Guest Blogger Book Review: Bossypants

"Bossypants" has become such a popular book that Jennifer Weiner talked about it and read from it at her recent signing in New York. One of our fellow chick lit lovers recently had an opportunity to check out this book and he reviewed it for CLC.

Book review of "Bossypants" by Tina Fey
By Leonel Escota

Tina Fey’s book “Bossypants” is hard to describe: it’s part memoir, part self-help book, part laundry list. Its really a collection of essays that is, for the most part, in chronological order. But what it is, is very funny. I cannot remember the last time I read a book and laughed out loud this much.

A lot of people know and love Ms. Fey from her stint as the “Weekend Update” anchor on Saturday Night Live and also as Liz Lemon in the Emmy award winning NBC sitcom 30 Rock. Those who do will love her bits about both shows. On the former, she writes a hilarious side by side comparison of the difference between the staff’s male and female writers. She writes a little more about her journey from conceptualizing 30 Rock. Her original premise for the show was about a liberal female producer asked to produce a conservative pundit’s talk show. She writes how that show evolved into what we now know as 30 Rock. I wished that she had talked about what it was like to be part of the SNL team. I had also hoped there were more focus on the “behind-the-scenes” while putting together her show. Ultimately, that is not the kind of book “Bossypants” is. (Though she spends time paying tribute to the each of the writers on her show.) I thought she was cognizant of a specific line not to cross. When the talk starts to get serious, she inserts a self-deprecating joke.

With "Bossypants," Ms. Fey gives us a glimpse of her “real” life. I especially liked the story about her honeymoon spent in a cruise ship that took an unfortunate turn (I won’t spoil the story, you really have to read it). I especially loved her accounts of driving to Pennsylvania for the holidays - it gives her a down-home trait I didn’t know she had. It’s just that I don’t know how to take these stories at face value. Are they exaggerated for comedic effect? Whatever the case may be, these stories put a big smile on my face. There are bits about her experience on raising her daughter that are particularly touching. The strength and perseverance of a mother amazes me to this day. There is a funny, but very touching, piece about her advice to her daughter about growing up that put a lump in my throat.

All in all, there is a lot to love about this book. If you even remotely like Ms. Fey, it should be a given that our should check this book out. Even those Republicans who took a misliking to her for “exploiting” Sarah Palin should take note about how fair and balanced (pun intended) she is about the former Governor of Alaska. I was already a big fan of Tina Fey before I read this book, now I admire and respect her more as a regular person.

Leonel Escota is a former New Yorker now living in Sin City. You can read his blog, which is all about entertainment (music, books, movies, theater, etc.)

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