Ordinarily, I'd start off a book review with a neat little introduction or synopsis. But in this case, it's not necessary. Everything I love about Stefanie (we're buds, you see) was summed up for me in one line of this book. She had me at...
"Anytime I hear an Ani DiFranco song, I can't help but think about vaginas."
I peed my pants when I read that line. Then I read it again and peed some more.
Wilder-Taylor, who also wrote Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay and Naptime Is the New Happy Hour deviates from her mommy-themed stories for this book, compiling instead a collection of hilarious, touching, sharp-witted stories from her life - the majority of which (shockingly) happened before the kids.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a quick read, and lighthearted - even though she does touch on a number of issues that clearly have deeper significance. It's Not Me, It's You rambles in a way that fits her humor, and reveals enough about Wilder-Taylor to give you the impression you've been friends all along, while simultaneously making you suspect there's a lot more to the story.
Amidst much ado, Wilder-Taylor recently became sober shortly after the book was released (or maybe it was just before?), and she was only a few months into her sobriety when we met at BlogHer '09. I think that revelation impacted the way I read these stories, and gave them an additional layer. It also made me proud of Stefanie for being strong enough to go through such a striping evolution publicly.
In short, I think she's cool. And the book made me pee my pants. Anyone who can combine "Ani DiFranco" and "vaginas" in one fell swoop is aces in my book.
