what i read: october edition

It's time for a book post again with Steph and Jana.  I read three this month, and first up was Amy Poehler's Yes, Please.

Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy's one-liners?

If your answer to these questions is "Yes Please!" then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," "Plain Girl Versus the Demon" and "The Robots Will Kill Us All" Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

I've read a lot of mixed reviews on this book.  I'd been on the waiting list for the audio version for several months, so I was so excited when it became available.

(Sidenote, do you use the app Overdrive?  It's free, and you plug in your library card information, and have access to thousands of audio books and e-books.  I love it.  I spend a lot of time driving and love having access to free audio books.)

The book was good, but I didn't love it.  Like a lot of people, I think I expected it to be a lot like Tina Fey's book, and it wasn't.  I loved hearing the behind the scenes info about SNL and the other shows Amy has been involved with.  I really enjoyed when she wrote about her friendship with Tina.  Michelle and I often compare ourselves to Amy and Tina so I felt like I could relate to what she was talking about.  There were certainly funny parts, but I didn't laugh out loud.  One thing I did take away from this is that Amy is one hard worker.

Next was My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella. 

Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demeter Farlowe. Demeter is brilliant and creative, lives with her perfect family in a posh townhouse, and wears the coolest clothes. Katie’s life, meanwhile, is a daily struggle—from her dismal rental to her oddball flatmates to the tense office politics she’s trying to negotiate. No wonder Katie takes refuge in not-quite-true Instagram posts, especially as she's desperate to make her dad proud.

Then, just as she’s finding her feet—not to mention a possible new romance—the worst happens. Demeter fires Katie. Shattered but determined to stay positive, Katie retreats to her family’s farm in Somerset to help them set up a vacation business. London has never seemed so far away—until Demeter unexpectedly turns up as a guest. Secrets are spilled and relationships rejiggered, and as the stakes for Katie’s future get higher, she must question her own assumptions about what makes for a truly meaningful life.

 I absolutely loved this book.  Five stars.  It was sweet, but there were some parts where I was laughing so hard Matt said, "What is going on in that book?!"  By the end I wished I lived in England, and that the characters were real, because I wanted to meet them in real life.

The last book I read was Church of the Small Things, by Melanie Shankle.  

Is my ordinary, everyday life actually significant? Is it okay to be fulfilled by the simple acts of raising kids, working in an office, and cooking chicken for dinner?  

Melanie Shankle, New York Times bestselling author and writer at The Big Mama Blog tackles these questions head on in her fourth book, Church of the Small Things. Easygoing and relatable, she speaks directly to the heart of women of all ages who are longing to find significance and meaning in the normal, sometimes mundane world of driving carpool to soccer practice, attending class on their college campus, cooking meals for their family, or taking care of a sick loved one.

Through humorous stories told in her signature style, full of Frito pie, best friends, the love of her Me-Ma and Pa-Pa, the unexpected grace that comes when we quit trying to measure up, and a little of the best TV has to offer, Melanie helps women embrace what it means to live a simple, yet incredibly meaningful life and how to find all the beauty and laughter that lies right beneath the surface of every moment.

I've read Melanie's blog and listened to her podcast for years, and I love all of her other books.  I was so excited to read this one and it did not disappoint.  Melanie's writing never fails to make me laugh out loud.  She has a way with words that can make you laugh and make you think and make you cry, all in one chapter.  

I just went to the library today and re-stocked, so I am all set for the next few weeks!  Did you read anything great this month?