I don’t read a lot of nonfiction; I just don’t have the attention span for it. Memoirs by funny people is usually my only foray into that part of the library (well, that and self help books about anxiety, but that is another story for another day). A few of the best in my recent memory have been Tina Fey’s Bossypants, Lauren Graham’s Talking As Fast As I Can, and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. And now I’m adding Anna Faris and Matt Bellassai–books just out yesterday–to that list.
Everything Is Awful and Other Observations by Matt Bellassai
Every Wednesday, I spend an hour trying to teach 3 year olds phonics. Every Wednesday, Matt Bellassai posts a new video where he gets drunk and rants about life. Every Wednesday, Matt Bellassai saves me from crying in the corner.
I just spent an hour watching his videos. Again. Source
If you have missed him on TN before and do not know about Matt Bellassai, do yourself a favor and go watch his videos. Seriously, he’s hilarious, but also, knowing his voice and the way he emphasizes things really made this book. In fact, it looks like he is narrating the audiobook and I highly suggest listening to it (disclaimer: I read the ARC and have not heard the audiobook for myself). His voice is insanely important in his comedy and once I got my brain to start reading it the way I think he would say things, I was cracking up, but it took a minute to adjust to that.
In his memoir, he tells his life story linearly (am I the only one who thought that was surprising?), describing his childhood and college years, including the trips to his family’s cabin that always ended in disasters, like getting chased through the woods by a swarm of bees. He includes his first (one sided) love (obsession), which ends in a dramatic reveal that is fit for a sitcom.
Unqualified by Anna Faris
I finished this book believing in true love and with ultimate relationship goals on August 1st. I gushed to anyone who would listen about how cute it was that Chris Pratt wrote the foreword (it was funny!), and how in one chapter they interview each other about making their relationship work. It wasn’t all pretty, Anna was married when she met Chris, but they did it the right way, breaking up with their significant others before acting on what they were feeling for each other. I mean, I can’t judge! Look how well it worked for them!
And then August 6th happened.
I was right there grieving with everyone else, believing that love was dead while also moving all of my faith in celebrities-with-perfect-relationships to Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. I kept putting off finishing this review because I honestly didn’t know what to do and I kept hoping that the publishers would come out with some statement, telling me what to do.
I don’t want be one of the people that makes the book release all about her separation, because the book was really fun to read. Here is the opening from my original, pre-break-up review:
Unqualified was everything that I expected it to be. It was funny, genuine, a bit all over the place in the best way. One chapter she’ll be giving you advice on your love life, the next she is telling the story of her son being born at 31 weeks, another she tells her four least favorite body parts. She has her producer ask her rapid fire questions that she usually asks guests on her podcast, then she talks about what she learned from her first marriage. And she does it all the charming voice you expect from the star of both Mom and The House Bunny.
If you are looking for the juicy details on her relationship with Chris Pratt, you are in luck (don’t you hate it when celebs keep their relationships private in the memoirs?! You know that’s why we are reading in the first place!). Chris is sprinkled throughout the book, from their scandalous start to how they make their relationship work (equal parts chemistry, respect, and work; they are partners).
Ugh, it was so GOOD!
How am I supposed to tell you to read a book about relationships–that Anna admits she is unqualified to give advice on even when writing it–when her relationship has blown up? I have spent months trying to decide what I am going to tell you, and all I can tell you is I don’t know how the book will read after the news since I refused to reread it and ruin the book for myself. I’m selfish like that.
