Bossypants: Origin to That's Don Fey (1-5)

[Brian]

At first I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book since it seems primarily about struggles to which I have difficulty relating. You know, because I leave the seat up and all that. However, after reading the introduction I'm actually looking forward to this. Tina Fey has already won me over and if the book is filled with the same amount of humility and comedic self-deprecation as the intro, it won't take long to finish.

Hope you all like the choice!

[Brian]

I've only gotten through the first couple of chapters but so far this book is pretty funny. I honestly didn't know she had a scar at all, but if any of you have similar "check up" experiences to hers... I'm just so happy I'm a guy. :P

[Mary]

I had to spend an hour waiting to see a doctor today (luckily not the kind with the milkshake blender), so I ended up finishing this whole section. Woo!

I'm loving it and how real it is. Sort of a modern version of "I feel bad for my neck."

The body image section (case of cokes wrapped in pilsbury dough) had me cracking up the most. She's incredibly easy for me to identify with

[Erika]

Loving the book so far, I am on Delaware County...

So far it is pretty funny, but as she is a bit older than me I am having trouble relating to some of the references.

I kind of want to know what happened to the kid who slashed her, I have always noticed her scar.

[Mary]

I think that's what I'm loving! She's probably less than 10 years older than me. I love the pop culture references. And still love homemade nachos :) I made some yesterday.

I also really love the chapter on her dad. It was so much like my own experience.

[Christine]

This book is cracking me up. At first I wasn't laughing too much and was kinda worried it was overhyped for me but I was LOL intermittently. The body part was very funny- I loved the lists.
I also enjoy how she relates her scar questioning to being able to tell what kind of a person she's encountering. My best friend has a huge scar from a dogbite on her face and I want to get her views on this.

Overall, almost done with this section and definitely finding it to be a page turner.

[Brian]

*Quoting the book here, so... SPOILER ALERT if we're doing that sort of thing. But this is the truest thing EVER if you've ever been in this situation:


"In my experience, the hardest thing about having someone “come out” to you is the “pretending to be surprised” part. You want him to feel like what he’s telling you is Big. It’s like, if somebody tells you they’re pregnant, you don’t say, “I did notice you’ve been eating like a hog lately.” Your gay friend has obviously made a big decision to say the words out loud. You don’t want him to realize that everybody’s known this since he was ten and he wanted to be Bert Lahr for Halloween. Not the Cowardly Lion, but Bert Lahr. “Oh, my gosh, no waaaay?” You stall, trying to think of something more substantial to say. “Is everyone, like, freaking out? What a… wow.”

This happened to my group of friends no more than a month ago and it is EXACTLY like that. So funny to read.

[Emily]

I probably would have never read this book but I am really enjoying it. Almost through the first section except my nook needed some charging (its been a few weeks) so now I am waiting to read!

[Mary]

I highlighted that section too Brian! I've also run into that before. The only time I can remember being shocked when someone came out was when I was 10 and found out my uncle was. And I was shocked because he'd been married and had three kids. But looking back at him, how was anyone surprised?

[Joanna]

This is kiiiiilling me. The book is out of control funny. I was in the lobby of the oil change place today cracking up!

Quote from the book- spoiler warning!

"To this day, all I know is there are between two and four openings down there and that the stetup inside looks vaguely like the Texas Longhorns logo."

Tears down my face laughing because this so adequately describes some of my friends' experiences.

Brian, how are you surviving those parts? Ha.

[Brian]

Haha, I started mentally preparing for this eventuality when I saw how the poll numbers were going. Being around the boards for so long has also somewhat prepared me.

Plus, if I can figure out how you crazy people think, I'll be that much further ahead when I start to date again! :P

[Mary]

You're not figuring how how we think, you're finding out why we're so crazy!! Do you want a milkshake blender shoved it you?? :)

[Emily Cheese]

I love:

"Nice tits!"
"Suck my dick!"

And crotch biscuits :)

She is hilarious.

[Kjistrouble]

Just got the book, so I'll be reading it now...

[Meaghan]

I actually got this book on tape, to listen in my car, and it was read by the author. It made it all the more funny. The way she throws things in under her voice and the changes in how she reads certain things make it all the more funny. Definitely recommend it!

[Mary]

This is definitely not a book I would normally read but I started it last night and I am flying through it and loving ever minute of it.

[Joanna]

Ooooh Meaghan- genius idea to get this on tape read by her! I think I'm doing it! I spend a TON of time driving, so this would be awesome!

[Jenna]

Just started it last night and just finished the Don Fey chapter... So far I'm really liking it!

I also LOLed at crotch biscuits lol

[Heatherlynn]

I cracked up when she was talking about body shapes, JLo, and Beyonce.

[Meagan]

I can't believe I've waited this long to read this. I love it so far!

[Christine]

I downloaded the audiobook from my library. I'm loving it so far. She's hilarious, and it's fun to hear the words as she meant them.

[Brian]

After reading these first chapters, it seems the gay population of the United States is about 5 times what I thought it was. :P I kind of don't know what the bottle-of-soap-returned-to-the-store story was supposed to illustrate, but Don Fey does sound bad ass.

[Kjistrouble]

I have to preface this by saying that Tina Fey is the one comedian I have admired most in my lifetime...so I'm pretty sure she will do no wrong, and this has been on my to-read list for a long time.

That said:
1 - My experience with learning about my lady parts was equally traumatizing, but rather, involved my mom and some books when I was in THIRD GRADE.
2 - Don Fey is so bad_ass that I now want a convertible and a fedora for myself. Street Cred is everything.
3 - I'm pretty sure at the end of the book, I will have more evidence to support why I would like to be Tina Fey.

[Lindsey]

Really loving this book so far - can't believe I waited this long to read it! I've always thought Tina Fey was hilarious, but it's been a while since I've LOL'd at least once a chapter.

Don Fey is b.a.! I loved her describing how guys like Alec Bladwin reacted to meeting him. She does a great job describing things so you can really picture them.

I was really weirded out by the late night hike with HRW (I think that was her nickname for him), and "Jess-Chriss" - I was totally expecting something bad to happen to her, so I was a little lost at the end of that story. Definitely my favorite/most true quote from the book so far..."I think someone should design exercise machines that reward people with sex at the end of their workouts, because people will perform superhuman feats for even the faint hope of that." Reminds me of the time in college when I, on a whim, drove half way across the country (literally) to go to a baseball game with a guy I had a huge crush on...yeah, I didn't get laid that time either. :-/

[Joanna]

Did anyone else love the way she described her experience with realizing that gay people are more than just entertainment?

I had this same revelation a few years back and had to explain it to some good friends of mine back home over Christmas. We all go to gay clubs with our friends, sit around and talk endlessly about boys together, but when it came to gay marriage, my friends were totally opposed to it. We've had an ongoing conversation about it. This book eloquently voiced my exact thoughts and personal experience with it- to a t!

I actually typed out and e-mailed that part of the chapter to said friends. No response yet- can't wait to hear what they have to say back!