She's not just the face of Kelly Kapoor! From my Goodreads review:
I can't help but compare this book to the other books I've read by female comic writers/comediennes, Bossypants (Tina Fey) and The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee (Sarah Silverman), not to mention If You Ask Me: And of Course You Won't (Betty White). I have to say that it easily outstrips them all. It has the format in common (anecdotes/essays strung together in a vaguely organised way), but something about Mindy Kaling's writing really appealed to me. She covered a lot of bases (childhood, being the child of immigrant parents, university, unemployment, road to success, The Office, relationships, men, her appearance, her (future) death), but I think she did them in a way that was honest and charming, while seeming like she could just be your (very) chatty friend telling you about her life. I liked that. There were a couple of chapters that didn't really strike a chord with me, and I was ambivalent about the last parts especially, which was a pity because it was the end. However, the parts I liked far outweighed the parts I didn't. The random lists had some genius lines in them, and her anecdotes were both awkward and hilarious. I think she will need to progress a bit further in her career to find more material for another book, or focus on a particular aspect of her life, but I would definitely read another of her books.
Things/parts I especially liked (spoilers, I guess? I don't know):
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl (aka The Ethereal Weirdo)
- Roasts are Terrible (yes!)
- her giving us context from the early 2000s (remember when Bennifer was massive, before the other Bennifer?)
- Amy Poehler calling her husband by his last name (aww!)
- the lists of TV shows and movies that would possibly be successful (including 'Fat Astronaut', 'Bad Dog Walker', 'Interspecies Friendships' (based on the original British series 'Interspecies Chums')
- the use of the 'word' monogamishly,in relation to engagement announcements in LA (she is pro-marriage, and I like that, even though I'm not really fussed about it)
- how she is anti one night stands and doesn't know what 'hooking up' really means (who knows what the kids mean these days?)
- Irish Exits
- her realisation that she likes men, not boys
- her advice for married people (including a description of her parents' marriage)
- her advice for guys in general (not even particularly funny; it just seems like good advice)
- the picture of her wearing an amazing Cosby-style sweater as a kid.
OK, I'm stopping because that's a good chunk of the book. Go read it.
I can't help but compare this book to the other books I've read by female comic writers/comediennes, Bossypants (Tina Fey) and The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee (Sarah Silverman), not to mention If You Ask Me: And of Course You Won't (Betty White). I have to say that it easily outstrips them all. It has the format in common (anecdotes/essays strung together in a vaguely organised way), but something about Mindy Kaling's writing really appealed to me. She covered a lot of bases (childhood, being the child of immigrant parents, university, unemployment, road to success, The Office, relationships, men, her appearance, her (future) death), but I think she did them in a way that was honest and charming, while seeming like she could just be your (very) chatty friend telling you about her life. I liked that. There were a couple of chapters that didn't really strike a chord with me, and I was ambivalent about the last parts especially, which was a pity because it was the end. However, the parts I liked far outweighed the parts I didn't. The random lists had some genius lines in them, and her anecdotes were both awkward and hilarious. I think she will need to progress a bit further in her career to find more material for another book, or focus on a particular aspect of her life, but I would definitely read another of her books.
Things/parts I especially liked (spoilers, I guess? I don't know):
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl (aka The Ethereal Weirdo)
- Roasts are Terrible (yes!)
- her giving us context from the early 2000s (remember when Bennifer was massive, before the other Bennifer?)
- Amy Poehler calling her husband by his last name (aww!)
- the lists of TV shows and movies that would possibly be successful (including 'Fat Astronaut', 'Bad Dog Walker', 'Interspecies Friendships' (based on the original British series 'Interspecies Chums')
- the use of the 'word' monogamishly,in relation to engagement announcements in LA (she is pro-marriage, and I like that, even though I'm not really fussed about it)
- how she is anti one night stands and doesn't know what 'hooking up' really means (who knows what the kids mean these days?)
- Irish Exits
- her realisation that she likes men, not boys
- her advice for married people (including a description of her parents' marriage)
- her advice for guys in general (not even particularly funny; it just seems like good advice)
- the picture of her wearing an amazing Cosby-style sweater as a kid.
OK, I'm stopping because that's a good chunk of the book. Go read it.
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