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Shut Up, You're Welcome
From the author of Happy Birthday or Whatever, an outright hilarious and heartfelt collection of personal essays about everything from underwear to musical theater.
Annie Choi wants to tell you a few things: She hates musical theater. She thinks sandwiches are boring. She likes camping, except for the outdoors part. She daydreams about cannibalism. At fifteen, her father made her read the entire car manual before allowing her to sit in the driver’s seat. And she once chased down a man who stole her handbag.
All this is to say that Choi is one part badass and one part curmudgeon, with a soft spot for savage bears. But mostly she wants to ask the world: WTF?!
Written in Choi’s strikingly original and indignant voice, Shut Up, You're Welcome paints a revealing portrait of Annie and her family in all their quirky, compelling, riotous glory. Each of Choi’s personal essays begins with an open letter to someone (her naked neighbor) or something (the San Fernando Valley), that she has a beef with. From the time her family ditched her on Christmas to her father’s attachment to an ugly table, Choi weaves together deeply personal experiences with laugh-out-loud observations, all of which will charm you, entertain you, and leave you wanting more.
Annie Choi wants to tell you a few things: She hates musical theater. She thinks sandwiches are boring. She likes camping, except for the outdoors part. She daydreams about cannibalism. At fifteen, her father made her read the entire car manual before allowing her to sit in the driver’s seat. And she once chased down a man who stole her handbag.
All this is to say that Choi is one part badass and one part curmudgeon, with a soft spot for savage bears. But mostly she wants to ask the world: WTF?!
Written in Choi’s strikingly original and indignant voice, Shut Up, You're Welcome paints a revealing portrait of Annie and her family in all their quirky, compelling, riotous glory. Each of Choi’s personal essays begins with an open letter to someone (her naked neighbor) or something (the San Fernando Valley), that she has a beef with. From the time her family ditched her on Christmas to her father’s attachment to an ugly table, Choi weaves together deeply personal experiences with laugh-out-loud observations, all of which will charm you, entertain you, and leave you wanting more.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2013
17 people are currently reading
1499 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 21, 2014
Annie Choi tweeted at me once and told me that this book would have Morgan Freeman as the president and an asteroid would hit Earth. Neither of those things happened so I am disappointed. But not so disappointed that I can't say how funny and (at times) heart-warming these vignettes are to me. I know too much about Annie Choi and her family, but they are the type family I like to live vicariously through because they are so crazy. This book reminded me of Bossypants only way more sarcastic. I felt like there were more stories that could have been told (and maybe those stories are in her other book Happy Birthday or Whatever: Track Suits, Kim Chee, and Other Family Disasters so I really have nothing to complain about.
April 8, 2013
It's like a Korean version of my life. Funny, laugh-out-loud, and subversively touching, Annie Choi is refreshing and honest about her family and her life—great read!
May 13, 2013
This book was so funny! I can't wait to get my hands on her other collection! Annie Choi is sarcastic, charming, witty, and she's just negative enough to be hilarious. I love her short story format. She kind of reminds me of David Sedaris mixed with Jon Stewart and Margaret Cho. The funniest parts were definitely when she was writing lines from her Mom and Dad. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something funny and quick!
I received a review copy of this book.
I received a review copy of this book.
January 16, 2014
I enjoyed reading Choi’s first book, “Happy Birthday or Whatever.” This second book is a quick, amusing group of essays on a variety of subjects. It’s an easy, light read with some funny anecdotes.
September 21, 2016
Annie Choi's humorous look at modern life and family is a welcome reprieve from the dark days of late; her quick wit and frank language made me laugh out loud over and over again.
September 3, 2014
This is a collection of humorous essays from Annie Choi, dealing largely with her childhood and adult relationships with her parents and brother. Each essay begins with an open letter to someone (or something) that has inconvenienced Choi and is indignantly sarcastic. She captures "snark" perfectly in her essays.
As always, since this is humor, I'll just review writing and entertainment value together, since they're too tied up to differentiate.
I'll start with what I loved. I've always been a fan of open letters (thank you McSweeney's) and I think Choi was perfectly snarky with hers. They were my favorite part of the book - I laughed out loud during several of them.
