In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life

by Amy Schneider

An inspirational and bold memoir from the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy! —and an exploration of what it means to ask questions of the world and of yourself.

In eighth grade, Amy was voted “Most likely to appear on Jeopardy! ” by her classmates. Decades later, this trailblazer finally got her chance. Not only did she walk away with $1.3 million while captivating the world with her impressive forty-game winning streak, but she made history and won an even greater prize—the joy of being herself on national television and blazing a trail for openly queer and transgender people around the world. Now, she shares her singular journey that led to becoming an unlikely icon and hero to millions. Her super Boundless curiosity and fearless questioning.

In the Form of a Question explores some of the innumerable topics that have fascinated Amy throughout her life—books and music, Tarot and astrology, popular culture and computers, sex and relationships—but they all share the same to illustrate, and celebrate, the results of a lifetime spent asking, why?

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, LGBT, Queer, Biography, Biography Memoir

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

Amy Schneider (born May 29, 1979) is an American writer and game show contestant. Winning forty consecutive games on the quiz show Jeopardy! from November 2021 to January 2022 and the November 2022 Tournament of Champions, Amy holds the second-longest win streak in the program's history, behind only Ken Jennings (seventy-four games), who hosted the show as Amy competed. Amy is the most successful transgender contestant ever to compete on the show, in terms of both length of streak and Amy's $1.6 million in winnings.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A biography probably should not make you like it's writer less after reading it. I hate giving this book two stars (because I feel like anyone transphobic looking for a reason to hate on her will take any excuse, rather than the fact that I just didn't connect. Plus, I'd probably give it 2.5 if I could) but it gave me almost none of the insight I came to the book looking for. I am a big Jeopardy fan, and I would have loved to hear more about that experience and the experience of having such a long winnging streak/being on TOC or Masters... but there was little of that. There is, however, a chapter on the show Daria. Don't get me wrong, I like Daria, but that insight is not why I picked up this book, you know? Just bummed my hopes for this book and the reality of its content are not aligned.

[Shruthi]

file this under "books where I am the direct target audience"

[jazmin ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Simon and Schuster CA for providing an ARC of In The Form of a Question in exchange for an honest review.

so… this was incredibly fun. first of all, i love the way that amy writes. i’m sure some people will find it a bit odd, but as a fellow ADHD haver, i write exactly the same way, so it was an extremely comfortable read. and the footnotes? hilarious! perfect!

i loved the diversity of topics discussed in this book; while we obviously want to know about her time on jeopardy, you’ll leave this book knowing so much more about amy’s life in general. (although i will admit, the jeopardy sections were some of my favourites.)

p.s. as i write this review, i'm wearing my favourite tarot card earrings which just so happen to be featured on the cover of this book. so, love that.

highly recommend for jeopardy fans! and amy fans :)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

my carrd ❦

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I like Amy Schneider while she was on Jeopardy!, but now that I've read this book, I LOVE Amy Schneider, and I want to be her friend. This is not the sweet "I was a Jeopardy champion" book I was expecting - this is the book of Amy's truth and she does not pull any punches. It is chock full of revelations I was not expecting, and really gave me more insight into who she is. And when you read this book - DO NOT SKIP THE FOOTNOTES - Amy is particularly snarky and hysterical in her footnotes. Way to go, Amy!

[Shana Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up to mitigate transphobes mindlessly rating it one star. This memoir-in-essays lacked coherence and would’ve benefited from more thoughtful edits. Many essays included language of “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, I just needed to get this to my editor” and it very much felt that way. While memoirs can be successful with a nonlinear timeline, here it was discombobulating and it did not serve a purpose.

