Book Review of The Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae

The Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae is one of those books I've been wanting to read since it came out last year. So, when I opened my Glommable Glombox here and discovered a shiny new copy, I was stoked! I got even more excited when I saw it had been blurbed by Mindy Kaling, as I've read and enjoyed both of her memoirs--link to my review of Why Not Me? here. I found the cover of Misadventures instantly charming. Everything from Rae's awkward facial expression to her quirky ensemble was endearing to me. The bright, bold colors gave me a hint about the bright, bold personality I hoped would emanate from the memoir.

As I read more of Misadventures, I realized it was like a mashup of Kaling's memoirs (WOC whose body type doesn't align with societal standards struggles to fit in, but is considered a dork by her peers, and uses humor to gloss over here glaring social inadequacies), and Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (POC with one parent born in Africa, who has spent years living there, and who looks at Black culture part as a participant and part as an amateur Sociologist, through the veil of humor), of which my review is here. Since those are all ingredients I find supremely compelling within a memoir, and I loved Kaling's and Noah's books, I was left perplexed that I didn't enjoy Rae's own take on social awkwardness, Black identity, extended family living in Africa, and body image struggles. After all, it was well-written, equally balanced in apt observations and shameless self deprecation, and full of charming 90s pop culture references.

Rae, herself, is an empathetic narrator. I found myself rooting for her from page one. But, ultimately, I think my sense of humor just isn't compatible with her humor writing style. And, even though I didn't enjoy reading this half as much as I thought I would, I came away from the experience with a newfound appreciation for the unique and timely public persona Issa Rae has crafted. That said, if you're a fan of hers, you'll want to give The Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl a try. 

Book Review of Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Since I enjoyed Mindy Kaling's first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), so much, I jumped at the chance to get a free copy of her second book, Why Not Me?, for review from Blogging For Books. It did not disappoint.

I love that Kaling's writing is witty and approachable. I love that her take on women's issues and her attitude about Hollywood are both totally real and grounded. I love that every facet of this book, from the back cover design to the endpaper graphics, from the photos to the author bio is completely in line with Kaling's identity and absurdly hilarious.

My favorite part of Why Not Me? was easily the section with the chapter about beauty advice here Kaling talked about hair. She uncovered the--let's be honest, no longer surprising--truth that pretty much everyone on TV has fake hair. The picture of "her" before all of the Hollywood styling (a photo of Gollum from LOTR made me laugh out loud... not just because I have a friend who has hair thinning due to some medical problems who recently described herself as having had "Gollum hair," but also because I admired the ladyballs (yeah, just like in Easy A) to admit that nobody looks like they do on screen in real life, and to encourage the women reading her book not to compare themselves and their appearances to a standard of beauty she herself can't even attain without a whole team of stylists and a barrage of beauty products.

If you like Kaling herself and find her funny, enjoy her TV show, or devoured her first book, grab this one for sure!

Book Review of Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

I'm sure most of my readers are familiar with Trevor Noah. Born a Crime is his humorous memoir of growing up with a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother in South Africa during apartheid, when a relationship with someone of another race was punishable by prison sentence. Needless to say, Noah has an engaging story to tell. And, with his trademark wit and sharply sardonic cultural observation, he tells it well.

Born a Crime doesn't feel like a book, so much as it feels like a collection of essays, each chapter independently delving into a different facet of Noah's childhood, which is of stark contrast the young experiences of many of his readers. In addition to his honest portrayal of his upbringing and the political climate in which it happened, Noah also brings the personality of a lovable rascal--so different from that of the typical memoirist, which is refreshing and helps the book come alive. Many people who grow up to write their memoirs were quiet readers, social outcasts, nerds, or dealt with abusive situations at home. Noah's bent toward juvenile delinquency and his uniquely honest way of relating to his mom help make his portrayal of his childhood self a triumph.

Ultimately, when one picks up Born a Crime, one is signing on for many things: a small, but painless, civics lesson in apartheid, a carefully-curated selection of Noah's most meaningful or entertaining boyhood memories, and all of it served up with the treatment of Noah's personal humorous style, which will bring audiences back to his narrative again and again. This book fills all of the promises it has made, and more. 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.