“Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation” is a delightful read for TV show fans. The book captures the spirit of Pawnee with its engaging blend of humor and warmth, much like the series itself. It offers an insider’s look with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and character insights that enrich the viewer’s experience. However, some sections feel repetitive and could have benefited from tighter editing. Nonetheless, this book serves up a satisfying slice of nostalgia and laughs for lovers of Leslie Knope and her lovable band of public servants. A solid four stars for bringing Pawnee to life once again!

Jim O’Heir’s gives us a loving tribute to Parks and Recreation, the show that stole our hearts and made us laugh from 2009-2015. In Welcome to Pawnee, O’Heir shares his journey on and off set allowing us to dive a bit deeper into Parks and Rec and who Jerry really is deep down.

O’Heir tells us the ups and downs of a truly remarkable show through stories of the creation and success of Parks and Recreation. From early days of the show’s development to the rise in popularity to finally a heart felt send off in 2015. O’Heir, who played Jerry/Garry/Terry/Larry, gives us an insider’s perspective on what made the show so special and why it was special to him. Through interviews with fellow cast members Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer), Retta (Donna Meagle), and Rob Lowe (Chris Traeger), as well as showrunners Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, readers gain insight into the camaraderie that fueled the show’s success.

This book could’ve been written by a number of cast members from the show, but it means so much more coming from O’Heir. He shares personal anecdotes about his time on set, plus hilarious behind-the-scenes mishaps to heartwarming moments with his co-stars, O’Heir shares it all with candor and humor. The stories coming from a character that didn’t think he would make it past a few episodes let alone a full season means so much more to me. In the end, O’Heir was along for the whole ride.

In addition to the great glimpse into the world of Parks and Rec, Welcome to Pawnee sheds like of the background of Jim O’Heir. He gives us a background on other shows, movies and experiences he had off the set of Parks and Recreation. I gained a deeper understanding of the man behind Jerry/Garry/Terry/Larry and his passion for the craft and gratitude for being part of such a beloved show. He genuinely loved his character on Parks and Recreation and the entire cast and it shines through on every page. I feel like I got to know O’Heir on a personal level without taking away from the true reason for this book. Welcome to Pawnee serves as a perfect blend of a O’Heir memoir and the series itself.

O’Heir also includes a number of candid photos between him and the rest of the cast members as well as some celebrities he was able to meet along the way. I felt my self reminiscing, and feeling grateful for the joy that Parks and Recreation brought into our lives. This book capture the essence of the show while also allowing me to remember how amazing it was in the first place. O’Heir transported me back to the first time watching Parks and Recreation and gave me yet another reason to flip it back on the television and laugh it up.

Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation is a book filled with heartfelt stories, anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes goofs from one of the shows most genuine actors. Jim O’Heir allows us to join his bank of memories and gives us more insight into Parks and Recreation, allowing us to fall in love with the series all over again. Welcome to Pawnee is a truly outstanding book for any fan of Parks and Recreation, but also made me a fan of Jim O’Heir for life. Thanks for taking us on the journey Jerry…Garry…Terry…Larry!

I was really looking forward to reading this, I am a huge Parks & Rec fan. It was nice to get a behind the scenes look at the show and get to know a bit more about the actors on the show. It was nice to see the actors all seemed to really get along and enjoyed working together. It was a nice look back at a great show.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful read about the behind the scenes of one of my favorite shows, Parks and Rec. Would have liked to see more of the actors participate, but really enjoyed overall.

“Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles and Parks and Recreation” by Jim O’Heir is a must read for any Parks and Recreation fan. I could not put this down and have preordered it for my Parks and Rec friend who got me into the show.

While reading I found myself laughing along remembering episodes and scenes. I loved the insight from cast, writers and producers. I loved that we got Jim O’Heir’s story intertwined. He seems like such a genuinely nice guy who is still in awe of his good fortune of being cast as a beloved character on a popular show. He doesn’t take Park and Rec for granted.

Excuse me while I go binge watch Parks and Rec for the millionth time. Also go buy this book you will not regret it!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC digital copy of in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Parks & Rec, this was a fantastic book! Looking forward to purchasing it for my collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC!

"Welcome to Pawnee" by Jim O'Heir is a delightful and entertaining read for fans of the beloved TV show *Parks and Recreation*. O'Heir, who portrayed the lovable and often bumbling Jerry Gergich on the show, offers a humorous and heartwarming guide to the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.

The book is filled with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, character insights, and humorous commentary that captures the spirit of the show. O'Heir's writing is engaging and witty, bringing the quirky charm of Pawnee to life on the page. Fans will enjoy revisiting iconic locations, memorable episodes, and beloved characters through O'Heir's unique perspective.

"Welcome to Pawnee" is more than just a companion guide; it’s a celebration of the show's enduring legacy and its impact on its audience. The book is packed with fun facts, laugh-out-loud moments, and heartfelt reflections that make it a must-read for any *Parks and Recreation* enthusiast.

Overall, "Welcome to Pawnee" is a joyous tribute to a show that has brought so much laughter and warmth to its fans. Jim O'Heir’s affectionate and humorous take on the world of Pawnee is sure to delight and entertain, making it a perfect addition to any fan's collection.

