Top Ten Tuesday: Funny Female Non-Fiction Farces 101

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I've got to tell you, as an experienced collegiette, I got pretty excited about today's theme of "Top Ten Books if I Taught ___ 101," simply because it's a topic with which I've had quite a bit of experience... from Informatics to Fisheries, I've taken more than one introductory course, to fulfill basic requirements to supplement the fairly flexible English major.

However, choosing a topic upon which to build my imaginary syllabus wasn't so easy, because there's more than one topic I'd suppose myself to be a bit of an expert in (what can I say, I've always been a bit of a know-it-all! Probably one of the reasons my over-confident self keeps getting shown up in trivia games).

So, finally, my family helped me hit upon a killer favorite topic over lunch this past week, highlighting both my unabashed bias for both the hilarity of comedian memoirs, and the relatability of a pair of ovaries in their authors. From the basis of those two characteristics, comes the development of a new course, with me playing professor: Funny Female Non-Fiction Farces 101.

The things we hold to be of most narrative value in this class: truth - the veracity of the tale being told - and the laughability of the story... one of which is more necessary than the other. Your final thesis is to argue which element is most valuable. Choose at least two works from the list below as the basis for your argument. Bring on the mirth and mayhem!



1. Bossypants, Tina Fey. The basis of many Mother's Day/ Christmas Day/ Holiday presents alike. Because who doesn't find Tina Fey relatable? Especially for a bespectacled brunette like me, could there be any other?

2. Yes, Please, Amy Poehler. Comedienne-in-arms for the benefit of a women's right to tell a joke, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey make the perfect dynamic duo of the SNL circuit. Whose memoirs really bring out the belly laughs? Decide for yourself!

3. Why is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy Kaling. There is no limit to how much I wish this woman was my best friend. And that's without even taking into account her domination of TV-world... strictly from this collection alone, I know Kaling to be a righteous, riotous force to be reckoned with, and one we'll soon see again in her upcoming collection, Why Not Me?

4. and 5. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, and My Horizontal Life, Chelsea Handler. To be fair, I acknowledge that Chelsea Handler is not everyone's cup of tea. To be more fair, I think that a Chelsea Handler beverage comparison would skew much more to the spectrum of the alcoholic... maybe a swig of whiskey straight from the bottle. Regardless, if your day sucks, her stories will probably set you on the straight and narrow (or, conversely, send you straight to the liquor cabinet).

6. I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Sloane Crosley. As I have mentioned, Crosley's New Yawkian tales of mishaps and mayhem are perfect for a good guffaw... complete with a sideways glance at your own closet full of skeletons, just to make sure they're staying put for the time being.

7. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), Felicia Day. OMG, more like #FeliciaBAE! A review of this particular set of memoirs is forthcoming, trust me, because even after completing her very self-effacing set of personal anecdotes, Day remains one of my top celebrity idols... probably because her version of normal is abnormal enough to skew to the standard of Internet norms. Does that compute?

8. Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar, Kelly Oxford. This woman, I swear. An irreverent potty-mouth Canadian and master-Tweeter, Kelly Oxford knows how to rock that which is brief and unbelievably funny.

9. Julie and Julia, Julie Powell. Okay, so obviously there's the classic Sesame Street tune playing in your head right now: "One of these things is not like the other..." But hear me out: this book is not only a great read and a good laugh, but pairs well with the movie based off the title... written by notable late/great female scribe Nora Ephron.

10. Okay, so you caught me. I don't have a number 10... because the really hilarious stories are the ones that come from your friends! Everyone's got a funny story to tell, right? (#copout. But if you leave a funny story about your or a female friend in the comments below that makes you think you'd be worthy of a bestseller like these ladies, I'll be sure to laugh. :) )

So, do you think you'd pass my class? Do you have a hilarious title you think belongs on this list? Or, better yet, a funny anecdote from your own life? Let me know, in the comments below!