Nowadays it seems like everyone famous has their own signature perfume, a clothing line at Kohl’s, or, in specific cases *cough Kylie Jenner* a special lip-kit to continue to brand your lips as your claim to fame. Comedians are starting to follow this trend of selling a product. Many have recently started using their humor to share their insight in the forms of books. When one-hour Netflix specials leave you dying for more from your favorite comedians, these books will not only fill the hole in your heart, but will drop some truth bombs about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness (exclusively in the form of emojis).
Our Hand-picked Favorites:
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns): Mindy Kaling shares basically everything you were hoping to hear. Speaking about what it’s like to hate working out, and being the overly dramatic friend as she struggles to become a comedy writer, and other struggles of life in her early 20s.
Yes, Please: Amy Poehler begins her book by acknowledging her privilege growing up as a middle class white woman — and it doesn’t stop there. Famous for the line “good for you, but not for me,” Poehler raises important questions and shares insight about what it’s like to work in a male dominated field. She also discusses experiences that have shaped her as a comedian, improv actress, comedian, and mom (and, of course, BFF of Seth Meyers).
Uganda Be Kidding Me: Chelsea Handler is uncensored and hysterical as she tells crazy stories, from literally pooping in her pants on a beach in the Caribbean, to her first hand experiences of how bizarre the dating world can truly be.
Modern Romance: If you couldn’t get enough of his Netflix special, Master of None, Aziz Ansari joined forces with an NYU professor and various renowned social scientists to report the results of numerous studies on what it’s like to not get a text back, how to decode emojis, and other tragedies that go along with dating in the twenty-first century.
These comedians-turned-authors force us to think about our own lives from a comedic perspective. The books truly have a way of providing the reassurance that you didn’t know you needed. Mindy Kaling reassures you that if you were as awkward in high school as she was, life has a way of turning things around for you once you’re older. How painful every second is when you’re anxiously waiting for a text back from your crush has never been so perfectly expressed as when described by Aziz Ansari. “Maniacally checking my phone every few minutes, going through this tornado of panic and hurt and anger all because this person hadn’t written me a short, stupid message on a dumb little phone” — sound familiar? Or perhaps you think you’ve been on a slough of terribly bad dates? Chelsea Handler without a doubt has a more mortifying story that will make you grateful for your awkward Tinder date that’s still obsessed with being crowned prom-king in high school. Nonetheless these comedians are here to remind us that you weren’t the first (nor will you be the last) to have an awkward run in with your one-night-stand, and it’s okay for things to not always go as perfectly as planned. Nothing is as reassuring as when your favorite comedian tells you that, they also sometimes want to stay in bed and watch Netflix too instead of going out (even if for you that means a party, and for them it means the Emmy Awards). And if you’re ever feeling blue, just remember “sometimes you just need to put some lipstick on and pretend to be psyched” (Mindy Kaling) and that’s really all it takes.