Do you like Amy Schumer? I didn’t know much about her before listening to her book. All I knew was that she is a successful comedian.
- Amy Schumer has a show, “Inside Amy Schumer,” which she created and hosts. It has aired for 4 seasons and been approved for a 5th (tbd as to when). Her show won the Peabody Award and has been nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards, winning two.
- She starred in and wrote the movie, Trainwreck in 2015.
- She performs live comedy shows to sold out audiences around the country.
- In August 2016, she released her first book, “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.”
Book Club
I’ve been in a book club with 6 women for a few years now. See Book Club Favorites to read about some books we’ve read and our ratings. The women in my book club are private people. They reject social media and shy away from too much attention. They are generally pretty reserved. Personalities among these women are so different, but I think this is what makes the group special. We all have different opinions and perspectives. For a book club to succeed, enjoying reading needs to be a common thread, but if personalities are too similar, the club won’t be as interesting.
Anyway, it’s a great monthly get together. We generally do pot luck with food chosen last minute. And if it’s someone’s birthday that month, we’ll get a cake and each bring a pair of undies for the birthday girl.
My contribution: The best Pear Martini. See Recipe!
Sushi from Japanese grocery store Mitsuwa in Torrance. Yuuuuum. It was super fresh!
The Birthday Girl gets undies from the rest of the members. Fun tradition, right?
Book Club Review Amy Schumer, The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo
When this book was chosen, I didn’t bother to buy it. I didn’t want to read it because I had a preconception it was just another comedy book without a lot of depth. I had listened to Bossy Pants by Tina Fey (love her) a few years back but was left underwhelmed.
Book Cover
It wasn’t until one of the members sent an email to the club which made me buy the audio book. The email stressed that we should make efforts to read every book even if it wouldn’t be something we would choose, because it IS book club after all. We should be able to contribute to the discussion and share our opinion.
My Thoughts on the Book
After about 5 minutes of listening, I was hooked. It was one of those books I couldn’t wait to return to when I had 20 minutes here and there. And when it was over, I was sad.
This book was pure delight. Since the book is read by Amy herself, the delivery was on point and left me laughing out loud throughout her stories. Listen to this one rather than reading it. It’s kind of like listening to one of your funniest girlfriends telling you story after story about the time when…with your jaw on the ground in disbelief.
Amy is raunchy at times as she often talks about her vagina and her sexual encounters. But it’s not offensive. I think it may give the reader some discomfort, hearing someone say seldom heard-out-loud words and may create disturbing visuals in their minds. Most people don’t speak so freely about private parts and sex like Amy Schumer. I found her candidness shocking. At the same time, however, it gave her a power I admire.
Her ability to speak freely about practically any topic gives her a level of confidence and authority few women possess. She has a voice. She is comfortable in her skin.
All of us want to be comfortable with ourselves, don’t we? The freedom that comes with that is power. I envy how she is using her comedic platform to not only make people laugh, but to make a difference in the world. And especially for women.
Amy covers various topics in her book. Some are-
- Being an introvert
- Dealing with fat shaming
- Sexual assault
- Self worth
- Having a sick parent
- Dysfunctional family
- Abusive relationship
- One night stands and Rebound sex
- Bad teenage decisions
- Gun Control
Introvert?
My book club discussed Amy describing herself as an introvert in the book. She does not seem to fit the mold for society’s perception of an introvert.
I found this topic interesting, as I feel sometimes I exhibit introvert qualities as well. Many people think I am very social and the epitome of being an extrovert. But I often find myself feeling anxiety in cocktail hour type situations or at parties meant for small talk. I read a few articles about Amy being an introvert 1) People Magazine 2) Introvert Spring which I found enlightening. Did you know Christina Aguilera, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are introverts?
“Being an introvert doesn’t mean you’re shy. It means you enjoy being alone. Not just enjoy it—you need it. If you’re a true introvert, other people are basically energy vampires. You don’t hate them; you just have to be strategic about when you expose yourself to them—like the sun. They give you life, sure, but they can also burn you.”
My friend assessed me, saying I am an introvert trying to be an extrovert. I think I agree. I can play the extrovert part well but then need to go away and recover. My husband who is a “classic” introvert thinks I am in the middle of the introvert/extrovert spectrum.
Relationships
I enjoyed Amy’s stories about relationships (boyfriends, friends, parents, sex – all of it).
“We all know one-night stands aren’t cure-alls for broken hearts and low self-esteem. That shit can backfire hard. We’ve all tried some form of remedy by way of sex and wound up feeling even more alone and running back to whatever dickface we’d just found the strength to leave.”
This book is surprising in its depth. Her writing is touching, heartbreaking, and affirming. A celebration of being human. We all have flaws we try so hard to hide. There is beauty and wisdom in Amy’s ability to share her insecurities and shortcomings with little or no censorship. Life is about sharing stories and connecting on a human level, isn’t it? I believe she achieves this with poignancy.
Book Club Review Amy Schumer – Ratings
I do have to mention that love for “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo” among my book club was not unanimous. I gave the book an 8, three women gave the book a 7.5, one a 7 and one a 5. Relatively speaking, anything over a 7 is excellent. We are harsh raters and take into account many factors when judging a book.
The 5 member felt the raunchiness was too “over the top” and distracting. The 6 is a big fan of Amy Schumer and had even gone to see her live. She was underwhelmed with the book and found herself getting bored with some of Amy’s childhood stories about her family.
It was interesting how some of the most conservative women in the book club appreciated the book most.
Do you think you will read or listen to the book? Isn’t it the best feeling when you read (or listen) to a book that leaves you satisfied? I read so much that does not. Especially articles that lure me in on Facebook or the internet with their catchy taglines, only to read through it thinking, “That was it? What a waste of time.”
Which brings me to my blog. I hope I didn’t leave you feeling that way with this post, and with others you read here!
Are you part of a book club? If not, start one! It will open up your mind, give you intellectual stimulation and allow you to hang out with girlfriends on a weeknight!
As always, share your comments! Let me know if you read a book you LOVED. I’d like to check it out.
