Books, NonFiction

I’d Like All Advice to Be As Friendly As Amy Poehler’s in Yes Please

Read Yes
Length 329
Quick Review Amy Poehler is known for a lot of things but mostly for being funny. She does not disappoint in her memoir. 

Yes Please by Amy Poehler in Ames, Iowa. | Dress | Sweater | Glasses

I grew up watching Amy Poehler. She was the right kind of funny, smart, raunchy, and sweet for me. Her incredibly supportive, brilliant, fruitful, and genius relationship with Tina Fey was and is an inspiration for what female friendships can and should look like. I bought Yes Please years ago, and I’ve finally gotten around to reading it. It’s real in the way you want memoirs to be; it’s funny in the way you hope a comic’s memoir is; and it’s raw in a way a strong woman who knows her own mind is.

Writing a book is hard. Poehler makes it absolutely clear from the moment you crack the spine that writing a book is hard, she even takes a short break to let Seth Meyers write a chapter so she doesn’t have to. It’s an incredibly poignant moment and a testament to the woman and friend she is. There’s a good chance that she’ll never pen another book again because it’s obvious the process is not her favorite. Poehler also brought on Mike Schurr, the co-creator of Parks & Rec, to annotate her chapter on Parks & Rec, which is heartwarming and funny. She has surrounded herself with brilliant and funny people. 

Yes Please is a memoir-advice combo. She’s wise and gives pretty great advice. If I hadn’t learned most of it the hard way, I would have found it even more helpful. It’s a bright, colorful, and bold book filled with large fonts and pictures. It definitely appeals to the kid in me. 

In an era of social media and more information is not enough, Amy Poehler is in the public eye and knows what it’s like not to have much privacy. There’s an overarching theme, which is quite explicitly stated, “Nothing is anyone’s business.” Her life motto should be adopted by more, or all, people, “Good for you, not for me.”

I love a quotable book, and this is an incredibly quotable one. Although Poehler is entrancing in interviews, on stage, and on the screen; she has an incredible way with the written word in the way of a brilliant comic. From the funny moments to the more serious moments, she has something to say. She knows when to be funny and when to hold the humor, “A person’s tragedy does not make up their entire life.” She can be serious and bring levity. It is never more evident than in her comparisons. Treat your career like a bad boyfriend, “Ambivalence is key.” Careers can come and go. They’re important, but they shouldn’t define life. Whereas creativity should be nurtured like a good boyfriend because that is important. 

Poehler can sum up the entirety of Yes Please in her own words better than I can, “It is not about being a good girl; it is about being a real woman.” It’s not a clean book. There’s mess to it, and I love that about it. It’s a great book to make you laugh during these dark times. 

Memorable Quotes
“Writing a book is nothing like that. It is a small, slow crawl to the finish line.”
“…I would stare out whatever window I was near and reminisce about experiences I hadn’t had. Is there a word for when you are young and pretending to have lived and loved a thousand lives? Is there a German word for that? Seems like there should be. Let’s say it is Schaufenfrieglasploit.”
“There is nothing more depressing than a tired dominatrix.”

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Title: Yes Please
Author: Amy Poehler
Publisher: Dey Street Books 
Copyright: 2014
ISBN: 9780062379795

Books, NonFiction

Dear Girls by Ali Wong

Worth A Read Yes
Length 224
Quick Review Ali Wong writes a series of hilarious and wise-ish letters to her daughters so they can avoid her mistakes, have fun, and live their best life. 

Dear Girls by Ali Wong | Skirt | Sweater | Earrings
Dear Girls by Ali Wong

I instantly fell in love with Ali Wong when she walked onto the screen of my TV with her pregnant belly, dirty mouth, and satire in Baby Cobra. I have definitely paid for an afternoon of her childcare having watched it so many times to make sure other people experience her brilliance. I will consume anything Ali Wong – take that as you will –so obviously I read Dear Girls. I might be biased, but it was great. 

