Bossypants (edition 2011)

Funny and insightful - everything you can expect from Tina Fey. I read it in between study sessions for finals for college and it instantly cheered me up and washed away (some of) the stress. A great easy read without giving up substance or good writing. ( )

Funny. Short. An example of the perfect library book, because you don't have to pay for something that you'll never read again.

I just couldn't get into this book. As much as I love Tina Fey's acting, I wasn't thrilled at all with her book. Maybe I just was expecting more from one of America's great comediennes. ( )

I picked this book up for two reasons: Tina Fey is generally pretty hilarious; and Bossypants is just a great title. I’m pretty sure my siblings have been calling me that behind my back for years.

Typically, I’m a little reluctant to read books by comedians because I don’t love a whole book full of jokes. I’m happy to say that this book is funny, but it’s funny things about Tina Fey’s journey from growing up in Philly to being the creator/head writer of 30 Rock. Maybe this is because her background is not in standup, so she doesn’t feel the need to go over her shows with us. Regardless of the reason, I really enjoyed the format and the little journey I got to take through her life...

To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog. ( )

My Review: It's a Gamble

This rating means one thing: I'm rather ambivalent about the book. It also means that whatever you think you'll feel about the book before reading is probably how you'll feel about it after reading. If that makes sense.

I will say this before explaining the rating: I hear the audiobook, which is read by Tina Fey herself, is fantastic. If I hadn't been lured by the super-cheap Kindle sale of $0.99, I would've sprung for the audio version, because I think that would've really heightened my experience, especially in the cases where I was reading along and questioned whether or not Fey was joking. And that's just it, if I were to compare Tina Fey to someone like, say, Jenny Lawson (the Bloggess), the difference is staggering: Lawson's humor is all about the written form and how her personality influences the written form (not saying she wouldn't be a riot in person: I bet she is, but my experience with her humor is all written); Fey, on the other hand, is an actress and visual comedian. In that I see her jokes and I hear her jokes. I've not been introduced to Fey on a blog. Writing, even though, ironically, she wrote for SNL and 30 Rock, is not her performance medium. She writes humor that's meant to be performed, whereas Lawson writes humor that's meant to be read. And really, I have no business comparing the two, so let's move on.

That's not to say Fey doesn't say some very funny and poignant things in her autobiography: she does. I grinned a few times and enjoyed myself. I especially enjoyed those sections where she talked about SNL and her Sarah Palin skits. I never watched 30 Rock, so while that was interesting from a television perspective, it wasn't as engaging as it might've been had I watched the show. Also, Fey as a feminist I want to read loads more about. I think she'd be amazing to talk to in person, especially on this topic. :)

But your mileage may vary. It's certainly an enjoyable read for $0.99, and I'm glad I finally got to read it. But it didn't make me clutch my sides laughing my ass off, and for some reason, I was hoping it would. Maybe we should chalk this rating up to misplaced expectations? Still, if you're a fan of Tina Fey, you should get your hands on this: but get the audiobook. Because I'm pretty sure that would've had me clutching my sides laughing my ass off. :)

But I'll be honest: reading this book just for the chapter about photo-shoots is freaking worth it. :)

However, I hate this freaking cover. I would've bought this sucker in hardback if not for the cover, yo! ( )