I enjoyed this book immensely but I have some issues with the style and also with the ending. Still, I heartily recommend it if you want a light, fun read that tells a story from a point of view many of us are not familiar with: a thirty something Muslim woman who is devout and modern at the same time. Sofia Khan works in publishing. She’s newly single and her sister is getting married. Her parents worry that she will never find a husband and […]
No more for the girl next door
I wasn’t particularly interested in this one when it first came out. I’ve only ever really seen Aziz on Parks&Rec, and I’m not a stand up comedy kind of gal usually so I didn’t know almost anything about his comedy. When I discovered, reading reviews of my fellow lovely Ballers, that is was actually a sociology book with some humor mixed in I was way more on board. Modern Romance came about from Aziz being curious about how people are finding each other in our […]
Not another celebrity biography at all
My experience with Aziz Ansari prior to getting this audiobook was as follows. Playing exuberant, outgoing and quite exasperating pop culture and fashion obsessive Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation, then more recently in Master of None as struggling New York actor Dev, who while quite different from Tom, frequently exasperated me nonetheless with his constant whining and inability to accept how good he had it, being really very privileged even as a minority actor. As a result, I wasn’t really all that interested in […]
A celebrity book that isn’t a memoir. With science! And research!
I can’t believe I’m only now finishing my first book of the year. It’s January 11th! What am I doing with my life??? Anyway, this was an excellent first book of the year. I can’t even tell you how refreshing it is to read a book written by a celebrity that isn’t a self-obsessed money grab that makes too much of too little (if any) substance. It’s also well-written. And entertaining. And informative. And helpful! Several years ago when Aziz Ansari was putting together some […]
How to be a Playa (or a Monogamist )
The audiobook version of Modern Romance is the perfect blend of pop science, humor, and social commentary. If you like romantic sexy times, your cell phone, and laughing, give the book a go. If you are cheating on your significant other, don’t listen to this book together. Your partner will probably figure out your secret and you will have a car ride full of uncomfortable silences and side-eye. Actually, maybe that would be the best for both of you in the long run. See, the […]
Looking for love in all the digital places
Aziz Ansari’s take on relationships was on my radar after seeing him promote it on late night television. I thought the concept was interesting: an academic examination of present-day relationships through the filter of comedy. Though I liked the book, and found the material intriguing, I can’t call the format an unmitigated success. I first came across Ansari during his hilarious turn as Tom Haverford on Parks and Rec and have seen a bit of his stand-up and he is refreshing, honest, and really quite […]