Unfortunately, I didn't find her essays as funny. Some were better than others (I loved the one about her family road trip), but others fell flat. I did love reading about Choi's parents and the humorous dichotomy between her parents as first generation immigrants and her own identity, growing up in the United States.
Overall
The book is a good, easy read, but I think there are funnier essay collections out there. I probably wouldn't buy this book, but I think it would be worthwhile to pick up if you see it at the library.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review.
As always, since this is humor, I'll just review writing and entertainment value together, since they're too tied up to differentiate.
I'll start with what I loved. I've always been a fan of open letters (thank you McSweeney's) and I think Choi was perfectly snarky with hers. They were my favorite part of the book - I laughed out loud during several of them.
Unfortunately, I didn't find her essays as funny. Some were better than others (I loved the one about her family road trip), but others fell flat. I did love reading about Choi's parents and the humorous dichotomy between her parents as first generation immigrants and her own identity, growing up in the United States.
Overall
The book is a good, easy read, but I think there are funnier essay collections out there. I probably wouldn't buy this book, but I think it would be worthwhile to pick up if you see it at the library.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review.
March 18, 2014
The reading equivalent of a sitcom. Quirky family, gently bickering, but very loving. I didn't laugh out loud, but I thought it was cute. If Choi is the "badass" everyone says, I didn't see it here. She actually borders on thoughtful and reflective, at least relative to other comedians/humor writers/bloggers/podcasters who get picked up by publishers. Nothing too heavy--that's not why anyone picks this book up--but a line here or there. Her next project could be some actual short stories.
May 24, 2016
In an effort to make NaNoWriMo to go more smoothly this year, I've been trying to read exclusively collections of humorous essays by women. There are a ton of them out there, but they are not all stellar exemplars. Shut Up, You're Welcome by Annie Choi isn't, either, but it's also not bad. Choi writes largely about her family, though also about friends and other personal adventures in her life. Unlike many similar collections, Choi's book has the relatively unique perspective of growing up Korean American. This in itself isn't completely unique. There are many Korean Americans living in the United States. However, Choi's perspective as an author is unique -- racism, intended or otherwise, is alive and well in all facets of life, publishing included. Many of the essay collections you're likely to encounter are written by white women who grew up in middle class families, probably had a publishing internship, and now live in New York. Such is not the (complete) case for Choi, which makes this selection stand out from the others. Combined with Choi's generally excellent sense of humor and balanced writing style, it makes Shut Up, You're Welcome an enjoyable read.
After reading a few collections already, one of the things I most appreciated about Shut Up, You're Welcome, was Choi's sense of humor. All humor essayists have some sense of humor or they wouldn't be writing what they do. Choi's humor, however, generally refrains from much of the problematic "jokes" I've read in other books. It's not completely free of issues, but is far better than some of the others. The Harm in Asking by Sara Barron, Is Everyone Hanging out without Me? by Mindy Kaling, and The Idiot Girl's Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro (at least what I've read so far of that one) fares far worse with "humor" about rape, trans* people, eating disorders, self harm, and various other things that really should not be joked about, some while decrying cheap humor based on "roasting" individuals. Choi, for the most part, avoids this. This does not mean her book is any less funny. In fact, I think the lack of these "jokes" makes the book more hilarious because I'm not constantly stopping to think, "Woah, went too far there. Now I'm going to be uncomfortable for the next five paragraphs." This also indicates to me that Choi is reaching for higher forms of humor that are not as easy to achieve, but more admirable both in content and effort.
Choi also strikes the delicate balance of making fun of her family and their particular ways without making them totally unlikable or crossing the line after which they'd no longer wish to speak with her. (At least that's my guess; I don't know Choi's family personally.) You grow to love Choi's family throughout the book and, by the end, they feel like a part of your family. Chances are, you'll likely find at least one trait from each "character" that mirrors that of someone in your life.
