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Nothing Like I Imagined (Except for Sometimes) #5
Once Upon a Time in Silver Lake
All Mindy Kaling wants is a night out…but what does the scary stranger in the driver’s seat of her ride want? Find out in a nerve-racking minidrama by the New York Times bestselling author of Why Not Me?
When Mindy and her best friend, B.J. Novak, are approached on a dark street by a Charles Manson–esque character, naturally they’re unnerved. Turns out he’s a huge fan of The Office! Now Mindy’s feeling a little judgy. But the night is young, unseasonably hot, and getting weirder. Mindy and B.J.’s brief encounter with the drifter is about to take an unexpected turn in Sunset Junction.
From the acclaimed writer, actor, director, producer, and New York Times bestselling author comes Nothing Like I Imagined. In these essays, Mindy Kaling shares the latest chapters of a multitasking life in Hollywood. Read or listen to them in a single setting. Either way, they’re pitch-perfect.
When Mindy and her best friend, B.J. Novak, are approached on a dark street by a Charles Manson–esque character, naturally they’re unnerved. Turns out he’s a huge fan of The Office! Now Mindy’s feeling a little judgy. But the night is young, unseasonably hot, and getting weirder. Mindy and B.J.’s brief encounter with the drifter is about to take an unexpected turn in Sunset Junction.
From the acclaimed writer, actor, director, producer, and New York Times bestselling author comes Nothing Like I Imagined. In these essays, Mindy Kaling shares the latest chapters of a multitasking life in Hollywood. Read or listen to them in a single setting. Either way, they’re pitch-perfect.
11 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2020
980 people are currently reading
11612 people want to read
About the author
Mindy Kaling
31 books251k followersMindy Kaling is an actor, writer, producer, and director. She currently stars in the Hulu original comedy series “The Mindy Project," which she also writes and executive produces.
Before "The Mindy Project," Mindy was best known for her work on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning NBC show “The Office.” In addition to directing, producing, and portraying celebrity-obsessed Kelly Kapoor, Mindy wrote 18 episodes of the series, including the Emmy nominated episode “Niagra.”
In 2011, Mindy penned the comedic memoir Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns), which continues to be featured on New York Times’ and USA Today’s best-seller lists. Mindy’s second memoir Why Not Me? was released in September 2015 and launched at #1 on the New York Times’ best-seller list.
In 2005, Mindy made her film debut as the object of Paul Rudd's unwanted affections in Judd Apatow’s THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN. Most recently, Mindy lent her voice to the character Disgust in the Oscar-winning Pixar animated film INSIDE OUT alongside Amy Poehler and Bill Hader, and was seen in THE NIGHT BEFORE alongside Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She will next begin production on OCEAN’S 8 alongside Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway.
Mindy was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2012. In 2014, she was named one of Glamour’s women of the year.
Before "The Mindy Project," Mindy was best known for her work on the critically acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning NBC show “The Office.” In addition to directing, producing, and portraying celebrity-obsessed Kelly Kapoor, Mindy wrote 18 episodes of the series, including the Emmy nominated episode “Niagra.”
In 2011, Mindy penned the comedic memoir Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns), which continues to be featured on New York Times’ and USA Today’s best-seller lists. Mindy’s second memoir Why Not Me? was released in September 2015 and launched at #1 on the New York Times’ best-seller list.
In 2005, Mindy made her film debut as the object of Paul Rudd's unwanted affections in Judd Apatow’s THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN. Most recently, Mindy lent her voice to the character Disgust in the Oscar-winning Pixar animated film INSIDE OUT alongside Amy Poehler and Bill Hader, and was seen in THE NIGHT BEFORE alongside Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She will next begin production on OCEAN’S 8 alongside Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway.
Mindy was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2012. In 2014, she was named one of Glamour’s women of the year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
December 26, 2023
Mindy tells us about an adventurous trip to a restaurant with her best friend, B.J.Novak. A drifter gets into their car in the parking lot and attempts to steal B.J.'s laptop.
This book's main content is the conversations and attempts to prevent the drifter from escaping.
My favorite three lines from this book.
“In Boston, where I grew up, drifters looked like regular people. But in LA, they have a different deal. More often than not, they came out here to make it in the music industry or show business, and then things went sideways. They're like mottled, leathery versions of handsome movie stars you might know."
“It was too much, but at the time, I felt invincible.”
"Honestly, if someone had explained climate change to me in the context of how it would affect the comfort of my pregnancy, I would have been Greta Thunberg."
Mindy, with her usual sense of humor, tries to describe an experience that could have easily turned into a disaster in her own funny way.
