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shonda rhimes year of yes say yes greys anatomy highly recommend must read writing style great read easy read loved this book laugh out loud comfort zone reading this book well written yes yes yes self help really enjoyed yes to things book club away with murder
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Marcie
4.0 out of 5 stars Say Yes to Life!
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018
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I had purchased Year of Yes on audio way back in August 2016. It sat quietly in my audible library waiting on me to finally say YES to it. And, well, that didn't happen until December 2017. Year of Yes was my last listen of 2017 as well as my first of 2018. I had been going through what I call a funk during October and November. I didn't really want to do anything or go anywhere. I wasn't depressed; I was just sort of burned out on life. In December, as I was scrolling through my library, I came across this audiobook and realized I had not listened to it yet. And maybe, just maybe, it would be the motivation I needed to help me get over my funk.

I first became aware of Shonda Rhimes because of Grey's Anatomy. From the first episode I was hooked. A few years ago I became a fan of How to Get Away With Murder. Side bar: Viola Davis is a master of her craft and she deserves all the awards! I still have yet to watch Scandal, but somehow I know I'll love it as well. So it's safe to say Rhimes knows how to write killer television series. And despite her epic dramas and phenomenal writing skills it was the title of her book that grabbed my attention: Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person.

One of the reasons the title grabbed my attention is because I had been saying no a lot. No to nights out with friends. No to events. No to my family. I felt overwhelmed by my responsibilities: work, school, mom, wife, trying to be everything to everyone. It's exhausting. Also, I'm an introvert. Which means I basically want to hide in my hobbit hole for days at a time. My husband is an extrovert as well as one of my children. And I think it's hard for them to understand why I need downtime. But I also felt guilty. Am I spending enough time with my kids, my husband? Should I be saying YES more?

So, on a cold December day I started Year or Yes. Shonda (I feel like we should be on a first-name basis now) describes how one little comment made by her sister led her to start her year of yes. Saying yes to things, especially things that scared her, was a liberating experience. It literally changed her life, her attitude, her way of living. Shonda doesn't hold back. She talks about her amazing family and friends, and how they helped her on her path to yes. No man or woman is an island and she gives credit where credit is due. I also like how she pointed out that sometimes we say yes to things by our actions that we should really be saying no to. By the end of the first chapter I was ready to start saying YES to more things in life. Now, I don't have Shonda's resources, so I still have to be choosy about when I say YES. Because this girl needs her sleep!

Year of Yes was narrated by the author as well. And I'm glad it was. Shonda has an easygoing conversational manner about her as if she's a friend about to give you some epic advice. So you might want to pour yourself a glass of wine and get comfortable. Year of Yes is inspirational, especially if you're not really feeling it these days. Shonda's vulnerability, humor, and journey will help you find the courage to say YES to life.
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Brian Winkers
1.0 out of 5 stars Best part of the book is the title
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2018
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I quit reading half way through because it grew tiresome to hear Shonda tell us over and over again about how much she LOVES work, says "no" to speaking engagements and posh, important parties she's invited to, and how incredible her nanny is. I found her writing choppy and most of the content was merely boastful. Great title though.
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norehan
2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I expected
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018
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Overall, it was witty, personal and entertaining, but not as inspirational as it was portrayed to be on the cover and synopsis. It was more of a memoir and I could see that the author really opened up about her personal challenges, fears and accomplishments. Although enjoyable, I found the author to ramble far more than provide substance. I feel as though this could've been a draft before the final product. The author gets off topic and distracts readers with overly detailed side stories. However, there are many good points made in the book, and lines of wisdom; the reader just has to fish them out.
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ESL007
3.0 out of 5 stars maybe yes, maybe no
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016
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I get what this book wants to do. It is just difficult to listen to Shonda Rhimes whine. "Her worries ain't like mine." Perhaps it would have been better if I didn't listen to her (audible) while I read...on the plus side, she definitely acknowledges her fortune, so she's not out of touch. If you like hearing about the behind the scnes of celebrities and the rich and famous - this is a must read. If you want inspiration, well, try it. It might work for you.
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Sleeplessinseattle206
2.0 out of 5 stars Yes to Arrogance...
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2018
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I REALLY wanted to love this book but I just could not go past her writing style. The book read like a mother scolding or loathing her kid. She is extremely redundant...bordering condescension. She “tries” to come across humble but with her tone and redundancy, it was more arrogance than anything else. I really tried to get few more pages in before making judgment but I just couldn’t.
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Rupertswife
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2017
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I will say upfront that the reason I gave "Year of Yes" 4 stars instead of 5, was because more than twice, I skipped sections that were overly wordy or made the same point repeatedly. Had it not been for that, this book would solidly be a 5 star read.

