4.29

3

Dec 13, 2011

There’s a passage in this book in which Mindy Kaling laments that she will never be the kind of comedian who can get away with really raunchy humor or jokes about race. (She cites Sarah Silverman and Dave Chappelle as examples.) But, here is what she can get away with: writing a book chock-full of lists and stories all about how she’s basically (in her words) a “vain flake” and still coming across as a kind, intelligent woman and an excellent best friend.

I kind of wish that Mindy Kaling were my There’s a passage in this book in which Mindy Kaling laments that she will never be the kind of comedian who can get away with really raunchy humor or jokes about race. (She cites Sarah Silverman and Dave Chappelle as examples.) But, here is what she can get away with: writing a book chock-full of lists and stories all about how she’s basically (in her words) a “vain flake” and still coming across as a kind, intelligent woman and an excellent best friend.

I kind of wish that Mindy Kaling were my best friend. She’d be the kind of friend who would call up on a Saturday night, and when you sheepishly admitted that you really didn’t feel like going out, would show up at your door wearing pj’s and laden down with fancy chocolates and champagne. Then she would plop down on your couch and make absolutely no complaints when you wanted to watch a Say Yes to the Dress marathon. She’s the kind of friend who would never shame you for loving (just as a few completely out-there random examples which have absolutely nothing at all to do with me) When Harry Met Sally (like, to the point where I you can recite every single line), or Sixteen and Pregnant, or US Weekly, or cheddar cheese pretzels, or house music.

One of my favorite chapters in this book is entitled “Best Friend Rights and Responsibilities” and outlines a few of Mindy Kaling’s rules for BFF-dom:

“I MUST BE 100 PERCENT HONEST ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK, BUT GENTLE
Your boyfriend is never going to tell you that your skirt is too tight and riding up too high on you. In fact, you shouldn’t even have asked him, poor guy. He wants to have sex with you no matter how pudgy you are. I am the only person besides your mom who has the right (and responsibility) to tell you that. I should never be overly harsh when something doesn’t look good on you, because I know you are fragile about this, and so am I. I will employ the gentle, vague expression ‘I’m not crazy about that on you,’ which should mean to you ‘Holy shit, take that off, that looks terrible!’ I owe it to you to give feedback like a cattle prod: painful but quick.”

Mindy and I (I’m just going to go ahead and call her Mindy…because that’s what future best friends do) are also about the same age, and there is some excellent 90’s nostalgia porn in here. In particular, I loved her list of favorite comedy moments (Chris Farley as Matt Foley = more evidence that we should be best friends) and her list of remakes that she’d like to take a crack at. An all-girl remake of Ghostbusters?!! I would totally go and see that, especially if they cast female comedians in all the main roles.

I didn’t enjoy the pieces about dieting and dating/commitment quite as much but overall I really had a fun time with this book. This is a humorous memoir that also belongs alongside the fluffy/frothy books and I think that’s exactly what my little Min was really going for. Well done! (Call me later!)

Perfect Musical Pairing

Mariah Carey – We Belong Together

I may or may not love Mariah Carey with all my heart. And I may or may not have seen Glitter more than once, possibly not even to make fun of it.
...more

1

Apr 06, 2012

Audiobooks can be dangerous. During a recent road trip in which I listened to this audiobook, I had plenty of time to consider the pros and cons of vehicular suicide. Pro: I would be relieved of Mindy Kaling's screechy voice and vacuous musings forever. Con: I would never again be able to eat cheese. My instinct for survival prevailed. Barely. I suffered through this book in its entirety, so that I would be able to write a justifiably flaming review.

Ms. Kaling's book follows a painfully Audiobooks can be dangerous. During a recent road trip in which I listened to this audiobook, I had plenty of time to consider the pros and cons of vehicular suicide. Pro: I would be relieved of Mindy Kaling's screechy voice and vacuous musings forever. Con: I would never again be able to eat cheese. My instinct for survival prevailed. Barely. I suffered through this book in its entirety, so that I would be able to write a justifiably flaming review.

Ms. Kaling's book follows a painfully predictable formula: (1) complain about being an overweight child, but revel in how you are now a famous and wealthy person, while your childhood bullies languish in obscurity with children born out of wedlock. (2) Seamlessly transition to obligatory "I was trying to make it in NYC and boy was I broke!" tales. (3) Describe how Hollywood is a strange place and attempt to downplay your new found fame by making yourself out to be the anti-Hollywood. At this point, Ms. Kaling should have let well enough alone, but she persists. What follows is a number of lists, the most painful of which includes a play-by-play of Will Ferrell movie moments, and a series of musings on how men are different from women. When she began her chapter describing how "men tie their shoes slowly" I veered towards a tree. Thankfully, it was a brief chapter.

Sitcom writer Ms. Kaling may be. Compelling author she is not. Shame on her editors for green-lighting this piece of fluff and cluttering up the bookshelves and minds of unassuming readers. Shame on her audiobook supervisors for not correcting her when she mispronounced the name "Nguyen." Shame on me for subjecting myself to 4 hours of this inane nonsense masquerading as humor instead of turning it off. But my, how therapeutic writing this review has been. Almost as therapeutic as laughing is said to be. ...more

5

Dec 24, 2011

I APPLAUD it and Endorse it!

