Life As I Blow It by Sarah Colonna

Sarah Colonna believes that we all struggle to grow up. Sometimes we want to have fun, not take things too seriously, and have that fourth margarita. Other times we would like to get married, stay in, order Chinese food, and have a responsible, secure life.

From her formative years in small-town Arkansas to a later career of dates, drinks, and questionable day jobs, Colonna attempts to reconcile her responsible side with her fun-loving side. Sometimes this pans out, and sometimes she finds herself in Mexico handing out her phone number to anyone who calls her pretty. She moves to Los Angeles to pursue acting, but for years is forced to hone her bartending skills; she wants a serious boyfriend, but won’t give up nights at the bar with her friends. She tries to behave like an adult, but can’t seem to stop acting like a frat boy. In the end, she discovers that there doesn’t have to be just one or the other. And if there’s one thing Colonna has learned from her many missteps, it’s that hindsight is always 100 proof.

I had pretty high expectations for this book, because I’ve always thought Sarah was funny on Chelsea Lately and After Lately. I wouldn’t exactly say I was disappointed; it was a good book but I just expected it to be a lot funnier. Most of the book was just her talking about past boyfriends, how much she dislikes bartending, and hooking up with guys on the first date. Don’t get me wrong, some of the chapters were actually very funny. The story of her losing her virginity to a tobacco chewing, El Camino-driving boyfriend was pretty damn funny, and actually made me feel bad for her at the same time.

If you buy this book, you already know she eventually does make it in Los Angeles and ends up being a successful writer for Chelsea Lately, but I still felt myself rooting for her throughout the book. She has an honest writing style, and the way she talks about feeling like she needs to ‘grow up’ but she still wants to go out and have fun is a constant battle I think a lot people in their mid-twenties face. She doesn’t hold back or sugarcoat anything; from failing miserably at a stand-up gig, getting blackout drunk in Cabo and waking up on the bathroom floor (and not remembering how she got back to her hotel room), or being so upset about a breakup that even burning his stuff didn’t help her get over him.  She has an endearing quality about her that is very relatable, and surprisingly refreshing.

All in all, I did enjoy it and if you’re a fan of her on Chelsea Lately, I would recommend this book. I thought there would be a little more humor, but it shows that Sarah is just a down-to-earth Southern girl working hard and living her dreams in LA, while still enjoying the occasional cocktail…or seven.  

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