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A Kirkus Style Review of "Yes Please" by Amy Poehler

 

Amy Poehler's autobiography is a combination of advice and stories from her life, much of which will leave you laughing. Fans of Parks and Recreation or Saturday Night Live should check out this book.

Poehler recounts stories from her childhood to the present, interspersing life advice along the way. She champions self-empowerment and being grateful, polite, and kindhearted. Fans of her television work will enjoy stories from behind the scenes. Fans should know the memoir contains serious sections and not to expect laugh-out-loud content in every chapter. Without going too deeply into the personal details of her life, Poehler shares advice and stories about parenting, marriage, and growing older. If you can get your hands on both the audio and hardcover formats, do so. Poehler puts on a dynamic, high energy performance narrating the audiobook and includes special guest speakers. The hardcover book incorporates various documents, such as lists and snippets of scripts, and photos. You will not want to miss out on photos of Poehler’s teenage years.

Yes Please is an entertaining memoir full of witty wisdom and memorable anecdotes.


Comments

  1. I do not normally go for audiobooks, but I might after reading this review! I have not read this book yet, but I love both Amy Poehler and Saturday Night Life and think hearing her narration would be worth it. I think this is a very well-written review.

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  2. Hi Christina!

    I am so glad that you enjoyed this book! Recently for my job, I was trying to come up with a few recommendations for a patron who had submitted a readers’ advisory form. She liked books that were comical. I instantly thought of Bossypants by Tina Fey, but I had to use Novelist for help with other recommendations, since reading comical biographies is not my go-to reading material. As a matter of fact, I do not recall ever reading a funny biography. Anyway, Yes Please by Amy Poehler popped up as a read-alike recommendation for Bossypants. I instantly recognized the book once I saw the cover, but hadn’t personally read it. I am always hesitant to recommend titles that I have not read, but I know that I have to be okay with this, because I will never be able to read everything. I just have to trust my research skills, which can sometimes be difficult for me to do!

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  3. Hi Christina,

    This book has been on my radar for awhile. I am a huge fan of Amy Poehler's comedy -- from SNL to Parks & Rec to movies. I have the whole Parks & Rec series on DVD. Have you heard the saying, "Be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do"? Solid life advice! I didn't realize that she narrated the Yes Please audiobook. Like Amber mentioned in her comment, I am not an audiobook person, but I think this would be well worth the listen. Great review!

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  4. Hi Christina,

    I like that you point out both formats of the book are good. I did not even think of that for mine and I read the audiobook version! I am going to have to put this on my TBR list because Parks & Rec is one of my favorite shows. I will just sit down and watch an episode when I need a good laugh. Awesome review!

    Abby Abbott

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  5. I LOVE this book and you did an excellent job summarizing it! I also love that you mentioned two different versions of the book (the audio is amazing). Great opening and closing lines. Full points!

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