Book Review: Bossypants by Tina Fey

Bossypants by Tina Fey is her memoir. I listened to the audiobook which she read herself. 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. This book includes stories from her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon—from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.

Bossypants is a memoir that includes many short stories from Tina Fey's life. I like that the snark and humor that I love about Tina Fey is present in every story. The book was made even better by the fact that she did the audiobook recording herself, so her inflections and asides just made the experience that much better. I did not like that the book was not really a comprehensive memoir or biography, instead it was a collection of the stories she was willing to talk about from her life. There were some pretty big parts of her life that were left out. For instance, one moment she was telling her story about working in improve, and then she was talking about her honeymoon cruise. Nothing was said of getting married or other really important moments that lead up to some of the stories she did share. I loved what was there, but I kind of wanted more.

Bossypants is a funny and sometimes thought provoking book. I was highly entertained, and recommend listening to the audiobook. Tina Fey's humor and wit shine4 through, and some of her early experiences, and parenting experiences, felt very familiar to me. It just made me want to sit down and talk over coffee with her more. 

Book Review: Doodle Diary of a New Mom: An Illustrated Journey Through One Mommy’s First Year by Lucy Scott

Doodle Diary of a New Mom: An Illustrated Journey Through One Mommy’s First Year by Lucy Scott includes dozens of funny moments like baby’s first lunch out to a forensic view of the living room. No matter how prepared a mother and family thinks they are, these are some universal truths that every mother can relate to, and laugh at. There are 120 two-color illustrations and is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, baby showers, or year-round fun. Also included are a few doodling prompts in the back of the book so moms can doodle their own first-year memories.

Doodle Diary of a New Mom is a fun and realistic look at what the first year of motherhood can look like. Now that I am 6 years or so out of that stage of life I can laugh about it all a little easier, and a little harder. I remember the lack of sleep (which I am still catching up on), diaper catastrophes,  the fact that it takes twice as long to pack up a kid’s gear and get them in the car that it does to run any necessary errand, and the ability of a child to complete destroy something in the time it takes you to blink (which is still in effect). Ah, the good old days- nope, not doing that again, two and done for me. The illustrations are cute and perfectly capture the sheer force of nature wrapped in cuteness that is a baby. This will make any mom or grandmother laugh, and any expectant mother a little more prepared, and a little scared about her upcoming adventures. 

Doodle Diary of a New Mom would make a great gift for mothers, grandmothers, or anyone expecting to become either in the near future. The book is funny, because it is true. As much as parents love their children, even in the midst of the crazies moments, it is a good relief to be able to laugh about it, and to see that others have gone through the same, or very similar, moments and you are far from alone!