‘Why Not Me?’ by Mindy Kaling is a comedic, insightful look into Kaling’s world, both personal and professional. Even though I’m not usually a person who reads non-fiction, I do enjoy biographies and memoirs, and this book falls into that category, in my best estimation.

Kaling delivers her stories with passion and humor, citing prime examples of issues she has had in life related to relationships – crushes, dates, and how she and B.J. Novak are “soup snakes” – to friendships, a day in the life of an actress/writer, and much, much more.

I found that Mindy (I feel as though I can call her by her first name after reading some of the details of her life) and I are similar in some ways, based on some of the stories she told. One in particular stood out to me when she wrote, “This, by the way, is the anatomy of a Mindy Kaling crush. Just bear a passing resemblance to a fictional romantic trope I like and I will love you forever.” I often take way too much stock in fictional characters, acting as though they could be real people. It drives my mom crazy at times, but the fact is, in my opinion, that if a character, storyline, or other piece of the writing can move me so much that I feel the need to talk about it like it’s real, it must be pretty amazing and well worth the conversation.

I read this book in one day’s time, and almost couldn’t put it down as I did so. I had watched Kaling on ‘The Office’ as Kelly Kapoor, and I am now fascinated with how put-together she is, despite how she may say that she is anything but, based on her storytelling. I loved reading about her relationship with B.J. Novak (it seems so real and down-to-earth) and how a typical day in her life goes. I also enjoyed how she tackled many of the realities of being a celebrity, and what that really means much of the time. I will be adding her first book, ‘Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)’ to my to-read list. Her writing style flows well and maintains my interest in a way that I can honestly say many memoir-esque books cannot.

You can find ‘Why Not Me?’ by Mindy Kaling here.