Well, I missed my introduction post again – I am not doing too well keeping you all updated with the reading of the week! Sorry! This week we segued from March’s “Month of Women” into April’s “Month of Humor,” so to meet both requirements, I picked up a book by a woman (Tina Fey), about a woman (Tina Fey), which promised to be pretty hilarious (because… you know… Tina Fey).
This week’s read was Bossypants by (you guessed it) Tina Fey.
I have been a Tina Fey fan for over 10 years, when I realized she was the writer of Mean Girls. As much as we all hate to admit it in 2014, the 2004 film was comedy gold – especially if you were a high school senior like I was. I am also a diehard fan of 30 Rock, Fey’s NBC show in which she acted, produced, and wrote. There’s also the little fact that she was a writer and actor on Saturday Night Live. So when I needed to find a “humor” book by a female author, Bossypants was the obvious choice.
Man, am I happy I picked this book. Fey is nothing short of hilarious. Her book serves as a sort of autobiography, riddled with entertaining stories from her childhood, through adolescence (there’s quite the story about how her mom handled her getting her first period), through her “starving artist” days, into a successful career, and up to parenthood. She touches on everything from being a woman in a stereotypically man’s world (comedy), to body issues, to parenting a toddler… all three things I can relate to (being a woman in a man’s world through the military, not through comedy… obviously). Fey writes honestly, and says the things most of us are thinking but refuse to say out loud.
I literally laughed out loud at least once per page while reading this book – which, if you ask my husband, is really annoying because I like to read at night when he’s trying to sleep. I was up until 1:30 a.m. last night (this morning? is it morning if you haven’t slept yet?), trying to laugh quietly and not disturb my poor husband who’s alarm would go off 3 1/2 hours later.
Bossypants was a great way to kick off our “Month of Humor” reading. It was uproariously funny, sweet and sentimental, and Fey is really someone I can (and I’m sure many of you can) relate to. She’s not afraid to make fun of herself, and clearly she’s very successful at doing just that. I would enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, an exhausted stay-at-home mom needing a mental break, an exhausted working mom needing a mental break, or anyone who wants something to laugh at with a glass of wine (or a beer, or a milkshake).
So how about you? Have you read Bossypants? What are your thoughts? Are you a fan of Tina Fey? Does this book sound like a “must read” or a “total dud” to you?