Friday, August 6, 2010

i know i am, but what are you? by Samantha Bee

I Know I Am, But What Are You?From Simon and Schuster's website:
Candid, outspoken, laugh-out-loud funny essays from the much-loved Samantha Bee, the Most Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart . 
Critics have called her "sweet, adorable, and vicious." But there is so much more to be said about Samantha Bee. For one, she's Canadian. Whatever that means. And now, she opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from Of Mice and Men–style love of baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one-half of a car-thieving couple (Bonnie and Clyde in Bermuda shorts and braces), and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals. She also details her intriguing career history, which includes stints working in a frame store, at a penis clinic, and as a Japanese anime character in a touring children's show.
Samantha delves into all these topics and many more in this thoroughly hilarious, unabashedly frank collection of personal essays. Whether detailing the creepiness that ensues when strangers assume that your mom is your lesbian lover, or recalling her girlhood crush on Jesus (who looked like Kris Kristofferson and sang like Kenny Loggins), Samantha turns the spotlight on her own imperfect yet highly entertaining life as relentlessly as she skewers hapless interview subjects on The Daily Show. She shares her unique point of view on a variety of subjects as wide ranging as her deep affinity for old people, to her hatred of hot ham. It's all here, in irresistible prose that will leave you in stitches and eager for more.
 I have been a fan of "The Daily Show" for a long time and Samantha Bee is one of my favorite "correspondents". It's one of those shows (for those that either do not watch tv *gasp* or don't have cable) that takes your average everyday WTF stance on politics and gives it the proper twist so that you don't feel all alone in your horror and can actually laugh at that horror. So, when I was asked to review this book, I happily said, "yes!"

Gee what do I add to that great description that Simon and Schuster gave? Well, for one, this book is hilarious!  I caught myself laughing on several occasions annoying my sleeping dog (he hates to be waken up during his beauty sleep). It is definitely an adult read and not for the youngsters as you might well guess. And although I am thoroughly convinced that Samantha will go to gerbil/rodent hell in her afterlife I still will say this is one good read. If you like your biography with a large dose of humor, do pick up this book. You won't be disappointed.

I give this book 5 stars. It is exactly what I expected and a bit more.

I'd like to thank Kristin Dwyer at Simon and Schuster for providing me this book for review. No compensation was received for my review.

6 comments:

  1. Hopping by to visit and follow! Wow. I wasn't certain about this book before, since I haven't watched the Daily Show in a looong time, but your description makes me want to go right out and grab it off the shelves. :-)

    -Tiger

    http://tigersallconsumingbooks.blogspot.com

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  2. Great review! Nice video as well.

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  3. OMG! The video is hilarious!=) If Bruce wears a wig he might be able to pull it off!=)

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  4. Hey Melissa,

    I just wanted to let you know that to enter the necklace giveaway you need to fill out the form.

    entries in the comments wont count.

    Thanks! =)

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  5. I never have seen the Daily show, mainly because it's not airing here in Holland. Well, at least I think it's not. But the cover looks so funny! Glad to hear that you loved it and that it made you laugh. Always good stuff.

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  6. @ Nina... it's mostly about American politics anyway. :) So, you probably wouldn't have thought the show is as funny as I do. ;) However, this one isn't about politics, so it probably would translate much better.

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