Sub Box Book Review: Why Not Me?

Title: Why Not Me?
Author: Mindy Kaling
Sub Box: PopSugar Must Have, October 2015


 

It’s January, and if you put “read more” on your New Year’s Resolutions, then I’m here to encourage you! And you can encourage me, because it’s on my list as well. Last year I listened to and read 31 books, and this year I’m aiming for 35-40! I’m done with 3 so far, and we’re only ten days deep into January.

Bookshelf
Part of my physical To Read shelf.

I love Mindy, and it started with her first book, “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)” Like most women, I immediately thought of her as my celebrity bestie.

This book arrived in a Popsugar MH that I did not get, so I swapped and got it.

 


Synopsis

whynotmymindykaling
img source: Amazon

From Goodreads:

In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.

Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.


Reactions

At first I was confused when I saw Mindy had another personal essay collection out. I think she must spend 27 hours a day writing!

I actually unsubscribed from her on Twitter because she Tweets too much. I’m a weirdo who actually likes reading the Tweets of people I follow, and I don’t care about personal conversations with people I do not know.

2016-01-10 11.16.03

As I read I started putting little sticky notes in the book to remember my favorite parts.

vegasladies
Vegas 2012

“People sometimes sweetly say that I have ‘child-bearing hips,’ but what they really mean is that I have hips that will definitely knock over your drink if you are sitting next to me on a plane and I have to get up to use the bathroom.” [p 14]

I have been told twice by guys I was making out with that I had child-bearing hips! This is not something a young twenty something wants to hear with a guy she doesn’t want to have kids with! Like… why are you thinking about that while we’re smooching??

Anyway, before I even read Mindy’s book I was considering doing an amusing post on my personal blog about how giant my bum and hips are, and how I often knock things over with it. My sister and sister-in-law are obsessed with the Kardashians and they decided if I did some more squats I’ve have a Kim-esque booty. Not sure if I want to aspire to that… [see image of me on the right for reference]

“I have never had any breasts to speak of. In high school I wore the same white cotton Jockey 34-A bra for three consecutive years… I made my mom take me to Victoria’s Secret, and I saw what I was missing out on. I didn’t have to wear my stretchy white bra that looked like it was for someone going through physical therapy.” [p 17]

This part made me laugh so hard because… I was the same! I got my first bra in 3rd grade, and it was a Mickey Mouse sports bra with matching panties. They were so big I could pull each down and up, respectively, and they would meet in the middle

boobalicious
My entry into the Subsistah Boobalicious file.

forming a little suit. In 6th grade I told my mom to go away while I hid in the bra section. Then I ran away from the woman who tried to size me. So, basically I wore the same size bra from 6th grade till college, and it was a white, thin, lacey POS that did nothing for me. I had the chest profile of a 52 year old woman with 14 cats and a stockpile of tissues in her bra [for tears, not for boob enhancement].

In college, my dorm neighbor with the biggest bewbies I had ever seen claimed to also be a 36C, and that’s when I realized hey maybe I’d been wearing the wrong bra size my whole adolescence. She also realized her bra was the wrong size. Anyway, when my sister got to college she was the one who dragged me off to Victoria’s Secret and forced me to buy a real bra that fit and underwear that wasn’t ten years old with elastic bits falling off.

It still pains me to buy bras, but yesterday I finally got a new one from Victoria’s Secret, and I love it so far! It’s a wireless, clipless thing that is basically a sports bra that looks like a regular bra. It’s the equivalent of jeggings for bras. See above left for how I plan to comfortably live out my booby days.

2016-01-10 11.17.14
The interior of Why Not Me?

“I can’t for the life of me not eat something that I want to eat.” [p 194]

Yep. Do I need to elaborate? Btw, my least favorite part about having gained weight is that my chest got bigger. That’s why I had to get a new bra. =\ McBoyfriend wants to know how I can lose weight everywhere else, but I told him it doesn’t work that way and that I would take a B or A cup any day.

 

My favorite chapter was probably where President Obama requested to meet her! Can you imagine being cool enough that a president wants to meet you? It seems like he has a great sense of humor and likes to surround himself with funny, intelligent people. I like it.

Also it’s nice when books are emphasized with pictures. I read something and think, “what is this awesome moment they are referencing?” and it is nice to actually see a picture of the moment.

Basically I still love picture books…

 


Verdict

Goodreads Review: 3.93 stars

My Review: 4 stars

I enjoyed this book; it wasn’t the most amazing thing ever, but it was a fun read. Mindy’s show is fabulous, her sense of style is freaking awesome, and I’d totally hang out with her.

readingwhynotme

What did you think? Did you read it? Do you want to read it? Let us know!

 


Next

Look for the review later this week of Not If I See You First, from the December Uppercase! Check out my review here.