The prose which makes up Choi's essays is equally well-crafted. Creative nonfiction can be difficult to do well, as employing too much dialogue ensures a lack of realism while too little can make for boring chapters. Choi seems to rely on regular phrases and verbal quirks of the people around her, picking up on pieces that will make her "characters" memorable for the reader. Setting is done similarly well, as Choi gives enough detail to settle the reader into a scene without drowning them in so much that the action of the scene is lost. Essays are fairly good lengths for people who enjoy reading for half-hour increments or so. They're kind of like the "pick your own size" paper towels. What I really love about Shut Up, You're Welcome, however, is its gimmick. I love a good gimmick. For Choi, the gimmick is short letters between each essay. The letters serve two purposes: to provide a breather piece between longer pieces and to introduce the following piece in some way. Letters are addressed to anyone or anything, and Choi refuses to hold back on how she really feels.
After reading a few collections already, one of the things I most appreciated about Shut Up, You're Welcome, was Choi's sense of humor. All humor essayists have some sense of humor or they wouldn't be writing what they do. Choi's humor, however, generally refrains from much of the problematic "jokes" I've read in other books. It's not completely free of issues, but is far better than some of the others. The Harm in Asking by Sara Barron, Is Everyone Hanging out without Me? by Mindy Kaling, and The Idiot Girl's Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro (at least what I've read so far of that one) fares far worse with "humor" about rape, trans* people, eating disorders, self harm, and various other things that really should not be joked about, some while decrying cheap humor based on "roasting" individuals. Choi, for the most part, avoids this. This does not mean her book is any less funny. In fact, I think the lack of these "jokes" makes the book more hilarious because I'm not constantly stopping to think, "Woah, went too far there. Now I'm going to be uncomfortable for the next five paragraphs." This also indicates to me that Choi is reaching for higher forms of humor that are not as easy to achieve, but more admirable both in content and effort.
Choi also strikes the delicate balance of making fun of her family and their particular ways without making them totally unlikable or crossing the line after which they'd no longer wish to speak with her. (At least that's my guess; I don't know Choi's family personally.) You grow to love Choi's family throughout the book and, by the end, they feel like a part of your family. Chances are, you'll likely find at least one trait from each "character" that mirrors that of someone in your life.
The prose which makes up Choi's essays is equally well-crafted. Creative nonfiction can be difficult to do well, as employing too much dialogue ensures a lack of realism while too little can make for boring chapters. Choi seems to rely on regular phrases and verbal quirks of the people around her, picking up on pieces that will make her "characters" memorable for the reader. Setting is done similarly well, as Choi gives enough detail to settle the reader into a scene without drowning them in so much that the action of the scene is lost. Essays are fairly good lengths for people who enjoy reading for half-hour increments or so. They're kind of like the "pick your own size" paper towels. What I really love about Shut Up, You're Welcome, however, is its gimmick. I love a good gimmick. For Choi, the gimmick is short letters between each essay. The letters serve two purposes: to provide a breather piece between longer pieces and to introduce the following piece in some way. Letters are addressed to anyone or anything, and Choi refuses to hold back on how she really feels.
September 29, 2013
Alyssa Sutherland
Shut up, You’re Welcome by Annie Choi
Simon and Schuster
New York, NY. July 2013
Uninterested but Faintly Entertained by Her Surroundings
Shut up, You’re Welcome isn’t written in the traditional sense. Annie Choi attempts a new twist on comedy writing by writing a letter to a person/place/thing complaining about the strife it causes her, and then follows each letter up with a story about her family that is somewhat connected. Her first letter is a roast on musical theater, and she then goes into great detail on her father’s undying love for musical theater, giving the reader a sense of what her father is like. This gives the impression that her father will have many quirks about him that are interesting to read about, however the rest of the book stands to testify this claim.
Her second letter, “Dear Virgin America”, is hysterical and then followed up with a lengthy tale of a conversation she had with her mother about underwear. Choi writes a letter complaining about camping only to delve into a story about a family road trip. She maintains this style in a refreshing way although mainly relies on exaggerating personal stories. She has many letters that lead into stories about her parents, and doesn't ever really go into much detail about her older brother but he co-stars in many of the scenes in her life.
