All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people.
For some, who are travellers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems... But all these stars are silent.
You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them...
In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing.
And so it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night..You, only you, will have stars that can laugh!
And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me... You will always be my friend.You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure . . . And your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky!
Then you will say to them, 'Yes, the stars always make me laugh!' And they will think you are crazy. It will be a very shabby trick that I shall have played on you...
‘Yes Please!’ is less a memoir and more a series of life lessons interspersed with poems, notes and photographs. The book mainly focusses on her career with a scattering of childhood, parenting and feminism.
There is nothing wrong with making an apology when needed (and Amy devotes a chapter to such a story) but the one thing we do learn is that Amy is a smart, determined hardworking woman and she is not prepared to downplay or apologise for her success.
In 2008 Baby Mama was being released and “(She) was in the middle of one of those weird press pushes where your face is on taxis and you are doing talk shows all the time,” (her friend) “went on and on about how weird that was. He pointed out that people were really starting to know my name and asked me if I ‘could believe it.’ ‘Yes,’ I said. I had worked for over a decade to get to this moment.”
This is a message repeated through-out the book. Take your success, your strengths, your life… and OWN IT!
I will confess that I want to knock off Tina Fey and have Amy as my BFF so I do regret that the book did not hit every mark for me. To start with I’m not a fan of interactive books. I don’t need blank pages to write my birth story. I also don’t like pages of lists (Amy fabricates a list of divorce self-help books).
I’m also not a fan of guest writers. Amy’s parents make contributions along with SNL co-host Seth Meyers and Parks & Recreation writer and producer Michael Schur.
At one point the name dropping became a little too much – the reader is expected to be familiar with the people and their work. As somebody from outside the US I have never watched an episode of SNL – it’s not available to view (with the exception of random YT clips) and so the people involved are not on my register.
So… should you read it? If you are a fan of Amy Poehler then absolutely, if you are wondering Amy who? Then no. This book doesn’t stand alone and relies on the reader to be familiar with the people and productions involved.
Before I go I think it’s only fair that I share some of Amy’s words of wisdom. "Fighting aging is like the War on Drugs. It's expensive, does more harm than good, and has been proven to never end." "It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for. It takes years to find your voice and seize your real estate."
“That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again. Good for her! Not for me.” "Watching great people do what you love is a good way to start learning how to do it yourself." "There is an unspoken pact that women are supposed to follow. I am supposed to act like I constantly feel guilty about being away from my kids. (I don't. I love my job.) Mothers who stay at home are supposed to pretend they are bored and wish they were doing more corporate things. (They don't. They love their job.)" "I am a fan of porn. It can be a very nice accompaniment to an evening of self-pleasure. It's as important as a good wine pairing."
I didn't quite make the 50 book mark last year but I did uncover some gems. Some releases were long anticipated and noted in my diary, others strongly recommended by friends and then there was the random finds.
1 // The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. When a bomb explodes in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Theo Decker loses his mother. Theo escapes unharmed and with him a priceless painting. This painting becomes a symbol for Theo's grief and, like a Dicken's novel, we follow him as he grows up, always keeping the painting hidden.
Sweet mother of all things literary I was waiting for this release and yes, I was one of those people who opened every conversation in 2014 with, "So the Goldfinch? Have you read it yet?" Was I disappointed? No. Is it better than her previous books? Mh, no.
This book left me feeling anxious - I had a gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach from the explosion through to every single decision Theo made on his journey. I can't say I even warmed to the characters - Theo is clearly suffering from PTSD, he is eaten up with grief and eventually develops an opiate addiction. At the very least I expected to feel sympathetic to him but those moments were fleeting.
Regardless of characters or plot nobody can deny that Donna Tartt can write. She is an artist and a poet.
2 // The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) In this second instalment of the Cormoran Strike series the Private Investigator returns to solve a new mystery. Novelist Owen Quine has disappeared. Initially this is not suspicious, he has done this before, but his wife hires Strike to find him. As Strike investigates he discovers Quine is on the brink of publishing a tell-all manuscript that identifies key players in the literary world. When the mutilated corpse of Quine is found Strike begins a race against time to catch a killer.
