Girl Logic by Iliza Shlesinger

I recently discovered Iliza Shlesinger thanks to my boyfriend. Her comedy skits had been popping up on his Facebook, he showed me one, we laughed. A few weeks later, we watched her Netflix episode, Confirmed Kills, and then later we watched Freezing Hot. During that performance, I was like "Hmm, wonder if she has a book?" She does! This one that I am reviewing. Half way through reading the book, I wanted to watch her other Netflix skits (I don't know what to call them) and watch Instant Family since she is in it, and looked to see if she was doing any shows anywhere near I am (she's not).

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

Girl Logic is a collection of essays about not being pretty enough, funny enough, hot enough, smart enough, and then getting pissed about those things because you aren't enough, and then getting pissed because why does it even matter because all that should matter is that you are a decent human being. It's not a memoir. It is the facts of life told from Iliza with her wit, humor, and honesty.

Have you ever read or watched something and it perfectly describes something you have done? Nine out of ten of Iliza's jokes have that response with me. In her book, I learned she grew up in Texas, not that far from me, so maybe that has something to do with it. But really, it is probably just that Iliza gets women, not just because she is one, but she watches the world around her and then makes fun of it.

"Whenever I'd hang out with the hotties, I noticed girl after girl trickle into their rooms, trying to gain entry under the guise of having lost something. 'Hey guys, did I leave something in here when I was studying earlier? Did I leave a...book?' They'd ask if they'd left sweatshirts, brushes, pens, hard drives, bras, or tampons, anything to get back in. It was ridiculous. But the next week I went onstage and imitated those girls with their high-pitched voices....

Anyway, that was my first attempt at girl humor, at letting women know I could understand and recognize them while also, well, poking fun at them." (p. 96)

(Source: Giphy)

She doesn't make fun of women because they're easy targets or anything. She tells it exactly like it is. And she does all of that while building you up. Being an almost-30-something, my life experiences feel like I am right where she is, and I find myself telling my niece things that Iliza says in her book. Basically, you are going to make mistakes, and things are going to feel rocky, but at the end of the day, it will be okay. 

What I also like is that she owns up to her mistakes. She tells the reader right up front that she was listening to an old skit and re-heard he "chain of whores" joke and realized that that is not funny because when women use that language about women, it makes it okay for everyone to use that language about women, and it's not. I am very cognizant of language I use about people and I do hate when I hear someone refer to a woman as a whore, slut, etc. Iliza realizing that she was not correct in her wording later on shows immense growth as a person, and I am here for that.

(Source: Giphy)

Basically, this is the best book ever and I recommend it for everyone to understand women a little better, and that includes other women. I think I have already told at least nine people to read it. And it has nothing to do with her saying "P.S. If her name is Kelsey, I guarantee they're all trying to fuck her. There are no ugly Kelseys." (p. 76)

Rating: 10/10
Author: Iliza Shlesinger
Genres: Non-fiction, Humor
Dates Read: June 20, 2019