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Quick answer: If you loved The Year of Yes, read Shonda Rhimes's contemporaries Amy Poehler's Yes Please, Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Tina Fey's Bossypants, then Untamed and Big Magic. All are funny, honest memoirs about saying yes, being yourself and finding confidence.
Shonda Rhimes's 2015 memoir recounts a year when she agreed to say yes to everything that scared her, from public speaking to dancing, and found out what it did to her life. It is funny, honest and encouraging. The books below offer similar candid memoirs and uplifting advice from women who have pushed beyond their comfort zones.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes Please | Amy Poehler | Adult | comic memoir |
| Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? | Mindy Kaling | Adult | funny essays |
| Bossypants | Tina Fey | Adult | comic memoir |
| Untamed | Glennon Doyle | Adult | honest memoir |
| Big Magic | Elizabeth Gilbert | Adult | creative living |
| Becoming | Michelle Obama | Adult | memoir |
| Talking as Fast as I Can | Lauren Graham | Adult | actor's memoir |
| Not That Kind of Girl | Lena Dunham | Adult | candid essays |
| Born a Crime | Trevor Noah | Adult | funny and moving |
| Furiously Happy | Jenny Lawson | Adult | comic memoir |
| Daring Greatly | Brene Brown | Adult | courage and vulnerability |
| Rising Strong | Brene Brown | Adult | falling and getting up |
| Maybe You Should Talk to Someone | Lori Gottlieb | Adult | therapy memoir |
| Tiny Beautiful Things | Cheryl Strayed | Adult | advice |
| You Are a Badass | Jen Sincero | Adult | self-help with attitude |
1. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Poehler mixes stories and advice. Funny and generous.
Best for: comic memoir.
2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
Kaling writes about friendship and fame. Light and breezy.
Best for: funny essays.
3. Bossypants by Tina Fey
Fey recalls her career and the comedy business. Funny and sharp.
Best for: comic memoir.
4. Untamed by Glennon Doyle
Doyle writes about trusting your own voice. Warm, funny and popular.
Best for: honest memoir.
5. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Gilbert encourages creative curiosity over fear. Light, kind and motivating.
Best for: creative living.
6. Becoming by Michelle Obama
Obama recalls her childhood, career and time in the White House. Honest and inspiring.
Best for: memoir.
7. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
Graham writes about Gilmore Girls and life. Warm and chatty.
Best for: actor's memoir.
8. Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
Dunham shares stories and lessons from her twenties. Honest and divisive.
Best for: candid essays.
9. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Noah recounts growing up in apartheid South Africa. Humorous and humane.
Best for: funny and moving.
10. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
Lawson writes about mental illness with humour. Wild and warm.
Best for: comic memoir.
11. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Brown explores why vulnerability matters at work and at home. Thoughtful and recommended.
Best for: courage and vulnerability.
12. Rising Strong by Brene Brown
Brown explores how to recover after failure. Practical and warm.
Best for: falling and getting up.
13. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
A therapist becomes a patient. Warm, funny and wise.
Best for: therapy memoir.
14. Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
Strayed's advice columns offer wisdom and honesty. Emotional and kind.
Best for: advice.
15. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Sincero offers funny, blunt advice on confidence. Quick and motivating.
Best for: self-help with attitude.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Year of Yes: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For comic memoirs choose Yes Please, Bossypants or Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? For life stories pick Becoming or Born a Crime. For emotional honesty read Untamed or Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. For advice try Tiny Beautiful Things or Big Magic. For blunt motivation read You Are a Badass. The Year of Yes is a quick read, and the audiobook is narrated by Rhimes herself. Rhimes later gave a TED talk about the experience, which helped spread the idea of a year of yes. Many readers have tried their own versions of the challenge. If you enjoy memoir, alternate funny and serious ones, so you do not get tired of one tone. If you want a push to try something new, You Are a Badass and Big Magic are cheerful. If you want deeper reflection, Rising Strong and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone are strong. Audiobooks by the authors themselves are often the best versions. If you like the book, consider the follow-up thought that saying no can be as important as saying yes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Year of Yes about?
Shonda Rhimes spends a year saying yes to everything that scares her.
Who wrote it?
Shonda Rhimes.
When was it published?
2015.
Is it funny?
Yes, with warmth and honesty.
Is it a memoir or a self-help book?
A bit of both.
Does she narrate the audiobook?
Yes.
Who is the book for?
Anyone who feels stuck or shy about taking chances.
What should I read next?
Try Yes Please or Untamed.
What does Shonda Rhimes say yes to?
Public speaking, new friendships, saying no to the wrong people and taking care of her health.
Is it only for women?
No, though it is written from a woman's perspective, it speaks to anyone who feels stuck.
Is The Year of Yes a good gift?
Yes, especially for anyone feeling nervous about a new challenge.