean turns her highly observant internal camera lens on her own life and work, charting her personal odyssey as a writer and fellow human being navigating life. While struggling with a troubled marriage during the 1980s, Orlean joined the ranks of the New Journalists she idolized—Joan Didion, Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson—publishing pieces in “Vogue,” “Esquire,” “Rolling Stone,” and “The New Yorker” (eventually becoming a staff writer). She was catapulted into fame with her 1998 book “The Orchid Thief,” which was adapted into the delightfully bonkers film “Adaptation.”

According to Orlean, her life has been a “joyride,” and she takes readers along with her on a warts-and-all jaunt that also features many funny moments, including when she became a viral sensation after tweeting the word “Drunk” (with follow-ups) one uncharacteristically inebriated night. What drives Orlean is the ever-present hope that she will meet someone who will tell her something amazing. And we see this play out here in behind-the-scenes looks at the genesis of her books, including “Saturday Night,” “Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend,” and “On Animals.”

This intimate memoir will be catnip to fans, while her hard-earned insights into writing and publishing are sure to be appreciated by scribblers everywhere. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital advance reader copy.

[Alan Chrisman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Orlean proves real lives can be as fascinating as made up. She has written profiles for NY Times, Vogue, Time, New Yorker Magazine. Known for others lives: being a 10 year old boy, a religious cult, Rin Tin Tin the movie dog, history of libraries, etc. Her Orchid Thief turned into Academy Award winning movie "Adaptation" with Meryl Streep playing her. But this is her own memoir, struggling to make it as a writer, describing how she came across and wrote about these often quirky characters, finding success finally, ironically, as her first marriage is falling apart.

[Amy Tippett · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the final chapter, Orlean writes about how uncomfortable she was writing a memoir. That uncomfortableness is evident in the first third of this book when she writes about her complicated relationship with her parents and her early days as a writer. But then she starts writing about her non-fiction work, and the Orlean who I love shines through with anecdotes and offshoots of factoids about her subjects, including herself.

This book is great for Orlean fans, nonfiction writers, want-to-be writers, or anyone interested in the horrific world of book publishing.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Orleans is a master of narrative nonfiction, whether in books like The Library Book or The Orchid Thief, or in her long form magazine pieces for the New Yorker and others. Here she writes about her life and her writing, letting the reader in on her process and research and most fascinatingly how her ideas arrive. And happily, she includes some of the pieces she writes about in an appendix. Entertaining and hard to put down.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a pleasure to read Susan Orlean’s entertaining memoir about her life as one of one of the foremost American writers of non-fiction. She’s been a staff writer at the New Yorker for decades and has also penned some best-selling books, including The Orchid Thief (which became the quirky Spike Jonze movie Adaptation) and The Library Book, about Los Angeles’ storied central library and the arson fire that ravaged it in the 80s. More interesting to me than the details about her personal life is the story of how she forged such an interesting career path, how she chooses what to write about and her process once she’s on the trail. Hint: let curiosity and passion be your guides.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this memoir. It's such a gift to writers and book lovers. I loved the way she wrote about her writing process--both the magical and the nail-it-down aspects--and how she has adored her life as a writer (ergo, JOYRIDE), and how she wove in details about other aspects of her life.

Two of my favorite quotes:

"Each of us contains an unimaginably rich world, a full universe of thoughts and knowledge and aspirations and reveries, of stories and memories and perceptions and emotions; that the sum of each person is an entire galaxy, unique and whole. If I had to point to one principle that has guided me, inspired me, and taught me how to be in the world as a writer, this would be it."

"Writing can seem magical, mysterious. How did I come up with that? What synapse fired that idea? What pocket did I pull that image out of? The sentences seem to have a life of their own as soon as they appear, as if I had nothing to do with their creation. They exist as a fully realized thing. It’s a little miraculous when it happens. What makes writing so challenging is not knowing how to summon that miracle."

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not have loved this more-I was extremely interested in every story she told. I anticipate a revival of interest in her work once this comes out. I was also hoping she would include the drunken night on Twitter during covid and she did.

Long live index cards!

[Kim van Alkemade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every page of this insightful, delightful, behind-the-scenes peek into the life and career of a writer I've admired for decades. I appreciated how the personal, while honestly addressed, takes a back seat to the process of writing and the pitfalls of publishing. By doggedly following her curiosity and trusting her intuition, Orlean has built a unique body of work where disparate topics are united by her inimitable style and generous spirit. A fabulous read!

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful memoir from one of our most delightful writers.

[Biblio Files (takingadayoff) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's right there in the title - "A Memoir." But it's really a behind the scenes look at how Susan Orlean writes her articles and books. How she comes up with ideas, how she researches, how she finds a theme for each article, how she develops an irresistible lede, the first few lines that determine whether the reader skips to the next article or keeps reading. Susan Orlean is on my short list of "immediately read this" non-fiction authors, along with David Sedaris and Jill Lepore. I loved learning the stories behind some of my favorite articles and books. It seems that often, Orlean has so much material to work with, that paring it down to something manageable is a real project. She found so much fascinating material while researching The Library, that she could probably have written a few more books on the topic. If you are a fan of (as Elaine Benes would say) "interesting writing," Joyride is for you. (Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital review copy.)

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Orleans writes nonfiction to entertain and educate with themes she believes are appealing.

This memoir includes personal thoughts with her parents, two marriages, a brief account of political views and love of books. It follows her career path after graduating from college with a description of magazine articles from The New Yorker and deeply-researched nonfiction books. The latest was “The Library Book,” a 2018 New York Times best seller.

Some – want-to-be writers – would most likely be drawn to this memoir about her personal experience with the literary world. It could enhance their understanding of the exhilarating and unexpected parts of being an author.

