Sadly, not as sparkling or funny as many celebrity autobios. Retta is a delightful actress and her book confirms that she is a likeable and fun person, but the book doesn't rouse the guffaws that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler get consistently. I want to sip drinks and go shopping with Retta, but I'm not convinced she's a comedic genius worthy of her own book.

I wanted to read this because I'm a big fan of comedian's memoirs (see Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, etc). And I was not disappointed. There didn’t seem to be an overarching purpose or theme to this memoir, but I enjoyed it regardless.

This book is a collection of ponderings on random subjects related to Retta, such as why she loves bags and coffee and her experience with Hamilton.Her life was quite interesting, her having gone to Duke for pre-med, working in Pharma, and then abruptly switching her career to comedy. It's a rather conversational book, and the audiobook for this would be rather good as Retta's voice really shines through in the writing. The section on coffee and its effect on defecation was rather droll, causing me to laugh out loud in the middle of an exam session. Very little of this book is about Parks for those who want to know about that. Retta describes quite well, though, the thoughts and feelings of a new actress joining big names like Amy Poehler for a not quite visible but regular role like Donna. The essays and jokes are a bit crude at times, making some of the latter fall flat. She also repeats herself a lot, especially about her knees and her love of bags. This could have used a tighter edit and a larger scope, as so little of it discusses her TV work other than Parks, but for those who are anxious to her more of Retta, this book is perfect.


A copy of this book was given to the reviewer through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book provided much needed laughs for this dark time we are in. Retta's stories flow nicely from beginning to end and I love how she goes off on tangents because it makes her stories feel more conversational.

Before Retta delivered the quintessential line of the entire Parks and Recreation series, she was cast as a character that didn't have a single line in the pilot. Before that, she traveled across the country doing stand up to college students, sometimes next to the smoothie bar in the dining hall. And before that, she was a pre-med student at Duke and the child of Liberian immigrants who put family above all else.

I'm not even going to pretend. I chose this book not out of some appreciation for Retta the person, but because I'm a fan of Parks and Recreation. I've read a bunch of these celebrity comedienne memoirs, and, given the unceasing demand for them, I'm sure I'll read more in the future. What I appreciated about Retta was how genuine she seemed in her writing. In comparison to similar memoirs, where I often feel like the author is putting on a bit of a show. Retta isn't as good a writter or a storyteller as many of her contemporaries, but she's real. She's not afraid to admit to being insecure, attention seeking, and materialistic at times. And, hallelujah, this is *not* a memoir about the author's dating life. I'm so over that.

This book is between 3 and 4 stars for me. Retta has a habit of going on tangents for entire chapters that could be very interesting, but only if you share her obsession with the topic at hand. She devotes dozens of pages to her fixation on the musical Hamilton and her obsession with the L.A. Kings. My eyes kind of glazed over during those parts of the book, and it had all the hallmarks of filler. I didn't find this book laugh-out-loud funny, either. I connected with Retta, but not so much her humor.

I would recommend this book to memoir junkies like myself.

Love, Love, love this memoir. Retta is an amazing actress and writer. Loved Parks and Rec, can’t wait to watch her new show. I am following her on Twitter now. Love her tweets.

Reading this books is like hanging out with Retta and listening to her stories. This is both a positive and a little bit of a deterrent. The writing of the book is like being in a conversation, including all the interjections, sidetracking, and slang that one would expect from an in person conversation. This takes some getting used to, and I was not sure that this was something that I could get behind at first but the more I read the more I was immersed in Retta's stories. From childhood to Parks and Rec, Retta chronicles her life and the pit stops she made in between. Retta is not afraid to shy away from the nitty gritty and she writes with enthusiasm about everything she talks about- from her love of gift giving, to her love of Hamilton, to her beginning of standup.

I wanted to end this with a "Treat yourself" joke, but I think Retta would be disappointing if I did.

-This book was provided as an electronic ARC courtesy of Netgalley. -
I have been obsessed with Retta since first introduced to the wondrous Donna Meagle on NBC's Parks and Rec. I was NOT disappointed with this book, and if anything my admiration of her has seriously increased. I had no idea about so much of her history- I cannot IMAGINE how much she would have killed it in "Dreamgirls"! I would love to be able to see that. Her story is a great tale of the importance of staying true to yourself, following your dream, and keeping your sense of humor fine-tuned through the ups and downs.

I so enjoyed spending time in this book! It’s like hanging out with a great friend who is smart and hilarious and honest.

I loved every minute of this memior. I laughed a lot. I read this in 24 hours and wish I could go back and read it again. Retta is incredible!

This book surprised me with the stories of Etta's youth, particularly growing up in an immigrant family that housed all manner of relatives. I didn't think I'd relate to her more than I already do. I may not agree with her L.A. Kings fandom or her Hamilton obsession but I enjoyed being along for the ride and getting a peek into her head (which, by the way, is as luxurious as the inside of a Birkin).

Very Retta. A bit shallow but funny nevertheless. Overall, if you follow her on social media you'll probably love the book.

This book had me in TEARS! Hilarious and heart warming at the same time. I couldn't get enough!