I LOVED this book, Mindy is just a funny gal who is pretty in check with reality. I have trouble writing a review for a book I love. I feel I just wont do it justice. Mindy makes hilarious observations in numerous essays that fill this joy of a book. Instead of trying to articulate what this is and what I find funny I thought I would grab some random quotes as a recommendation.

QUOTES
“I’m the kind of person who would rather get my hopes up really high and watch

I APPLAUD it and Endorse it!

I LOVED this book, Mindy is just a funny gal who is pretty in check with reality. I have trouble writing a review for a book I love. I feel I just wont do it justice. Mindy makes hilarious observations in numerous essays that fill this joy of a book. Instead of trying to articulate what this is and what I find funny I thought I would grab some random quotes as a recommendation.

QUOTES
“I’m the kind of person who would rather get my hopes up really high and watch them get dashed to pieces rather than wisely keep my expectations at bay and hope they are exceeded. This quality has made me a needy and theatrical friend, but has given me a spectacularly dramatic emotional life.”

“After all these years with friends who are five ten or taller, I have come to carry myself with the confidence of a tall person. It’s all in the head. It works out.”

“ The chorus of “Jack and Diane” is: Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.
Are you kidding me? The thrill of living was high school? Come on, Mr. Cougar Mellancamp. Get a life."

“I guess I find “Jack and Diane” a little disgusting…I wish there was a song called “Nguyen and Ari,” a little ditty about a hardworking Vietnamese girl who helps her parents with the franchised Holiday Inn they run and does homework in the lobby, and Ari, a hardworking Jewish boy who does volunteer work at his grandmother’s old-age home, and they meet after school at the Princeton Review. They help each other study for the SATs and different AP courses, and then after months of studying, and mountains of flashcards, they kiss chastely upon hearing the news that they both got into their top college choices.”

“They say the best revenge is living well. I say it’s acid in the face — who will love them now?”

"There is no sunrise so beautiful that it is worth waking me up to see it.”

I realize now I might write out her whole book, but she is awesome and this book is soooo much fun!
So final thoughts

YEP! ...more

3

Jul 13, 2014

This was exactly what it wanted to be. It felt like sitting in an LA coffee shop and chatting with Mindy for a few hours, hearing a bunch of funny anecdotes, and getting to know her a little better.

What did I like? I liked the conversational tone, the funny stories, the pictures, learning about her climb to becoming a comedy writer, some insightful moments, the emphasis on family, her love of comedy and creation, and her all round positive and "be a good person" attitude.

What didn't I like? The This was exactly what it wanted to be. It felt like sitting in an LA coffee shop and chatting with Mindy for a few hours, hearing a bunch of funny anecdotes, and getting to know her a little better.

What did I like? I liked the conversational tone, the funny stories, the pictures, learning about her climb to becoming a comedy writer, some insightful moments, the emphasis on family, her love of comedy and creation, and her all round positive and "be a good person" attitude.

What didn't I like? The conversational tone could sometimes be too conversational, and so it sometimes felt too casual and more like a blog post or super long tweet rather than a book. Other than a few insightful moments, I didn't feel enough powerful moments. And that's okay, I don't think this book was trying to achieve that, but I like themes and messages and I didn't feel like any strong stances were really taken about anything.

It was lovely, I flew through it in a few hours, and right afterwards downloaded Season 3 of the Mindy Project because this book really made me like her more, and really understand her motives and love for comedy! ...more

4

Dec 28, 2016

I made the mistake of thinking I would read only one essay of this book before going to bed... I stayed up till 3am to finish the whole thing in one sitting. It's been so long since this has happened, especially going into it not even expecting to finish one essay. But Kaling has one of the most conversational, delightful and funniest voices in writing. It's nearly impossible to put down Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?


This book was simply fun, and I unexpectedly learned a lot about various I made the mistake of thinking I would read only one essay of this book before going to bed... I stayed up till 3am to finish the whole thing in one sitting. It's been so long since this has happened, especially going into it not even expecting to finish one essay. But Kaling has one of the most conversational, delightful and funniest voices in writing. It's nearly impossible to put down Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?


This book was simply fun, and I unexpectedly learned a lot about various topics such as: female friendships (the essay about Mindy befriending Mavis was one of my favorites), health insurance (& how much Kaling loves it), The Office (& how Rainn Wilson’s so horrible), Irish exits, “and a healthy dose of unfair situations that now seem funny in retrospect, unfair situations that I still don’t think are funny, Hollywood, heartache, and my childhood.”

And since we're already on topic, Mindy Kaling writing about her childhood and coming-of-age was one of the funniest and relatable things I've read as of late. Which is why the title essay was one my favorites:

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (Or, How I Made My First Real Friend)

Reason #1 why Mavis is one the kindest souls:

“Mavis said, quietly, “If you want to go with them, I totally get it.”
There was something about the unexpectedly kind way she said that that made me happy to be with her, and not them. For some reason, I immediately thought about how my parents had always been especially fond of Mavis, and here was this moment when I understood exactly why: she was a good person. It felt so good to realize how smart my parents had been all along. “Are you kidding me?” I said. “We have to go home and film this sketch.”

When Mindy first introduced her childhood friend in this book, I was worried that Mavis would only appear this one time, but I’m glad they became good friends.

