It took me a long time to really start to get invested in this memoir, but I really couldn't find a way to relate to Mary Lynn's career and her experiences as an actor. It wasn't a book for me.

Celebrity memoirs are my jam. I am a sucker for the behind the scenes sneak peeks, juicy tell all tidbits, and simply a look into a world generally very much different than my own.

Fame-ish: My Life at the Edge of Stardom offers only a handful of sneak peeks into Hollywood, the entertainment industry, and even less in the way of juicy tidbits. Unless you count Mary Lynn calling out Courtney Cox for not being very personable during their brief encounter at the Golden Globes.

With a career spanning almost 30 years and 100+ movie and television shows to her credit I think I was just expecting a bit more. More inside info. More behind the scenes insight into some of her biggest roles. Just more overall.

Sweet Home Alabama and Sunshine Cleaning are the two roles I know the author from the most, and I have never watched 24. As luck would have it almost every single chapter references 24 in one way or another. Maybe that was part of the disconnect. The last few chapters detailing her marriage and son were sweet. & I totally respect the fact that she chased her dreams and sought out more than a Midwest Denny's management position and a brocade vest. Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 2.5 stars.

I became familiar with the actress Mary Lynn Rajskub from her time on the show 24. She shows a side of the entertainment business that isn’t all glitz and glamour. I really enjoyed her humor and the behind the scenes look at TV and movie production. I would recommend this for someone who wants to peek behind the curtain, but at the minor characters.

I was a big fan of 24 when it was on the air and still watch it from time to time. Chloe was a great character, so I was happy to see a book from one of the stars. After finishing said book though, I wish I hadn’t. Mary Lynn Rajskub may be a great person, but in this memoir, she comes across as terribly shallow and I completely out of touch with what average people have to deal with. She complains constantly without ever realizing that she herself is toxic and causes most of the drama she has to deal with. Every man she meets wants to sleep with her (maybe it’s true…she is attractive, but c’mon). She never gets paid enough. She had to fly on Frontier airlines (the HORROR!). I hate to tell you this, Mary Lynn, but nobody makes enough money. Everybody would rather fly first class on a great airline. These are not things that make for interesting reading. It also doesn’t help that Rajskub constantly talks shit about pretty much everyone she’s ever met who isn’t an A-list celebrity. Honestly, pretty much the only people that don’t get talked about like they’re trash are Harrison Ford and Kiefer. So, basically, everyone in the world is beneath her except the people that might be able to advance her career.

Maybe I’m being too hard on Mary Lynn, but the entire time I was reading Fame-ish, all I thought was, “Why am I reading this? This woman is awful”. I finished the book for two reasons. The first was that I felt obligated to do so because the publisher was kind enough to provide me with an ARC. The second was that I hoped to see Mary Lynn see some personal growth by the end. Sadly, that was not the case. Rajskub continues complaining, throwing some self-deprecating humor in as a deflection. Still, there were some interesting bits. The essays showing behind the scenes of movie and TV creation were interesting. I wish the book had more of this instead of the author trying to convince me that she has been terribly put upon her whole life. Overall, memoirs are supposed to be interesting, heartbreaking, funny…any number of things. Unfortunately, this wasn’t any of those things. It was annoying and kind of sad to be honest, because Rajskub doesn’t seem to realize how she is coming across.

Finally, I’d like to thank Netgalley and Abrams Publishing for providing me with an ARC. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to give it a good review.

This was a wild ride. I learned too much about her ex-partner’s sex life but I did learn a lot about the finances of a character actor/comedian. I am always curious about how being a side character in a big show works and how people who aren’t big names/working continuously handle finances. It seems like it is rough!

She does seem to be a victim of a scam at one point with her ex-girlfriend who also I felt was implied to have robbed her house? I would of have liked to have more details on that.

She says she is a people pleaser a lot but I didn’t get that impression. She does seem unable to speak up in the moment but that isn’t quite the same thing.

Really an interesting book and unlike any other memoir I’ve read and I’ve read dozens.

LOVE LOVE LOVE! I first saw Mary Lynn Rajskub on Mr. Show, and fell in love! She was so funny, and then throughout the 90s and 2000s she popped up in everything. It was so much fun to dive into her life and celebrity-ish status. She's such a great writer, and I recommend this for anyone who's a fan of hers, or is interested in those less than A-status celebrity lives (think of Judy Greer's book).

So I know most people know the author from the TV show “24”, but I’ve never seen it. I know Rajskub from her multiple appearances on the Comedy Central show “@midnight” where she was funny and endearingly awkward. This book is comprised of short little vignettes from her life that range from funny and self depreciating to quite serious and honest. She suffers from “being too nice to people“ syndrome, and this has not made for the easiest life. But she keeps on plugging on, and I definitely enjoyed reading about her successes and mishaps. And I feel like I share something in common with her — we’ve both worked with Hallmark products as teens (she as part of a drugstore, me at an actual Hallmark store). As Mary Lynn & I will both tell you, it’s a total nightmare finding the boxes for those stupid little Precious Moments & Snowbabies figurines 😠😂

Thank you to NetGalley & Abrams Books for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It is pretty rare that I have run into anyone in my life who has not heard of the show 24. This main actress from it is a riot. Her story of her life is hilarious and I never knew she was a comedian! What a page turner I would highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This wasn’t the best white lady comedian memoir I’ve ever read, but it also wasn’t the best! Probably a lot more interesting if you’re a fan of her from 24 than if you know her from anything else.

Before I read this book, I knew of Mary Lynn Rajskub for her work on Mr. Show and for being in the orbit of '90s and '00s alt comedy. I guess 24 really blew her up in a way that I never realized. I found this book to be mildly interesting, but I think you'd have to be a huge fan to really find much to sink your teeth into. The chapters are just short snippets from her life and career in no particular order and the book itself doesn't seem to have any arc or structure.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I have loved watching Mary Lynn Rajskub in so many shows but had no idea what she has been through. I enjoyed her casual writing style and short essays about her acting history, her life in the Midwest and eventually in Hollywood. I also appreciated her honesty when discussing her finances and how people that she was a millionaire just because she became a regular on 24. I always love learning more abut the backstory and how actors get to where they are now, because it is often a difficult road with so many uncertainties. I was surprised to learn that she was living in an Airbnb during covid while trying to get her house ready to sell after her divorce. You never know what people are and have gone though, thank you to Rajskub for your honesty and sharing the good and the bad!