Greetings Bookworms,
I love a good celebrity memoir. It can be a tricky business, though. Sometimes you’ll pick up a celebrity memoir and the celeb will be unfunny, self important, and/or preachy. All that is GREAT if you’re hate-reading, but it can be a huge disappointment when it’s a celebrity you think is awesome. Kind of bursts the bubble, you know? Luckily, the opposite can happen. For example. Aisha Tyler. I know who she is and I’ve enjoyed her work, but I’ve never been ready to join her fan club or anything. At least, not until I listened to her narration of her book Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation
In case you needed more evidence to show that the world is an unfair place, Aisha Tyler is not only statuesque and beautiful, she’s also smart, witty, and charming. Luckily, she’s also a GINORMOUS NERD, so she is my people. I don’t trust anybody who didn’t go through an awkward phase growing up. I mean, how can you develop as a person if you don’t have weird hair or terrible fashion sense or at least one horrifying experience with a maxi pad?!
Aisha Tyler spent tons of time reading books, being awkward, and embarrassing herself. It takes a special kind of person to puke on their crush and live to tell about it. You know the recurring nightmare you have about missing a test? Aisha Tyler slept through her SATs! And she still got into an ivy league school! (The unconscious SAT was her second go at it, but still damn impressive.) Aisha Tyler’s misadventures are tremendously entertaining, but she owns her part in all of them. I find it endlessly frustrating when people act like they’ve played no part in their own misfortune. (I’m not saying I’m not guilty of this sort of thing myself on occasion, but we’re not talking about me here.) Aisha Tyler is all “Yep, I made some really stupid choices. That was a terrible idea. You probably shouldn’t stay out all night getting wasted when your SATs are in the morning. Don’t steal your mom’s favorite shirt and try to deep fry things because you’ll start a fire. Ballerina outfits should only be worn by ballerinas.”
Should you read this book? Well. If you like things that do not suck, I would say, “yes, read this book.” I laughed, I cringed, and in the end, I wanted Aisha Tyler to be my BFF. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation, okay?
Talk to me, Bookworms! Has a celebrity memoir ever changed your opinion of said celebrity? Was it in a good way or a bad way?
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Sarah's Book Shelves
Ha – she sounds awesome! I loved her guest role on Friends…and that comment will tell you how old I am!
Words For Worms
You mean Charlie, the super hot paleontologist Ross dated much to Rachel’s chagrin? I mean… I’m very very young and definitely was not in college when that episode aired…
Quirky Chrissy
You’re welcome 😉
Words For Worms
I’m forever in your debt for a multitude of reasons, Jelly Bean.
Katie McD @ Bookish Tendencies
Okay, you’ve convinced me! And, as a bonus, it’s available via text and audio on Scribd!
Words For Worms
I totally listened via Scribd!
Megan M.
I’ve always liked her! I’m going to check this one out. I’ve already gushed about how much I loved Amy Poehler’s book. It just confirmed all of my beliefs that she is the most wonderful person on the planet and should be my best friend forever. On the opposite side of the coin, I’m reading a self-helpy book right now, and the author has revealed his political bias in the introduction. Ugh. I don’t think I even want his advice anymore, but it’s so short that I’ll skim-read it anyway.
Words For Worms
I can’t bring myself to read self-helpy books. I probably should, because lord knows I’ve got all kinds of issues, but they just leave me shouting “so who made you an expert, HUH?! Oh, your PhD?! Well. SHUT UP!”
Michelle
This is the second or third review I’ve seen that has raved about Aisha’s memoir. I really need to add it to my wish list!
Words For Worms
It’s a good time, you won’t be disappointed. Unless you are. In which case you didn’t hear it from me. #peoplepleaser
thatashgirl
I thought this was hilarious. I saw one of her stand-up specials once and laughed hysterically.
Words For Worms
Isn’t she great? I haven’t seen her standup, I should look into that.
thatashgirl
The one I saw is called “Aisha Tyler is Lit: Live at the Filmore”
It’s seriously hilarious.
Leah @ Books Speak Volumes
Ok, I should probably try to find this on audio. Because I like things that don’t suck and I love celebrations of nerdiness!
Words For Worms
Oh yeah, her middle school years hit me right in the nerdy feels.
Andi (@estellasrevenge)
This is a great review! My experience with Aisha Tyler is mostly limited to her stint as Ross’s super brilliant girlfriend on Friends, but now I want to know moooooore.
Words For Worms
You’d like it, Andi. Put it on your Readathon list!
Jenny @ Reading the End
I would say that my number-one criterion when I’m reading a memoir is whether the writer seems to recognize when s/he was being stupid/selfish/a jerk/whatever in the stories s/he’s telling. Without that, I just spend the whole time thinking about how amazingly un-self-aware they are. It kills the enjoyment.
BUT: Not surprised to learn that Aisha Tyler avoids this problem. She seems generally awesome.
Words For Worms
Aisha Tyler is just as cool as she seems. Plus, she responded to my tweet, so I shall love her forever.
Katie @ Doing Dewey
I really don’t follow celebrities at all, with the exception of my recent interest in The Bachelorette, if I’m honest 🙂 this means I’ve only read celebrity memoirs by people I knew nothing about, so it’s always a surprising experience. I like reading them sometimes because they have interesting topics or seem funny and because I love being able to listen to books read by their author.
Nicole Brant
AND it’s only $5 for the Kindle version. 🙂