“There was just Mavis and me, but it never seemed lonely because we never stopped talking.”

“One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about. We never needed best friend gear because I guess with real friends you don’t have to make it official. It just is.”

#truth. I really loved their friendship and was even genuinely upset when they lost contact in college.

“Even though Mavis was my secret friend, she is the only one I hope I see again. She’s the only one I wonder about. I hope she wonders about me too.”

But thankfully Kaling mentioned here that they saw one another again in 2002.

Day Jobs

I laughed out loud multiple times during this, but particularly when she talked about babysitting for some rich parents and eating a lot of their kid-friendly food:

“I did it so much that it became a problem. One evening after her bath, Haley pulled me aside, wracked with guilt: “Mommy wanted to know who ate all the turtle-shaped bagel pizzas, and I knew it was you, but I lied and said it was me.” She burst into tears. I hugged her and told her, “You can never tell her the truth.” And then I let her stay up an extra hour watching Lizzie McGuire. Bribes and boy bands. That’s all you need to be a babysitter.”

All About The Office

This was the essay I’d been waiting for!!! And I was not disappointed, especially when she made an actual list of what Kelly and her have in common:

“Things Kelly and I Would Both Do

• Choreograph and star in a music video
• Fake our own deaths to catch a serial killer
• Cry at work occasionally
• Memorize our credit card numbers to shop online with ease
• Drive with our parking brake on
• Go to goop.com every day
• Spend hours following a difficult recipe, hate the way it tastes, and throw it out to go to McDonald’s
• Get upset if we’re not invited to a party
• Go on trendy and slightly dangerous diets
• Hold a royal wedding viewing party”

Also, her fights with Greg Daniels had me cackling.

“What do we fight about? I wish I could say they were big, smart, philosophical issues about writing or comedy, but sometimes they’re as small as “If we do that cold open where Kevin dumps a tureen of chili on himself, I will quit this show.” We did that cold open, by the way, and it was a hit, and I’m still working at the show. I can get a little theatrical.”

That’s one of my favorite Office openings. I still can’t believe she was against it.

Also, this:

“STEVE CARELL IS NICE BUT IT IS SCARY

It has been said many times, but it is true: Steve Carell is a very nice guy. His niceness manifests itself mostly in the fact that he never complains. You could screw up a handful of takes outside in 104-degree smog-choked Panorama City heat, and Steve Carell’s final words before collapsing of heat stroke would be a friendly and hopeful “Hey, you think you have that shot yet?”
I’ve always found Steve gentlemanly and private, like a Jane Austen character.”

(I actually love this.)

Franchises I Would Like to Reboot

This essay... oh man, it was 1am when I started it, and I thought (and still think) that Kaling might actually be psychic... Because this is practically the script for Ghostbusters that came out in 2016:

“GHOSTBUSTERS

I always wanted the reboot of Ghostbusters to be four girl-ghostbusters. Like, four normal, plucky women living in New York City searching for Mr. Right and trying to find jobs—but who also bust ghosts. I’m not an idiot, though. I know the demographic for Ghostbusters is teenage boys, and I know they would kill themselves if two ghostbusters had a makeover at Sephora. I just have always wanted to see a cool girl having her first kiss with a guy she’s had a crush on, and then have to excuse herself to go trap the pissed-off ghosts of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire or something. In my imagination, I am, of course, one of the ghostbusters, with the likes of say, Emily Blunt, Taraji Henson, and Natalie Portman. Even if I’m not the ringleader, I’m definitely the one who gets to say “I ain’t afraid a no ghost.” At least the first time.”

#illuminaticonfirmed

How I Write

Last, but obviously not least, is this short but hilariously relatable piece on Kaling's writing process and being productive.

“The Internet also makes it extraordinarily difficult for me to focus. One small break to look up exactly how almond milk is made, and four hours later I’m reading about the Donner Party and texting all my friends: DID YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THE DONNER PARTY AND HOW MESSED UP THAT WAS? TEXT ME BACK SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT!”

This really reminded me of Aziz Ansari’s stand up about this exact subject… One of the funniest comedic bits I've rewatched about ten times (or more).

But real talk, I was really enjoying my time spent reading this book. Kaling had me laughing out loud in the middle of night, which I will always appreciate. But, as much as I want to, I can't ignore the fact that I despised it when this book reached a part called “THE BEST DISTRACTION IN THE WORLD: ROMANCE AND GUYS.” I was not into it at all. I have little to no interest in someone dictating for nearly 50 pages what guys, especially Jewish guys (I nearly put the book down after that), or even married people should or shouldn't do. So I started skimming the essays after I reached that part. I also found that the following parts had lost almost all of Kaling's humor that I found so damn charming in the first part (I mean, I stayed up till 3am for it).


So in order to recover my love, I'll just try to forget that those parts were included in this book, and focus instead on all that I loved and mentioned beforehand in my review. And so I'm more than willing to pick up her next book, Why Not Me?.

*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*


Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils


This review and more can be found on my blog. ...more

4

Oct 07, 2016

This was such a joy to listen to! I definitely recommend the audiobook.

