Year of Yes

Book Reviews / Tuesday, November 10th, 2015

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 IMG_2227attempt 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.

I’m an affiliate for The Book Depository. It would be much appreciated to click the link below if you’re interested in picking up any of my recommendations. It will help fund my incessant book buying.
http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=browngirlreading

34 Replies to “Year of Yes”

  2. 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!

  4. 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.

    1. 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. 🙂

  5. 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.

          1. 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.

    1. 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. 🙂

  13. 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.

  14. 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!