Thanks for the Money, by Joel McHale

I first discovered Joel McHale on his E! show The Soup, a fast-paced hilarious send up of celebrities and reality TV. When he was cast as the "first among equals" main character of the sitcom Community, I tried it out because I recognized him and quickly fell in love with its smart, quirky writing. I usually go into reading celebrity books with very low expectations (when I read them at all). Being good at one thing doesn't automatically mean you'll be good at another. But given McHale writes his own comedy work, I allowed myself a little extra dash of hope for this book.

Happily, I was not disappointed. Sarcasm is kind of McHale's thing, and this book practically drips with it. We learn about McHale's childhood and his many head injuries, his youthful acting ambitions, and how he eventually made it in Hollywood, all with a unique blend of self-deprecation/self-aggrandizement. His Robert De Niro story had me in stitches, and I giggled throughout. If you're not already familiar with his work, it probably won't do much for you, but you definitely don't have to be a massive fan to find the book entertaining.

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