3

Nov 07, 2011

mindy kaling - writer, star of the office - suffers from never having cancer or living in iran for any part of her life. which simply means this: it's hard to write a memoir that lasts more than 70 pages. so they call it a book of essays, which is fine, and she does a good job with most of them. but then she's only up to 150 pages and she's fucked. so she goes to her phone and flips through her photos and thinks, hey, i could just write about these, and other bullshit like it, to satisfy a mindy kaling - writer, star of the office - suffers from never having cancer or living in iran for any part of her life. which simply means this: it's hard to write a memoir that lasts more than 70 pages. so they call it a book of essays, which is fine, and she does a good job with most of them. but then she's only up to 150 pages and she's fucked. so she goes to her phone and flips through her photos and thinks, hey, i could just write about these, and other bullshit like it, to satisfy a respectable book length. and so she does.

that said, this book has really, really funny parts, and the first half is perfect in every way. but then it feels rushed, which it is, to get it out before the holiday season.

that said, i did finish it in like, three days, so if you're looking for a sense of accomplishment, this book is for you.
...more

4

Nov 13, 2011

A quick warning about an otherwise good book: the last third of The Office writer Kaling's memoir is a scattershot, hit-or-miss affair. With short essays like "Why Do Men Put on Their Shoes So Slowly?" and "In Defense of Chest Hair", which graze their topics no more deeply than the titles suggest, Kaling almost sounds like she's half-heartedly trying out for the late and perpetually cranky Andy Rooney's vacated gig on 60 Minutes.

It's a shame, because the first two-thirds of Kaling's effort is an A quick warning about an otherwise good book: the last third of The Office writer Kaling's memoir is a scattershot, hit-or-miss affair. With short essays like "Why Do Men Put on Their Shoes So Slowly?" and "In Defense of Chest Hair", which graze their topics no more deeply than the titles suggest, Kaling almost sounds like she's half-heartedly trying out for the late and perpetually cranky Andy Rooney's vacated gig on 60 Minutes.

It's a shame, because the first two-thirds of Kaling's effort is an engaging memoir chronicling a thoroughly conventional upbringing and an unlikely rise to notoriety and television scripting fame. Her circuitous route to her career is both affable and a fun read—which makes it all the more disappointing that once she reaches the heights at NBC, the rest of the book sputters out when it has nowhere to go.

It seems unfairly reductive that the memoir will inevitably undergo comparisons with her same-network compatriot Tiny Fey's Bossypants. I found Kaling's effort the more charming of the two, and the less labored. ...more

4

Feb 06, 2016

i love Mindy , i love comedy , i love laughing , i love reading , i love laughing while reading ! This Audiobook was totally worth my time :D she is amazing and funny , Especially her high school bullying stories. i love how she can make a terrible thing so funny.

2

Jan 03, 2012

[image error]

AND ITS NOT MINDY KALING’S FAULT! OR AT LEAST NOT TOTALLY HER FAULT.

TV and I are not best friends. Sure, I own a TV, but it’s more like a piece of furniture in my living rooms. Hindi sitcoms are royally crappy and wildly unrealistic, news channels seem mostly concerned with celebrity gossip, even channels like Discovery and National Geography have been commercialized.

So basically, I and TV have had minimal interaction in the past years.

Anyway! Point is, as a result of the [image error]

AND ITS NOT MINDY KALING’S FAULT! OR AT LEAST NOT TOTALLY HER FAULT.

TV and I are not best friends. Sure, I own a TV, but it’s more like a piece of furniture in my living rooms. Hindi sitcoms are royally crappy and wildly unrealistic, news channels seem mostly concerned with celebrity gossip, even channels like Discovery and National Geography have been commercialized.

So basically, I and TV have had minimal interaction in the past years.

Anyway! Point is, as a result of the aforementioned facts, almost all the numerous countless culture reference sounded like Blah Blah Blah to my ears.

Mindy would go "remember that scene "
And I would go...ummm NO

That leads to the freaking question: WHY DID I READ/LISTEN TO THIS BOOK? OR WHY DID I BUY IT?

my answer is: IT WAS A BIRTHDAY GIFT!


No offence, I am glad people finally understood the futility of presenting accessories, still, from next time; I am giving all the members of my huge extended family a list of all the books they can buy for me (even if it makes me seem pathetic and gift hungry).

So for people who are normal, especially those from the 90's or who watch the office, check out this book. There are parts like when she describes her view on one night stand or muses about cat manicure shop after she becomes a trophy wife that were especially hilarious!

Warning:Don't expect Mindy to be Rofl level funny though. There are max 3 to 4 Lol moments in this rather lengthy book. If you are familiar with David Sedaris's work, you would especially disappointed.

rating: 2 stars ...more

5

Jan 11, 2012

Ok, I officially have a girl crush on Mindy Kaling. She is just so cool. I love the fact that she is completely honest about all her failings and even embraces them. This would definitely be the type of person I would want to be friends with. This book was extremely funny and a light, easy read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh. I especially loved her list for alternate titles to the book (The Girl with No Tattoo, Harry Potter Secret Book #8... hilarious).

By far Ok, I officially have a girl crush on Mindy Kaling. She is just so cool. I love the fact that she is completely honest about all her failings and even embraces them. This would definitely be the type of person I would want to be friends with. This book was extremely funny and a light, easy read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh. I especially loved her list for alternate titles to the book (The Girl with No Tattoo, Harry Potter Secret Book #8... hilarious).

