Why Not Me?

Publisher's Summary

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 "Player" tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in LA ("I had been replaced by a younger model.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.

©2015 Mindy Kaling (P)2015 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Pithy, sarcastic, and full of irony, Mindy Kaling is the only logical choice to narrate her second volume of essays.... Reading in a jaunty, conversational tone, the star of the popular television show 'The Mindy Project' will have listeners chuckling at her commentary...." ( AudioFile)

I love mindy

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.

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

sad to even be writing this review :(

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 :)

36 of 40 people found this review helpful

I Want to Love this but can only Like

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.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Sweet, sassy, and yes-poignant

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.

17 of 21 people found this review helpful

I wish I always acted like I was a little bit...

"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.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Relatable, Reassuring, & Really Really Good

I've always been a big Mindy Kaling fan, but this book made me like her even more. It's refreshing how normal she is and how much of this book I could relate to. I feel like the book could have been called "Stars, They're Just Like Us". Her chapters on confidence and body imagine should be read by every woman, but not because of how she's just out there nailing the confidence game. Because of how she "flaunts what (she's) got" and still manages to openly talk about her insecurities too. To summarize, it was just really really good.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Just what you expected and just what you need!

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.

11 of 14 people found this review helpful

I love Mindy. But...

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

Redundant

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.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Read her 1st book first!

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.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

A fan's review

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.