Continuing with my summer-vacation, female comedian books, I read Tina Fey's memoir, Bossypants on my trip to Europe.
PLOT - Tina Fey recounts her childhood in Pennsylvania, including her awkward beginnings in high school theatre. She transitions to her start in improv, leading to her work on SNL and 30 Rock. A large chunk of her memoir deals with her thoughts on balancing work and home; being a wife, mother, and boss.
LIKE- As any of her fans would guess, Bossypants is hilarious. What I found most funny, was the subtle observations, the way that she describes the people that populate her world. She's a keen observer and has a quirky sense of expressing those observations. I giggled many times while reading, causing people to give me funny side-glances on the plane. Awkward! In particular, I liked her high school drama adventures and the story of her father, Don Fey. Funny stuff.
I liked Fey's thoughts on "having it all". Always busy, Fey especially struggled to find balance while working as a showrunner on 30 Rock. She was working insane hours, at the helm of a hit show and trying to be present for her family, including a young child. The conclusion? You can "have it all", but you may need to let some things go. In Fey's case, it was cutting herself some slack when life doesn't go as planned. It was letting go of some of the perfectionism and control. I thought this was solid self-care advice that most people should listen to.
Having just taken a cruise, I got a kick out of Fey's honeymoon story...the cruise trip from hell. It cracked me up and made me feel better about the less-than-ideal parts of my own cruise vacation.
DISLIKE- Nothing. Bossypants was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I laughed, but also found her ideas to be thought provoking. Fun, but not fluff.
RECOMMEND- Yes. Bossypants is definitely a must for Fey fans or fans of her shows, as she gives an interesting insider look into SNL and 30 Rock. It's also a strong pick for women. Fey is a great role model and dispenses solid advice/observations on women in business, body image and perfectionism. Fey just might change your definition of what it means to "have it all".