Annie’s tone and overall outlook on life contrast starkly to her family’s traditional Korean values. Mainly, she is constantly pestered by everyone in her family to have a child and get married to a doctor or lawyer. Annie sees this as an annoyance but her sense of humor allows her to take things like this lightly. Although she is surrounded by ignorance, like her father gold-plating everything in their entire house, she takes comfort in being intelligent and aware that her parents are silly. She loves them a lot despite how frustrating they are. Her mother is mostly ignorant and her father is way too precise in every aspect of his life, her brother comes off as a heartless slob.
Unfortunately, towards the end of her book she starts to get sentimental and reminiscent of her youth which makes her entire cynical outlook slightly less heartless and believable. She throws in this story about getting mugged and the book is basically getting dragged along now, propelled by her intention of assigning some fond nostalgia to her book. I’ve never read a book like this before, but I would’ve enjoyed it more if she had only written multiple letters making fun of things versus having letters and quirky stories about her traditional, frankly quite boring, family life. It is kind of sweet of her to talk about how much she loves her family, but not very funny, as the genre “Comedy” led me to believe her book would be.
Shut up, You’re Welcome starts off strong with the witty, sarcastic tone of Annie Choi tearing apart numerous things she finds dumb. This is entertaining and comical but she doesn’t maintain it throughout the book. Her family stories are cute and mildly funny but are obviously fabricated because, who remembers exact conversations they had as a child with their parents? And the conversations are the entirety of the humorous aspect of her family stories, which are still insubstantial, but even less impressive when the reader is aware that Annie is just making it up to tie her book together. She slowly gets more and more nostalgic when retelling tales about her Korean parents, making at least 50% of her book subpar. Her jokes are funny and her tone is refreshing but the plot is weak.
Shut up, You’re Welcome by Annie Choi
Simon and Schuster
New York, NY. July 2013
Uninterested but Faintly Entertained by Her Surroundings
Shut up, You’re Welcome isn’t written in the traditional sense. Annie Choi attempts a new twist on comedy writing by writing a letter to a person/place/thing complaining about the strife it causes her, and then follows each letter up with a story about her family that is somewhat connected. Her first letter is a roast on musical theater, and she then goes into great detail on her father’s undying love for musical theater, giving the reader a sense of what her father is like. This gives the impression that her father will have many quirks about him that are interesting to read about, however the rest of the book stands to testify this claim.
Her second letter, “Dear Virgin America”, is hysterical and then followed up with a lengthy tale of a conversation she had with her mother about underwear. Choi writes a letter complaining about camping only to delve into a story about a family road trip. She maintains this style in a refreshing way although mainly relies on exaggerating personal stories. She has many letters that lead into stories about her parents, and doesn't ever really go into much detail about her older brother but he co-stars in many of the scenes in her life.
Annie’s tone and overall outlook on life contrast starkly to her family’s traditional Korean values. Mainly, she is constantly pestered by everyone in her family to have a child and get married to a doctor or lawyer. Annie sees this as an annoyance but her sense of humor allows her to take things like this lightly. Although she is surrounded by ignorance, like her father gold-plating everything in their entire house, she takes comfort in being intelligent and aware that her parents are silly. She loves them a lot despite how frustrating they are. Her mother is mostly ignorant and her father is way too precise in every aspect of his life, her brother comes off as a heartless slob.
Unfortunately, towards the end of her book she starts to get sentimental and reminiscent of her youth which makes her entire cynical outlook slightly less heartless and believable. She throws in this story about getting mugged and the book is basically getting dragged along now, propelled by her intention of assigning some fond nostalgia to her book. I’ve never read a book like this before, but I would’ve enjoyed it more if she had only written multiple letters making fun of things versus having letters and quirky stories about her traditional, frankly quite boring, family life. It is kind of sweet of her to talk about how much she loves her family, but not very funny, as the genre “Comedy” led me to believe her book would be.
Shut up, You’re Welcome starts off strong with the witty, sarcastic tone of Annie Choi tearing apart numerous things she finds dumb. This is entertaining and comical but she doesn’t maintain it throughout the book. Her family stories are cute and mildly funny but are obviously fabricated because, who remembers exact conversations they had as a child with their parents? And the conversations are the entirety of the humorous aspect of her family stories, which are still insubstantial, but even less impressive when the reader is aware that Annie is just making it up to tie her book together. She slowly gets more and more nostalgic when retelling tales about her Korean parents, making at least 50% of her book subpar. Her jokes are funny and her tone is refreshing but the plot is weak.