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October 16, 2020
....I don't know even know what this was? Was it supposed to be a funny story? Cause Kaling telling how when she went out 8 months pregnant with B.J. Novak and someone broke into his car was not funny? It wasn't even outrageous. I felt for the man in this story who definitely sounded like he had a mental problem that seemed to be glossed over so we can hear how Kaling reacted to this whole thing. I don't know what she was going for her, but it didn't work. I sent the other short stories back to the Zon cause I just don't have the patience for them at all today.
March 9, 2021
Honestly, any BJ/Mindy story is a hit, I'd have fun reading their dry cleaning receipts. But this is sufficiently more fun than that.
A really mellow drifter attempts to steal B.J's laptop. The drifter posing as an Office fan. B.J interrogating while Mindy blocks his exit via pining him in the driver's seat by standing in front of the door and her 8th month pregnant belly. A story!
Confirmation that B.J. is the exactly the type of person to leave a messenger bag in his fancy car at all times. Tell me something I don't know.
Further proof of close friendship, Mindy loving to listen to B.J.'s entire retelling of a Charles Manson podcast. Them going to nice restaurants together for a night out. This is how I picture the weekend version of their friendship.
Now, I know that Mindy is one of the people that pronounces "picture" like "pitcher." And paJAMas instead of paJAmas. Cute.
Truly I loved all these essays for their humor and sincerity while providing no actual information about her life. The absolute talent.
That's a wrap!
A really mellow drifter attempts to steal B.J's laptop. The drifter posing as an Office fan. B.J interrogating while Mindy blocks his exit via pining him in the driver's seat by standing in front of the door and her 8th month pregnant belly. A story!
Confirmation that B.J. is the exactly the type of person to leave a messenger bag in his fancy car at all times. Tell me something I don't know.
Further proof of close friendship, Mindy loving to listen to B.J.'s entire retelling of a Charles Manson podcast. Them going to nice restaurants together for a night out. This is how I picture the weekend version of their friendship.
Now, I know that Mindy is one of the people that pronounces "picture" like "pitcher." And paJAMas instead of paJAmas. Cute.
Truly I loved all these essays for their humor and sincerity while providing no actual information about her life. The absolute talent.
That's a wrap!
November 26, 2020
I love reading about her friendship with BJ. Her outlook on life is generally very funny, she makes the most ordinary day-to-day activity sound funny.
The only downside is the fact that this could´ve been part of one book with essays instead of publishing it separately.
The only downside is the fact that this could´ve been part of one book with essays instead of publishing it separately.
October 11, 2020
We've been watching the Mindy Project (a rewatch for me, first time for my husband) so when I saw this series of six essays by Mindy Kaling it was an obvious download. The Kindle version is free to Amazon Prime members and after you download them you can access the audio free as well. Obviously I listened to this in audio read by the author - this is a buddy adventure story about Mindy and BJ Novak, one night in Los Angeles....
January 3, 2021
I love Mindy Kaling, so when she came out with 6 short stories on Audible I had to listen to them! This one did not disappoint. A great story to start off my 2021 reads :)
"All Mindy Kaling wants is a night out…but what does the scary stranger in the driver’s seat of her ride want? Find out in a nerve-racking minidrama by the New York Times bestselling author of Why Not Me?
When Mindy and her best friend, B.J. Novak, are approached on a dark street by a Charles Manson–esque character, naturally they’re unnerved. Turns out he’s a huge fan of The Office! Now Mindy’s feeling a little judgy. But the night is young, unseasonably hot, and getting weirder. Mindy and B.J.’s brief encounter with the drifter is about to take an unexpected turn in Sunset Junction."
"All Mindy Kaling wants is a night out…but what does the scary stranger in the driver’s seat of her ride want? Find out in a nerve-racking minidrama by the New York Times bestselling author of Why Not Me?
When Mindy and her best friend, B.J. Novak, are approached on a dark street by a Charles Manson–esque character, naturally they’re unnerved. Turns out he’s a huge fan of The Office! Now Mindy’s feeling a little judgy. But the night is young, unseasonably hot, and getting weirder. Mindy and B.J.’s brief encounter with the drifter is about to take an unexpected turn in Sunset Junction."
November 29, 2020
This is part of a collection of essays and I'm going to give it an overall rating of 3.5 rounded up to 4.
I listened to these on audio book and Mindy Kaling comes across as extremely personable and funny. It felt like i was listening to a friend tell me about her weekend.
I listened to these on audio book and Mindy Kaling comes across as extremely personable and funny. It felt like i was listening to a friend tell me about her weekend.
August 29, 2021
Starting this essay, I knew it would be good. I really enjoy Mindy's style of writing and how she relates her stories.
So this wasn't what I was expecting at all. I thought it would be another quip about being a woman, but it wasn't. It was a fun and somewhat scary story about an event in her life. It was pretty cool to read about, I might add, and only took 5 minutes!
Be sure to check out this essay and the other five as well!