Wong’s voice sings with her unique humor, perspective, story, and more in her first book. The mother of two opens up to the world through letters to her daughters about life, love, sex, marriage, motherhood, traveling, grief, finding oneself, and general human things. It’s a dichotomy of emotions ranging from deep emotional exploration to stupid shit she did as a kid. Wong opens up her life in Dear Girls in a familiar yet fresh way compared to her stand up while remaining true to her voice.  

Comedians are mostly of the male-persuasion. They’re not funnier than women. I’ll let Ali Wong tell you: “Females are just as funny, if not funnier, and definitely quirkier, than men, especially in everyday life.” Yet we’re bombarded with the male perspective and what it means to be a father…. As a lady who will never be a father, the stories I hear from professional male comics on stage are NEVER as funny as the stories told by a random mom literally anywhere. Motherhood is something else. It’s beautiful. It’s also disgusting. Wong never shies away from the gross, and boy does she dive right into the poo-poo of mommydom. It’s disturbing and does not convince me that I want children. That is the beauty of Ali Wong. She loves her daughters, but she’s not going to blow smoke up your pussy and tell you it’s great or easy or magical. It’s hard work. 

Family is another topic she writes about frequently. From her father’s death to her relationship with her siblings and everything in between. She’s the youngest of four kids, but even as the oldest of two kids, I could still relate to, “They had a set of who I was and it affected me. It was limiting. Everything I said generally had no credence because I was at least ten years younger than every single person in my family, so what did I really know?”

Some of my favorite moments are those she speaks about her husband. Their love story is not a fairy tale romance of sparkles and unicorn farts. It’s beautiful in the depth of their love and respect for each other. He wrote the sweetest afterword that is a testament to the foundation of their marriage. I hope if Wong’s daughters take one thing from Dear Girls, it is to find relationships grounded in respect, support, loyalty, and love because it seems to me Wong has surrounded herself with wonderful people. That says a lot about who she is as a person and what she gives to those around her. 

Memorable Quotes
“”You have suffered enough.” That became my mantra for motherhood from there on out.”
“Babies are often born with fingernails so disturbingly long it made me wonder why nobody told me there had been a raccoon living inside my uterus.”
“The answers to making it, to me, are a lot more universal than anyone’s race or gender, and center on having a tolerance for delayed gratification, a passion for the craft, and a willingness to fail.” “And yes, there have been and are still many times these days when I have to check people for defining me via my race and gender.”

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Title: Dear Girls; Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life
Author: Ali Wong
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780525508830

Books, NonFiction

Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler

Worth a Read Yes
Length 256
Quick Review Chelsea Handler’s never been afraid of the truth. In her latest memoir, she sits with personal trauma in a way she has not before. Laugh out loud funny with a serious edge.

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Photo shoots with a dog are exhausting. Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler isn’t.

I love Chelsea Handler. I have read several of her books and watched her TV show fairly religiously. When I saw she had a new book coming out, I had to have it. Life Will Be the Death of Me is still laugh out loud funny, but she tackles her mental health in a serious way.

Chelsea Handler has made her living making people laugh. I think it’s easier to make people laugh in person than on the page, but I have always been giggling with my nose in her books. Life Will Be the Death of Me deals with death in a serious way. Her brother died when she was very young, and that experience changed her and her family forever. Throughout the book, she talks about her grieving process several decades after his death. She visits a psychiatrist, who helps her work through her issues.

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We can be cute. I had to hide a treat in my cleavage….

I love her writing style and voice in Life Will Be the Death of Me. She’s one of those people whose voice shines through anything she touches. It’s probably one of the reasons she is so successful. I think for the first time in her books – I have not read all of them, don’t quote me – she spends more time being serious than being funny. Her honesty and self reflection are brilliant.  

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She’s not eating the apple. Treat in my hand. She’s eating my hand.

My two favorite parts of Handler’s memoir are this quote: “How can it be that a swab of saliva can determine a dog’s genetic heritage yet there isn’t a more precise way to determine the age of a dog at this juncture in modern society?” We are both rescue dog moms. As the proud mama of a rescue dog, I identify this on a very deep level. I wish I knew the age of my dog, but I do not. Also one running theme throughout Life Will be the Death of Me is her anger towards Trump. There is a lot, a LOT of anger being funneled in his direction, and I love it. I personally think almost all evil is his fault, at this point in time. Darth Cheeto sucks donkey balls.

