There are no VH1 behind-the-scenes moments explaining how Isaiah Washington was fired from Grey’s Anatomy or what went down with Columbus Short on Scandal. It is not a ribald tale spilling hot industry tea. In this way, Year of Yes is not a burn book. She spent more time with the people she loved, shed 127 pounds, and learned how to be a happier person.

She said yes to commencement speeches, yes to accepting more help, and - you guessed it - yes to herself. For one year, one of the most powerful showrunners on television said yes to everything. What more could you ask for in an autobiography/self-help book? My only qualm was the exaggerated conversations she had with the ‘reader’, because it ran on a bit too long at times it felt like filler to push up the page count, but other than that, it was great.Shonda Rhimes’s Year of Yes, available today, is less a memoir than it is a self-help book. I don’t have much to complain about with this book here, it’s a quick to read, includes some fun pictures of Shonda when she was young, and left me feeling inspired and energetic, which I’m sure was one of the main intentions of the author. I have no idea why this is, but my guess is that the publisher is hoping they will entice readers of gossip magazines if they keep the prose simple and colloquial-nothing wrong with that! But Rhimes’ voice really does shine through, and there are many moments where I feel like she’s talking directly to me because she’s painfully honest at all times, which I find really endearing. Year of Yes reads like a magazine article, as I’m discovering that many celebrity-focussed books tend to do. So, after her sister mutters under her breath ‘you never say yes to anything’, Rhimes decides to start saying ‘yes’ to everything, including going on Jimmy Kimmel Live! We all won’t have these exciting opportunities handed to us, but this book still has some great lessons for everyone. From someone who suffers through various anxieties herself ( hello flying in airplanes!), I can totally relate to her struggles and frustrations. She said ‘no’ to most invitations and opportunities, because she hated being in public. She was allowing her anxieties to determine her day-to-day life.

And no, I know what else you’re thinking, it wasn’t because she was overweight (although she did end up losing weight, and feeling really good about it afterwards). What? How can someone so intelligent, widely revered, and successful at her chosen career be sad? And no, I know what you’re thinking, she wasn’t on drugs. It’s no surprise that this memoir is well written, but what many people will find shocking is the fact that the premise of the book was created out of Rhimes’ realization that she was unhappy. Double points for including a cat AND a kid in this pic

Shonda rhimes book yes