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging memoir from Jeopardy champion Amy Schneider, born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, who moved to Oakland, California as an adult and never left. Each chapter title is a question and cover topics thematically rather than chronologically. Schneider is very forthcoming and honest, writing about everything from her transition, her open marriage, her first sexual experiences, recreational drug use, polyamory, community theater, relationship with her parents and more. She has a humorous and yet compassionate voice, relating tales of her hatred of boy scouts, ADD, and failures to understand her own gender without belittling her younger self. Towards the ends of the book she writes of her experience of fame and what she got out of her time on Jeopardy saying that stepping into the public eye as a trans woman and being met mostly with support and love changed her life as much as the 1.5 million she won over a 40 game winning streak and various other tournaments. If you are a fan of Jeopardy, or just curious, this is a fun listen.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @netgalley and @avidreaderpress for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
“An inspirational and bold memoir from the most successful woman ever to compete on Jeopardy! – and an exploration of what it means to ask questions of the world and of yourself.”
I feel kind of funny rating this memoir 2.5 stars because a memoir is someone’s lived experience and how they choose to share it with the world. But I was unfortunately disappointed with this one.
To start, I didn’t like the writing style. I found it unnecessarily descriptive and crude but beyond that, there were so many footnotes that were actually more like commentary on the actual text. They mostly seemed unnecessary or like they could have just been included in the actual text.
This book was more like a series of essays, with each chapter on a specific topic. Some parts were interesting but the chapters seemed to be all over the place with no specific order. I also thought some of the chapters were unnecessary and I skimmed a lot.
Ultimately, I thought this book would be a lot more about Jeopardy than it actually was. Amy writes about the fame she experienced after winning on Jeopardy, her love of learning, and the responsibilities of being trans in public. It’s clear that her time on Jeopardy had a profound impact on her life, as she writes “until I appeared on television, I did not believe that I could ever be accepted for who I was.” However, she doesn’t really write about the jeopardy experience itself, and, to me, that was disappointing.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book, and I enjoyed learning more about Amy and her life, but the organization was a bit off from my liking, and I felt that the footnotes were distracting and could have simply existed within the text.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d give it 2 1/2 stars. Ireally enjoyed watching Amy on Jeopardy. She is a smart woman with a very likable personality, so I was excited to read her book. She is an advocate & role model for transgender young people, and I was interested in hearing her life story. Unfortunately, the book had many crass & vulgar parts to it & that was disappointing for me. I’m sure writing the book was cathartic for her, but some of the things were just TMI. The chapters about drug use & sexual encounters were explicit & I could see that to be off putting to people that were already anti trans. I’m assuming she just wanted to honestly tell her life story, but for me it was TMI

[Elysse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am comforted that we live in a time where a trans person can produce a boring memoir about their totally normal life. (I say that not as a slam, but with love as a nonbinary person)

I wanted to hear more about Amy’s experience on Jeopardy (how she prepped, what it felt like to record episodes, etc.), but it was a surprising afterthought (given the title of the book…) left to the last chapter. I really hope Amy felt she had agency over what she shared and wasn’t pressured to make her experiences seem more “extra” to sell books.

Also, who edited this book? This book is so confusing and not helped by the way it’s organized (seemingly at random? Who chose the questions/topics for each chapter?). It doesn’t flow at all. There are things mentioned that are never explained (Amy has a podcast?), and there are chapters that don’t talk about anything (Daria, tarot cards). It’s strange in a way that I can’t wrap my head around. I’ve never seen a more aimless memoir. Maybe that means it wasn’t the right time to write one?

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was one of many captivated by Amy and her run on Jeopardy!, cheering when she won the championship the way others might for a Super Bowl win. Now, in her first book, she talks about a variety of things, much like the quiz show does-- a few of those being her childhood in the Midwest, her transition, her ADD, and of course how all of that and more brought her to the top of one of America's favorite game shows. Her voice completely shines through in this autobiographical debut-- and I can't wait to see what she does next!

