Dear Bookworms,
As the days get shorter and the cold weather sets in, everyone I talk to seems to be feeling some version of tired and run down. Well, here is my prescription to combat all of that: curl up with a soft blanket, a cup of tea and this month’s book recommendation: Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart.
Hart, British comedienne and star of her own sitcom Miranda, has written this book about the awkwardness involved in navigating everyday situations. Not an unheard of topic for a book, I know, so why read this one? Well, if her stories are any indication, awkwardness is something Hart knows a great deal about. Having spent years of her life doing various jobs before entering comedy, Hart has a lot of experience from which to share her thoughts on life and a wealth of humorous stories to mark how worthwhile the journey is.
Largely autobiographical, Hart punctuates her book by imagining what her eighteen-year-old self would say in response to her thirty-eight-year-old opinions. Her writing style is very conversational. Written in the first person directly to her audience, whom she refers to as MDRC (short for My Dear Reader Chum), Hart divulges her thoughts on life from hobbies to relationships all with her characteristic humor and complete lack of grace. She goes on, throughout the book to address readers in the casual and sometimes conspiratorial way of friends, and Young Miranda appears continually as a conversation foil to her literary flights of fancy.
I am tempted to say that this style also makes the book easily assessable, and I believe it does, for British readers. American audiences, however, may find themselves learning the British terms for a few things. Some of my personal favorites include: spag bol (spaghetti bolognaise), crèche (day care) and the many references to the show Strictly Come Dancing (Britain’s Dancing With the Stars). Don’t let that deter you though, as most of the terms are easily understood through context.
Although I have only recently discovered Miranda Hart’s comedy, she is quickly becoming one of my favorites. She has a talent for finding the lighter side of life and enjoying it unashamedly. She also manages to be quite funny without resorting to foul language or lewd jokes, something I always appreciate.
Is it just me, or do comedic biographies seem to be filling the bookstores these days? Which ones have you read?
Keep Reading!
Live, Love, Learn
Elise and The Write Teacher(s)