Cannonball Read 13

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Search This Site

| Log in
  1. Follow us on Facebook
  2. Follow us on Twitter
  3. Follow us on Instagram
  4. Follow us on Goodreads
  5. RSS Feeds

  • Home
  • About
    • About CBR
    • Getting Started
    • Cannon Book Club
    • Diversions
    • Fan Mail
    • Holiday Book Exchange
    • Book Bingo Reading Challenge
    • Participation Badges
    • AlabamaPink
  • Our Team
    • Leaderboard
    • The CBR Team
    • Recent Comments
    • CBR Interviews
    • Our Volunteers
    • Meet MsWas
  • Categories
    • Review Genres
    • Tags
  • Fight Cancer
    • How We Fight Cancer
    • How You Can Donate
    • Book Sale
    • CBR Merchandise
    • Supporters and Friends of CBR
  • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Follow Us
> FAQ Home
> Genre: Biography/Memoir > Amy Poehler is basically perfect.

Amy Poehler is basically perfect.

November 4, 2014 by ModernLove 2 Comments

I have been slacking. I’ve been slacking big time. A large part of that is due to a lit class that required me to read 7 novels in 7 weeks and effectively burned me out on reading, period. I should probably review those, but frankly, they were pretty boring books that I don’t want to think about.

Instead, I give you my palate cleanser. I love Amy Poehler. I loved her on SNL, I love her on Parks and Rec. I think she’s hilarious, smart, strong, and beautiful. She’s everything I want to be when I grow up. She is someone whom I can point to and say “That is a woman who deserves to be admired.” So when I heard she was releasing a memoir, I said sign me up! I wanted to see what she had to say about her life, about her role as an actress and writer and developer of content, as a mother and wife, as a woman. So this week, after the evil lit class was over and the final paper written, I decided to treat myself. Little did I know that there would be a chapter in this book that connected so strongly with my life, I almost cried.

First off, this book is phenomenal. My one complaint is that I didn’t like the paper it was printed on; that was literally the only thing wrong with it. The structure is wonderful, the chapter titles cracked me up, and Amy is a very gifted writer. Even though there were experiences I haven’t had (childbirth, writing for SNL, hosting an awards show, etc), I felt myself relating to them. She makes them seem so real and accessible. That is a true testament to how talented she is.

Then I got to her chapter on her sleep issues. Hoooo, boy. A few years ago, in order to go back to school, I switched positions in my company to work at a 24-hour call center. My hours were all over the place and I believe it really screwed up my sleep schedule. On a good night, of the 8-9 hours I spend in bed, I get 4 hours of sleep. I’m chronically tired, which is about as fun as it sounds. Reading this book, I discovered that Amy is the same way. Reading her discussion of what it’s like for her to try and sleep had me shouting in agreement (In my head. In reality, I was in a hospital room where my sister-in-law was in labor and probably wouldn’t have appreciated my joy.) Amy talked about how hard it is when you close your eyes, and your brain just fires up. It’s not anxiety, per say, just that all the thoughts from the day are now trying to get processed. Of the tossing and turning. The sleep studies, the specialists, the CPAP machines. And then I got to this:

I now read articles about how great sleep is and how important it is and I cry because I want it so bad and I am so mad at how great everyone else seems to be at it.

That one sentence sums up my life better than I ever could. Yes, this book is smart, funny, fascinating, and just about everything you expect from Amy Poehler. But in one line, this book became an instant favorite and an instant classic because I connected with it. I can’t ask for anything else in a book. Thank you, Amy.

Filed Under: Biography/Memoir, Non-Fiction Tagged With: amy poehler, feminism, funny women, yes please

Post by ModernLove · Genres: Biography/Memoir, Non-Fiction · Tags: amy poehler, feminism, funny women, yes please ·
Rating:
· 2 Comments

About ModernLove

CBR 8CBR 7CBR 6

View ModernLove's reviews»

Comments

  1. Emmalita says

    November 4, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    I’m so glad to hear that the ,book is as good as I expected it to be.

    Reply
  2. mathildehoeg says

    November 5, 2014 at 3:57 am

    Oh please do review the 7 classics! I always want to get into classics more, but it’s so difficult to navigate in which ones are actually worth the read!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.



Recent Comments

  • andtheIToldYouSos on CBR Diversions – It’s Never too Late to Have a Happy ChildhoodHOW DID I FORGET PINKWATER?! aggh! Lizard Music, Snarkout Boys, Worms of Kukimilia... I re-read that section of the library over and over again
  • Scootsa1000 on CBR Diversions – It’s Never too Late to Have a Happy ChildhoodOMG this thread is the best. I love reading about all of your favorites. I think this year I want to reread my favorite childhood...
  • andtheIToldYouSos on CBR Diversions – It’s Never too Late to Have a Happy ChildhoodGood call on Lumberjanes! I wish Nimona had been around, too!
  • andtheIToldYouSos on CBR Diversions – It’s Never too Late to Have a Happy ChildhoodI loved Felicity and Addy, and I REALLY loved the American Girl magazine. The crafts were always really cool, and they always interviewed interesting people!...
  • andtheIToldYouSos on CBR Diversions – It’s Never too Late to Have a Happy Childhoodyes- loved your review and made me want to re-read!
See More Recent Comments »

Want to Help Out?

CBR has a great crew of volunteers, and we're always looking for more people to help out. If you have a specialty or are willing to learn, drop MsWas a line.

  • How You Can Donate
  • FAQ
  • Shop
  • Volunteers
  • Leaderboard
  • AlabamaPink
  • Contact

Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo
  3. Google Pay
© 2021 Cannonball Read | Log in