November 24, 2015
Annie Choi is a funny lady. This is her second collection of essays, Shut Up, You’re Welcome, and was even funnier than the first (Happy Birthday or Whatever). Annie capitalizes on her humorous family and gently pokes fun at them as well as at herself in a way that is never nasty, but full of love.
Annie’s loony mother stands front and center in most of Annie’s stories — criticizing her underwear, her dating life and her career choices. Her foul-mouthed brother vacillates from being on Annie’s side to being against her. My favorite, however, is her father, who believes that his chemistry degree makes him an expert in anything involving science. He spent a good hunk of her childhood gold-plating everything he could get his hands on. Annie’s description of his disastrous laboratory — which he plans to leave to her along with his stash of gold bars — had me cracking up.
What’s great about Annie’s stories is how relatable they are. I am not Korean-American, but I too have been dragged on an overbooked, way too hot road trip with my family and waaay too much of our stuff. I fight with my sibling while simultaneously teaming up with her to rag on our mother. And anyone who knows about my father and his rock collection could see that he’s just a PhD away from mad scientist as it is.
Luckily, I’ve never flown home cross-country for Christmas only to find my entire family celebrating elsewhere.
This is a fun, quick read that I really enjoyed. I also made a note to check out Annie’s website, www.annietown.com to see if her blog entries live up to the book.
Annie’s loony mother stands front and center in most of Annie’s stories — criticizing her underwear, her dating life and her career choices. Her foul-mouthed brother vacillates from being on Annie’s side to being against her. My favorite, however, is her father, who believes that his chemistry degree makes him an expert in anything involving science. He spent a good hunk of her childhood gold-plating everything he could get his hands on. Annie’s description of his disastrous laboratory — which he plans to leave to her along with his stash of gold bars — had me cracking up.
What’s great about Annie’s stories is how relatable they are. I am not Korean-American, but I too have been dragged on an overbooked, way too hot road trip with my family and waaay too much of our stuff. I fight with my sibling while simultaneously teaming up with her to rag on our mother. And anyone who knows about my father and his rock collection could see that he’s just a PhD away from mad scientist as it is.
Luckily, I’ve never flown home cross-country for Christmas only to find my entire family celebrating elsewhere.
This is a fun, quick read that I really enjoyed. I also made a note to check out Annie’s website, www.annietown.com to see if her blog entries live up to the book.
April 10, 2016
Some memoirs you might read because it's historically significant, or it's about a famous person whose life is mysterious and somehow both filled with glamour and shame. Or because it was assigned to you at school against your will. Luckily, Annie Choi's story is not any of those.
Each chapter in Shut Up, You're Welcome is a slice of life and experiences, revolving around a particular theme. From as random as having a whole chapter about a beloved family table that they can't get rid of because her father is so attached to it and too stubborn to get rid of, to family pressuring Annie to life the life of a "traditional woman" and get herself a husband and have some kids already.
There were parts that I really related to, and there were parts that were simply interesting to view from afar. Y'know, like a reality show--if they were really real and not annoying and predictable.
Annie does a superb job of creating the voices and personalities of the various people in her life, and portraying her life in Los Angeles and New York in such startling, casual detail as to make you feel you live there yourself.
She doesn't pander to her audience. She knows most of us reading might not be Korean, or familiar with traditional customs of terms of address for family members, so she lets us in on it and then proceeds with the story.
It's an easy to read book with relatively short chapters and plenty of humor.
Each chapter in Shut Up, You're Welcome is a slice of life and experiences, revolving around a particular theme. From as random as having a whole chapter about a beloved family table that they can't get rid of because her father is so attached to it and too stubborn to get rid of, to family pressuring Annie to life the life of a "traditional woman" and get herself a husband and have some kids already.
There were parts that I really related to, and there were parts that were simply interesting to view from afar. Y'know, like a reality show--if they were really real and not annoying and predictable.
Annie does a superb job of creating the voices and personalities of the various people in her life, and portraying her life in Los Angeles and New York in such startling, casual detail as to make you feel you live there yourself.