By far my absolute favorite part of this book, however, was when she talks about one night stands and how she can never have them, not because they are sleazy, but because she is afraid of getting murdered. This so reminds me of myself. When my boyfriend, Keith, and I were dating for about 5 or 6 months, we decided to go on a trip to Oklahoma together for the weekend (to see a Linkin Park concert, definitely not because we thought Oklahoma was cool...although we kind of enjoyed it). As we are leaving town, I'm thinking to myself: what if this guy is a serial killer and this is his thing. He finds girls, dates them for 5 or 6 months, plans a trip out of state with them to "see a concert" and murders them? What if he murders me? I don't want to be buried in Oklahoma!!! So, I kind of freaked out a little bit and immediately texted everyone in my phone to tell them where I was going and that if they didn't hear back from me by Sunday it was because Keith had murdered me and left my body in Oklahoma. I know it seems kind of paranoid, but you know, one day, I'm going to get murdered and dumped in Oklahoma and all my friends and family will not only know who did it, but where my body is. I'm just saying, Mindy Kaling is a smart girl. ...more

4

Jan 09, 2014

I've been reading a few comedic autobiographies & I guess I'm probably justaboutnow a 'lil addicted to them ("Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin, "The Bedwetter" by Sarah Silverman...). This one by far is my favorite. It is contemporary and as refreshing as it is informative--and very, very amusing. To get the working comedic TV writer's POV is an absolute luxury. We are inspired by her avant-garde beginnings (she wrote a script about Matt Damon & Ben Affleck writing "Good Will"-- and I've been reading a few comedic autobiographies & I guess I'm probably justaboutnow a 'lil addicted to them ("Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin, "The Bedwetter" by Sarah Silverman...). This one by far is my favorite. It is contemporary and as refreshing as it is informative--and very, very amusing. To get the working comedic TV writer's POV is an absolute luxury. We are inspired by her avant-garde beginnings (she wrote a script about Matt Damon & Ben Affleck writing "Good Will"-- and played Affleck in the play sensation "Matt & Ben"!) and entertained big-time with her big-time break as writer and producer to the sensational "The Office." We are fortunate to get the 411, too, on important "zeitgeisty" stuff like karaoke etiquette, best friend rights, the importance of compartmentalizing--even on the huge non-issue of sexual differentiation between comedians of both sexes in the 2010's (something very positive & revolutionary even), and, in all seriousness, thank you Mindy, for the indispensable section which pleads with men to "Please leave your chest hair alone!" The cool girl totally keeps it real, y'all.

I only disagree with her overboard girlie stuff (conventional marriage, disapproval of comedy roasts, crying over fashion)--but this is refreshing, too. And if you TRULY need a synopsis of this exceptional autobio., just check out her perfect final words:

"I guess I'm just one of those weird kids who likes their parents too much." Rejoice nice people! ...more

3

Jul 25, 2017

This book was just fine! I'm not a huge fan of Mindy-- meaning, I do like her in what I've seen her in, but I'm not die-hard for anything she's done--but I decided to read this nonetheless because I'm all about supporting successful women. my main thoughts about this book i'm just going to repeat from my initial comment on it: i turned on this audiobook as i tried to untangle a whole ball of yarn, and it took me over an hour and a half but I didn't even realize it because this book was so fun. This book was just fine! I'm not a huge fan of Mindy-- meaning, I do like her in what I've seen her in, but I'm not die-hard for anything she's done--but I decided to read this nonetheless because I'm all about supporting successful women. my main thoughts about this book i'm just going to repeat from my initial comment on it: i turned on this audiobook as i tried to untangle a whole ball of yarn, and it took me over an hour and a half but I didn't even realize it because this book was so fun. It feels like i'm listening to a long interview with Mindy. So far she has made a few problematic jokes using slurs (tr*nny, g*psy), but this book is 5 years old and I don't know enough about her comedy to know if those are regular words in her vocab. There were a few parts that she made some jokes I don't agree with, but for the most part, the book was nice because it was short and entertaining. It didn't really leave a lasting impression on me, it didn't really go a whole lot into Mindy's personal life, but it did offer me some insights into her life which I think were valuable enough to afford this 3 stars, even though it didn't particularly sweep me off my feet. ...more

2

Jan 04, 2012

Of all the books I've read in the past few months, this is the book that has me wondering several things. A) How did it get so much pre- and post-release publicity and b) why do so many people like it? No offense, but this book can't hold a candle to 'Bossypants'by Tina Fey, or 'Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea'By Ms. Handler or 'I know You Are, But What Am I' by Samantha Bee. Or any number of funny-memoir type books I've read. Which is weird, because I usually finish a book like this no Of all the books I've read in the past few months, this is the book that has me wondering several things. A) How did it get so much pre- and post-release publicity and b) why do so many people like it? No offense, but this book can't hold a candle to 'Bossypants'by Tina Fey, or 'Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea'By Ms. Handler or 'I know You Are, But What Am I' by Samantha Bee. Or any number of funny-memoir type books I've read. Which is weird, because I usually finish a book like this no matter what, but this one I returned to the library with a third left unread. It just didn't 'take'.

