This was...fine. It was entertaining, but a lot of the time I felt like Kemper was trying to hard to come off as cutesy and quirky and it didn't feel very authentic to me. Which might just be a New Englander having trouble relating to a Midwesterner, but it was a bit much for me. I also felt like the transitions between chapters / the organization of the book wasn't super tight.

This book made me laugh out loud several times. People may say "lol" often, but I mean it. I would have little fits of giggles while reading this book. Maybe because I was imagining Kimmy Schmidt reading it aloud. I've read two other books by funny actresses within the past year, Yes Please and Bossypants. I enjoyed all three, but Kemper's book was my favorite. I found her writing witty and fun. I read this book very quickly. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love memoirs by comedians, and Ellie Kemper's did not disappoint. Ellie comes across in her book exactly as you think she would if you are a fan of her work-smart, sweet, and wet-your-pants hilarious. Her book is funny enough to hold it's own against other popular memoirs (except Tina Fey's-nobody can beat her book).

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Celebrity memoirs are my favorite guilty pleasure and I think Ellie Kemper is delightful. I knew I'd love this book before I read it. Kemper writes about her midwestern upbringing and transition to Hollywood stardom in her signature upbeat, ditsy voice. There are stories about her time at The Office, the early days of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and a few stories about her family. And Gary Coleman. She also talks quite a bit about her improv days, dropping lots of names that are probably pretty impressive, if you're into that. I think I'd enjoy this even more in audiobook form, since Kemper is an experienced performer.

If you like Kemper's signature style and celebrity memoirs are your thing, you'll enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner books for an advance read of this book. I've had Ellie Kemper on my "dinner" list for awhile. You know the people you'd invite to a delightful dinner if only you could? This book did not disappoint. I love a good humor book, but sometimes they go over the top, or worse, the "voice" that's great on TV or other mediums just doesn't do well in written form. Ellie is just as funny and adorable and dare I say, nice, as she appears on screen. I laughed out loud more than once, and oddly, recognized myself in her attempt at taming a squirrel. (spoiler alert: both of our ventures failed.) I was going to give this a four, but really as humor/essay type books go, this deserves a 5.

Ever since "Bossypants" by Tina Fey was published and became a bestseller, it seemed to start a trend of comedic actors receiving book deals to write a book of essays, something which Ellie Kemper acknowledges in the first essay of her own book of essays, "My Squirrel Days." Divided in chapters that represent a part of her identity or personas that had an influence on (for example, Actress, Redhead, Bridesmaid, the titular Squirrel), Kemper writes with a clear sense of self that gives readers a glimpse into the actress that plays their favorite upbeat and quirky characters on TV and in movies.

Each essay is self-aware and has delightfully awkward humor sprinkled throughout stories of self-discovery and embracing characteristics that make you unique. In addition to being an actor, Kemper is also an accomplished writer who has written for the New York Times and Esquire, so it's no surprise that she was more than capable to write a concise collection of essays. If you liked the aforementioned "Bossypants", you'll be a fan of "My Squirrel Days."

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for this early copy!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a well-written memoir. I tend to not read non fiction but love checking out memoirs from my favorite actors.