“Bossypants” and funny bones

It is not often readers find a book that can make them laugh several times a chapter.  Not just snickers here and there, but loud, gut laughter, like a drunken uncle on Christmas. "Bossypants" by Tina Fey is definitely one of those books, and it is now out in paperback.

Fey covers every life topic imaginable, from growing up to finding a job to raising her own kid.  She does it all with her trademark wit and sarcasm, so while there are so many topics to read about, the book does not feel drawn out and dense. 

Quite the opposite is actually true; "Bossypants" is very easy to read. This really has a lot to do with Fey's writing style. She writes straight to the point while still managing to be clever and funny. A good example of this is Fey writing about an old high school boyfriend. 

"I should have known he and I weren't going to make it when for my seventeenth birthday he got me a box of microwave popcorn and a battery tester…You know, like you give someone when you're in love." The whole book is made up of quotes just like that.  It makes for a very fast and enjoyable read, so it is easy to pick up at the bus stop or in the five extra minutes between classes. 

Fey writes about her life, but she does not write it with the inferiority complex of a successful writer/actor. "Bossypants" is not just a 278 page list of Fey's successes. She writes to show readers that while she has been successful, she grew up as awkward and as clueless as everyone else. The reader also gets a little behind the scenes look at what it is like to work at

"Saturday Night Live" and what it is like to work with the writers of NBC's "30 Rock." She writes about the long hours and the last minute sketches and some of the weird habits of the cast and crew. 

And throughout the book she swings between the vines of an autobiography and an inspirational advice book. She tells stories about her life: the embarrassments, the successes, the funny parts, some scary parts, and through her experience she gives advice. She also pokes fun at so called "advice," by pointing out its silliness and impracticality. She does this the most in related to beauty.

"Bossypants," is definitely one of the best memoirs of its time. Lunch hours, bus rides and late nights will never be the same with Fey's witticisms and charm.

"Bossypants" by Tina Fey receives 5 out of 5 stars.