Here's my thoughts on why I didn't care for it (and I guess I'm a lone wolf, here!) Mindy Kaling tried to come across like a good friend, and listed one of the reasons to read the book as: 'What else are you going to read after you finish Chelsea's book?'...Ummm...I know Chelsea isn't for everyone, but it's not easy to be funny like she is, and don't assume you can do it.Don't be so presumptuous! I felt Mindy was trying to imply some kind of intimacy with the reader that she hadn't earned.Like she was saying: "Nudge, nudge, you know what I mean! Right?" - but I really didn't.

I didn't relate to her life, the camp story (tedious, went nowhere),her high school 'crew', who identified themselves by a word made up of of each person's initials (boring- they did nothing interesting or funny!) and her bitchiness about her friends once they stopped hanging out came across as very callous. Because one friend liked horses she comments- I hope she found a nice horse to run off with (better than hanging with you, it seems) and making fun of people's looks and dress ("I may not have been that pretty, but at least I wasn't five inches taller than the guys') You have to have a certain voice to pull off that kind of talk and not come across as nasty. Mindy K. does not have that skill.

Let me just say: I don't get it. I don't know why this book is so well-reviewed- it's just not my cup of tea. Even though the genre is one of my favorites. And ps: I went in wanting to like it. I felt about the book the way I feel about her character on 'The Office'-I get annoyed and can't wait for her part to be over. ...more

4

Apr 19, 2014

So, she was born the same month and year I graduated from high school, which technically makes her young enough to be my daughter...I STILL want to be Mindy's best pal!

I haven't a clue why I decided to read this book. Kaling's character on The Office drove me nuts, and though I enjoyed the few episodes of The Mindy Project that I saw, I am in no way a regular viewer. Probably the fact that I found it at the Goodwill Store for a buck had something to do with it.

But then again...

There's a little So, she was born the same month and year I graduated from high school, which technically makes her young enough to be my daughter...I STILL want to be Mindy's best pal!

I haven't a clue why I decided to read this book. Kaling's character on The Office drove me nuts, and though I enjoyed the few episodes of The Mindy Project that I saw, I am in no way a regular viewer. Probably the fact that I found it at the Goodwill Store for a buck had something to do with it.

But then again...

There's a little part of me that stands up and applauds whenever I see someone on TV that doesn't look like everyone else...someone whose nose is not pertly turned up, who isn't a size 0 and who doesn't have blonde hair and implants. I just want to grab that person, and hug them, and invite them home for grilled cheese sandwiches and a huge slab of chocolate cake. I want to congratulate them on making it big in an industry that values looks above all else. Mindy is one of these people.

Her book, which is a memoir/humorous essays hybrid, is not overwhelmingly funny, though I'm not sure it was meant to be. It is simply an enjoyable tale of what it's like to grow up as a nerdy girl who likes hanging out with her parents and all things comedic. It's about a girl just like me.

So, Mins...anytime you want to spend Friday night at The Cheesecake Factory, I'll buy the Cokes. We can talk about our favorite Kid in the Hall. (Mine changes every week, but it's never Kevin.)
Then we'll go back to your place and sing along to Graceland. You can cry all you want, girlfriend. I got lots of tissues. ...more

4

Feb 21, 2016

“Sometimes teenage girls ask me for advice about what they should be doing if they want a career like mine one day. There are basically two ways to get where I am:
(1) learn a provocative dance and put it on YouTube;
(2) convince your parents to move to Orlando and homeschool you until you get cast on a kids’ show...

or do what I did, which is
(3) stay in school and be a respectful and hardworking wallflower, and go to an accredited non-online university.”


Ahhhh this book was EXACTLY what I was “Sometimes teenage girls ask me for advice about what they should be doing if they want a career like mine one day. There are basically two ways to get where I am:
(1) learn a provocative dance and put it on YouTube;
(2) convince your parents to move to Orlando and homeschool you until you get cast on a kids’ show...

or do what I did, which is
(3) stay in school and be a respectful and hardworking wallflower, and go to an accredited non-online university.”


Ahhhh this book was EXACTLY what I was looking for. It was short and sweet and at times laugh-out-loud funny… I’m convinced my neighbours will think I’m nuts at the manic sounds of my laughing at 3am in the morning… Eeeeep!!!


Is it a very gritty, detailed memoir???… Well no, but did you expect that from Mindy?? It is fluffy, light and filled with lots of witty observations about life in general. Each chapter is almost like an essay on different topics. There are lots of funny anecdotes about growing up, starting out as a comedy writer, her time at the US Office and at SNL… It is just a lovely way to pass a few hours.


4 stars

Some of my favourite quotes:

“We’d come back to our apartment and do Abs of Steel together. Even though we mercilessly made fun of the video, which was from the deep eighties and included Tamilee Webb wearing aqua bike shorts and a pink thong leotard, we did it religiously. Tamilee had a rock-hard butt, and there was nothing ironic about it. The whole experience was surprisingly fun and cemented a friendship between Brenda and me for life. How can you not make a best friend out of a girl who has seen the sweat-soaked pelvis area of your gym pants, daily, and who still chooses to spend time with you?”