So this wasn't what I was expecting at all. I thought it would be another quip about being a woman, but it wasn't. It was a fun and somewhat scary story about an event in her life. It was pretty cool to read about, I might add, and only took 5 minutes!
Be sure to check out this essay and the other five as well!
October 9, 2020
Nothing Like I Imagined
Since this is a collection of quick personal essays I’ve decided to review them all in one swoop anthology style.
Please Like Me (But Keep Away) - 4 Stars - This essay reviews the time when Mindy moved to LA to write for the office and had to find/make friends as an adult. A most daunting task indeed. She speaks of wanting a close group of girlfriends and even her experience in trying to join one and of how she somehow ended up with a male BFF. Making new friends as an adult is something I’ve yet to really be able to do though I will see my efforts have been less than minimal. I love my current tight knit friend group however I find being the only single, childless one to be alienating and I think it’s unfair to put more demands on their time than they already have but finding new people who I can demand spend time with is very difficult. I’ve said before that Mindy seems familiar and in this essay I see myself.
Kind of Hindu - 4.5 Stars - Something I’ve never considered about parenthood (because I haven’t had to) is religion. I’m sure as a member of a dominant religion I wouldn’t bat an eye at raising my child in a christian faith but what if said imaginary child had a father who was of a different faith. What would I do? So many questions that my mind starts to spin and I’ll save you the downward cycle but it’s an important responsibility. The story of her daughter’s Mundan ceremony is humorous from the outside but I’m sure traumatizing for both mama and daughter… and hair stylist. This is the kind of gem I’m happy she shared with the world. I feel like I learned something not only personal but cultural.
Help Is On the Way - 4 Stars - Admitting you need help is one of the hardest things to do as an adult. We make decisions and we feel like we should be able to handle the repercussions of these decisions. We follow the example our parents gave us and think we should be able to do it too. That is why Mindy struggles so hard with the decision of hiring a baby nurse. It’s nothing her mother would have done. It is nothing she was culturally raised to do but it turned out to be one of the best experiences of her life.
Searching for Coach Taylor - 4 Stars - In this essay we explore single parent pity and what it means to have a husband or partner. Mindy handles it with her trademark wit and grace but makes some other really great points about the things you give up or have to negotiate about too.
Once Upon a Time in Silver Lake - 3 Stars - A short, weird tale of a night out with her best friend BJ. I’m not sure what we are supposed to derive from the story. It a good party antidote though.
Big Shot - 4 Stars - Mindy shares a lesson she learned about generosity and expecting gratitude. She gives her readers endless curiosity over who “Max Davis” really is. She also shares a day in her life as a kind of bonus essay.
Wow the quality of these reviews really diminish. LOL
Since this is a collection of quick personal essays I’ve decided to review them all in one swoop anthology style.
Please Like Me (But Keep Away) - 4 Stars - This essay reviews the time when Mindy moved to LA to write for the office and had to find/make friends as an adult. A most daunting task indeed. She speaks of wanting a close group of girlfriends and even her experience in trying to join one and of how she somehow ended up with a male BFF. Making new friends as an adult is something I’ve yet to really be able to do though I will see my efforts have been less than minimal. I love my current tight knit friend group however I find being the only single, childless one to be alienating and I think it’s unfair to put more demands on their time than they already have but finding new people who I can demand spend time with is very difficult. I’ve said before that Mindy seems familiar and in this essay I see myself.
Kind of Hindu - 4.5 Stars - Something I’ve never considered about parenthood (because I haven’t had to) is religion. I’m sure as a member of a dominant religion I wouldn’t bat an eye at raising my child in a christian faith but what if said imaginary child had a father who was of a different faith. What would I do? So many questions that my mind starts to spin and I’ll save you the downward cycle but it’s an important responsibility. The story of her daughter’s Mundan ceremony is humorous from the outside but I’m sure traumatizing for both mama and daughter… and hair stylist. This is the kind of gem I’m happy she shared with the world. I feel like I learned something not only personal but cultural.
Help Is On the Way - 4 Stars - Admitting you need help is one of the hardest things to do as an adult. We make decisions and we feel like we should be able to handle the repercussions of these decisions. We follow the example our parents gave us and think we should be able to do it too. That is why Mindy struggles so hard with the decision of hiring a baby nurse. It’s nothing her mother would have done. It is nothing she was culturally raised to do but it turned out to be one of the best experiences of her life.
Searching for Coach Taylor - 4 Stars - In this essay we explore single parent pity and what it means to have a husband or partner. Mindy handles it with her trademark wit and grace but makes some other really great points about the things you give up or have to negotiate about too.
Once Upon a Time in Silver Lake - 3 Stars - A short, weird tale of a night out with her best friend BJ. I’m not sure what we are supposed to derive from the story. It a good party antidote though.
