Book No. 44 of 2020
About four books tumbled free of the hold list this week (I max out my library card the way shopaholics max out credit cards) and I still wasn’t ready to read anything stressful or tragic, so I took a quick detour with this book. It’s funny, witty, and allowed me to escape into memories of traveling around the world.
The tone overall is very irreverent, which I found mostly enjoyable, although there are lines in the memoir that seem a little too flippant about certain things; this book was published in 2014, and I feel that, this side of some tumultuous current events, we’re generally more aware of the dark side of insensitive jokes. (The silver lining of that awareness is that we have been very, very spoiled by inclusive books, TV, and movies in the past several years.) That being said, this was still a very fun book, and the parts I enjoyed—particularly passages about the nature of traveling, of doing the thing in the place, and even of our own expectations about life—far outweighed any “hmm” moments I had. (Also, the dirtbaggy “anything goes” mindset when you travel with and meet other 20-somethings internationally—lots of memories there.)
Also, it was kind of cool to get some insight into the real stories behind HIMYM, a very problematic fave that has not worn well, but that played a very comforting role in an earlier part of my life.
Similar Reads
There were some similar vibes (particularly of the “getting wild overseas” variety) as Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen.
Other witty, irreverent books by funny women who wrote some of your favorite TV shows: Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby, Dear Girls by Ali Wong, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling, and Bossypants by Tina Fey.
Some of Newman’s insights into romance and dating dovetail with Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (there’s a lot to be said there about that particular book but this is not the time or place).