Bossypants

I picked up Bossypants by Tina Fey expecting a typical celebrity memoir, but it turned out to be a hilarious, surprisingly insightful mix of humor, career advice, and personal reflection. Tina Fey’s wit shines on every page, reading it feels like having a long conversation with a friend who can make you laugh until your cheeks hurt while also dropping genuinely thoughtful observations about life and work.

I loved how she blends her personal journey, from awkward beginnings to SNL and 30 Rock. with commentary on gender in comedy and the workplace. It’s inspiring to see someone navigate such a challenging industry with both intelligence and irreverence. Her advice on confidence, leadership, and carving your own path is scattered show more throughout in ways that feel natural, never preachy.

If I had a critique, it would be that the memoir occasionally leans heavily on humor at the expense of depth. Some chapters feel more like extended jokes than reflections, which can make the book uneven at times. That said, the laughs are worth it, and the occasional serious moments hit harder because of the contrast.

Overall, Bossypants is an entertaining, smart, and empowering read. It’s funny, relatable, and at times surprisingly moving. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a memoir that’s equal parts laughter and inspiration, especially women navigating careers in male-dominated spaces. show less

I must preface this review by saying that I’m not a fan of Saturday Night Live, I’ve never even tuned in once to 30 Rock, and when I once half-saw Mean Girls on TV, it didn’t even register that Tina Fey was in the movie. That being said, I was still oddly drawn to read Bossypants, even before the numerous glowing recommendations it got. And I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint.

Bossypants is more like a series of vignettes than a typical narrative autobiography; it’s not exactly linear but follows a fairly decent trajectory from Fey’s early childhood to the present. It’s very funny and I definitely found myself laughing out loud at some parts.

One part I particularly liked was her rules for life based on improv show more rules, some of which are pulled in this blog post. And yes, for the fans of her TV work, she does discuss SNL and 30 Rock with just the right amount of detail that an outsider like me can understand, but it should still be interesting to those who already are in the know about the final product (but not necessarily about all the ins and outs of how it got there).

The book is also peppered with some really good feminist insights about women's role in the workforce, body image (particularly weight but also fashion), being a working mother, etc. I like that Fey gives you an insider look at celebrity life and tells it to you straight that's it's all smoke and mirrors and don't feel bad about yourself for not looking like a fashion magazine cover. (Although I'm not sure I can entirely agree with her feelings on the use of Photoshop in celebrity's - or really anyone's – photographs.)

The audiobook is read by Fey, which I think adds extra funniness but it sounds a little like she's in an echo chamber. The accompanying PDF of photos was a nice extra touch for us audiobook readers who sometimes miss out on stuff like that. show less

Tina Fey's trade mark humor applied to her childhood and career. It's a fabulous view of her experience growing up (which was just as awkward as you would imagine) and how she gained entry into the world of comedy. She peppers in a fresh and funny feminist perspective, and does address some serious problems with attitudes towards women, especially in comedy, without breaking tone or flow. My favorite instance of this was her description of the title: "Ever since I became an executive producer of '30 Rock,' people have asked me ... 'Is it uncomfortable for you to be the person in charge?' You know, in the same way they say, 'Gosh, Mr. Trump, is it awkward for you to be the boss of all these people?'"

My admiration and affection for Tina Fey are deep, and so I loved this book, which is whip-smart and funny and often bracingly blunt. She goes light on the personal revelations, which I respect. There are musings on parenthood, improv comedy as training for life, the management style of Lorne Michaels, male comedy writers peeing in jars, female comedy writers fighting to be respected by said males, the genius of Alec Baldwin, what it's like to impersonate (and then meet!) Sarah Palin, et cetera. She makes it all hilarious and engaging.

I have a deep admiration for Tina Fey. She is one of the most successful women in one of the most male-dominated fields, and she talks about it with enormous wit and self-deprecation.

I was a little bit in love with her before reading this book, and now I'm just a little bit more. :-) This book is well-written; Tina Fey comes across like a close girlfriend sharing some deep secrets with you in a tremendously funny way; and I shook with laughter on the subway (like a crazy person... I noticed a few people edging away from me) while reading this on my commute.

I withheld a fifth star ONLY because it went too fast -- maybe she's saving up for another book, but I wanted more!

Because I am not up on these things, even though I really should be, I had no idea that Tina Fey had written a book. If I had, I would have pre-pre-ordered it as those of us in the librarian cabal are able to do. What? That's not a perk? I have been lied to. Anyway, I stumbled across the disturbing cover of her not-quite-memoir "Bossypants" three seconds after stepping into a local bookstore, and even though I am trying very (kind of) hard not to buy any new books, I bought it.

And I devoured it in less than 24 hours.

"Bossypants" is a fast, sparkling read, with plenty of LLOLL (legitimate laugh-out-loud in the library) moments. Fey is funny and smart, which everyone already knew, and also eloquent and gracious, which you probably already show more knew because you are up on aforementioned things while I am not. A review of this book should probably mention that she addresses sexism in comedy and television and everywhere else, but I am allergic to saying things like "so-and-so is a feminist" because she happens to write things that are true.

My favorite quote from the book is: "It is an impressively arrogant move to conclude that just because you don't like something, it is empirically not good." Since I am arrogant, I can state with authority that I liked this book, thus it is empirically good. show less

I listened to Tina Fey read this audiobook, and to put it in literary perspective with deep evaluation, I would like to say . . . I NEVER WANTED IT TO END! I LOVED EVERY SINGLE WORD! Smart without losing a moment of hilarity. LOVED IT! While on disc three and ranting to everyone within earshot that if they didn't listen to it soon, they could count me out as a friend, it was announced she is nominated for a Grammy for best audiobook! Go Tina! Did I mention I LOVED IT?!