Everyone’s favorite on-screen OB/GYN/fashionista and off-screen comedian/actress/role model/pretend BFF Mindy Kaling released her second book, Why Not Me? this September. It’s safe to say that it is even better than her first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).
Why Not Me? consists of various short stories and essays – each of which is full of hilarious quips, jokes, and pop culture references – that follow a wide set of themes ranging from life advice, to a look into her daily life as the writer, star, and producer of her own show The Mindy Project, to the time she hooked up with one of the President’s aides.
Personally, I knew I would love this book before I even opened it. This was partly because I’m already obsessed with Mindy (and clearly, we’re on a first-name basis), but also because I really liked the illustration on the back of the book, entitled “About the Author’s Heart: A Diagram and Explanation of Her Strongest Muscle.”
Some of the things Mindy Kaling holds dearest to her heart – according to the illustration – includes nice guys and handsome jerks, Stephen Colbert, heavy celebrity drama, light personal drama, subtweeting her enemies, and fearless young women. And in all honesty, my heart and Mindy’s heart are pretty much aligned in regards to the things we love.
Here are some of Mindy’s best lines from Why Not Me?:
On success:
“People get scared when you try to do something, especially when it looks like you’re succeeding. People do not get scared when you’re failing. It calms them. But when you’re winning, it makes them feel like they’re losing or, worse yet, that maybe they should’ve tried to do something too, but now it’s too late. And since they didn’t, they want to stop you. You can’t let them.”
On confidence:
“I will leave you with one last piece of advice, which is: If you’ve got it, flaunt it. And if you don’t got it? Flaunt it. ’Cause what are we even doing here if we’re not flaunting it?”
On being brave:
“People’s reaction to me is sometimes ‘Uch, I just don’t like her. I hate how she thinks she is so great.’ But it’s not that I think I’m so great. I just don’t hate myself. I do idiotic things all the time and I say crazy stuff I regret, but I don’t let everything traumatize me. And the scary thing I have noticed is that some people really feel uncomfortable around women who don’t hate themselves. So that’s why you need to be a little bit brave.”
On food:
“I can’t for the life of me not eat something that I want to eat. You know how if you turned on a faucet in your sink to wash your hands, the idea of leaving the bathroom without turning it off is insane? That’s how I am about ignoring delicious food.”
Mindy ends her book with some of her best advice: “Work hard, know your sh*t, show your sh*t, and then feel entitled. Listen to no one except the two smartest and kindest adults you know, and that doesn’t always mean your parents. If you do that, you will be fine. Now, excuse me, I need to lie down and watch Sheldon.”
Overall, this book is a good read whether you’re a hardcore Mindy Kaling fan or not. Why Not Me? will make you laugh out loud, nod your head in agreement – because Mindy’s just that relatable – and lastly, inspire you through the abundance of advice Mindy gives. Here’s to hoping that Mindy releases a third book soon!
Did you read Why Not Me? What did you think of it?