Ratings21
Average rating4
A hilarious, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest memoir and New York Times bestseller by the beloved comedic actress known for her roles on Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, and Cougar Town who has become “the breakout star of Instagram stories...Imagine I Love Lucy mixed with a modern lifestyle guru” (The New Yorker). There’s no stopping Busy Philipps. From the time she was two and “aced out in her nudes” to explore the neighborhood (as her mom famously described her toddler jailbreak), Busy has always been headstrong, defiant, and determined not to miss out on all the fun. These qualities led her to leave Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of nineteen to pursue her passion for acting in Hollywood. But much like her painful and painfully funny teenage years, chasing her dreams wasn’t always easy and sometimes hurt more than a little. In a memoir “that often reads like a Real World confessional or an open diary” (Kirkus Reviews), Busy opens up about chafing against a sexist system rife with on-set bullying and body shaming, being there when friends face shattering loss, enduring devastating personal and professional betrayals from those she loved best, and struggling with postpartum anxiety and the challenges of motherhood. But Busy also brings to the page her sly sense of humor and the unshakeable sense that disappointment shouldn’t stand in her way—even when she’s knocked down both figuratively and literally (from a knee injury at her seventh-grade dance to a violent encounter on the set of Freaks and Geeks). The rough patches in her life are tempered by times of hilarity and joy: leveraging a flawless impression of Cher from Clueless into her first paid acting gig, helping reinvent a genre with cult classic Freaks and Geeks, becoming fast friends with Dawson’s Creek castmate Michelle Williams, staging her own surprise wedding, conquering natural childbirth with the help of a Mad Men–themed hallucination, and of course, how her Instagram stories became “the most addictive thing on the internet right now” (Cosmopolitan). Busy is the rare entertainer whose impressive arsenal of talents as an actress is equally matched by her storytelling ability, sense of humor, and sharp observations about life, love, and motherhood—“if you think you know Busy from her Instagram stories, you don’t know the half of it” (Jenni Konner). Her conversational writing reminds us what we love about her on screens large and small. From “candid tales of celebrity life, mom life, and general Busy-ness” (W Magazine), This Will Only Hurt a Little “is everything we’ve been dying to hear about” (Bustle).
Reviews with the most likes.
My expectations were exceeded by this book. The last few celebrity memoirs I read were strange, slow, and baffling. So I had sort of medium expectations for this one, even though I've always adored Busy Philipps. But she hit it out of the park.
Busy is funny, but she's also (sometimes) painfully honest, open, and real. This book felt a little raw at times, it was so honest. I'm sure there are some pieces she kept private, but I wasn't expecting to cry at the end of every single chapter about her personal life. Nor was I expecting to sob through an entire chapter. Unlike some celebrity memoirs that seem so disconnected from reality, Busy made it easy for the reader to find common ground with her. She was a kid growing up in the suburbs. And now she's a wife and mom with real struggles and triumphs like the rest of us.
I just felt a LOT while reading this book and I'm SO glad she didn't listen when people told her no one would want to read it. Because I did, I do, and I will read anything she writes from now on. So much talent. Truly, what a sparkly human.
Also, I'm obsessed with her writing style and the fact that she wrote so much in all caps and the editor left it that way. I feel that on a cellular level.
Would I recommend?
Definitely yes if you enjoy a good memoir. But if you have triggers, look up trigger warnings first.
P. S. Craig and Jeff can actually KISS IT.
OH MY GOD, I was not expecting this. If there was an award for “book that most exceeded expectations” Busy Phillips would clean up. So many great stories, and the honesty and vulnerability - wow. Almost too much, but she never crosses the line into unlikeability. (She seems to be aware of approaching the boundaries - you’ll hear “I know, I know” more than once). I recommend the audiobook so you can hear excellent voice impressions of her mom and Quentin Tarantino. I could not stop listening. You will love it. 4.5 stars.
This was a terrific read/listen – I bought the Kindle edition, and then realized I was an idiot for not getting the audioversion for B.P.'s narration. I mean, right? So I am the person who really does the immersion reading Amazon is always talking about in order to increase their sales.
Anyhow, the author comes across as honest, personable, tough, a terrific friend, and quick to own her flaws. I pretty much read/listened in two sessions because I didn't want to stop.