Of course I had this on pre-order! I loved The Casual Vacancy and devoured The Cuckoo's Calling. If there are any complaints it's the unresolved sexual tension between Robin and Strike. I hate Robin's boyfriend and her excuses for him. I want Robin to develop as a character - she is eager to learn and she does chip in with sleuthing but at the end of the day her job is to answer the phones and 'support' Strike.
In early December it was announced the series would be adapted for television on BBC One (and FYI a three part adaptation of The Casual Vacancy will air on BBC One in February 2015). Can't. Wait.
3 // When God Was A Rabbit - Sarah Winman A beautifully written coming of age story about a little girl and her brother. The first thing to point out about this book is that it deviates from the standard coming-of-age because it has no specific goal. Elly is not on a psychological or moral quest. There are no mysteries to uncover. The book is filled with thirty years of disjointed snapshots from the lives of eccentric characters - and most importantly is Winman's subtlety when writing - often or not the story lies in what is not said. A magical book and a very quick read - this won't be one for everybody.
4 // Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer. Nine year old Oskar's father is killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. Two years later Oskar finds a key in his father's belongings and sets out on a scavenger hunt. On the way his life becomes intertwined with that of strangers leading him throughout New York, Hiroshima and Dresden.
I can't fault this book. Any questions I have about the plot or characters are buried under fantastic writing - this book is full of one liners that will stay with you.
6 // The Book Thief - Markus Zusak The scene is set during World War II and our narrator, we are told, is Death. You would assume Death would be an all knowing narrator but this isn't the case - most of the story is taken up with Death trying to decipher the human condition and any knowledge he gains is from the souls he collects. The main protagonist is Liesel Meminger, a young girl on the brink of adolescence. We watch as her life unfold during the war - a beautiful, lyrical, caustic story that will break and mend your heart many times over.
7 // Wild - Cheryl Strayed This was an excellent start to the new year. Think 'Eat, Pray, Love' with blisters, missing toenails and addiction. In her mid-twenties Cheryl Strayed felt lost. Her beloved mother died and her remaining family began to grow apart and scatter across the US. Then her marriage fell apart. With absolutely no prior experience or training Cheryl impulsively decided to take on the Pacific Crest Trail - from the Mojave Desert through to Washington State. Alone. We following her physical and mental journey infused with snapshots of her past. Eventually acceptance and healing do come - but at a cost.
8 // Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me?: (and Other Concerns) - Mindy Kaling This is your chance to sit down and have a coffee with Mindy. Conversational in tone, this book is comprised of a series of essays which are a lot more thoughtful than the titles would suggest. This is a two-hour read (see! coffee!) - if you love The Office and female comedians then this book is for you!
9 // Lost Memory of Skin - Russell Banks Right. This is a book I've recommended to many people but as soon as I start describing it I start to get defensive. Firstly I'd never heard of Russell Banks before this book but I'm certainly planning to follow up with more of his work. Secondly the summary. This book will be a wake-up call to many people. The protagonist is a twenty-two year old registered sex offender (Wait! Come back! This is where I lose people!) we know only as, 'The Kid'. When we meet the Kid he is just released from prison and as part of his probation he must wear a GPS tracker and cannot reside any closer than 2.5km from any area that under 18's might gather - one of the few places available to The Kid is a tent in a causeway inhabited by the ill, unfortunate and dangerous. The book does not delve into the actions of sex offenders. The Kid agreed to meet a young girl he met online. When he calls to her house he is met by her father who has informed the police. This book humanises those on the outskirts of society - you might find yourself questioning how society treats these permanent outcasts and how we may have created a culture that contributes to their corruption.
Ok, not bad. I ended the year reading Amy Phoeler and A Storm of Swords (the third book in the Game of Thrones series). Almost made it to 31 books :) Here's to 2015 and another attempt at 50 novels!