If you want some laughs and some insight. I say check out Chelsea Handler’s latest book Life Will Be the Death of Me. If nothing else, you’ll giggle a few times, and there are really cute pictures of her dogs and family.

Memorable Quotes
“Having an older brother is a lot like a crush – in fact, it is a crush.”
“No person is just one thing.”

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Title: Life Will Be the Death of Me
Author: Chelsea Handler
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780525511779

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What a winner. Dog butt.

Books

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Read Yes
Length 304
Quick Review Trevor Noah turns heartbreaking personal history into hilarity with his witty insights into people, society, and basic human nature.

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Born a Crime by Trevor Noah | Skirt | Shirt

Trevor Noah is most widely known as the host of The Daily Show. His first book and memoir Born a Crime is truly a testament to all he has accomplished and overcome in such a short period of time.

Noah was born and raised in South Africa in the midst of apartheid. Born a Crime isn’t a cutesy title, nor is it a play on words. Trevor Noah was literally born a crime in his country. At the time it was illegal for a white person and a black person to have sex. He was the embodiment of his parents’ crime. A black mother and a white father. His life was in limbo in a way. Never belonging to one or the other, but always trying to get through.

He was raised almost exclusively by his mother. She seems like the kind of woman anyone would want for a mother-in law. Noah describes a strong woman. The type of woman who survives and even thrives in horrible situations. A woman of faith. A woman who wanted the best life possible for herself and her family. She earned an education and became a secretary in a time in a country it was all but unheard of for a black woman. Noah may be writing a memoir, but Born a Crime feels like a thank you letter to his mom.

South African apartheid was awful. I haven’t done a whole lot of research into it beyond the bare minimum because it makes me nauseous, which is exactly what it should do. Reading Noah’s memoir reinforced these opinions of mine, but he presents his story in a much more palatable way because he’s funny. Like myself, he has a dark and matter-of-fact sense of humor. Reading Born a Crime almost feels uncomfortable because of the jokes he makes.

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Born a Crime by Trevor Noah | Skirt | Shirt |

Noah has an intense insight into how people function in society, which comes from being on the outside his entire life. He wasn’t included in any group because he wasn’t white; he wasn’t black; he was colored, but didn’t belong there either, so he observed.

Born a Crime is separated into three parts, which are basically about his childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Each chapter begins or ends with a one or two page bold section giving historical, familial, or cultural context to what he just said or is about to say. He has an incredibly no-nonsense way of writing. When things can be funny, he lets them be. When things are sad, depressing, horrific, he lets them be. He is honest about South Africa. He is honest about his feelings and opinions. He is honest about himself. There’s a transparency to his writing, which is rough to read, but much needed when it comes to stories of abuse, racism, and more. It’s hard not to hear his voice as you read it  

One thing I had no idea about in South Africa is the fact Hitler is a common-ish name there. I definitely had a tiny giggle fest when I read the story about the time Noah accidentally brought Hitler to a Jewish party. Fun fact: Noah also accidentally burned down a house when he was a little kid.

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Memorable Quotes
“I eventually decided black people needed more time with Jesus because we suffered more.”
“… language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.”
“A dog is a great thing for a kid to have. It’s like a bicycle but with emotions.”
“That was my mom. Don’t fight the system. Mock the system.”

Title: Born a Crime
Author: Trevor Noah
Publisher: John Murray Publishers
Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 9781473635302
Books

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

Read Yes
Length 323
Quick Review Amy Schumer is a household name as a bold and open comic, movie star, TV star, writer, and more, but do we really know her?

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I live under a rock, so I had never heard of Amy Schumer until her 2016 movie Trainwreck. In the two years following, I have become a big fan. I love her honesty. She’s not perfect, but she is real. In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, she ramps up her candor and imperfections even more. She becomes an even more relatable star as she humorously tells some of the ups and downs and face plants of her life.

