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Audiobooks are fantastic for lots of reasons, but it’s especially nice when the author/narrator sounds like one of your best friends telling funny stories. That’s exactly what it feels like listening to Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, read by the author. I enjoyed reading her first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? but listening to this book was definitely a good decision. If you need a book to help you relax throughout all the stress of the holidays and want one that will make you laugh out loud, this audiobook is for you!
“Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper. “
Those of us old enough to remember the glory days of actually using paste also remember the illicit thrill of sneaking tastes of it! Teachers and librarians were quick to stop it, usually exclaiming about the danger of eating paste. (Think about the stories of the danger of eating pop rocks and soda – it’s not real, but deliciously scary in the abstract!)
Did this poor man really die from eating library paste?? We have no way of knowing the reality. And while it seems really unlikely…maybe it could be a warning to patrons today who may be determined to do dangerous things in a library! (“Don’t send money to a Nigerian prince! You didn’t win the Irish Sweepstakes! The deposed head of an unnamed nation does not need you to hold his money! Look at this guy who died of eating library paste, and know we are here to look out for you!”)
First the passing of Robin Williams, then Joan Rivers, two comedians whom I loved. I know plenty of people who did not love Joan Rivers because of her catty, usually sarcastic humor. I say she came into comedy at a time when it wasn’t easy for women, and she had to create her “brand” to rise to fame. She was bold enough to say what others only wished they could! And she seemed to always be doing her comedy on the fly, almost ad libbing at a glance. Well folks, she was far from casual or “shoot from the hip” with her jokes. In fact, her treasured gray card catalog contained 30 years of jokes, arranged quite precisely by subject! Stand-up librarian Meredith Myers wrote a great piece about Joan and she says, “She approached comedy like a librarian. She was prepared, organized, and willing to say yes to every opportunity that came her way.”
I was even more teary-eyed to hear this….her memory and my admiration for her only deepened when I realized that underneath the bravado, she was one of us. RIP Joan Rivers!
