I’ve been aching for the return of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ever since the third season wrapped. Hilarious, heartfelt, and tons of fun, it’s probably my favorite show currently airing on television. Knowing I have to go so long to see more of it is torturous. Which is why I put together a reading list to get me through the interlude! If you’re missing Crazy Ex-Girlfriend as much as I am, be sure to check out these fantastic titles.
This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend tackles big topics with a sense of unflinching honesty and hilarity, and so does Tiffany Haddish. If you loved Girls Trip, or her stint hosting SNL, you’ll love her collection of bright, wild essays. There’s a particular essay where she recounts a hysterical, jaw-dropping revenge scheme against an ex-boyfriend that will definitely fill the void left by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
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Like Rebecca Bunch, Small Admissions’ protagonist Kate Pearson is at a bit of a crossroads. She’s been dumped by her almost-fiancé and has failed to roll with the changes, instead retreating into herself. When she finds herself as the new admissions counselor for the prestigious Hudson Day School, she’s thrown into the wild world of elite prep school politics. This novel is comical, razor-sharp, and absolutely delightful.
People’s Book of the Week
“Perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep.” —Booklist
Top 6 Books You Need to Read —BuzzFeed
Best Books to Give Every Book Lover on Your List —Town & Country
In this witty, hilarious, and entertaining novel that’s “The Devil Wears Prada meets Primates of Park Avenue” (The New York Times), a young woman is unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of New York City private school admissions, from award-winning author Amy Poeppel.
Despite her innate ambition and summa cum laude smarts, Kate Pearson has turned into a major slacker. After being unceremoniously dumped by her handsome “almost fiancé,” she abandons her plans and instead spends her days lolling on the couch, watching reruns of Sex and the City. Her friends don’t know what to do other than pass tissues and hope for a comeback, while her practical sister, Angela, pushes every remedy she can think of, from trapeze class to therapy to job interviews.
Miraculously, Kate manages to land a job in the admissions department at the revered Hudson Day School. In her new position Kate learns there’s no time for self-pity or nonsense during the thick of the admissions season, or what her colleagues refer to as “the dark time.” As the process revs up, Kate meets smart kids who are unlikable, likeable kids who aren’t very smart, and Park Avenue parents who refuse to take no for an answer. Through a comical and crazy run of wildly unpredictable interviews, subtle bribes, outright threats, final judgments, and page-turning twists, the highly competitive and occasionally absurd world of private school admissions is brought to light in all of its outrageous glory that is reminiscent of Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep.
I confess: I, too, am a member of #BachelorNation. And as a proud member, I love Andi Dorfman. One of the best Bachelorettes in history has two books, but for this list, I’m picking her latest, Single State of Mind. In it, Dorfman navigates singleness with a sense of grace and humor. Her stories about celebrity Tinder and watching her ex propose to someone else on live TV might not directly relate to you, but like Rebecca’s musical interludes, they’re cathartic, hilarious, and downright charming.
If the thing you love most about Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the cringe comedy, look no further than stand-up comedian Jen Kirkman’s essay collection. Equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely profound, Kirkman’s honesty about her mistakes, her love life, and her own mental health will absolutely get you through this hiatus—and have you cracking up the whole time.
New York Times bestselling author and stand-up comedian Jen Kirkman delivers a hilarious, candid memoir about marriage, divorce, sex, turning forty, and still not quite having life figured out.Jen Kirkman wants to be the voice in your head that says, Hey, you’re okay. Even if you sometimes think you aren’t! And especially if other people try to tell you you’re not. In I Know What I’m Doing—and Other Lies I Tell Myself, Jen offers up all the gory details of a life permanently in progress. She reassures you that it’s okay to not have life completely figured out, even when you reach middle age (and find your first gray pubic hair!). She talks about making unusual or unpopular life decisions (such as cultivating a “friend with benefits” or not going home for the holidays) because you don’t necessarily want for yourself what everyone else seems to think you should. It’s about renting when everyone says you should own, dating around when everyone thinks you should settle down, and traveling alone when everyone pities you for going to Paris without a man. From marriage to divorce and sex to mental health, I Know What I’m Doing—and Other Lies I Tell Myself is about embracing the fact that life is a bit of a sh*t show and it’s definitely more than okay to stay true to yourself.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a fantastic show for many reasons—the brilliant musical numbers, the realistic discussions about mental illness, the diverse and fantastic characters—but the main reason I started watching it is simple: it’s hilarious. And while it’s gone, I miss being made to laugh as much and as often. Which is exactly why I’m so grateful for Matt Bellassai! He brings his caustic wit to this book of essays, which made me laugh out loud so much that people on the train literally moved away from me. It’s the perfect book to fill the bleak, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend-less days.
