Bossypants, by Tina Fey

I really like Tina Fey. I love "Mean Girls" and thoroughly enjoyed "30 Rock." I think it's awesome that a 40-something, normally shaped woman has become so popular based on her insane amount of talent. This book is not quite as awesome as Tiny Fey, but that's mostly because it wasn't what I expected. Yes, there are tons of funny bits - the chapter about her father, and really anything about her childhood - but this book is really about feminism. It's about a woman trying to do what she loves, when what she loves happens to be dominated by men. So much of the book is Fey's advice on how to feel better about yourself as a woman in the workplace and as a working mom; I liked that, and appreciate it. It just wasn't expected, and so threw me off guard for a bit.

I do also have to mention that this feels like a bit of a throwaway. Like someone said, "Hey, Tina, you're a writer, you should totally write a book!" So Tina, being a writer, and a damn good one, did just that. But it's more a series of thoughts than a coherent piece of writing, a bit like a journal. I think this is one of those situations where a more heavy-handed editor could have steered the author in a more productive direction, but because the author happens to be famous, this didn't happen. I'd actually love to see Fey write long-form fiction. I think a novel by her would be funny and moving and quite special. I think Tina Fey has a lot of staying power, and I can't wait to see the work she does, in any medium, in the future.