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Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”
In her first work of nonfiction, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood recounts her experiences on Gilmore Girls - the first and second times - and shares stories about life, love, and working in Hollywood. This collection of essays is written in the intimate, hilarious, and down-to-earth voice that made her novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe, a New York Times best seller.
For nine seasons Rainn Wilson played Dwight Schrute, everyone's favorite work nemesis and beet farmer. Viewers of The Office fell in love with the character and grew to love the actor who played him even more. Rainn founded a website and media company, SoulPancake, that eventually became a best-selling book of the same name. He also started a hilarious Twitter feed (sample tweet: "I'm not on Facebook" is the new "I don't even own a TV") that now has more than four million followers.
Amy Poehler is hosting a dinner party and you're invited! Welcome to the audiobook edition of Amy Poehler's Yes Please. The guest list is star-studded with vocal appearances from Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Michael Schur, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and even Amy’s parents - Yes Please is the ultimate audiobook extravaganza.
B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories is an endlessly entertaining, surprisingly sensitive, and startlingly original debut that signals the arrival of a brilliant new voice in American fiction. A boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes - only to discover how claiming the winnings might unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins - turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A new arrival in Heaven, overwhelmed with options, procrastinates over a long-ago promise to visit his grandmother....
Nearly a half century into being a feminist and legal pioneer, something funny happened to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The octogenarian won the Internet. Across America, people who weren't even born when Ginsburg made her name are tattooing themselves with her face, setting her famously searing dissents to music, and making viral videos in tribute.
Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”
In her first work of nonfiction, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood recounts her experiences on Gilmore Girls - the first and second times - and shares stories about life, love, and working in Hollywood. This collection of essays is written in the intimate, hilarious, and down-to-earth voice that made her novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe, a New York Times best seller.
For nine seasons Rainn Wilson played Dwight Schrute, everyone's favorite work nemesis and beet farmer. Viewers of The Office fell in love with the character and grew to love the actor who played him even more. Rainn founded a website and media company, SoulPancake, that eventually became a best-selling book of the same name. He also started a hilarious Twitter feed (sample tweet: "I'm not on Facebook" is the new "I don't even own a TV") that now has more than four million followers.
Amy Poehler is hosting a dinner party and you're invited! Welcome to the audiobook edition of Amy Poehler's Yes Please. The guest list is star-studded with vocal appearances from Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Michael Schur, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and even Amy’s parents - Yes Please is the ultimate audiobook extravaganza.
B.J. Novak's One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories is an endlessly entertaining, surprisingly sensitive, and startlingly original debut that signals the arrival of a brilliant new voice in American fiction. A boy wins a $100,000 prize in a box of Frosted Flakes - only to discover how claiming the winnings might unravel his family. A woman sets out to seduce motivational speaker Tony Robbins - turning for help to the famed motivator himself. A new arrival in Heaven, overwhelmed with options, procrastinates over a long-ago promise to visit his grandmother....
Nearly a half century into being a feminist and legal pioneer, something funny happened to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The octogenarian won the Internet. Across America, people who weren't even born when Ginsburg made her name are tattooing themselves with her face, setting her famously searing dissents to music, and making viral videos in tribute.
Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV. She has seen both these dreams come true. At last, Tina Fey's story can be told....
Life doesn't get more hilarious than when Chelsea Handler takes aim with her irreverent wit. Who else would send all-staff emails to smoke out the dumbest people on her show? Now, in this new collection of original essays, the number-one best-selling author of Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea delivers one laugh-out-loud moment after another as she sets her sights on the ridiculous side of childhood, adulthood, and daughterhood.
In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is - a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh. Down to earth and relatable, frank and unapologetic, Amy Schumer is one of us: She relies on her sister for advice, still hangs out with her high school pals, and continues to navigate the ever-changing boundaries in love, work, and life.