[Albie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a memoir I've waited for for a very long time. Ever since I saw her winning streak on Jeopardy!, I knew I wanted to learn so much about her. She has a plethora of knowledge and it's fascinating to see.
I love Amy. I think there was some interesting chapters in this book that explored her journey with being trans, navigating school, relationships, etc. Those were some great chapters to read! However, there were some chapters that fell completely flat. I think the show Daria is great, too, but I didn't need a whole chapter about it. I also didn't need a whole chapter about Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue or about tarot cards. I think this book would've benefitted from more about her time on Jeopardy!. Amy is in her 40's, so I think I just wanted more in depth stories about her life and journeys so far.
I don't want to ridicule her for not sharing more personal information about her life, because we aren't entitled to information she doesn't feel like sharing.
This review is based off of just yearning for more Jeopardy! specifics, as that's why we all know and love her.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am old. I don’t know many LGBTQ people. So getting a behind the scenes look at a trans life I thought would be helpful, and I was curious. ( A word she calls herself). She has a quirky way of writing. She tells a story with all these footnotes that for the most part seem to be snarky comments about what she just wrote. I found that annoying so about halfway through I just stopped reading the short ones. Idoubt I missed anything. The other thing is this is more a stream of consciousness book. Her chapters are in the form of a question which I admit is a cute idea for a Jeopardy champ. But they are all over the place so you don’t get a “biography” in a linear way as you would expect. She is brutally real in relating her life, self-deprecating comes to mind. A home life that is probably something all Catholics from a certain time frame can relate too. I wish her well. I’m guessing a million bucks will help with that.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to start by saying that Amy Schneider is one of my all time favorite Jeopardy contestants. With that being said, I was disappointed with her memoir. I get that writing a book must be very difficult and something I would never attempt to do. The impression I got was that she was offered a bunch of money to write a book, procrastinated writing the book realizing it’s not easy, had deadlines to meet so decided to up her word count by writing lengthy descriptions of Tarot cards, the cartoon Daria and other nonsense. Maybe a ghost writer would have been a good idea.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wait-what the fuck did I just read!?
I am a Jeopardy fanatic and my family loves Amy Schneider-this book was a no brainer for me. The subtitle: joys and rewards of a curious life-so enticing. Now that I’m done with the book I’d like to complete the thesis so you can decide if this book is for you.

The joys and rewards of a curious life are piles of coke and blow jobs from strangers.

Like what!!??

No shade, Amy seems like a messy bitch that I would love to hang out with….like that messy friend you see once a year because it takes you that long to recover physically and mentally. And oh yeah, you know that friend is talking big shit about you behind your back.

This book probably shouldn’t have gotten made. To hide the fact that this book has no clear throughway it’s set up as a series of questions which are typically answered in he corresponding essays (although sometimes they’re so off track that you don’t really get an answer). Cute organization though, I’m in. What wait….”how did you lose your virginity?”Amy, you’re a Jeopardy champ. Who’s asking you this question?? I have never cringed harder than listening to the detailed (DETAILED) description of her encounter with a sex worker. I wonder what Amy did to piss off her editor so much that this is the wackadoo product that got put out in the world.

All that being said…I’d love to be on Jeopardy someday so I can ask Ken if he’s ever done shrooms with Amy and, follow up, can I get invited to the next Jeopardy champ party.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge Jeopardy fan and could not wait to read Amy’s book. I followed her Jeopardy journey and loved her! But, the glorification of recreational drug use was very upsetting and off putting. It is sprinkled throughout the book, so I couldn’t just skip that part. There is an entire chapter about the show Daria. There is also a chapter that teaches about taro cards. Instead of sticking to describing how the taro cards apply to Amy’s life, there is a lesson on the meaning of taro cards and a primer on what each card means. I wanted to read an autobiography, not an introduction to taro card reading. The book jumps around and is hard to follow the time periods.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. I loved the beginning of this book. But, the more I got to know her the less I wanted to know. About halfway through I completely lost interest.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on an advance reader copy.

TLDR: Interesting book organized like a collection of essays that is mostly about Schneider finding and getting comfortable with herself and is disappointingly light on her experiences with/on Jeopardy.

So, this was an interesting book but ended up being a bit disappointing. As others have noted, Schneider is famous for being on Jeopardy and I would have liked to see more on her experience with that in this book. Overall though, it was interesting. We have lived very different lives and I have to admit there is a lot we definitely don't agree on (like drugs being awesome and not ruining that many lives, but I've just seen too many of the negative effects to mess with that), so it was interesting to read about a different perspective.