Then, we’ll take a look at the Judy Blume book from Popsugar MH June 2015 box. Just a heads up, it’s got 90 POVs that change frequently, so I’m already losing interest…

If you have any book suggestions, questions, comments, or other input, send a comment to Onderria!

To see other book reviews click here!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.

  17 comments for “Sub Box Book Review: Why Not Me?

  1. January 10, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    BTW: Seahawks just won. SOOO much yelling in this football house I live in!!

    • January 10, 2016 at 8:03 pm

      I can’t wait for you to review the PSMH book because I just found it the other day and was wondering if it was worth the read

  2. January 10, 2016 at 1:09 pm

    OMG I am dying here your review is fabulous! Will there be a boobalicious category in our photography award series?

    I have read around 50 books so far in 2016. Each of these books had less than ten pages and had large font and/or pictures. I might have read 90% of them a hundred times.

    They always felt me up in VS when sizing me. Please tell me I am not the only one…

    • January 10, 2016 at 7:56 pm

      We finally went to the library yesterday because I could no longer read with any enthusiasm the 20 or so books we have for my son…….

    • January 10, 2016 at 9:54 pm

      Haha Pnut, at first I was like holy smokes, speed reader! Then yeah haha I have read a few kids’ books. Fortunately my nieces have a million books, and they’re not particularly attached to any of them so I get to read a different one each time I’m there. I’m also their library patron, or the one who takes them to the library. In fact, like half the time when they see me they ask when we’re going to the library next =D

  3. January 10, 2016 at 8:02 pm

    This review is amazing. Also have you tried Gap Body bras? They are pretty great if you like the most non-bra you can find.
    Also lets form a big butt gang. I am pretty sure Sir Mix a lot wrote, big butts about my butt. No boobs and booty for days has been my life. And now that I am preggo well… it needs its own weather system!!

    • January 10, 2016 at 9:51 pm

      Heh, thanks! We can definitely have a big booty gang! We can go hang out in places and take turns knocking things over accidentally =)

      I haven’t tried Gap bras–I try to avoid buying bras, but the girls at Victoria Secret where I live are all like normal looking / gothy chicks so I felt comfortable going in.

  4. January 11, 2016 at 7:39 am

    Y’all, Goodwill for books! I’ve started a monthly visit to Goodwill, find the color of the day, go to the book section, and anything with the color of the day and some type of medal on it comes home with me for $0.50/book. I read 48 books last year, gunning for a full 52 this year! It’s basically the best.

    Just finished that Judy Blume book. Don’t read it on a plane, like I did. Seriously. Also, it’s historical fiction, and the plane crashes really happened, so that puts an interesting spin on it.

    • January 11, 2016 at 10:02 pm

      Good point, Misslindsayleigh! What did you think about the book? I saw mixed reviews, so I wasn’t sure how I’d like it!

      • January 12, 2016 at 7:56 am

        It was a struggle for the first third, and then it actually got pretty good. Honestly, until I figured out that it was based on real events, it was dragging. And then I found out and it became RIVETING.

  5. Sub Bella
    January 11, 2016 at 9:25 am

    I love the review. My sister shares the same type of problems. She needs to read this! You look great in your Las Vegas picture. I love the bra pattern.

    It was a fun book to read. I liked that it was easy to put down and pick up again at a later time.

    • January 11, 2016 at 10:03 pm

      Thanks, lady! I’m glad to hear you liked it! I’ll pick it up again when I go to bed tonight.

  6. AngelaR
    January 11, 2016 at 11:27 am

    These days it pains me to go bra shopping also. I moved to an area that doesn’t carry my bra size. In this area the smallest women bra band size is 34.

    • January 11, 2016 at 10:05 pm

      Oh man! I hope you can order things online and return them if they don’t fit.

      • AngelaR
        January 12, 2016 at 6:19 am

        I actually have an order from Groupon coming this week. I think on Wednesday it will be here. I was able get a 6 pack of Racerback bras for $10 and $4 shipping. I kept checking the site till they were a price I could afford. Next thing on the list is to get a good high impact sports bra for when I’m using the skid steer loader and on the riding mower.

  7. sdbear
    January 11, 2016 at 9:25 pm

    So what are your favorite reads of the past year (regardless of when they were written)?
    My fav was All the Light We Cannot See with honorable mentions to Salvage the Bones, Olive Kitteridge, The Goldfinch and Lords of Misrule.

    • January 11, 2016 at 10:38 pm

      Sdbear, last year I spent most of my book time reading a few YA series: Etiquette and Espionage [1-2], Pretty Little Liars [1-10], The Lying Game [all], and Second Hand Spirits [1-6]. My favorite books from last year were Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Mechanica, and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place 1.

      The Goldfinch sounds really interesting! It must have been 2014 where I read a lot of gothic mansion ghost/romance mysteries. One of my favorites from that year was The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit

Leave a Reply to Onderria Cancel reply