Bossypants by Tina Fey

To start off this review, I have to say, OH MY GOD, I freaking love Tina Fey. My unconditional love aside I want to talk about Bossypants. I had this autobiography recommended to me by a really good friend two years ago when the book was first published. I can now look back and think what an idiot I was waiting to read this book. Firstly I recommend reading this book in any format, but I formally suggest you take a look at this book in audiobook format. The book is read by Tina Fey herself and it is the best thing ever. Hearing her life told by her just makes this book. It completes the experience of what she was going through, her ups and downs, her joys and most of all her humour.

This book is definitely a funny book. I mean the cover alone with her “clearly not her own hairy man hands” says it all.  From the first few sentences of her talking about how this book includes things for those looking to “raise an achievement-oriented, drug-free, adult virgin” it has something for you, or “love Sarah Palin and you want to find reasons to hate [her]”, it has something for you. It has something for everyone.

You start off as any autobiography as you would any story, at the beginning. We learn all about her young life in summer musical theatre group with the closeted gays of her city, her thoughts on pretty yellow (not referred to as blonde as everyone refers to her hair as brown) haired girls of the 80s and how she will never have the hips or behind of Beyonce, and thats okay with her. Follow through major life events, such as college, her run with the Second City Company, moving her way up to writer at Saturday Night Live to becoming executive producer of her Emmy Award Winning sitcom “30 Rock” -to which she only credits its success to Alec Baldwin.

Not only will you learn the career life of this fantastic women, oh no. You will also get a chance to hear all about her 12 steps of beauty, her tips on raising children, and also how to not to care what other people think even when you’re completely self conscious about everything.

While her life story is both fascinating and hilarious, which it really is, its the added effort in the audiobook that really captured my heart in this tale. I often found myself bursting with laughter only to have my co-workers have no idea what I was doing and thinking that I was obviously crazy. Added things like including the original Sarah Palin skit from SNL with Amy Pohler, or having minor fake endorsements to which may or may not exist, which she always says in a whisper just add that extra something this book needed to be even more funny. And lastly the most hilarious component is Tina Fey herself. You can clearly tell that she put a great deal of effort into this book and she never once was embarrassed about what happened in her life. She gladly spoke about all those little things that most of us would never to tell to anyone and she played it off for laughs. She is comic gold and it is her job. in my opinion, no one does Tina Fey better than Tina Fey.

From the first to last sentence this book will captivate you with humour and complete enamourment for the life and times of Tina Fey. For me, there were so many things to enjoy about this book. I really recommend for you all to read it. If you don’t like it, really don’t like it that’s okay. But honestly, if you need a little humour in your life, or an easy read, or are a fan of one of the funniest women around definitely check this book out and enjoy.

-Eric Stein