- Author: Mindy Kaling (facebook/instagram/twitter)
- Publisher & Date: Three Rivers Press, 2011
- Pages: 219
- Intended Audience: Adults (specifically those with an open mind and a great sense of humor.)
- Genre: Memoir, Comedy, Adult Humor
- Goodreads Rating: 3.81/5
- Sneak Peak by Jess:
Mindy Kaling lays it all on the line in this interesting, yet hodge-podge-like memoir of her life. From her memories of growing up as an uncoordinated, non-athletic immigrant child, to her views on the do's and don't's of karaoke, Kaling addresses just about everything she could think of at the time of writing her first book.
"In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations of romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands or make phone calls." -Goodreads.com
To this day I have never watched a single episode of, "The Office." There. I said it. However, I have watched a movie or two that had Mindy Kaling in it. Now that I have read this book though, I consider myself a fan. She allows readers to take a trip through her life- the good and the bad- and she really doesn't hold much back.
The novel itself is written like a collection of essays and lists. Don't ask me how it is organized though because I am still trying to figure that out myself. It is very informally written, and it is written in her voice, which I really liked because you feel like you are listening to one of your best friends tell you story. She takes the time to address serious topics; bullying, coming of age, friendships, career and life decisions, self-esteem and self-worth, romance and guys, and legacies, and sprinkled throughout all of these more serious topics she leaves little pieces of what I would like to consider is her humor by addressing things like, "The Day I Stopped Eating Cupcakes," and, "Revenge Fantasies While Jogging." Take it or leave it, I guess.
In all honesty, I think that this book is either a "you love it," or "you hate it" type of book. There are no deep-rooted, over-arching themes, or little hidden pieces of symbolism waiting to be discovered, and more than likely, you won't take much away from it. But with that being said, if you love a good laugh and a little entertainment, you'll probably find yourself somewhere in the "you love it" category. I just enjoyed getting to know who she is as a person and where she came from.
- Favorite Quotes:
-"Are you kidding me? The thrill of living was high school? Come on Mr. Cougar Mellancamp. Get a life."
-"I was sitting in an audition room with a bunch of girls who were the "after" picture to my "before."
- "...(b) introducing Americans to the Daisy Duke short-shorts, which single-handedly lowered the average age of sexual intercourse in this country by several years."
- Favorite Chapters:
"Failing at Everything in the Greatest City on Earth": I really liked this chapter simply because it is so easy for me to relate to at the moment. She is living proof that everything happens for a reason.
"Best Friends Rights and Responsibilities": Only because this is a day in the life of my best friends and me. Any girl could understand.
"Married People Need to Step It Up": In my opinion, Mindy becomes very sincere when she addresses this topic, unlike many of the other chapters in her book. As a reader, you can almost see through her and her comical facade she uses to conceal her insecurities. She nails it in this chapter though. It really did reaffirm my belief that marriage can work; sure it's not always a "cake-walk." As she describes it, it is "not the beginning and certainly not the end of your friendship with a person you can't wait to talk to about gardening with for the next forty years."
- Cons (as I see them):
- This did not necessarily bother me, but fair warning, she uses some crude language and racy comments at times. I seriously doubt that she means to offend anyone by this, but just so you are aware.
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