Scrappy Little Nobody

Author: Anna Kendrick
First Published: November 2016
Publisher: Touchstone
271 pages (hardcover)

Um, yes, I did disappear for all of 2016. I actually did not read a single book during 2016, which I am kind of embarrassed about. Standard "I was busy" excuses, etc. Moving on ...

I'm not a huge Anna Kendrick fan or anything like that originally. I liked the movies she's been in, and I've heard of her name, but that was really the extent of my knowledge on her. So, why did I pick up this autobiography/memoir style book by Anna Kendrick? Well, simply put, I was stuck in the Seattle airport for 8 hours (plane delays, ugh!) and out of everything in the bookstore there, this book seemed most interesting (that and the other book I picked up which I will also post about shortly after).

In this book, Anna Kendrick outlines her life with specific memorable moments, from her childhood, growing up and moving out on her own, boys and relationships, Hollywood life and how she maintains who she is as she becomes more successful in her career. She is brutally honest and is a really hilarious person, at least in writing. I mean, she isn't trying to be a comedian in this book, but she's just naturally a funny person.

My favourite chapters were her Hollywood chapters, especially when she talked about (or complained about, depending on your point of view!) clothes and fashion. I also liked the chapter she had dedicated to her time filming Twilight, and based on her personality, I thought for sure she'd make fun of the franchise, but actually she didn't. She didn't say anything bad about it at all, which I guess is smart. You don't make fun of the movies you were in, haha. But I really enjoyed the chapter because she talked about the perks and how great it was to be in a big movie franchise without needing all the pressure and responsibility of having a large character role. What I understood from it was that she was grateful for all her career opportunities regardless of what it was -- because let's face it, it's really easy to make fun of Twilight, hahaha.

There's also some photos here and there in the book, which I liked. I wished there were more photos. Also, they were in black and white and I wished it could have been in color, but then I guess the book would cost more :(

By the end of the book, I felt like Anna was a person I could really be friends with. Well, no, not really, because she sounds really outgoing and fun, and I'm introverted and boring, so she probably wouldn't really be my friend. Anyway, I ended up really enjoying this book and the only negative I can think of was that it was kind of short. I could have read more, but that might also be because I was stuck in the airport ...

My Rating: 5/5

Why Not Me?

Author: Mindy Kaling
First Published: September 2015
Publisher: Crown Archetype
240 pages (hardcover)

I don't normally read memoirs or biography type books. In fact, I don't really read non-fiction at all. I don't dislike non-fiction, but it's just that when I read, I tend to drift towards the fantasy and sci-fi and those are usually made up stories.

I decided to pick up this book because I really like Mindy Kaling. Loved her character in The Office TV show, and also really love her show The Mindy Project. So, why not?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I read this book during my breaks at work, which it was perfect for, because work is super stressful at times and this book was so light and easy to read. And of course, it had a humor element to it, which definitely was great in helping me de-stress during break times.

Reading this book is not really your typical reading experience. What I liked about this book was that it felt like Mindy was talking to you. We were engaged in a conversation, despite me not actually talking to her (and the fact she doesn't actually know me, of course, haha). And it felt like real talk, like dealing with haters and work stress, etc. as well as real stories from her life, such as having someone who she thought was her BFF suddenly abandon her because the friend felt Mindy didn't fit in her life anymore. Who would do that to Mindy? I don't know, their loss!

Since it's Mindy, there are, of course, several chapters that are just full on, fictional humor pieces. It was fun to have a few silly stories thrown in as well. Such as, Mindy's life in an alternate world where she is a school teacher.

By the end of this book, I loved Mindy even more. She just seems like such a fun person to be around! You know, I should really pick up her first book too, and hopefully she'll write more in the future!

My Rating: 4/5