Recollections of Jim O’Heir who played Jerry on “Parks and Recreation” about his time on the show. It’s mostly very light-hearted and he gets some help from the showrunners, the casting director and from Retta and Chris Pratt (the cast members he was closest to, clearly) as well as Adam Scott and a few others.

Both he and Retta started the show as recurring characters and their roles gradually increased. They didn’t make the main credits of the show until the final season, I believe. O’Heir is open about his feelings about being left out of a “Men of Parks and Rec” photo shoot, and the meanness of some of the mines directed at Jerry, and being appreciative that some cast members asked if he was OK. While I get it about the shoot, as far as the lines, O’Heir was only playing a ROLE, and the biggest one of his career. Nothing was directed at him. I’m surprised he took it to heart so much. But he does come across as a really sensitive guy.

Other than a chapter about the death of his mother, which occurred while he was a cast member, and a brief mention of siblings, there’s no mention of any personal life at all. It appears he has no partner, no children. He thanks a best friend in the Afterword, so, not sure.

Oh, and, surprise! He has a Daytime Emmy!

If you are a big “Parks and Rec” fan it’s worth checking out. There are some nice behind the scenes photos. Apparently Jim does a podcast now, about the show.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

All Parks and Recreation fans will absolutely love this one. I find sometimes that these pop culture memoirs have a tendency to drag out a bit but I thought that this was concise, compact and laugh-out-loud funny. We all know and love Jerry from the show, and the personal anecdotes from an actor themselves as opposed to writings from an outside source are always much more preferable in my opinion. A joy for any fan and a quick read.

A great read. I will definitely be going through this a second time when it comes out as a physical copy because I missed some pictures and other elements due to eBook formatting.

It's one of my favorite shows, and it was such a pleasure to read from Gerry/Larry/Gary himself. Absolutely recommended to any Parks fan wanting to dive back into the show after the 30th rewatch.

Thank you, Atria Books. for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Mr. Book just finished Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles and Parks and Recreation, by Jim O’Heir.

I made the mistake of never seeing Parks and Recreation when it was on the air, but I got caught up by binge watching it during the COVID pandemic. So I was unaware of the backstory about how the story originated and the casting stories. I enjoyed reading about them in this book.

But, unfortunately, the book as a whole was too inconsistent. There was a bunch of stories that I enjoyed, but also many that just weren’t that interesting.

I give this book a B. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, a B equates to 3 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

I originally finished reading this on July 16, 2024.

This book felt like sitting down with a dear friend and listening to them tell you about some of the happiest, most important moments in their life. And let me tell you, I couldn’t stop listening. Jim O’Heir played the lovable and hilarious character of Jerry on Parks and Recreation.

Through behind-the-scenes moments, cast and crew interviews, and hilarious tell-all moments, this book walks you through the entirety of Parks and Recreation from Jim’s audition for the show to the series finale wrap party.

There were moments so heartfelt that I found myself tearing up (which I hardly ever do when reading books) and also several moments I was laughing out loud at the hilarity of it. Because, of course, this book wouldn’t be a true product of Jim O’Heir’s without being incredibly funny.

Any fan of Parks and Recreation needs to go ahead and read this book. And then, when you’re finished, go binge watch the series all over again, as I plan to do as soon as I hit “done” on this review.

Thanks to net galley for this arc! This will be a great time for any parks fan. While Jim shares some hilarious stories.its almost too reverential to his cast mates. As if he's afraid to ever even intimate something negative about anyone (except Newt Gingrich). Overall had so much fun though and the pics were great!

This was like walking down memory lane! Jim O‘Heir mixes his own backstory with the story of Parks and Rec in a wholesome, honest and loving way. He understands his audience and gave us in Parks fashion a look into his time on the show. The cast and crew are included in a fun way and share their memories.
I was obsessed with Parks for a while there, so I enjoyed the anecdotes of the set and between the actors. I never listend to the podcast, so I don’t know how much it overlaps like the office ladies book did. Overall it was a little surface level, but since I hadn’t really done a deep dive in a while, that didn’t bother me much. Cute, fun time in between big, dense books.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy!

This was such a treat! I've been a fan of this show for so long, rewatching it all the time for a pick me up. I loved this behind the scenes look and the interactions between the cast members you can just tell they care about each other so much! Thank you so much for the e arc!

I could not put this book down from the moment I started it. Nor did I want to! Aesthetically, this is gorgeous. That cover? Incredible. The formatting and colours and photos all just work so well. I love all of the inclusions of memories from cast and crew of the show, and the way it was included was so easy to follow.

I think to really appreciate and enjoy this book, you have to be a fan of the show. Not just a “I’ve watched a few episodes” or a “well I like Chris Pratt so I’m intrigued” type fan. There’s a lot of specific moments and episodes mentioned, and as a huge fan of the show I loved that. I loved remembering all of those moments, and I’ve never wanted to do a rewatch more than I do right now.

The entire cast of Parks & Recreation all seem like such good people. Jim was so open and honest about everyone and their connections to each other, even if sometimes the memories weren’t perfect (like when cast members left the show). I loved reading about how they are genuinely friends, and call and text each other. I feel like I learned so much not just about Jim, but all of the characters that I’ve grown to love throughout all of the episodes I’ve watched.

I’ve already pre-ordered a physical copy of this, and I highly recommend you do too if you’re a fan of the show. It’s lovely, and I’m so excited that it was written.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.