Most of the recommendations I got for Yes Please were from people who had listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Amy herself. I was tempted, but I still have loads of unlistened to audiobooks which I have failed to get into, so I went for the book. I wonder if I would have enjoyed the audio version more, although I did like some of Amy’s old photos which are included.

I really only know Amy from her role in Parks and Recreation, which I love, but there is something about her which is very likeable, indeed the blurb on the book says everyone wants to be her friend. It’s definitely a feeling I got from her more personal chapters, which are more essays on life in general than specifics about her career.

The chapter on saying sorry was touching and on the point. So often a sorry comes with a caveat, we make it a selfish thing for ourselves than a real act of apology. Sometimes we are too angry to even think we should apologise. Her example is something I’m sure we’d all regret and I sniffled a bit at the final response.

Sometimes we get defensive about what we feel guilty about.

Other good bits are on the positives of getting old; you get superpowers! She reveals how bad a sleeper she is and pitches her ideas for books on divorce rather than talking about her own divorce. She reveals she is a kind and dedicated mom who makes parenting work with her career, at the same time pointing out how much women can be really down on other women who are doing the opposite.

Fighting aging is like the War on Drugs. It’s expensive, does more harm than good, and has been proven to never end.

I’m not that familiar with Saturday Night Live and there is a lot about that. It came across a bit name droppy and was a list of this happened one time, and this happened another time. It was lacking the general charm displayed in other areas.

She does go on a bit at the start about how hard it is to write a book. I’m not doubting that, but in places it does feel like maybe she was going through the motions. Maybe if she hadn’t felt the need to “cover her career” I would have fallen in love, but I did find myself skimming some of it.

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Also reviewed @ Lit Addicted Brit

Book Source: Purchased