A tale of 2 memoirs – ‘The Know it All’ and ‘Bossypants’

Recently I unintentionally read 2 memoirs.  Accidental reading happens when you refuse to look at back covers or reviews before reading, I have spoilerphobia.  Most reading choices are based on recommendations from a readers Facebook group, liking an author, or randomly pulling a book from the library shelf.  Over the past 15 years I’ve been slowly making my way through the Waterstones top 100 books of the century.  I digress, Bossypants by Tina Fey and The Know It All by A.J. Jacobs came highly recommended on the Facebook group.

A.J. Jacobs embarked on a challenge to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, he chronicled this with great humour and snippets of encyclopaedic information.  I chuckled at snippets such as “Berserkers – Savage Norse soldiers from the middle ages who, it is said, went into battle naked.  Hence, “going berserk.”  So to truly go berserk, you should take off your pants.  Noted.”  Scattered between unusual facts, he tied in personal anecdotes, a unique and interesting way to write a book.  It’s a read which you can abandon and return to easily without worrying about losing the thread.  Each chapter covers a letter of the alphabet.

Bossypants is a funny and entertaining read but I did rather wish that I had half a clue who Tina Fey is, I have never seen her on TV or heard of her.  Unfortunately I simply didn’t warm to her.  She conveyed the same feeling as a much-loved but daunting aunt of mine.  I get the feeling that I’m the polar opposite to her type A personality (a type which I’m a little envious of), I must be closer to a type Z.  We’re not really going to ‘get’ each other.  Despite being a memoir Tina Fey managed not to share much in the way of her feelings, I didn’t feel that I knew her after reading the book.

Bossypants and The Know It All are both good reads but the next time I read a memoir or auto biography, I want it to be about someone who I’m really interested in.  Tonight there is a book launch for Jani Allen’s memoir Jani Confidential, I’m really hoping that Cliff won’t mind being abandoned with the children so that I can get there.