I wasn't terribly fond of her character on The Office, but I loved the show, and once I found out she was a writer on the show, I was intrigued. Then I watched a couple of episodes of the Mindy Project and even though I don't think it's the best thing on television, I instantly warmed to how funny and smart the humor was. I learned from reading her first book how hard-working she is; add that to the fact that she is a female writer who is kicking butt in her career, made me a fan. That's a long way of me saying that I fan-read her second book.
Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
It's a hilarious book about mental illness. I appreciated the way she explained what having a mental illness feels like. Once you buy into a quirk, it is a delight.
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
This is my first Nick Hornby book, and by the fifth chapter, I was totally charmed by the British humor. And because of that, I found myself immersed in the setting and the story. I also like how it's a story about the creative process - in this case, the making of a British comedy show.
Purity by Jonathan Franzen
Oh man, this book. I came away from it not liking the characters - he writes one of the most unappealing female characters I have ever read - and feeling lukewarm about the plot, but extremely impressed with the writing and the story telling skills he employs. It feels similar to his book, Freedom, but a different cast of characters and a more current setting with recent events. It involves several characters and their separate stories, which all come together eventually, and each story is so involved and explicated in such detail - it's irresistible.
these books sound interesting. I read freedom around halfway by franzen. i might be finishing it on the trip to east europe,
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