Yes Please by Amy Poehler

 Yes Please by Amy Poehler - 329 pages

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book full of words to live by.

Opinion: I like reading memoirs and thought this one was decent. Amy Poehler is funny and had good bits of wisdom scattered throughout, too. I listened to the audiobook of this, instead of reading it, and I'm glad I did. I'm not big into audiobooks but I think I'd rather have listened to this than read it, because she invited other people to read portions that were relevant to them, like her parents or Seth Meyers, which was cool. Obviously with her being a comedian, it added to the humor when she did voices or changed her tone and stuff.

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

 A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost -- 336 pages

If there’s one trait that makes someone well suited to comedy, it’s being able to take a punch—metaphorically and, occasionally, physically.

From growing up in a family of firefighters on Staten Island to commuting three hours a day to high school and “seeing the sights” (like watching a Russian woman throw a stroller off the back of a ferry), to attending Harvard while Facebook was created, Jost shares how he has navigated the world like a slightly smarter Forrest Gump.

You’ll also discover things about Jost that will surprise and confuse you, like how Jimmy Buffett saved his life, how Czech teenagers attacked him with potato salad, how an insect laid eggs inside his legs, and how he competed in a twenty-five-man match at WrestleMania (and almost won). You’ll go behind the scenes at SNL and Weekend Update (where he’s written some of the most memorable sketches and jokes of the past fifteen years). And you’ll experience the life of a touring stand-up comedian—from performing in rural college cafeterias at noon to opening for Dave Chappelle at Radio City Music Hall.

For every accomplishment (hosting the Emmys), there is a setback (hosting the Emmys). And for every absurd moment (watching paramedics give CPR to a raccoon), there is an honest, emotional one (recounting his mother’s experience on the scene of the Twin Towers’ collapse on 9/11). Told with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy—with a face you can’t help but want to punch. 

The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation by Melissa Rivers

The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation by Melissa Rivers, 284 pages

I can not think of a more fitting tribute to Joan Rivers than this book written by her daughter Melissa.  This book contains funny anecdotes about the relationship between this very famous comedic mother and her only child, her daughter.  The Book of Joan is a very touching book that any mother and daughter can relate to.  It truly reveals what a devoted mother and grandmother Joan Rivers was and how family was her number one priority.  Joan also worked up until the day she died. This book reveals more insight into the life of Joan Rivers and reminds us why we miss her so much.