Charming, engaging, and surprisingly forthright, Michael Caine gives us his insider's view of Hollywood and the story of his brilliant second act. When he was in his late 50s, Michael Caine believed his Hollywood career had come to an end. The scripts being sent his way were worse and worse. Salvation came in the unlikely form of his old friend Jack Nicholson, who convinced him to give acting one more shot. What followed was one of the most radical comebacks in film history.
Anna Kendrick's autobiographical collection of essays amusingly recounts memorable moments throughout her life, from her middle-class upbringing in New England to the blockbuster movies that have made her one of Hollywood's most popular actresses today. Expanding upon the witty and ironic dispatches for which she is known, Anna Kendrick's essays offer her one-of-a-kind commentary on the absurdities she's experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture.
Critics have called her “sweet, adorable, and vicious.” But there is so much more to be said about Samantha Bee. For one, she’s Canadian - whatever that means. And now, she opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from Of Mice and Men-style love of baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one-half of a car-thieving couple, and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals.
"I've experienced a whole lot the last few years and I have a lot to share. So I hope that you'll take a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy the words I've put together for you in this book. I think you'll find I've left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no rug unvacuumed, no ivories untickled. What I'm saying is, let us begin, shall we?" (Ellen DeGeneres)
In her phenomenally popular essays and long-running Tumblr blog, Roxane Gay has written with intimacy and sensitivity about food and body, using her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health. As a woman who describes her own body as "wildly undisciplined", Roxane understands the tension between desire and denial, between self-comfort and self-care.
A teen idol at 15, an international icon and founder of the Brat Pack at 20, and one of Hollywood's top stars to this day, Rob Lowe chronicles his experiences. Never mean-spirited or salacious, Lowe delivers unexpected glimpses into his successes, disappointments, relationships, and one-of-a-kind encounters with people who shaped our world over the last 25 years. These stories are as entertaining as they are unforgettable.
Around the time Elizabeth Gilbert turned 30, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. She went through a divorce, a crushing depression, another failed love, and the eradication of everything she ever thought she was supposed to be. To recover from all this, Gilbert took a radical step. She got rid of her belongings, quit her job, and undertook a yearlong journey around the world, all alone. This is the absorbing chronicle of that year.
In the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C. diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and then she was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Hit with this devastating barrage, Tig took her grief onstage. Days after receiving her cancer diagnosis, she broke new comedic ground, opening an unvarnished set with the words, "Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Hi, how are you? Is everybody having a good time? I have cancer."
The fiery US senator from Massachusetts and best-selling author offers a passionate, inspiring book about why our middle class is under siege and how we can win the fight to save it.
From the author of the beloved New York Times best-selling book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and the creator and star of The Mindy Project comes a collection of essays that are as hilarious and insightful as they are deeply personal.
In Why Not Me? Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it's falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or, most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you're constantly reminded that no one looks like you.
In "How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet's Confessions", Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty ("Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn't the land of appropriate - this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman's traditional hair color is honey blonde"). "Player" tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in LA ("I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs"). In "Unlikely Leading Lady", she muses on America's fixation with the weight of actresses ("Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they're walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture"). And in "Soup Snakes", Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend B. J. Novak ("I will freely admit: my relationship with B. J. Novak is weird as hell").
Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming of age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who's ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who've never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.
I love Mindy Kaling, but not so unconditionally that I won't call a stinker by its name. Her first book SLAYED. This book I'm not even sure you can call a "book". It's rambly even for Mindy. And let me just say that I LOVE ramblings. These just felt...idk...like a first draft (?) I'm only writing this review b/c I was soooo looking forward to this book. Similar to sitting down to an amazing looking dessert. Your mouth is watering, you are ready to dig in, and midway through inhaling this gorgeous dish, you realize the cake is super dry and the frosting has no nuance. honestly, though, I will probably buy her next book b/c I love her :)
25 of 28 people found this review helpful
I really liked Mindy's first book, but this one is pale in comparison, in my opinion. I especially loathed the chapter of pretend emails. I would not recommend this book.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
I would recommend her first book over this one, I would say its worth a listen only if a super fan.