I am drawn to people who deal with struggle through humor; probably because I do the same damn thing. Schumer’s stand up is hilarious and powerful and sometimes in your face. Her book is a subdued version of all of those things. She looks comfortable on stage for comedy shows. During interviews, she seems nervous and uncomfortable like she’d rather be any where else preferably not in the spotlight. Instead of entertaining on a stage or sitting on a couch for an interview, her introversion shines through. She is just that: an introvert. In her book, it feels like she gets to tell her story on her own terms without having the pressure of being funny.

I have always appreciated her unapologetic honesty. Her book is even more so. She talks about her family, her struggles, her relationships, losing her virginity, abuse, the road to success, having money, and so much more. She lets her fans and readers in and see what is behind her on stage persona.

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She has a very self-deprecating sense of humor. I appreciate this because I too spend most of my time pointing out my flaws. Although, I hope she could see herself the way so many people see her: as a smart, talented, beautiful woman. It is obvious she deals with self-esteem issues sometimes bordering on ‘does she have any self-confidence at all?’ But I would love to meet a woman on this earth who doesn’t. This book was written two years ago, and it’s evident the themes in her latest movie I Feel Pretty have been long lasting themes in her own life.

Candor is one of the most notable points in her memoir. She talks about her parents honestly. She has no qualm about critiquing or slamming present and past self. Her inclusion of diary entries is hilarious and wonderful. She includes footnotes, which are equally funny. It takes a lot of lady balls to let the world see the ridiculousness that is teenage diaries.

Schumer is a born storyteller. She has a tendency to meander through her stories and chapters by adding one or three tales on her way to making her main point. They may or may not have something to do with her point, but they are all entertaining.
I highly suggest The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a multidimensional memoir. I know I do!

Memorable Quotes
“If you’re a true introvert, other people are basically energy vampires.”
“I don’t know what a hedge fund is. I want a hedgehog fund.”
“…nobody can be innocent and wise at the same time.”
“This is how we were raised: we were always oppressively OKAY.”

Title: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
Author: Amy Schumer
Publisher: Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster)
Copyright: 2016
ISBN: 9781501139888
Books

The Last Black Unicorn

Read: Yes
Length: 288
Quick Review: She is hilariously funny and heartbreakingly honest in a memoir about her uphill battles to a little bit of money, fame, stability, and happiness.

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I had never heard of Tiffany Haddish until Christmas, which is unsurprising since I live under a rock. She knocked my socks off in Girls Trip. I just had to read her book.

I read The Last Black Unicorn last night in one sitting in under a few hours. She is funny finding the humor in some of the darkest hours of her life. I can completely identify with her sense of humor. She used laughter as a survival and/or defense mechanism. Comedy was her way out of a life that could have ended in a million different ways of bad.

Haddish doesn’t shy away from the dark in her life with a cut and dry style. Her life is filled with concepts and feelings so many struggle to name and describe, but she lays them out in the world. Her childhood was filled with an abusive mom, an absent father, foster care, sexual abuse, physical abuse, homelessness, racism, depression and more. She was able to use her talent for entertaining to gather every experience and hardship and rise above. She succeeded when everything in the world was against her.

I knew she had had a rough childhood. I knew she was a comedian. Most comics write over the bad stuff with a sense of humor. Haddish wrote funny, but she also did not gloss over or try to make things funny that cannot be funny. She embraced the hard.

Haddish writes the way she talks. Her voice is evident throughout the entire novel. It’s hard not to feel a certain camaraderie because she’s talking to you. Allowing you to enter her internal dialogue and love her flaws and quirks and insecurities. She comes off as this confident woman, but under all the self-assuredness, she is still fighting to prove and explain her existence to everyone and herself.

I just want to give her hug. I don’t know if she likes hugs, but she deserves all the hugs.

Memorable Quotes
“Hurting myself made them stop hurting me and care about me.”
“I was eighteen. To survive, I had to quit comedy.”
“I wanted to be in the gang, because I felt like then I’d be a part of something.”
“When you ruin a black man’s shoes, you never know what’s going to happen.”

Title: The Last Black Unicorn
Author: Tiffany Haddish
Publisher: Gallery Books  (Simon & Schuster Inc. )
Copyright: 2017
ISBN: 9781501181825