I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised when Schneider mentioned right at the beginning of the book that one of the advantages she had was being seen as a male for most of her adult life (so far). As a woman in a (very) male dominated field, I especially appreciate it because even in 2023 it can be very difficult to be taken seriously. I know it definitely isn't all sunshine and flowers to be trans, but at my old job I got sick of hearing about how there was no sexism because "Sally" from [other department] had been a respected expert in her field for over TWENTY YEARS! Well...until about 3 years before, Sally had been "Kevin", which is how she gained their respect. Now (or at least, when I left) she had retained her job with the added benefit of being trotted out uncomfortably all the time so they could show how non-discriminatory they are. Yup. No sexism here. This is the same place where the managers sat me down to talk about how I needed to wear heels, jewelry and makeup while the men would come in disheveled in black jeans and shirts that looked like they were crumpled up in the bottom of the hamper 5 minutes before. Anyway, long rant, sorry, but thank you Amy for your acknowledgement.

Now back to the book itself. Each chapter is basically an essay on Schneider's thoughts about a particular subject. That's fine, but it isn't great as a cohesive narrative as it jumps around a lot. Most of them were interesting, though written in a chatty, sometimes snarky way (with the footnotes) that I understand doesn't appeal to everyone. One exception to the chapters being interesting was the chapter on tarot. The descriptions of each of the cards just seemed like filler and was quite boring.

In several places in the book, Schneider talks about "clues" that she might have picked up on earlier that showed she was trans. This bothered me, because this is reinforcement of the 1950s gender norms from someone who is (seemingly) very progressive. American girl books and dolls are for girls, wine coolers are for girls, playing outside in the dirt and camping is only for boys... Stop perpetuating the stereotypes! If girls want to play in the mud with their Tonka trucks and boys want to do themselves up and make them look pretty, let them!

Another thing that was mildly irritating every now and then throughout the book was the white Californian liberal snottiness where they have to show how progressive they are by standing up for us "people of color" and getting offended for us on our behalf. It felt like she threw some mentions in the book only to act offended and show how much she is trying to help us. Fortunately, these instances were few because I deal with this every day and am so sick of it. Yes, good for you. You're not a racist.

There were also a few times when she threw facts out there and said "but I didn't fact check this". I mean...aren't facts kind of your whole brand?

That's really all about the book. Now a quick rant since bathrooms was one of the topics in this book. If you are going to claim you are a trans woman and use the women's bathroom, you can sit your ass down or do the squatty like we have to. None of this peeing standing up and dribbling all down the side of the bowl and on the floor and making a giant mess and then leaving the seat up. Especially when there is a line!

Also, as a note in case Ms. Schneider reads this. From one of the "unenlightened monogamists": for most of us, sex isn't magical. It IS the emotional aspect of it that is the troublesome bit. Plus diseases and surprise pregnancies, of course. The thing is, sex often leads to emotional attachment as hormones are released during sex that encourage bonding. Not saying polyamory doesn't work. I'm just saying that this is why most of us don't do it.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightful.

I'm relieved to see the negative reviews on here aren't the stygian cesspit of hatred I expected, but I'm disappointed to see how many are reviewing this book based on what they wanted it to be rather than what it actually is. I don't think it's that hard to read the flap and flip through the pages to see this isn't the dance you want Amy to do for you, so criticizing the book for your lack of diligence as a consumer is a tad unfair.

The writing felt eerily similar to my own rambling facebook posts or essays I write and never share anywhere, littered with asides and footnotes. As a wise person said to me of ADHD earlier this year, "You use parentheses and em-dashes and footnotes constantly because every thought comes with bonus content." The same goes for the wonderful chapter, "How did you get so smart?" (or similar, I'm too lazy to go downstairs to get the book to check); the love of learning and ever-expanding web of connected knowledge is so reminiscent of my own approach to training for Jeopardy (and life in general). I sincerely want to know if Amy was also a fan of James Burke's "Connections" series, which had a profound impact on my own adolescence.

But, more importantly, it felt genuine. It's a fascinating glimpse into things I do not and probably cannot ever truly understand, with the bonus of a little peek behind the curtain of life after being catapulted into fame so abruptly.

It's an inspiration for my own dream of making it to the Jeopardy stage. My experience of having done a couple of auditions with no success is less disheartening after reading yet another account of a mega-champion who went through the same thing.

If Amy could find the courage to step in front of those cameras and bare her true self to millions, then what the fuck is my excuse.

