Name: So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know
ISBN: 9781250109347

Retta

"In her ... book of essays, [the author] shares the stories that led to her success in Hollywood"--Amazon.com.

So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know

In her hilarious book of essays, Parks and Recreation star Retta shares the stories that led to her success in Hollywood. In So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know, Parks and Recreation star Retta takes us on her not-so-meteoric rise from roaches to riches (well, rich enough that she can buy $15,000 designer handbags yet scared enough to know she’s always a heartbeat away from ramen with American cheese). Throwing her hard-working Liberian parents for a loop, Retta abandons her plan to attend med school after graduating Duke University to move to Hollywood to star in her own sitcom—like her comedy heroes Lucille Ball and Roseanne. Say what? Word. Turns out Retta might actually be on to something. After winning Comedy Central’s stand-up competition, she should be ready for prime time—but a fear of success derails her biggest dream. Whether reminiscing about her days as a contract chemist at GlaxoSmithKline, telling “dirty” jokes to Mormons, feeling like the odd man out on Parks, fending off racist trolls on Twitter, flirting with Michael Fassbender, or expertly stalking the cast of "Hamilton," Retta’s unique voice and refreshing honesty will make you laugh, cry, and laugh so hard you’ll cry. Her eponymous sitcom might not have happened yet, but by the end of So Close to Being the Sh*t, you’ll be rooting for Retta to be the next one-named wonder to take over your television. And she just might inspire you to reach for the stars, too.

Jennifer

Light, quick, and fun to read. Growing up poor, I can relate to Retta’s experience with money, nice things, and shopping at cheap and mainstream places. It’s fun to hear her name drop and talk about her funny famous people moments, i.e. NHL and Hamilton fandom. The pictures at the end were great. Was it deep? Nope. She touched upon some deeper issues like racism and feminism but nothing of note to remember or to mention. She talks about her body issues but even for that, it was very surface. I still wouldn’t be able to tell you who she really is. Was I moved? No. Was I temporarily entertained? Sure. Top 5 celebrity memoirs? Not a chance.

So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know

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