Mindy Kaling

Hollywood starlet Mindy Kaling Kaling shares her ongoing, laugh-out-loud journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life.

Why Not Me?

Patrick Book

Brooke Lonegan

Fun, quick read. Definitely have to get Mindy and her tone to be able to not take some of the ridiculous things she says too seriously.

Hollywood starlet Mindy Kaling shares her ongoing, laugh-out-loud journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life.

Lamia Hajani

4 stars

I often worry when comedians write a second book, because what could they possibly put in it that wasn't in the first? I did like all of Chelsea Handler's books that I read so I wasn't too surprised that I also loved this book after reading Kaling's first. A successful South Asian woman, Kaling talks a lot about her journey to success in this book sprinkled with some funny stories. 

I enjoyed this book because there has always been a part of me that wants to be a TV writer and Mindy's journey to that point is fraught with obstacles. Her way of getting over them is creative and fun to read about. However, she does not glamorize TV writing - it's a tough life that she has to live and she's had to grapple with success being diametrically opposed to having a family. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good celebrity memoir and for a good laugh. It's inspiring but not too heavy. A well-deserved 4 stars.

Briar's Reviews

Once and a while I like picking up a celebrity biography/autobiography. I enjoyed The Office and Mindy Kaling's roles and writing on it, so I figured this would be a cool book to jump into. After reading her book, I definitely want to watch The Mindy Project. Mindy seems like a fun and wickedly smart woman who has made a name for herself in Hollywood. She's an excellent writer and super funny. Her book is an easy read that feels like you're sitting down to coffee with her. She tells her story, and you can smile and nod along as you learn all about the hijinks she gets into. 

There's a lot of funny and a lot of heart in this book. It's not my favourite book in the world, but if you are a fan than this is definitely one you should pick up. You'll get to peek inside Mindy's brain and world for about 300 pages. 

Three out of five stars.

Gillian Rose

I really love Mindy. She is so wise and funny. This was a great read.

Jeannette Ordas

The perfect fluffy light read to try and drown out the US election hubbub. There was a meme going around social media a while ago where you picked 3 fictional characters to represent you - my choice, if I had played along, would have been Mindy Lahiri for one spot for sure. Mindy Kaling is funny and I liked her stories about Hollywood and how everyone uses lasers to zap zits, wears hair extensions and has fake teeth. She also talks about weight, her confidence and the benefits of hard work. I loved her writing, she made me chuckle and smile and there were a few meaty take-aways too.

Trish

This was such a funny, relatable, light-hearted read. It was as easy and relaxing as a hot July day laying out on the beach or a cozy night in watching a FRIENDS marathon with the girls and wine. I love Mindy Kaling. I love her show, her books, her style - add to that a hilarious inner monologue and you've got one of the sweetest, most candid non-fiction books of the year. Mindy knows her audience and knows what they want to hear. Her editors did their job because there's not a single passage that I felt was too long, or rambly or unnecessary - at least for a book written by Mindy Kaling. It had the perfect amount of wit and whimsical air about it with enough insight into Mindy's personal life and surrounding Hollywood drama to keep me on my toes.

Izza

This book was short and sweet and plenty funny!

Gisela Ayala 

What can I say about this book, beside the fact that it is Mindy Kaling and she makes me feel like her best friend. This book is a bunch of her experiences written in essay format. As always she is funny but maybe not everyone's kind of funny. I did however like her first book a tad bit more than this one. Still, Mindy will forever be my soul sister. Where ever you are, thank you for sharing your experiences with me.

Tracie McMurray

I mean this as a compliment: This reminds me of my younger self who loved my own words so much, I would read them to anyone who would listen. In Kaling's new book she includes a commencement speech she wrote, a short story about an alternate life, and a response she wishes she would have given. This random collection of essays is like hanging out with a friend. Listen to the audio, it's worth it to hear her voice. :)

Shereen Evans

This was an enjoyable books. For the most part it was funny and witty. There were a couple parts that I didn't enjoy. This was a great book to follow up her other book "Is Everyone Hangout Without Me?" I have enjoyed watching Mindy from the Office to the Mindy Project. This touches basis on some of that.

