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abbyprinceatwood's review against another edition
2.0
I adore Ellen! Her messages of kindness are so valuable. I’m learning that I appreciate that WAY more than her comedy.
proserpina6's review against another edition
1.0
Ellen is wonderful but her humor did not translate to her writing. The book was random, tedious, pointless, and not funny. It was a struggle to finish this book rather than simply giving up on it. I got the impression that the book may have been written by someone with ADD (at the very least). It left me disappointed and feeling like I wasted my time. I still think Ellen is a funny person; she's just not a good or funny writer.
crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
3.0
You wanna read/listen to an amusing little time waster and you like Ellen DeGeneres' style of humor? This is your book. However, don't go into this expecting anything really substantial. Some chapters are a couple of words, maybe a sentence long. And while I adored some of the stories and was uplifted by the encouraging tone, that is where my biggest complaint is.
I listened to this in 3 hours. This is the absolute shortest audiobook I've ever listened to--and this goes for almost $30 retail. You could go to the movie theater for nearly 3 hours and pay less--and probably have just as good or a better time.
Of course, that probably sounds like I hated the book. Not true. Ellen is funny, in her own way, and she really is a good narrator. I cracked a smile quite a few times and laughed a few others (and I'm not a big one to laugh while reading or listening to a book). Ellen also doesn't just make jokes; she's inspiring and uplifting, encouraging meditation, recycling, decluttering, spending time with family, getting regular health check-ups, and more.
But I'll admit, after awhile it got old. There are only so many uplifting messages I can take before it feels like I'm being lectured to--and there is nothing worse than to have someone tell you the life you're living (with which you are quite content and are not harming anyone) isn't nearly as good as X's. Some jokes however didn't do it for me--such as her joke on the 80% of graduates that are moving back with their parents because they are moochers (no, not all of them are, it's the lack of jobs). I also don't get the joke of hearing Ellen say things like "mememememeee". ("Really? I paid $30 to hear Ellen say 'mememememe'"?)
As for talking about her own life--I know a lot has happened in Ellen's life. I know this from Wiki and the news, certainly not from this book. Sure, Ellen talks a bit about American Idol and her talk show and mentions Portia in passing. But those references are few and far between, so keep your eyes and ears open or you are bound to miss it.
All in all, while there are some really good parts, a lot of the 3 hours just felt like filler. To give a comparison, at the end of Tina Fey's [b:Bossypants|9418327|Bossypants|Tina Fey|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327926050s/9418327.jpg|14302659], I felt I had learned a great deal about Fey and left wanting to watch 30 Rock. After listening to this, I felt like I had finished eating cotton candy and was hungry for some real food. I was super glad I had checked this out at the library; I would have felt cheated for spending retail price on it.
My recommendation is: check this out from your library, see if you like it before spending nearly $30 on the audiobook or hardcover. Or you are likely to be VERY disappointed.
And because this book was so terribly short, I'll do the same and keep this review short too.
I listened to this in 3 hours. This is the absolute shortest audiobook I've ever listened to--and this goes for almost $30 retail. You could go to the movie theater for nearly 3 hours and pay less--and probably have just as good or a better time.
Of course, that probably sounds like I hated the book. Not true. Ellen is funny, in her own way, and she really is a good narrator. I cracked a smile quite a few times and laughed a few others (and I'm not a big one to laugh while reading or listening to a book). Ellen also doesn't just make jokes; she's inspiring and uplifting, encouraging meditation, recycling, decluttering, spending time with family, getting regular health check-ups, and more.
But I'll admit, after awhile it got old. There are only so many uplifting messages I can take before it feels like I'm being lectured to--and there is nothing worse than to have someone tell you the life you're living (with which you are quite content and are not harming anyone) isn't nearly as good as X's. Some jokes however didn't do it for me--such as her joke on the 80% of graduates that are moving back with their parents because they are moochers (no, not all of them are, it's the lack of jobs). I also don't get the joke of hearing Ellen say things like "mememememeee". ("Really? I paid $30 to hear Ellen say 'mememememe'"?)
As for talking about her own life--I know a lot has happened in Ellen's life. I know this from Wiki and the news, certainly not from this book. Sure, Ellen talks a bit about American Idol and her talk show and mentions Portia in passing. But those references are few and far between, so keep your eyes and ears open or you are bound to miss it.
All in all, while there are some really good parts, a lot of the 3 hours just felt like filler. To give a comparison, at the end of Tina Fey's [b:Bossypants|9418327|Bossypants|Tina Fey|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327926050s/9418327.jpg|14302659], I felt I had learned a great deal about Fey and left wanting to watch 30 Rock. After listening to this, I felt like I had finished eating cotton candy and was hungry for some real food. I was super glad I had checked this out at the library; I would have felt cheated for spending retail price on it.
My recommendation is: check this out from your library, see if you like it before spending nearly $30 on the audiobook or hardcover. Or you are likely to be VERY disappointed.
And because this book was so terribly short, I'll do the same and keep this review short too.
funteamjen's review against another edition
4.0
I'm always surprised when I'm reminded of Ellen's age - she reminds me of a big kid! I love her silly sense of humor. The book is structured around simple life philosophies to be happier and make the world a better place - but in a completely hilarious manner. This book brought me a lot of laughs and smiles, I think I will definitely be reading it again!
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
Love Ellen, like the book. There were parts of the book that I really enjoyed, but as a whole, it was just "meh."
steffie253's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
2.0
I found this book a waste of time 🫠
salgalruns's review against another edition
3.0
I love Ellen. However, this was disappointing to me. Could have been due to one of two things. First, I read the book. I get the sense that this would have been much better in an audio format where you can hear the nuances in her voice. Secondly, this was a book I was expecting to flow into a cohesive story and that's not at all what it is. If you take each chapter as a monologue, that's more along the lines of what it is.
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Do I still love Ellen? Of course. Would I reread it? Probably not. But I will pause to consider Cover Girl makeup from now on... ;)
Did I enjoy it? Yes. Do I still love Ellen? Of course. Would I reread it? Probably not. But I will pause to consider Cover Girl makeup from now on... ;)