With that out of the way - this book was so much more than I expected. When I picked it up, I had no idea who Shonda Rhimes was. I chose to read it based on the title and premise alone, and I am soooo glad I did.

If you've read the blurb, then you know her whole point was to say 'yes' to the things that frightened her for a whole year. I don't know what I expected, but more than once I was in tears because it was like she was telling MY story. I have typed and deleted example after example of those moments, but you might think those moments are what the book are about, and I would feel bad that I gave you the wrong impression.

This book is also about diversity - no, not diversity - it is about what she calls NORMALIZING. Our world, our daily lives, are surrounded by a diverse range of people. All we have to do is look around. She didn't set out to write a 'diverse' tv series. She simply saw the world as it is - full of every imaginable race, color, lifestyle, and belief system - and wrote her characters and stories accordingly.

The normalization doesn't stop there...but I would ruin her work trying to explain it. The best way i can explain it, is to recommend you read the book and let HER tell you.

She has a unique view point that she expresses clearly, if not always concisely. You won't be able to miss her message, and I believe you too will be inspired to say 'yes' to the things that frighten you.

I would recommend this book to anyone. Especially high school seniors, college students, and young people entering the work force.
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Top reviews from other countries

SN
1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of time and money.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2018
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Terrible book. I had expected it to hold nuggets of wisdom for mere mortals wishing to open up a bit more in their lives, but she really should have just kept this as a personal diary and not bothered sharing it with the world.

We constantly hear how successful she is, how great her family is, how many wonderful opportunities come her way. It is basically how she overcame her fear of public speaking, nothing more than that. She doesn’t try anything else at all! So unless you are a successful screenwriter with a fear of public speaking, this book will be meaningless to you.

And for a screen writer her writing style is shocking.
It’s like.
Totally like.
Shocking.
I know right?
Omg.
It really was.
Like.
Awful.
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Amy Elizabeth
5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't want this book to end, but I left it on a total high
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2018
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If you need a bit of uplifting inspiration in your life, then I would highly recommend picking up Shonda Rhimes' incredible memoir. Although she seemed to 'have it all', writing & producing three hit network TV shows whilst raising her daughters, a throwaway comment from her sister made Shonda realise that she was deeply unhappy. She was stuck in a habit of saying no out of fear, so she made a vow to say yes to every opportunity that came her way for a year.

From speaking engagements to TV appearances and simply just playing with her kids every time they asked, it was a transformative year - and a huge inspiration for anyone who feels like they're stuck in a rut. There's a reason Shonda Rhimes is one of the most famous TV writers in the world - her humour, honesty and ability to give you all the feels are very much present in this book and I fell totally in love with her way of writing, and with her. I didn't want this book to end, but I left it on a total high - the perfect kick up the butt for a depressing time of year!
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MT
1.0 out of 5 stars This book of Yes gets a no from me...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2019
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I heard a bit of this Yes story from various interviews with Shonda Rhimes so I was hoping this would be a good read. It wasn’t unfortunately, not for me anyway. I found the way it was written - like a fiction book with way too much dialogue - very distracting & hard to engage. I didn’t read it all but the bits I did skim read seemed like an overly-detailed account of the significant yeses she took on in this year of yes. Shonda is no doubt a great writer but this book of Yes gets a no from me.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Total uplifting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2020
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Being a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, it was eye opening to read about the brains behind these productions. Just say Yes! It may be hard at first, it may even be a little frightening, but if you just say Yes you open up the imaginary doors to the pathways that will lead you to the right people to make things happen. Shonda Rhimes didn’t just wake up one morning and decided to start writing TV productions but by saying Yes and using her imagination it attracted people who could bring her productions alive to the screen. And she raised a family on her own as well as a single mother. Amazing woman. If you’re feeling like you need some kind of uplift because you’re at a crossroads with this book
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Nika
5.0 out of 5 stars Sad that it had to end
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 9, 2019
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I loved reading this book and was saddened that it had to end. Being someone who isn't big in TV, I'd actually never seen any of Shonda's shows but I'm sure as hell going to be binge watching Grays anatomy from 2005! She's a funny (laugh 'til you cry), real and compellingly dramatic and sometimes sensitive writer. I first saw and learned of her on Oprah's soul Sunday a few weeks ago and I'm so happy that I now know who she is: a blessing to the world. The book is a must read for anyone looking for inspiration to say yes to their own life. So good.
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