I was happily surprised when I was approached by a representative from Simon & Schuster asking me if I was interested in reading Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes in exchange for an honest review. I couldn’t refuse. I knew Rhimes’s book was due to be released soon and wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pick it up to give it a try.
Even though my work schedule has butchered my reading and blogging for the moment, I’m still managing to read a bit here and there. Year of Yes was my latest conquest and it arrived 4 days ago and I managed to gobble up this 307-page book in that time. My train rides back and forth to Paris for work helped tremendously in this attempt to finish reading Year of Yes in time for its release date, today the 10th of November.
Not knowing what to expect, the first chapter Hello I’m Old and I Like to Lie (A Disclaimer of Sorts) sucked me in immediately. Rhimes’s voice rings through like a girlfriend in my head and I loved that. Rhimes is one of the most successful television producers and writers today, with successful shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Private Practice, and How to Get Away with Murder. Her shows have coined the phrase TGIT (Thank God It’s Thursday) on the ABC evening line up. Rhimes is so successful no one is really sure what she’s really like. With all that success you would think she was an extrovert, self-confident, alpha female on the way to conquer all the time.
Well Year of Yes gives us an inside look into a woman who struggles just like the rest of us women with balancing work life and motherhood, trying to get out there socially when she’s an introvert (that I didn’t expect at all), trying to lose weight (which she’s done perfectly and looks FANTASTIC!), and to just say plain ‘ol YES. “This Yes is about giving yourself the permission to shift the focus of what is a priority from what’s good for you over to what makes you feel good.” (Year of Yes, p. 123)
This book is written in a way that we experience exactly what Rhimes says and can relate fully. She also gives some great advice to all women of all ages. She’s an intellectual creative woman who is a great example of how things can be done and saying Yes is a good way to do things differently. Contrary to the way we as women are always told to say No more, this Yes approach is much more positive and inclusive. Rhimes has had her Yes Year and will undoubtably inspire other women to have their Yes years. This is definitely a book to check out even if you’re not necessarily a fan of her shows. It’s just great to read about a successful woman and how she goes about navigating all that is demanded of her and how she maintains that success throughout all the challenges thrown her way. So Yes to Year of Yes, in all it’s hysterics and seriousness. I give it 4 stars. Oh and the book is a perfect size to carry around in your purse. It’s small, cute, packaged to a fault, and you won’t be able to resist that beautiful picture of Rhimes on the back cover. She really is wearing the Year of Yes smile.
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Just heard a wonderful interview with Shonda yesterday on NPR. Her spirit-such an inspiration!
Yes she is! And she loves NPR! Me too! 😉
Great review and loved your line:”Rhimes’s voice rings through like a girlfriend in my head …” This captures in a few words the tone of the book: sense of informality. I would like to read this book and will see if it is on Kindle. Trying to keep the number of paperbacks wandering into my house to a minimum. The shelves are overflowing!
Same here. No more book buying for a while. Hope to get some good reading ing during Christmas. Yes I particularly loved her voice. She cracked me up too.
What a great review – makes me want to download it to Didi. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Thank you for supporting Julie! 🙂
giving myself permission to shift the priority from what’s good for me to what makes me feel good….hmmm. I think I could use such a shift. I’m glad you got to read and review this book, Didi, and I look forward to reading it myself. I remember reading someplace else that Shonda Rhimes is an introvert which is totally NOT what we think when we think of a Hollywood powerhouse so I’m sure many people will be refreshed to have that idea exploded.
Yes to all of that Leslie! No pun intended.While reading Rhimes’s book it made me think of this book I read with my book club 2 years ago called Quiet. The idea that we think nowadays to be CEO or a powerhouse in business one has to be an extrovert was being rightly challenged. The book gave me a lift somehow and that phrase jumped off the page and spoke to me for real. We all need a bit of Year of Yes. Hope you get to read it and when you do let me know what ou think. 🙂
I wasn’t sure at first if I’d get it when it comes out but I enjoyed reading your review and it made me curious. I especially want to read those parts where she discusses her introversion. I’m not a huge fan of her shows but Grey’s Anatomy is my comfort food. I return to it when I’m bored and don’t know what to do with myself.
I think you should read. I think you’ll enjoy it. I have a preference for Scandal personally. 😉
I have a love-hate relationship with Scandal. The characters anger me so much that I stopped watching after Season 3, I think, but I was so interested in the show too. It made my head hurt.
What I like about Scandal is that the characters are three dimensional. They make mistakes, but sometimes they do and say cool things. However, I get how you could be frustrated with the show.
Yea, I agree with you about the characters there. And I found them more realistic than the ones in Grey’s Anatomy, well, more relatable.
I have never watched her shows but I know she is a force to be reckoned with in the tv industry. I just put my name on the hold list for this book. Great Review
Thank you! Let me know what you think when you’re done. Happy reading!
I’ve heard mumblings about this one, and your review put me over the top. I’m definitely interested in trying it out. Maybe for nonfiction November if the ebook price isn’t too high.
I think you should read it. I’m sure you’re going to love it!?
I hope you are ok Didi. ( superslyfoxx ) on YouTube.
Yes Nicole we are fine. Thanks for asking! Just a little shocked and concerned for the future.
Omg ! I am so relieved! Also, I extremely sad and disgusted at what horror evil brought to Paris. Praying for all there.
Thanks Nicole for your concern. I hope all of these horrors will come to an end.
[…] heard of this book, I didn’t intend to pick it up. However, after reading a review of it over at Brown Girl Reading, it seems like a book I should read and now I’d like to give it a […]
Great review Didi, I’m glad they sent you this book, you sound busy too, I hope you get to read on that commute and that things normalise soon.
Yes I’m extremely busy. Going to Paris is exhausting me, especially with the trains and metros being late because of everything that has happened. I’m hanging in there and trying to continue to read…. We should have a chat soon. 🙂
Just finished this book on Thanksgiving (unplanned). You really captured what the book was about. Excellent review.
Thanks for this blog!!
I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for the compliments and for supporting my blog! And Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
I love Shonda Rhimes. I’m a huge fan of #htgawm. I like your review. Year of Yes sounds like a good read.
Thanks! If you het to it come back and let me know what you thought. 🙂
I’ll definitely do that :). I should add that I found your blog via Folklore & Literacy’s TBR post.
Aww thanks! Love Leslie’s blog!
I knew Shonda Rhimes had a book coming out but I wasn’t sure if I’d read it. I don’t watch any of her television shows, but I admire that she been so successful. Your review has intrigued me so I will read her book and maybe use it for my book club meeting in April. Thanks for the review.
Thank you Linda for supporting! I think it would be excellent for a discussion, especially if most of the members of your book club are women. Food for thought. Happy reading!
As soon as I heard Shonda Rhimes was releasing a book, I knew her book was going on my 2016 list of books to read. I don’t watch any of her shows but I love that she’s so successful in her field. I would love to learn from this master! Thanks for this great review!
Thanks! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It’s well written and engaging. She gives some great advice.