February was another great reading month! I set a mental goal at the beginning of the month to finish two more books, and I followed through!
After looking through my book collection, I decided to set a goal of reading BOTH of Mindy Kaling's books in one month. I figured if I was reading the same author, it would be easier to complete both in this time frame.
The books were incredible- I could barely put them down all month long. I spent a lot of time getting lost in the pages and laughing out loud on my lunch break at Cracker Barrel. (AKA my guilty pleasure.)
This is Mindy's first book, published in 2011. If you haven't heard of Mindy Kaling, she is a writer and actress, best known for her role as Kelly Kapoor on The Office. Fun fact: Mindy is credited for writing over 18 episodes of The Office, including the episode "Niagara," which was nominated for an Emmy, and is also the episode where Jim and Pam get married, NBD. If at this point you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, go binge-watch The Office and thank me later.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is a glimpse into Mindy's life, from childhood to adulthood, and ultimately how she landed her role on the show. The book doesn't necessarily read in order of occurrence, but Mindy writes it in a way that not only feels like you are talking to a friend, but also in a way that allows you to laugh, literally out loud, at the sarcasm and comedy she draws from her experiences.
I loved that in one chapter, she talks about growing up as a chubby child and "Duante Diallo", and in the next chapter, she talks about how "hooking up" is confusing. It's a little all over the place, but somehow it all makes sense, like reading short essays that are all connected with the same cast of characters. She includes pictures, which is the BEST; I love putting a face to a name. I enjoyed reading about her triumphs and her struggles, and all of her thoughts sprinkled throughout.
"If someone called me chubby, it would no longer be something that kept me up late at night. Duante Diallo has no power over me anymore, unless he was deported and he's grown up to be an African warlord or something and has a machete. Being called fat is not like being called stupid or unfunny, which is the worst thing you could ever say to me."
I give it a: 5/5
Mindy's second book was published in 2015; the same year Hulu picked up the show The Mindy Project after it was cancelled by FOX after its third season. Mindy is both the creator and star of The Mindy Project. (Which you can binge on Hulu like me!) The show continued to air for three additional seasons after the pickup- nice work, Hulu.
Why Not Me? is structured very similar to the first book; a variety of topics that somehow come together perfectly. In this book, Mindy talks about her new show, her relationship with B.J. Novak, (AKA Soup Snakes) and includes her speech she gave to the Harvard Law graduating class of 2014. You feel sad when she talks about losing her mom, and you laugh again when she explains her first interaction with Bradley Cooper.
This book felt like the perfect continuation of the first. You learn even more about Mindy and her thoughts on life. PLUS there's even more pictures.
"People get scared when you try to do something, especially when it looks like you're succeeding. People do not get scared when you're failing. It calms them. That's why the show Intervention is a hit and everyone loves "worrying about" Amanda Bynes. But when you're winning, it makes them feel like they're losing or, worse yet, that maybe they should've tried to do something too, but now it's too late. And since they didn't, they want to stop you. You can't let them."
I give it a: 5/5
*****
After reading both books, I basically want to be Mindy Kaling's best friend. What I love most is that she is so unapologetically herself, which is something that can appear uncommon in the celebrity world. She's very straightforward about her appearance and her ambition and I LOVE IT. Her confidence is contagious, yet I'm so glad that she addresses how she doesn't always feel perfect.
I loved these books so much that I dove right in to the first season of The Mindy Project and I can't get enough of it. Mindy is providing the laughs I think we could all use.
"I will leave you with one last piece of advice, which is: If you've got it, flaunt it. And if you don't got it? Flaunt it. 'Cause what are we even doing here if we're not flaunting it? And that, my friends, shall go on my tombstone."
"I will leave you with one last piece of advice, which is: If you've got it, flaunt it. And if you don't got it? Flaunt it. 'Cause what are we even doing here if we're not flaunting it? And that, my friends, shall go on my tombstone."
On to the next,
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