In her hit Netflix comedy special Baby Cobra, an eight-month pregnant Ali Wong resonated so heavily that she became a popular Halloween costume. Wong told the world her remarkably unfiltered thoughts on marriage, sex, Asian culture, working women, and why you never see new mom comics on stage but you sure see plenty of new dads.
The sharp insights and humor are even more personal in this completely original collection. She shares the wisdom she’s learned from a life in comedy and reveals stories from her life off stage, including the brutal singles life in New York (i.e. the inevitable confrontation with erectile dysfunction), reconnecting with her roots (and drinking snake blood) in Vietnam, tales of being a wild child growing up in San Francisco, and parenting war stories. Though addressed to her daughters, Ali Wong’s letters are absurdly funny, surprisingly moving, and enlightening (and disgusting) for all. – Goodreads
First things first — I listened to this on Audible. I love when memoirs are read by the author, especially when the author is a comedian. This book was no exception, and I highly recommend checking out the audiobook version if you enjoy listening to audiobooks.
I liked Ali Wong’s Netflix special, but I really like her performances in American Housewife and Always Be My Maybe. This book is a series of letters written to her two daughters and it touches on topics like love, life, studying overseas, food, sex, motherhood, career, etc. It is honest and real, and focuses both on Ali’s victories and insecurities.
I enjoyed the content and stories, as well as the narration. I was not a huge fan of the extreme crude humor — and I’m not someone who gets easily offended. I wasn’t exactly offended, but gratuitous crude humor feels unnecessary and really took away from the good stuff in this book.
4/5 stars on Goodreads.
lifebetweenreads.com 