She doesn't pander to her audience. She knows most of us reading might not be Korean, or familiar with traditional customs of terms of address for family members, so she lets us in on it and then proceeds with the story.
It's an easy to read book with relatively short chapters and plenty of humor.
July 31, 2013
Via http://onlectus.blogspot.com/2013/07/...
What is humor? From Wikipedia, humor is "the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement." That said, I believe that humor is highly subjective.
Authors take a big fat chance when writing about their "humorous" lives because, describing that chicken that shat in your living room is not guaranteed to make me laugh... even if you wet your pants everytime you tell the story.
Shut up, you are welcome is the collection of stories by Annie Choi describing her childhood and relationships with her parents and brother, her hatred for theater, and some other nuisances. It is supposed to be funny ... as in, maybe is not.
Which, it isn't. Really. I found the writing a little abrupt for my taste and the humor utterly dry; it didn't even make me smile.... not even a Mona Lisa smile.
Nowadays, any author who uses the word "fuck" is described as a badass. Obviously, Choi is NOT my kind of badass... which reminds me, when is Chelsea Handler going to publish another book? I need something to wash the sour taste of Shut up, you are welcome off my once perfectly fine, now acrid mouth.
Unfortunately, by the time I DNF the book the damage was already done.
What is humor? From Wikipedia, humor is "the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement." That said, I believe that humor is highly subjective.
Authors take a big fat chance when writing about their "humorous" lives because, describing that chicken that shat in your living room is not guaranteed to make me laugh... even if you wet your pants everytime you tell the story.
Shut up, you are welcome is the collection of stories by Annie Choi describing her childhood and relationships with her parents and brother, her hatred for theater, and some other nuisances. It is supposed to be funny ... as in, maybe is not.
Which, it isn't. Really. I found the writing a little abrupt for my taste and the humor utterly dry; it didn't even make me smile.... not even a Mona Lisa smile.
Nowadays, any author who uses the word "fuck" is described as a badass. Obviously, Choi is NOT my kind of badass... which reminds me, when is Chelsea Handler going to publish another book? I need something to wash the sour taste of Shut up, you are welcome off my once perfectly fine, now acrid mouth.
Unfortunately, by the time I DNF the book the damage was already done.
May 17, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick, fun read to devour in a few days. Annie came across as very funny and likeable; she's just the kind of writer I wish I could be friends with. I loved her family stories and I'm so glad my mom never gave me "Mommy homework". Her parents sounded like so much fun, especially her mom. The only thing that bothered me a little was that Annie would go down a path, and I could follow the story and be into it, but then she would change the topic quickly and I would be left kind of shaking my head wondering how we got from that story to this one. It only happened a few times though, and it wasn't a major issue, it was just something that would jar me a little. I like to read a book and forget I'm reading, but something like that breaks the spell and I remember it's a book. I really am nitpicking though. For the most part, it was a great read. I laughed many times, once I had to stop reading I was laughing so hard. So, if you're looking for something quick and fun and you enjoy reading stories about other people's dysfunctional families, this is the book for you. I plan to check out her other book soon. 4 stars.
July 30, 2013
I will be honest that I hadn't heard of Annie Choi before reading this book, Shut Up, You're Welcome. I am glad to have gotten the opportunity to get to her not only Annie but her quirky and funny Korean parents through this book. I love when you start a book and right away it has you smiling and laughing - this is exactly what this book did as soon as I opened it up. She takes you through all the quirkiness of life with her family as well as open letters to people or things that drive her crazy. She is able to tell us about deeply personal issues and yet still keep her humour and make the reader wanting more. I was happily surprised to find that this was actually the author's second book and of course I immediately had to go and download that one to read as well. Let us hope there is a third book as well because there is no way this can be the end of her crazy, quirky and funny life.
January 6, 2014
Annie Choi is definitely a comedic writer. There are many amusing parts in this book. I must be honest though in saying I was more amused by the open letters at the beginning of each essay then the essays themselves. This was an easy read and enjoyable, but personally didn't produce more than a slight chuckle here and there for me.