What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?
She really is a talented and amazing woman and Hollywood and the Arts are all the better for having her as a talent and muse. And her humor is great.
What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I would say I would have quit reading this so the narrator made it so I finished.
What else would you have wanted to know about Mindy Kaling’s life?
I liked everything she was straightforward and candid about
Any additional comments?
It got repetitive and maybe with different editing on some of the tirades she tends to go off on were a turn off and maybe if they were shortened or not allowed it would have been as good as the first book.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
What did you like best about Why Not Me?? What did you like least?
Hmmm what I liked best was Mindy Kalings narration. What I liked least was it seemed to be the same as the first book.
If you’ve listened to books by Mindy Kaling before, how does this one compare?
Well I know this will come as no surprise to any reader, but these books are shallow. I know Mindy Kaling fought to get where she is today but I hated really how lacking she is in the area of depth.
What about the narrators’s performance did you like?
She performed her own truths wonderfully.
What else would you have wanted to know about Mindy Kaling’s life?
Maybe something of more depth, but I think I am digging a little deep myself, wanting more from her than there was.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Any additional comments?
I'm fairly certain Mindy Kaling could read a grocery list, and it would be hysterical. Indeed, she might have done that in this book, but I don't want to spoil it for you. And Kaling isn't just funny. Her dry humor has a sweetness and poignancy to it that makes it memorable. Thanks for another great book.
15 of 19 people found this review helpful
Mindy's second stab at a book is short, charming, and downright f u n n y.
This book is no overachiever and it is content to be what it is... a biography written by someone not old enough to write a biography. It's undone and perfect. Mindy leads us into her life right now and allows us a look around. Millenials rejoice the struggle is real, real funny. #relatable
I only wish it were longer.
10 of 13 people found this review helpful
Is there anything you would change about this book?
I love Mindy Kaling - "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" was a joy to read in its physical form. I should have stuck to the paper pages for this one. It's a personal thing, but I've realized that I prefer audio books with a lot of dialogue and varying characters to keep my interest. This, obviously, is not that type of book. And if you are familiar with Mindy Kaling, you know her voice is...specific. She uses it to great comic effect when combined with physical comedy, facial expressions, etc. but it becomes slightly grating when isolated.
12 of 16 people found this review helpful
"I wish I always acted like I was a little bit famous"
Just one of the many reasons that I think Mindy is a good role model.
This book makes me love Mindy more than before. I think this book is better than he last book because it gives you a look at her life now, vs the last book which was more about her childhood. She tells great stories and gives some good advice and great insight.
There were a couple guest readers which was nice; unlike in Amy Poehler's book which just felt like a party that you were invited to, it actually added to the book/story.
After reading this book, I want to go out, buy a ukulele and start shipping Mindy my favorite varieties of hot sauce.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
Loved her in The Office, loved her first book, love The Mindy Project so SURPRISE I love this book. Why not the 5 stars? I try to reserve those for books I would recommend to anyone. Mindy may not be for everyone. If you like flippant, fast humor with a dash of life lessons please read this and you will laugh out loud.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I read "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" first (which was great) and then immediately started this one (which is also great) and I believe that if I didn't do that - I wouldn't have had the same Minka Expierence. Mindy is an amazing person. Period. And my life is better after reading her words.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I'm a big fan so you might say I'm easily pleased by anything Mindy but still here are my highlights: great and short essays that are both funny and pop-culture-deep. I also liked that, being a second book, is less of an autobiography and more a smart woman's everyday's concerns turned into really well thought and really funny essays (something like fun reflective confession). Her performance makes the hole thing better because she knows like nobody else how's that supposed to sound.
I'd seen the shows and heard of her writing but this book has converted me to team Mindy! Finally someone real and I don't mean in the body shape condescending way I mean her words mean something!