Ashley J Brown

I loved this book. I went from loving Mindy for being on The Office to having to remind myself that I don't really know her nor are we best friends. I swear this was probably the most relatable memoir I've ever read or listened to, to date. It's safe to say Mindy is now one of my personal heroes and I vow to read anything she ever publishes!

Daniela Peña 

Four and half stars. I absolutely love Mindy! She's one of my fave comedy women, along with my girl crushes Tina and Amy. But anyways, I loved this book lol I finished reading it last night and I actually dreamt about it! Love when books do that lol. My favorite story was the one with her and BJ on the airplane from Burbank and NYC -- I made everyone read the story as well! I couldn't stop laughing. Quick read, definitely recommend it!

Sarah Vaughan

One of the only books I've ever read in one sitting. I love Mindy Kaling. She is an amazing writer, actress, and comedian. I highly recommend reading both of her books.

KADY BURNS

Not as good as her first one, but still really enjoyable.

Caroline Lewicki

Part self-help, part autobiography, Mindy Kaling is hilarious and inspirational. I genuinely laughed out loud a few times and was touched by some of the confidence boosting advice Mindy gives. The audiobook is read by her, so I highly recommend it!

Olivera Mitić

3.5 stars, very enjoyable, very sweet, just like anything regarding Mindy. I flew through it just like throught her other book, but as nice as it was, I don't have a feeling that this one will stick either. A shoutout to Mindy, tho, for being awesome and a role model.

Danica Holdaway

I really loved this book. She offers an inside look at her life, talks about the journey she took to get there, and somehow her honesty is hopeful, hilarious, and endearing. I liked it better than her first book.

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Divertido y actual. Me identifiqué con varias cosas de su personalidad. De fácil lectura.

Pallavi Tirkey

I am certainly biased about the book since I absolutely adore Mindy and her show "the Mindy project" and this book felt like I was watching Mindy lahiri go through a rom-com movie but in real life.it gave a peak(more than a peak) into her life. the usual part of advice comes at last chapters and one may wonder where some of her essays are going as some are more of a rant but I even loved those parts. it was highly entertaining! just like her series! 4/5

Zoe Smolen

Mindy's first book was kind of a miss for me, but I decided to give this one a go as I still adore her. And I'm glad I did. I don't know if it's the book or where I am in my life, but I devoured this book. I read it in one afternoon and was sad it ended.

b.andherbooks

A fun listen, but not my favorite celebrity book. I really enjoyed Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, but felt this was a little more uneven. However, most parts I did enjoy, and the ending really shone.

Kaycee Castleman

I love Mindy Kaling. Nothing more needs to be said haha

Mindy Kaling has found herself at a turning point. So in Why Not Me?, she shares her ongoing journey to find fulfilment and adventure in her adult life, be it falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in unlikely places, or attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behaviour modification whatsoever. In “How to Look Spectacular”, she reveals her tongue-in-cheek solutions for guaranteed on-camera beauty. “Player” tells the story of Mindy being seduced, then dumped, by a female friend in LA. And in “Soup Snakes,” she spills some secrets on her relationship with ex-boyfriend and close friend B. J. Novak. Mindy has put the anxieties, the glamour and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into this book, to which anyone can relate. (And, if they can’t, they can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.)

Hayley 📖🌈💜🌸

3.5 stars. 
Quite enjoyed parts of this (the blonde White House guy, the letter at the end, the BJ/soup snakes part, the fictional emails with teacher!Mindy and Sam Cooke) but other parts felt a bit- off? Not sure why, but I wasn't feeling some of it. 
A little aside, but I'm loving audiobooks of biographies/biographical essays lately. 10/10 will continue to listen to them.