However, while it was well written, it felt like the chapters were long with a lot of in-depth thoughts. It was exhausting for me at times when I was desperate for a good breaking point.

She noted that one of her past books took longer than expected to write. This, memoir however, was a subject that was familiar and most likely, she was able to zip right through it. If part of her intent was to obtain more readers by covering major plot points from her nonfiction pieces, it worked. I added a few of her books to my list.

At the end, she included magazine articles she’s written from the past about a ten-year old boy, Hindu festival, gospel music, kitchen knives and Harvard Square. I wondered what can top these adventures?

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of this advanced book with an expected release date of October 14, 2025. This is my personal viewpoint.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, rounded up

[Louise Hulewsky]

DNF @ 34%

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan Orlean’s book The Orchid Thief is one of my favorite books, but I found myself skimming through a lot of this autobiography. I think part of it was I couldn’t relate to her affluent lifestyle and although we are both animal lovers, I found this book dull reading compared to her other books. The only part that made me laugh was George R R Martin holding a screening of Rin Tin Tin at his Cousteau theater in Santa Fe NM to celebrate the publication of her book on Rin Tin Tin.

[Alex Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing memoir. Fascinating look into Orleans’ writing process and how she has developed her writing style while also being an emotional and very honest portrayal of her life. Phenomenal book all around.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite her questioning what she as a writer who sits in front of a computer for a living could possibly write in memoir, Orlean has created an engaging story of her life. It does cover her entire life and the ways that she got into journalism and writing as well as her adult personal life, however most of it is focused on her experiences as a writer and some of the stories she investigated and wrote about over the years. Some of the stories referenced in the memoir are included at the back of the book.

[Terri (BooklyMatters) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breezy and candid, intimate and expansive, this memoir, by non-fiction writer Susan Orlean, refuses to be typecast. The author, an expert in the art of a quirky sort of storytelling, featuring uniquely interesting real-life characters, places or topics, each of which is are not quite what you’re expecting, will surely both entertain and inform you.

The author is known for her exhaustive research, appetite for learning, no-holds-barred attitude, and engaging, folksy writing and style, — the combination of which allows her to leapfrog into the worlds of her characters, getting inside their heads and bringing the reader along for the ride.

In this memoir, the author turns her pen inward, while keeping to the same formula. So much so that, as subject to her own story, she does first invite a friend to interview her, letting readers in on her own very personal warm-up period, as she learns to inhabit her own “self” as one of her characters.

A joyful read follows, with plenty of interesting meanders into the author’s personal life and loves. Most interesting of all is the content devoted to simply sharing her craft, the background to her successful career, and the backstories to the multitude of stories that made it to print in book or magazine, tv or even the big screen.

An all-together fascinating look at the life of an author, the ups and downs of her personal life, and the drive, energy, passion and professionalism underlying each of her forays into a new literary project.

I loved this book and found its chatty, sweeping coverage tells its tale with just the right levels of both revelation and restraint. The author emerges a little crushed around the edges (she is human too, and not afraid to share it all) and so approachable and genuine that her story cannot help but shine.

A great big thank you to #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

[Jennifer Spiegel]

Susan Orlean is pretty amazing in that she's a real-life working writer, and I do find that wild. Charmed existence, frankly. I do not doubt her talent, one bit. This is a book for writers and those interested in it. It's a memoir about her life as a writer. I like her stance and her interests. She chooses oft-ordinary--or often overlooked and exreaordinary--topics and renders them truthfully and artistically. She's neither pretentious nor mundane.

It's a good memoir!

A few things I liked:
--she loves animals
--her drunk-texts when Twitter first came out (she is, by no means, an alcoholic--it's funny because it's not really her)
--I'm kinda into all the details on editing and book business, so I know I'm the audience
--I appreciate her topics: she just gets curious and writes stuff!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book although there was something a little strange about her relationship with her first husband that made me feel uncomfortable and sad. She only had really negative things to say about him so I came to wonder why such an independent adventurous woman would stay with a man who seemed like such a dud. Anyway, she seems to have the genius ability to write. I was even prompted to watch “Adaptation” the movie based on her book The Orchid Thief.

[Edie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Orlean has had quite an adventure - it was great fun to read her thoughts on life and writing. I don't think it counts as name-dropping when Meryl Streep has actually played you in a movie. This fits right in with my mini-theme of memoirs by women writers of a certain age which I have stumbled into recently.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Memoir

One of the best books I’ve read this year. Orlean recounts her writing life and experiences. It’s full of adventure and stories about her life. She’s really a good writer.

[Tilak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is doing it like her fr oh how I enjoyed this step into her life

[Jane LaFazio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw and heard the author at Warwicks Book Store in La Jolla, California. She very witty, articulate, and delightful. While reading this book, I heard it in her voice, and in part, that’s why I enjoyed the book so much. There is a little too much repetition about what interests her and why she writes about it…but her stories are great! I loved reading about her experiences, her extensive research, while writing books and articles. . Easy and enjoyable read.

[Michelle Theriault Boots · Rating 5 out of 5]

a masterclass in literary nonfiction writing and just fun.

[Constance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this was a joyride. Orlean would make me read about anything. She's generous in sharing her writing process, self doubt, and joy! She is a narrative nonfiction master.

[Kristin Chang · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg this was incredible

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal. Susan Orlean is an amazing writer and this book is like getting a master class on non-fiction writing. I loved it.

[Logan Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this memoir on a whim, drawn in by the promise of a writer memoir. Susan Orlean’s voice is powerful, her enthusiasm and love for writing intoxicating.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love you my queen