Smart Girls with Good Books

Hi everyone,

I fell out of the habit of writing book reviews here, but I've been reading. Here are some great books by some lovely ladies.

Carry This Book by Abbi Jacobson

Abbi Jacobson, from the great Comedy Central show Broad City, came to Sixth and I Synagogue to discuss Carry This Book in 2016. This fun book makes me happy! Each page or two shows illustrations of the personal travel bag contents of a famous person or character, including Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Oprah Winfrey, David Bowie, Indiana Jones, and Batman. Abbi included her own travel bag and – during the interview by Mike Perry, who illustrated all of the vibrant Broad City titles – talked about how she loved packing her book bag for elementary school. Mike asked the audience to raise their hands if they felt the same way, and most people did: "This defines the audience tonight," he said, "just how everyone raised their hands!"

This book is full of illustrations that are hand drawn using Prismacolor markers. (They were drawn on 18" x 24" paper to ensure the details showed up when reduced down to book size.) I loved seeing the strokes of these markers and that the author pointed out in the book itself areas where she almost made a mistake or ran out of ink. Since my cat illustrations are also hand drawn with Prismacolor markers (and include plenty of mistakes), I felt for the first time that maybe my art could be more broadly appreciated. Our mutual love/hate relationship with Prismacolor markers connects us too: Mike Perry noted, "They're a little too expensive and they always run out sooner than you think they should." And, Abbi Jacobson agreed, saying that Prismacolor markers are not her favorite markers, but they are the best markers: "I should be a spokeswoman for Prisma markers, but they haven't called me yet."

My Love Story by Tina Turner
Dad and I surprised Mom once by taking her to a concert in Cleveland. She didn't know who we were going to see, but when she came on stage, Mom exclaimed, "Oh! Tina!" I bought Tina Turner's latest memoir, My Love Story, for my mom, but I read it before I gave it to her.

Growing up in the '80s, I knew Tina Turner best from her performance in the 1985 film Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and her recent hits, including "Private Dancer" and "What's Love Got To Do With It." Also, I saw What's Love Got To Do With It, the 1993 film that chronicled her rise in the music business and her abusive relationship with Ike Turner.

My Love Story delves into how she survived that and so many other hurdles throughout her life, including a stroke, a kidney transplant, and the recent death of her son. Still, she climbed to the top of her profession and welcomed new adventures with a sunny, hopeful attitude. She found real love with German music executive Erwin Bach and a sense of home in Switzerland, where she still lives today. Tina Turner is a true living legend who sought and found her well-deserved happy ending.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler
I bought Amy Poehler's memoir, Yes Please, a few years ago for my sister. I borrowed it after getting hooked over the summer on Amy's latest TV show, Making It – a fun competition to discover master crafters. Before that, of course, I knew Amy Poehler from Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation, and any collaborations she does with Tina Fey.

Amy Poehler is funny, and she's smart. I loved that this book showcases both through quiet reflection and wisecracks. At times serious and hilarious, Yes Please is a memoir that covers Amy's early work on the comedy circuit, her star-making years on Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation, and her new beginning, raising two boys following her divorce from fellow comedian Will Arnett. This entertaining book recalls memorable moment – including ones we all saw on TV or film – and offers words of wisdom from a smart girl trying to navigate life in the best way, just like the rest of us. 

Becoming by Michelle Obama
My friend let me borrow Becoming by Michelle Obama earlier this year. I loved reading about Michelle Obama's upbringing that revealed how she became the inspiring leader she is today. Day dreaming during the bus ride to school while watching high-powered lawyers in their business suits enter a towering skyscraper in Chicago led her to study law at Princeton and Harvard. She made it to that skyscraper's fancy office only to realize she no longer wanted to be a lawyer.

But it was there that she met Barack Obama, an intern who changed her life, and the rest is history. Michelle quit being a lawyer and shifted into community organizing and beyond. What I loved most about this book is how down to earth and approachable Michelle Obama comes across on every page. She's just a girl with big dreams and boundless support from her parents, who instilled in her that education is the key to her success.

As a politician's wife, she kept the family's priorities straight and life as normal as possible while being supportive of her husband's ambitious vision for the future. The road to the White House was a learning experience, in which every moment was scrutinized in public. In the White House, her experiences as a mother informed her initiative, Let's Move!, which tackles childhood obesity. Reading this book reminded me how everything the Obamas did during their time in the White House supported inclusion and diversity that better reflected this country's citizens and ideals.

All the while, Michelle Obama has held herself with grace under the brightest of spotlights, traveling the world and leading by example. Now, she has reinvented herself again as a best-selling author. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Happy reading,