Why Not Me?

Why Not Me?
Mindy Kaling
New York: Crown Archetype, 2015.  228 pgs.  Nonfiction/Humor.

Mindy Kaling has captured a lot of attention in the past few years thanks to her success as a writer and actress on The Office, as the creator and star of The Mindy Project, as the voice of Disgust in Inside Out, and as the bestselling author of Is Everyone Hanging out without Me? (And Other Concerns).  Since her first book covered much of Kaling’s personal history, Why Not Me? focuses on topical issues and more recent events in her life like the development of The Mindy Project.

Why Not Me? is unlikely to disappoint Kaling fans.   In fact, I may have actually enjoyed her new book more than Is Everyone Hanging out without Me? and felt like it had more laugh out loud lines.  I especially love that Kaling seems to be in on the joke and embraces the things about herself that non-fans might not like, including her obsession with romantic comedies (Why Not Me? even has an entire chapter depicting Kaling’s fantasy romantic life as a high school Latin teacher) .  Kaling also discusses topics like body image, her dating life, and her mother’s death with impressive honesty and wit, making this book a surprisingly personal read.

SGR