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Bossypants by Tina Fey

"A hilarious and honest look into Tina Fey's humble beginnings; her rise to fame and continuous journey of work/life/love and trying to balance everything, as we all are. Fey has a refreshing narrative voice that leaves you laughing so hard you're crying but also understanding and sympathizing with her struggles. She just wants to live her best life and in turn, encourages the reader to the do the same."  

4 Stars. 

Pros: There were definitely some moments where I was laughing so hard I was crying, Tina Fey is hilarious. 

Cons: Some parts of the book where she describes the inner workings of how a TV show is written/shot etc were a little tiresome but they didn't take away that much from the book overall. 

Full Review: 

I haven't followed Fey's career much, though I do know that what I've seen of her work is both insane and hilarious. So I was eager to find out more about her. And Bossypants did just that. It was an open, honest telling of Tina Fey's childhood, early adulthood and the beginning of her career as an Improv comedian and then going onto work on "Saturday Night Live" and writing "30 Rock." 

She didn't hold anything back. She was hilariously, brutally honest about things she'd gone through both as a working woman in a field that is predominantly run by men and as a working mother. She manages to mix in love for her work and love for her family into her absurd and sometimes scathing retelling of events. Her infamous time impersonating Sarah Palin on SNL was an interesting look, as all we saw was what was broadcast on the TV. We didn't know that her parents highly disapproved of what she was doing or that she would often receive hate mail/be targeted by internet trolls etc. But she dealt with it all in stride, head held high. 

Mixed in with it all though we're also allowed to see that she is human. She has emotions. She is not impervious. She is not some brilliant writer who is immune to the harsh opinions of the outside world. She's also not impervious to the every day stressors of being a woman and being a mother. Plagued with thoughts of whether or not she should have another child, wondering what's "right", what's "expected" of her from society and what she actually wants to do. It was a refreshing look into someone's thoughts and emotions who when we see on TV, just makes us laugh. 

It was a welcome refresher that she's not just a character on TV. She's a person with all her strengths and weaknesses and who in the end, really is just trying her best, trying to live a good life, do what she loves and give her daughter the best life she can. And I think, in the end, that's what we're all trying to do. And Tina Fey manages to convey this all with some truly hilarious moments. I was laughing so hard at points that I was crying. This was a great read by a smart but down to earth, logical woman and I think anyone would enjoy reading it. 

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