“If my parents have any soft spot, it is for books, and I knew that the best way to get out of chores, or sports, or talking to elderly relatives on the phone was by holding up a book and saying, “But I’m just enjoying Little House on the Prairie so much!” I may have read the entire Laura Ingalls Wilder canon simply to get out of raking the lawn with my brother”


“A handful of bad experiences when I was small have made me a confirmed nonathlete. In psychology (okay, Twilight) they teach you about the notion of imprinting, and I think it applies here. I reverse-imprinted with athleticism. Ours is the great non-love story of my life.”


“In the genre of “making you feel like you’re not having an awesome American high school experience,” the worst offender is actually a song: John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane"… I wish there was a song called “Nguyen and Ari,” a little ditty about a hard-working Vietnamese girl who helps her parents with the franchised Holiday Inn they run, and does homework in the lobby, and Ari, a hardworking Jewish boy who does volunteer work at his grandmother’s old-age home, and they meet after school at Princeton Review. They help each other study for the SATs and different AP courses, and then, after months of studying, and mountains of flashcards, they kiss chastely upon hearing the news that they both got into their top college choices. This is a song teens need to inadvertently memorize. Now that’s a song I’d request at Johnny Rockets!” ...more

3

Nov 02, 2011

This book is best read on a day when you need some light, distracting entertainment, say like when you were up half the night because your infant daughter has a chest cold and then you were rushing around the house trying to find your keys because you were late for your appointment at the mechanic and then you realized they were actually locked inside the garage, which you can only open with that one key that is now inside the green car, which was a stupid place to leave it.

It can be read in This book is best read on a day when you need some light, distracting entertainment, say like when you were up half the night because your infant daughter has a chest cold and then you were rushing around the house trying to find your keys because you were late for your appointment at the mechanic and then you realized they were actually locked inside the garage, which you can only open with that one key that is now inside the green car, which was a stupid place to leave it.

It can be read in about the same amount of time it takes to get an oil change, which is about right, provided that during the oil change it takes two hours to install your stupid expensive headlight bulbs and then once they are finished, it turned out your battery is dead and you need a new one, but you need to get to work but they have to look up how to jumpstart a Prius.

Best: you will also have time left over to play Fruit Ninja. ...more

3

Nov 11, 2011

I'm not usually one to read celebrity biographies and/or memoirs, but come on—this is Mindy's book we're talking about here. OF COURSE I was going to read it.

I love how she goes from hilarious to serious and back to hilarious in a very smooth manner. She shamelessly shares her BlackBerry pics with us, tells us about her life before and during The Office (is Rainn Wilson really her frenemy?), and a lot more. Like my friend Meli said, this book was all over the place, which I absolutely think I'm not usually one to read celebrity biographies and/or memoirs, but come on—this is Mindy's book we're talking about here. OF COURSE I was going to read it.

I love how she goes from hilarious to serious and back to hilarious in a very smooth manner. She shamelessly shares her BlackBerry pics with us, tells us about her life before and during The Office (is Rainn Wilson really her frenemy?), and a lot more. Like my friend Meli said, this book was all over the place, which I absolutely think separates it from other books, because you can tell she wrote it all on her own, and stayed true to herself.

There's just one thing that doesn't sit well with me: (view spoiler)[she mentions rape in her slut shaming rant/fake transcript. Not cool. If you wanna take a look at the excerpt, you can check this out. (hide spoiler)]

What I usually hate about celeb memoirs is that they just go ahead and talk about boring shit: how bad they had it, but now their lives are amazing blahblahbla, and I'm like, dude, no, I don't want to read about that shit. Not Mindy, though. Nope. She made me feel like we were new best friends and it was her turn to tell me everything about her life before me. Which I'm sure is the way she wanted me (okay, us) to read it. ...more

3

Mar 01, 2018

Listened to this on my 10hr drive today, and it was exactly what I needed! It kept me in a great mood on an otherwise very bleak, rainy drive. Rating it 3 because it was enjoyable but overall didn’t have a big impact on me.

2

Dec 18, 2016

I was suffering through this book, and swore it wouldn't get more than one star when a remarkable thing happened in the last 70 or so pages, Mindy Kaling stopped boring me to death about her struggles as a t.v. writer, her time on The Office etc. and started talking about herself, her views on life and started being totally relatable and hilarious. That is the Mindy Kaling I'm a fan of and that's how I'd expected the entire book to be.

So the whole book is divided into seven parts: the first I was suffering through this book, and swore it wouldn't get more than one star when a remarkable thing happened in the last 70 or so pages, Mindy Kaling stopped boring me to death about her struggles as a t.v. writer, her time on The Office etc. and started talking about herself, her views on life and started being totally relatable and hilarious. That is the Mindy Kaling I'm a fan of and that's how I'd expected the entire book to be.

So the whole book is divided into seven parts: the first four pretty much sucked (except when she talked about how wonderful Amy Poehler is in real life, which made me- a HUGE Parks and Rec fan- jump for joy!) and the last three sections is why I added the extra star bumping the rating up to a grand total of two stars! Yeah! *crickets* ...more

3

Sep 26, 2017

Fun and enjoyable audiobook read by Mindy herself. Light entertainment to keep me company on my commute to and from work.

3

Nov 08, 2011

To quote the author: “This book will take you two days to read. Did you even see the cover? It’s mostly pink. If you’re reading this book every night for months, something is not right.”

