Customer Reviews

It's Not Me, It's You: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally Inebriated Woman

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The latest book from Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is her own memoir. She takes us through growing up, all the way through carrying her twins in a high risk pregnancy.

One of the things I like most about her writing is her -holds nothing back- style. She talks openly and candidly about life situations and her reactions to them. She obviously has a knack for humor as well. Her father was a bit of a deadbeat, a stand-up comedian who walked out on the family early on, but left Stefanie with sharp wit.

I am not surprised at all that she is friends with Chelsea Handler, the two have very similar styles of writing and story telling. Naturally if you like the two books by Chelsea Handler you will really enjoy what Stefanie Wilder-Taylor writes about.

My biggest complaint about the book would be the ending, or lack thereof. The book just kind of stopped. I actually wondered if I was missing some pages. I think that the book needs an additional chapter at the end to wrap things up. They way that it is currently left off is strange.

I'm pretty picky within this genre, but I read this funny, poignant memoir in two sittings!

If you've ever been young in a big city, or grew up in a fractured family, you will recognize most of the situations that this author finds herself in. Coming from a dysfunctional family with a semi-famous dad who wanted to be fully famous, she had some screwed up situations in childhood to deal with, but clearly came out with sense of humor fully intact. There are sad junctures in some stories , but the author brings each one around to integrate them into her central theme of crafting a functional, happy adulthood out of a fractured chaotic start. The non linear story telling works nicely with this theme being the spine that binds it together.

I read mostly political stuff, but am also a big Austen Burroughs fan, and like some Sedaris. This reads like Burroughs early edgy stuff. A must read.

From moving cross country to Los Angeles at the young age of 18 to becoming a mom of twins, author Stefanie Wilder-Taylor details the crazy antics of her life in her newest release It's Not Me, It's You.

Wilder-Taylor makes no secret of the insane situations she been in and the hilarious consequences that follow.

And let's not forget to mention her endless job hopping until on a whim(and the help of a list of her "qualities") she decides to be a Hollywood producer - which, by the way, she does successfully.

This book was more than appropriately named based on the author's personality and lifestyle.

One line from this book sums up Wilder-Taylor: "In AA they call it sharing; I call it dinner conversation."

There's nothing I love more than a book wherein the author doesn't seek to speak of their perfections but of their numerous flaws (as we all have) and can laugh at themselves as you chuckle along with them.

If you've ever been a screw-up (and haven't we all be at some time?), then be sure to pick up It's Not Me, It's You - it'll make you feel better about yourself! ;)

... depending on your background. Lets fact it we all have dysfunction (or most of us anyway) and this book points out the amusing side of being human.

The book is well written and a fun read, though the ending could have been better, not sure where that was leading. But overall a fun read in the middle of crazy.

The author is likable and someone we all "have known" or "have been" at some point or another.

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor's latest book packs a lot of laughs into a fairly small space. Though not very long, there are plenty of chuckles as she finds humor in a variety of situations, from the uncomfortable (dealing with her father, or doing drugs) to the every-day (dating). Through it all, she keeps the reader engaged with a first person style that makes the reader part of the story. Wilder-Tayler uses a fair amount of pop-culture references in her book from TV and music, so the laughs feel very current, and easy to relate to. There's some Dave Barry-esque exagerration in here, and some Celia Rivenbark-type humor as well, so fans of those writers will enjoy this book. Wilder-Taylor does use some adult language though, so parental guidance is advised. Overall, a fast-moving, fun read with enough painful moments to keep the whole thing believable. Definately worth the time. Similar titles:
Dave Barry's Greatest Hits
Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits
God Does Have a Sense of Humor

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor writes in a witty, heart-on-her-sleeve way that successfully comes off as hilarious and engaging. This memoir deals almost entirely with her young adult life before the birth of her children, so it's an "everywoman" book, not just for moms.

Wilder-Taylor's writing style can be summed up in her own words: "In [Alcoholics Anonymous] they call this sharing; I call it dinner conversation." It reminds me of David Sedaris mixed with the personality of Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich's fictional bounty hunter character). Her style is at once upbeat, saucy, and audacious, all the while heavy on the reality denial. An example is when she drives around the gym parking lot for 30 minutes trying to find a spot as close to the entrance as possible, wishing the whole time for a parking lot shuttle. She knows that this is outright ridiculous, yet she steadfastly maintains that she's justified in her actions/feelings -- resulting in a comedy of the absurd and willingly oblivious.

One true mark of comedic genius is Wilder-Taylor's ability to tie in previously mentioned elements of her story, like an inside joke between the reader and her.

Each chapter is a brief, lighthearted vignette into the author's life. They are arranged somewhat chronologically but occasionally skip back to her teens and then jump to her late 20s. This does not affect the quality of Wilder-Taylor's storytelling, in my opinion; but some readers may wish the chapters were in chronological order to maintain the sense of time.

Wilder-Taylor tiptoes the line on some serious topics, like bulimia, smoking freebase coke, a dad that was never there, and temporarily living in a youth shelter. I think her "willingly oblivious" tone adds to her comedic genius, but it may put off more sensitive readers, especially when writing about these troublesome issues. Really, how many people can write something genuinely funny about an eating disorder and not come off as crass? Wilder-Taylor can, actually.

The only parts of this entertaining memoir that caused me some confusion were the inexplicable anachronisms. For example, in the beginning of the above-mentioned cocaine chapter, Wilder-Taylor says "it was the eighties," yet she finds a new apartment on Roommates[dot]com. There's no way this could be true.

I found this book very easy to get through, and although I didn't laugh aloud while reading it, I still found myself verily entertained. At a quick 200 pages and entertaining to boot, this book is pure fun, light nonfiction reading at its best.

I will admit that when I saw Chelsea Handler rave about this book, I knew I had to check it out. As a huge fan of hers, I thought it was only fair.

Now I will say this- Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is not really in the same league of humor that Ms. Handler is---she is funny, but only during certain points in the book. Her experiences were actually pretty interesting in themselves, without the humor involved. But all in all, a pretty decent book.

I tried a few new authors after finishing Chelsea Handler's books in 3 days and loved Its Not Me, its You. She has the same writing style as Chelsea. If you are not famillar with her sense of humor, it is very sarcastic, sometimes ruthless but absolutely hilarious. Literally a laugh out loud book!

Oh Stephanie, you funny girl. I give you five stars for your courage and your talent. I give myself three stars for enjoyment and compromise with 4 stars. Still good! Like you say in the title, It's Not You, It's Me. I think this could be me and not in the best mind-frame for the detailed details of your life. I admire your bravery in exposing everything. I enjoyed your two earlier books about parenting and think we all need a good dose of dropping open our jaws. Thanks for scrambling the mild-mannered part of my brain!

In "It's Not Me, It's You," Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, a Hollywood producer, hilariously recounts her youth in LA and aspirations to find herself in life. I was not originally familiar with the author, but was intrigued by the book description. The book itself is formatted as a collection of humorous essays, presented in a non-chronological order. Anecdotes are pretty wide ranging--anything from getting kicked out of the house by her mother and temporarily put into a homeless shelter for troubled teens (even though she was from a solid middle-class background), to escaping a crazy cult she meets upon her arrival to L.A., to living through sleazy jobs that included a telemarketing stint at a place that recruited Las Vegas strippers and her various waitressing jobs that had one thing in common--she was always fired from them. In other words, I found Wilder-Taylor's narrative freaking hilarious. Read this if you're depressed or having a hard time in your own life--it's one of those books that definitely gets you laughing.