Big Shot - 4 Stars - Mindy shares a lesson she learned about generosity and expecting gratitude. She gives her readers endless curiosity over who “Max Davis” really is. She also shares a day in her life as a kind of bonus essay.
Wow the quality of these reviews really diminish. LOL
September 22, 2022
im dumb i didnt realize this was not an actual book its just like an "amazon story" so its like 10 pages long so its hard to rate it
but its a cute BJ novak/mindy kaling story and there wasn't even a big plot or anything but i just love BJ/Mindy
but its a cute BJ novak/mindy kaling story and there wasn't even a big plot or anything but i just love BJ/Mindy
July 14, 2021
A trip to a restaurant with pal B.J. Novak yields disappointment, and unpleasant surprises in the shortest essay so far.
Read
October 8, 2020Funny essay about a night out with BJ Novak and a homeless person. So funny! I just love the way she tells a story!
May 15, 2021
Charles Manson stuff is pretty freaky
Read
January 12, 2021I love random "WTF THAT COULD NEVER HAPPEN STORIES" and this is just that.
December 10, 2020
I really did not get the point of this story and didn't find it funny. Normally I really like Mindy Kaling and the type of humor she provides with her sharp observations and witty language. This particular story felt pointless to me and I didn't understand why it was supposed to be funny. In fact, I found it kind of disturbing for a couple reasons. This is my first read in her new short story collection and I'm hoping the other stories are better.
March 26, 2021
This essay was just okay. Not my favorite of the collection but still somewhat entertaining. I also love to hear about Mindy and B.J.'s friendship so that was a plus. I do think Mindy Kaling can make any situation funny in her own over the top way.
December 29, 2022
Strange things can happen to anyone, even celebrities. Mindy and her friend B. J. Novak headed out for dinner one night. After parking their car, a drifter came upon them and, recognizing that they were from The Office, chatted them up for a few seconds before everyone moved along. The drifter never really moved along, and the rest of the evening turned out very interesting. Kaling's creepy story is told in her typical humorous fashion. This is the fifth in the six-part "Nothing Like I Imagined" series.
October 16, 2020
Mindy's obviously a great storyteller and as I was reading, I could just picture everything that played out, almost as if I were watching a show; I could totally see how each essay could be turned into one-off episodes on YouTube. Anyways, the drifter incident was bizarre and the Mindy-B.J. duo were hilarious, but the best part was how Mindy summed up her reaction to the drifter (and all of his weirdness) with a "y tho?".
February 28, 2023
“Honestly, if someone had explained climate change to me in the context of how it would affect the comfort of my pregnancy, I would have been Greta Thunberg.”
this quote sums of this story pretty well.
if you enjoy self absorbed privileged stories that are told in a tone of: you can’t believe the crazy thing that happened but let me tell you in the worst way!
wasn’t for me - wouldn’t say it’s worth reading and honestly why?! can someone tell me what the point of this was?
this quote sums of this story pretty well.
if you enjoy self absorbed privileged stories that are told in a tone of: you can’t believe the crazy thing that happened but let me tell you in the worst way!
wasn’t for me - wouldn’t say it’s worth reading and honestly why?! can someone tell me what the point of this was?
October 10, 2020
3.5 stars. I'm giving all 6 essays in this collection the same rating since it *is* a collection. Mindy is a fantastic writer but I mostly found this collection "meh". Perhaps it's because there were only 6 so I felt dissatisfied--I don't know. I just didn't feel as connected to her as I did in her previous books. I'd still recommend the collection--it's a fast and light read, and Mindy's writing voice is extremely personable.
December 18, 2020
Didn't see that coming
Quick easy read. I took a break reading and came back a few days later to finish the story and got confused. I had to backtrack to make sense of it all, but you won't have that problem if you read straight through.
Quick easy read. I took a break reading and came back a few days later to finish the story and got confused. I had to backtrack to make sense of it all, but you won't have that problem if you read straight through.
November 7, 2021
When Goodreads sends you a list of "short books" to read because they think you won't meet your reading challenge for the year, it's time to read some essays that for some reason count as books. This was one of them and it was very funny.
October 7, 2020
This one is kinda eerie and hilarious.
December 31, 2020
My least favorite of these pieces...
February 11, 2021
I love Mindy’s short essays about different stories in her life.
March 17, 2021
Not as good as the other stories I read, but still entertaining. I would have definitely called the cops though. :|
May 17, 2021
One of the most entertaining stories of this collection for sure. Mindy tells the story of an interaction with a drifter that will make you laugh and shake your head. 5⭐
January 3, 2022
very cute little essay. I love Mindy Kaling!!!
December 15, 2022
Who let this be published? Not worthy of a review and it was a waste of my time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews