It’s not often that I get thoroughly wrapped up in a book of non-fiction. It’s quite difficult to rope me in to something that requires little imagination. But when you offer me a book filled with griping success stories, as well as sad and happy real life tales, all the while doing so in a way that is so unbelievably funny I want to pee my pants, I’m sold. This has recently been the case with my reading collection: my own little book club of the women that I wish I could be friends with.

It seems to me like writing a book is the thing to do lately. Everyone who has experienced success in their lives are putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and are creating tomes of their lives, tales and journeys. Yet the power women of comedy, the leading ladies of my funny bone, are doing so in a way that is comedic genius rather than dry, humourless stories.

We start with Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns): I read this book first. I knew very little about Mindy at the time. I’d never watched The Office, nor her own sitcom (both of which I love now). I think that not knowing her made the book that much more enjoyable. It’s a hilarious story of a self-conscious girl trying to make her way in the comedy world. And she writes it in a way that is so relatable to the normal girl. I’d have to say hers would be my second favourite of them all.

Then I read Tina Fay’s Bossypants: and by read I mean listened to the audiobook. Which is even better since she reads it herself. Once again, a hilarious story of a girl’s comedic success. But this time from someone that I knew quite well. Tina fills her story with anecdotes of summer camp, and really focuses on how she got to where she is – the before famous stories. It was those that I really enjoyed.

The funniest, most daring, outrageous, and my favourite was Lena Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl. Again, Lena is someone I know very little, if anything, about. I keep reminding myself, now that I’ve read the book, that I should probably watch an episode or two of Girls and figure out who she is. But not knowing her, again, made the read that much better. She, out of them all, writes like she truly is an author. Her stories are cynical, crude, and down-right shocking! She writes about hardships in a way that is so open and true that it’s so much more relatable. Not everyone famous has an easy life, and she makes you realize that those in the spotlight are normal too (something we often forget). I couldn’t get enough of this book.

And last but not least was Amy Poehler’s Yes Please! A recent publication. So just like the rest of these leading ladies I knew I had to read this one. Not going to lie, I struggled a bit. It’s not that Amy’s book is not funny. Trust me, I have many laugh out loud moments. It’s just that Amy spends a lot of time talking about moments when she had already made it and how she felt in those moments. She often uses names and references that I think only those close to her would truly understand. It makes it a little hard for an outsider like me and you to follow along. Either way, it’s still filled with hilarious stories, pictures and titles.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading these books and I can’t wait for more leading ladies to get theirs out there. I truly wish I could be friends with Mindy, Tina, Lena and Amy. Don’t you wish that too? What do you think of these books?