"Yes Please" by Amy Poehler

Yes Please is a memoir self-authored by SNL actress, writer, and comedian Amy Poehler.
Sort of.
When I say it's sort of a memoir, I mean that it is autobiographical in nature and there are mentions of Poehler's personal life--however, she does not dive deep into detail about her life. The parts of her life that she talks about, she does so matter-of-factly and briefly before moving onto the next topic. In addition to this, there are sections that she hands over to other people in her life in order that they might weigh in on her ideas...or maybe just because she was tired one night and needed additional chapters, she she handed the reins over to Seth Meyers and Mike Schur who give some outside perspective about what working with Poehler and being her friend is like.

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But the autobiographical bits are not the focus of the book. I put myself on hold for this book before it was even published, because I am a fan of Amy Poehler in general--her acting, her writing, her general niceness, etc. I was expecting a straight forward autobiography. What I got was so much better than that. The focus on the book is really more life advice, tips on succeeding in the world as a decent human being, and how to be really really good at what you do. With chapter titles like "Talk to Yourself Like You're Ninety," "Gimme That Pudding," "Don't Forget to Tip Your Waitresses," "Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend," and "The Robots Will Kill Us All: a Conclusion" Poehler lays down some straight forward advice about living your life the way you want to, making the best decisions about what is best for yourself, and getting away with stating the truth with minimal repercussions. Even the title of the book is advice on how to not be a terrible person, and still have a powerful presence:

"It is called Yes Please because it is a constant struggle and often the right answer. Can we figure out what we want, ask for it, and stop talking? Yes Please. Is being vulnerable a power position? Yes please. Am I allowed to take up space? Yes please. Would you like to be left alone? Yes please. I love saying "yes" and I love saying "please." Saying "yes" doesn't mean I don't know how to say no, and saying "please" doesn't mean I am waiting for permission. "Yes please" sounds powerful and concise. It's a response and a request. It is not about being a good girl; it is about being a real woman. It's also a title I can tell my kids. I like when they say "yes please" because most people are rude and nice manners are the secret key to the universe."

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And lest you think that this book lacks the comedic wit and lightheartedness of other comedic biographical works--if you listen to the audiobook, Poehler turns the narration briefly over to Sir Patrick Stewart in a section containing haiku about plastic surgery. The whole book is layered with Poehler's wit and comedic timing, even though it is more of a life-advice book than a memoir. It's what makes it stand out from other comedic memoirs. Basically, I read this book as a how-to manual on how to become Amy Poehler. And I can think of way worse things to be.

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Yes Please by Amy Poehler is available at the Ocean City Free Public Library.

Fault Lines by Nancy Huston

Shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 2008, Fault Lines takes an interesting narrative approach and follows four generations of a family counter-chronologically. Family secrets start to unravel as each generation's character is revealed. We first meet 6 year old Sol, a coddled spoiled brat of a character, as he and his family are on a trip to Germany to revisit a long-lost relative. Huston then introduces the reader to the other generations; his father Randall, grandmother Sadie, and great grandmother Erra. As each character's story unfolds, you can see how each narrative weaves into one. The last section, which centers on Erra, is the most eye-opening one and is the final piece of the novel's puzzle. I don't want to say much more because it'd be giving too much away, but suffice it to say, it's a pretty intense (and sad) read.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

A short but very moving tale about a man who uncovers the awful truth about a former lover. Michael is 15 when he first meets Hanna, who is 36. Despite the creepy age difference, the two become lovers, though Michael is far more captivated by the mysterious and distant Hanna than she is to him. Their affair is all too brief and one day, Hanna just disappears. Years later, Michael unintentionally sees Hanna as the defendant when he is observing a court case for law school. As Michael slowly learns about Hanna's horrible past, he must struggle to accept the question - if he loves (or loved) a monster, what does that make him? There is redemption in the end, but it's very bittersweet. And of course, they made a movie out of this one. If the weather is decent, perhaps I'll go see it this weekend - Kate Winslet is supposed to be fabulous.

"A Banquet of Consequences" by Elizabeth George

Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley mystery series is probably one of my favourites in the style of English detective stories. It's the series that I keep returning to, when I slip into a reading rut and can't focus on reading something new, particularly to the first book in the series A Great Deliverance. While there are lots of decent mystery series circulating now, the first book in George's Lynley stories has a certain grim insistence about it that keeps drawing me back to it. And in her latest contribution to the series, George has written a story that in many aspects parallels her first--however, these parallels did not become immediately apparent until the climax of the story. One of the things that I like best about Elizabeth George's writing is that she realises that a lot of times, the supporting characters can have better story potential than the main title character. She uses this to her advantage in almost all of the Lynley seri...

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