Except it took about two and a half hours tops. It's a cute book and I recommend it to anyone whose pushing through to a book goal count for the year. It's not really a biography -- just little snapshots of an interesting life and the fortunate chances she's been given. Kaling is proud of all the work she put To quote the author: “This book will take you two days to read. Did you even see the cover? It’s mostly pink. If you’re reading this book every night for months, something is not right.”

Except it took about two and a half hours tops. It's a cute book and I recommend it to anyone whose pushing through to a book goal count for the year. It's not really a biography -- just little snapshots of an interesting life and the fortunate chances she's been given. Kaling is proud of all the work she put into her career, but also aware of all the breaks she got which help keep her ego under wraps.

The stories are entertaining and Kaling is extremely open about previous and current struggles with her weight without ever being 'poor me' for more than a few sentences at a time. Don't expect too much background information on The Office despite it being the longest chapter in the book. Overall a shallow read in maybe the most charming way possible. ...more

4

Jun 29, 2017

A comedic but ultimately deep and poignant memoir, Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me is an unforgettable story of finding your talent in spite of childhood embarrassments.

5

Jun 19, 2011

I laughed out loud so many times!

As a person who has seen every episode of the office more than once (okay, fine, more than 5 times) I already think Mindy Kaling, writer and actor who plays character Kelly Kapoor, is really funny.

(I want to throw out a WARNING about this book, similar to what I did when I read and reviewed Tina Fey's Bossypants - If you already don't like Mindy Kaling, if you already don't like The Office, if you already hate female comedians, etc, you probably won't like this I laughed out loud so many times!

As a person who has seen every episode of the office more than once (okay, fine, more than 5 times) I already think Mindy Kaling, writer and actor who plays character Kelly Kapoor, is really funny.

(I want to throw out a WARNING about this book, similar to what I did when I read and reviewed Tina Fey's Bossypants - If you already don't like Mindy Kaling, if you already don't like The Office, if you already hate female comedians, etc, you probably won't like this book. I wrote my review earlier today and then I thought, "I wonder what other people thought about Mindy's adorable book" and checked out some other goodreads reviews this afternoon. Sure enough, the first review below 3 stars is some yahoo who says that he doesn't like The Office and had no idea who Mindy Kaling was, and therefore he didn't appreciate the references in the book and some of her anecdotes didn't make sense. If you KNOW you don't like something, WHY would you read it in the first place?! I KNOW i don't like Star Trek, so I think it is pretty obvious that I will only be disappointed if I read a memoir of a Star Trek actor, where in which most of their writing is going to be about how they got to be on Star Trek, their life on Star Trek, and how being on Star Trek affected them. Boom - 1/5 stars, that book sucks.

Anyway - on to my actual book review:

I don't have a twitter account, so I don't know her hilarious, character (as in keyboard characters)-limiting quips that she is well-known for, but I do read her blog and I think she is cute and funny. It is also kind of like hanging out with a friend - like, "hey, what kind of eye shadow are you wearing?" and then she tells you about it, but as a blog post rather than over coffee.

Reading her book was like getting to know someone at a slumber party (partially because I read it at night before I went to sleep). Mindy Kaling has turned into the celebrity that not only you feel like you know, but it doesn't seem like stretch that you could meet her and have a normal conversation with her without feeling like you are talking to a celebrity (which is a good thing!) The stories from her childhood are pretty funny, in a looking-back-that-guy-was-an-asshole-hahaha kind of way, and if she is holding a big ole grudge, you can't tell. Her opinions are earnest and it sounds like she's thought them all out for a pretty long time, probably thinking in blog-mode while killing time and calories on a treadmill.

Which is also hilarious, because I have to distract myself pretty well on a treadmill in order to actually stay on it for very long, which Mindy also does. Except her "treadmill fantasies" (quotes are mine, not hers) are ridiculously over-the-top. Love it.

Good work, Mindy! I think you did an awesome job! ...more

4

May 02, 2018

For those of you who didn't find this book funny, I'm going to go ahead and assume that you probably didn't get the humour. In which case, why are you even reading a Mindy Kaling memoir? It stands to reason that if you don't find this book funny, then you mostly likely don't find The Office or The Mindy Project funny either. I mean have you SEEN The Office? It's full of incredibly oblivious, narcissistic, annoying characters. They are hilarious. Mindy has many narcissistic, annoying moments, For those of you who didn't find this book funny, I'm going to go ahead and assume that you probably didn't get the humour. In which case, why are you even reading a Mindy Kaling memoir? It stands to reason that if you don't find this book funny, then you mostly likely don't find The Office or The Mindy Project funny either. I mean have you SEEN The Office? It's full of incredibly oblivious, narcissistic, annoying characters. They are hilarious. Mindy has many narcissistic, annoying moments, which she acknowledges immediately as such, and then proceeds to make fun of herself.

Moving on.

This is a really sweet, light-hearted and very funny account of Mindy Kaling's childhood, adolescence, and early career. She is incredibly authentic and relatable; she doesn't take herself too seriously, and overall has a wonderfully refreshing voice and personality! If you're a fan of Mindy Kaling's work, you will definitely enjoy this book. ...more