Lately I've been reading very slowly because I'm utterly exhausted at the end of the day and just want sweet unconsciousness to take me away from the constant anxiety and sadness that has been all of 2023 so far. I can think of no higher praise for this book than to say I reverted to my old habit of reading until about 2am and finished this entire thing in two sittings.

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeopardy is an important part of our dinner plans every night. Beginning in November of 2022, My husband and I were among the Americans who watched Amy Schneider during her lengthy winning run on jeopardy. She was always so smart, respectable and conservatively dressed. While on occasion she showed her humor, there was nothing in her stage persona to expect snarkiness.

Having finished her memoir, In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life, I can say that Amy is a little zany. I wasn't expecting her to be the kind of person who hung out in a bar giving tarot card readings, but turns out she is.

I appreciated that she took the time to answer her particular question about transitioning, because truthfully I was curious. That was answered and some which were not even on my jeopardy board.

She is opinionated and some of those opinions will be a bit surprising. I love that she has footnotes throughout the book and read every one of them.

I would have loved more info about Jeopardy, but this is Amy's book and Amy's story.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Form of a Question was a perfectly enjoyable memoir that held my attention while I was reading it. In some ways, though, it was a frustrating memoir as there were glimpses of a more complicated, rawer narrative underneath the surface but In the Form of a Question stays very surface level.

C/W:drug use

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! I recommend listening to the audiobook. Amy reads it well. There were chapters that I really enjoyed and other chapters that were slow for me. Overall, I enjoyed learning more about Amy!

[Max Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobooked.

I really enjoyed this book, and I’m so grateful for it. This was my most anticipated book of 2023, and it didn’t let me down. Man, we are so lucky to have Amy Schneider.

This is exactly what I was looking for in this book. Now, some people are inevitably going to be upset with this book. This book does not focus primarily on Amy’s Jeopardy experience, but Amy herself and her lived experiences. If anyone goes into this without that understanding, I’m sorry but that’s no one’s fault but your own.

This book is so rich and valuable for so many reasons. Amy carries herself through this book with such vulnerability and honesty, and that is the blessing that is offered to us here. For so many, this book is a validation. Amy explores her upbringings in Ohio, her explanation with gender, relationships, and sexuality, as well as the highs and lows of fame and success as a trans woman in modern society.

I appreciated the lack of Jeopardy in this book. If that’s what you’re looking for, listen to one of the countless podcasts that she is on talking about exactly that. This book is about Amy, plain and simple. I can’t say enough how much of a blessing it is to get to know Amy through this lens and on her journey. There is something in here for everyone. Amy has a friend in me.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 72 of 2024: In the Form of a Question by Amy Schneider

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In eighth grade, Amy was voted “Most likely to appear on Jeopardy!” by her classmates. Decades later, she finally got her chance. Not only did she walk away with $1.3 million while captivating the world with her impressive forty-game winning streak, but she made history and won an even greater prize—being herself on national television and blazing a trail for openly queer and transgender people around the world. Now, she shares her journey that led to becoming an unlikely icon and hero to millions.

I loved Amy’s run on Jeopardy, and I was excited when I saw she had written a memoir. She is obviously insanely smart, and that definitely came across in her storytelling ability. I listened to this on audio, and she read it, which was a fun and special treat. I really loved getting to know more about her history and background, and appreciate how candid she was with sharing things that have happened throughout her life and in her transition. One thing, however, that really bothered me was how flippant she was about drug use. She spent a lot of time talking about how drug use has helped her cope through different difficulties throughout her life, but without at all addressing or acknowledging the dangers of using drugs. I understand that that is her personal experience, but I think it is very dangerous to talk about drug use to any audience without discussing any of its repercussions. This detracted from how much I otherwise enjoyed the book. At times, the chapters felt disjointed and felt more like an unconnected series of essays. For these reasons, I probably wouldn’t recommend this unless are very interested in learning more about Amy.

Please note that I consider myself a trans and LGBTQ+ ally and my critiques are only of the writing style of this memoir and not in any way of the LGBTQ+ community.