I personally would've rather just have read a collection of her open letters instead of the long explanation behind them as many were awkward and cringe-worthy and personally not something I tend to read.
For people who enjoy those awkward scenes in films (I tend to push mute or fast forward) then this would be a book for you. Choi deals with situations in her life with comedic flair and timing that I don't doubt would be enjoyable for those who enjoy this type of writing.
I personally would've rather just have read a collection of her open letters instead of the long explanation behind them as many were awkward and cringe-worthy and personally not something I tend to read.
For people who enjoy those awkward scenes in films (I tend to push mute or fast forward) then this would be a book for you. Choi deals with situations in her life with comedic flair and timing that I don't doubt would be enjoyable for those who enjoy this type of writing.
October 18, 2013
Sadly it didn't make me laugh.
I was looking for a light, entertaining book and courtesy of a free download from Net Galley, this book seemed to fit the bill perfectly!
Billed as “a revealing portrait of Annie and her family in all their quirky, compelling, riotous glory”, I couldn't wait to dive in for a lively read.
Hmmmn, maybe my idea of compelling and quirky differ from those of Annie.
To be fair, there were some of her personal essays that made me smile – briefly, and I could identify with some of the issues she clearly felt strongly about.
But this book sadly loses momentum and it just ceases to be funny and instead becomes boring.
Sorry Annie, your previous book seems to have been more of a success but right now, I've lost my appetite for an author by the name of Annie Choi.
I was looking for a light, entertaining book and courtesy of a free download from Net Galley, this book seemed to fit the bill perfectly!
Billed as “a revealing portrait of Annie and her family in all their quirky, compelling, riotous glory”, I couldn't wait to dive in for a lively read.
Hmmmn, maybe my idea of compelling and quirky differ from those of Annie.
To be fair, there were some of her personal essays that made me smile – briefly, and I could identify with some of the issues she clearly felt strongly about.
But this book sadly loses momentum and it just ceases to be funny and instead becomes boring.
Sorry Annie, your previous book seems to have been more of a success but right now, I've lost my appetite for an author by the name of Annie Choi.
May 26, 2017
Meet Annie Choi, a Korean-American whose family only wanted to give her the best life, so they moved the family to the USA. California, to be exact.
Admit it. You've cussed out a few Asians (at least under your breath) because you don't like the way they drive or dress or talk or eat. Read about all that from Annie's perspective. She begins each chapter with an open letter to some inanimate thing or general group. She flawlessly moves into a story that relates to that letter, always outing her family in some way, shape or form. I especially enjoyed the stories about her mom's driving! And Annie writes exactly as her parents speak - mangled English and all!
If you enjoy humorous memoirs, I think you'll enjoy this one.
Admit it. You've cussed out a few Asians (at least under your breath) because you don't like the way they drive or dress or talk or eat. Read about all that from Annie's perspective. She begins each chapter with an open letter to some inanimate thing or general group. She flawlessly moves into a story that relates to that letter, always outing her family in some way, shape or form. I especially enjoyed the stories about her mom's driving! And Annie writes exactly as her parents speak - mangled English and all!
If you enjoy humorous memoirs, I think you'll enjoy this one.
October 22, 2013
I finished this book in a day and a half! Annie is laugh out loud hilarious and the stories she shared about her family make me want to move in with them, or at least accompany them on a road trip across America. Annie sets up each chapter with an open letter, which aren't that funny, but follows with a story about her childhood experiences and adult relationship with her Korean parents that had me cracking up. Even her know-it-all brother made me laugh, maybe because I imagine my son becoming just like him! She's witty, clever, snarky, and endearing and I loved her writing style.
I received this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
I received this book from NetGalley for review purposes.
July 15, 2014
I recommend Annie Choi to many people, but I do not think many follow through. That is a true disappointment. Her two memoirs (previous title, Happy Birthday, or Whatever) are hilarious. I love reading about other people's families. This book cleverly introduced each section with a letter to a specific group or person from her current life and then went into a flashback about growing up. I particularly enjoyed the section on a hexagonal table. Get one of her books in your hand and enjoy yourself!
