I didn't know who Nell Scovell was even though I loved a lot of the shows she worked on. I went into this expecting to laugh and get a peek behind the scenes of some popular shows. Both these things happened, but what I didn't expect was what a great look it was at workplace inequality, which was a major problem in the writers room but is a universal truth. Maybe I would have expected that if I knew beforehand that she co-wrote "Lean In" with Sheryl Sandberg. I really loved this book and wish I had as good of an understanding about my work life as Nell does. I'm glad she shared her story, all the highs, lows and repeated sexist run ins. More stories like this need to be shared so men and women can learn from them and do better.

I really have enjoyed all the essays about growing up in America. All the authors came at it from a different angle, but there were a lot of common themes, and most of them grew up in the 80s and 90s like I did so there was a lot of fun nostalgia sprinkled throughout. It's heartbreaking that many of them were bullied because of their differences and so they tried to assimilate in some cases by downplaying their cultural heritage. I'm happy they all grew up to realize how rich their lives are because of their heritage, and I'm even more happy that they are sharing their stories so that younger generations can read about and see themselves reflected in a way that these authors missed in their youth.

4.5 stars. Not many 25 year olds would have experienced the joy and heartache that someone like Sarah has, but that's what makes her story so wonderful and worth reading. I appreciated her honesty about her struggles coming out as a transgender woman, I cried pretty hard when she stood by the love of her life while he struggled with terminal cancer, and I cheered as she reached so many milestones in her professional life. I kept having to remind myself that she's young and has so much more to come, and if her accomplishments to date are any indication, she's going to make big strides for transgender Americans.

The detailed sections about how she lobbied for transgender rights was a little too drawn out for me although I know how important and hard such work is. That's the only reason I'd lower my rating a little. I really loved how she'd talk about her life and relate it back to how the larger population of transgender people live. She's quick to point out her privilege, and I'm glad she's using that privilege to speak out for thousands of others who don't have a voice that's heard on such a large platform.

This gorgeous cover did not let me down. Laskar writes beautiful prose, and I really loved the way she organized past memories with present thoughts to tell the story. It kept me guessing and quickly turning pages even as I recognized I should slow down and really absorb her storytelling.