[Elizabeth7781 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like much of America, I was utterly charmed by Amy during her impressive run on JEOPARDY! and therefore excited to read her book. I expected Amy's warmth, humor and approachability on television to translate well to her written words - and they do, to a large extent. But I am baffled by Amy's focus, devoting a full third of the book to her sexual encounters, her drug use, an animated tv show, and her use of tarot cards. I can understand that Amy wants to share her authentic self with her readers, but those are not areas of her life that hold any interest for me. I wanted/expected to hear more about her time on JEOPARDY! and her mindset as she progressed further into her historic run. I did appreciate the chapters on Amy's life growing up in Ohio, navigating the school system (and life) with ADD, and especially her discussion on mental health.

Amy's book is delightfully annotated with footnotes. It took me a bit to get the hang of the back-and-forth, but I quite enjoyed it. Of course, I was thrilled to discover I knew a factoid (ok, ONE - but still!) that Amy didn't know (CRYSTAL GAYLE) but that is due more to my age than anything else. Amy wasn't even born when Crystal Gayle was singing her hits.

I wish Amy every success with this book and in her future endeavors.

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. I liked the hop around FAQ format, though I can see why some might find it off-putting. There aren't many memoirs that so fully mirror how the ADD brain works. Amy's struggles with that ADD, as well as confidence and social interaction have mirrored my own for parts of my life.

I especially enjoyed her discussion of Daria, and the All Star Cartoon specials, since I hold special places in my heart for both....

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not follow along for Amy's stint on Jeopardy but I was much more interested in her journey as a trans woman growing up in a Midwest Christian family. This memoir was great on audio read by the author and highly recommended for fans of authors like Rowan Jette Knox!

*ADD rep*

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always amazed at folks who bare all in their stories; mostly because that is something I could never do. I just wanted to hear about being smart and being on Jeopardy.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t been writing reviews lately, but this one compelled me due to how much I enjoyed it and some other reviews that I found a bit unfair. Amy Schneider (known primarily for her 40 game run on Jeopardy!) writes her memoir entitled “In the Form of a Question: the Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life” to dive into some questions that she has pondered and has been met with throughout her life. The book only touches on her Jeopardy! experiences in the last chapter of the book, and focuses more heavily on her struggles with identity and the process of transitioning, her relationships with others, and her consistent love of acquiring knowledge throughout her life. I found that the memoir offered some continuity, despite being more of a compilation of essays regarding different parts of Schneider’s life. It was interesting as the reader to hop around, and although not every chapter kept me as enthralled as others, I found that I was curious about her life and the journey that she had been on.

Before finishing the book, I took a look at reviews to see what other people had said after completing it. Surprisingly, a lot of reviews docked the memoir points as the book barely discusses Jeopardy! and Amy’s experience on it. I felt this was unfair, as the book never promised to be a Jeopardy! tell-all, but rather the background on how she got to where she is today. Additionally, I think some just didn’t get where she was going with some of the chapters (especially the one focused on the MTV show Daria). Amy has a very specific voice and as a reader, I enjoyed following her stream of consciousness, even if it did take me a moment to catch up with her. To me, this book was everything I want in a memoir - start from the beginning, give me background, tell me some interesting stories, and let me know who you really are as a person.

4.5 out of 5 stars 🌟

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not the target audience for this book; although I do love Jeopardy casually, I haven't seen any of the recent episodes and had no idea who Amy Schneider was (thankfully, the back of the book says "Who Is Amy Schneider?" followed by a blurb, so I didn't have to wonder for long). I picked this up for free as an ARC from my local bookstore with another purchase. The pickings were slim and this was one of the only free ARCs that appealed to me, so I gave it a shot.
Well..... I guess I do know a lot more about her now, but not the sorts of things I was actually wondering about what it's like to be a Jeopardy champion. The Jeopardy segments probably made up like, a chapter and a half. Questions I was NOT asking include "What was your experience with drugs?" and "How did you lose your virginity?" MAYBE this isn't a fair review because the whole book was me reading answers to questions I had mostly never wanted to ask about a complete stranger to me. However I kept finding myself wondering if even her biggest fans could possibly be asking these questions and wanting the answers. It did accomplish one thing: I will seek out her episodes so I can at least experience the iconic Jeopardy run in question (because I don't feel like I experienced it through this book) (again: not the target audience).