August 3, 2013
I'd enjoyed her previous book of essays Happy Birthday or Whatever: Track Suits, Kim Chee, and Other Family Disasters, so was excited to see this new one. Choi writes well, but like David Sedaris, she's pretty much mined the family-centered memoirs vein. Here's hoping her next collection is more about her thoughts on life in general. Recommended, but I'd read her other book first.
March 7, 2015
Annie Choi is my 'go-to' author when I want to read a well-written humorous memoir. I LOVE her! The only sad thing that I can write in this review is that there are only two books by her and now I have read them both. ("Happy Birthday or Whatever" being the other one.) Every once in a while you need a laugh-out-loud read in contrast to the darker, dramatic novels that you are reading, right? Well, this is the one to read when you need that. I wish that she lived closer to me and that she was a friend of mine.
April 17, 2015
There are certain experiences all American kids with Korean mothers have, so I was really looking forward to reading this book and commiserating with the author as she rants about random things in her life. I should've known I'd be disappointed when the first chapter was about how she doesn't like musicals. Overall, the book was rather meh, but it did make me chuckle a couple times and it reminded me of my childhood love of Korean fried rice with ketchup, something I'd completely forgotten about. Not sure how likely I am to pick up her first book.
Read
June 27, 2016My favorites were her letter to "A Guy," and her essay on sandwiches. Those two places were where her humor really sparkled. I also liked the last essay for the way it started to explore what it's like to not want kids under the weight and pressure of Korean expectations. I wish she would write more in depth about going against Korean expectations because this is something I struggle with, and I'm always curious to see how others come to terms with living their lives in what matters to them and how they make their decisions.
August 14, 2013
Like humor? Funny essays?
Annie Choi is for you. She's like the friend you want to have, the one that will pop off at the mouth about anything.
Many, many, many of the letters, essays are really funny (see letter to neighbor/letter to baby for primo examples!). Some do drag a bit- but maybe her really funny ones set my expectations at a certain level.
Worth a read. This is a book that can be read in bursts for quick laughs!
Full review to be posted later!
Annie Choi is for you. She's like the friend you want to have, the one that will pop off at the mouth about anything.
Many, many, many of the letters, essays are really funny (see letter to neighbor/letter to baby for primo examples!). Some do drag a bit- but maybe her really funny ones set my expectations at a certain level.
Worth a read. This is a book that can be read in bursts for quick laughs!
Full review to be posted later!
April 22, 2014
Annie Choi's writing is edgy, funny and direct. Chapters in this memoir alternate between Choi's "letters" and essays on her family and self. I really enjoyed Choi's writing style and the tone of her essays. She did a great job of pointing out the habits and curiosities of people in their daily lives in such a fun and interesting way that perfectly translated feelings of exasperation, happiness and disbelief.
August 23, 2014
And I thought I had issues from my family!! OMG! Way too funny. First off, having grown up in NY with a racial mixed group of friends, Annie reminded me of Kim the one Korean girl in my group. Their families are the same! Right down to the underwear!
Great book. Definitely worth a read. I laughed so hard with each page that I just couldn't put it down.
I am going to have to read more of her work. Great writing.
Great book. Definitely worth a read. I laughed so hard with each page that I just couldn't put it down.
I am going to have to read more of her work. Great writing.
August 16, 2013
I love Annie Choi's stories; they remind me so much of my own life with a Korean mother. I recognize her writing style and sense of humor likely aren't for everyone but I personally enjoy it. Her family anecdotes are charming and her parents make me want to smile and also roll my eyes; I think a lot of people have those moments with their own parents.
July 9, 2013
This book i won it on Good reads. It was very funny and how she tells all her experiences and describes her family. I will definitely read her others books. This book will get you several laughs along the reading
February 21, 2016
Shut Up, You're Welcome was a witty foray into Annie Choi's life. It exemplified the life of a daughter of immigrant parents who want for her to succeed. It showed the mismatch of cultures that formed her into the person she is. Every chapter was page-turning and offered laughs to the reader.
January 24, 2014
Annie's Korean family is the source of amusing essays from ordinary life. Though she & I are long past adolescence, I can hear the parent's voices, and get how maddening and lovable they are at the same time.
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