I finished reading Tiffany Haddish’s The Last Black Unicorn a month ago, and recently finished listening to the audiobook. I don’t usually listen to audiobooks because the narrators don’t keep me entertained, but when my friend mentioned she narrated the audiobook, I quickly downloaded a copy from my library.
For those who don’t know, Tiffany Haddish is a comedian and actress. You may know her from the film Girls Trip, but I found out about her through her interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so much. HI-LA-RIOUS. Her personality shines like the sun.
I wasn’t aware she published a memoir until she went on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah where she discusses some of the wild stories in her book. Again, I had tears in my eyes from laughing so much.
I knew a little bit about her history from various interviews I watched on YouTube, but to read her experiences left me with immense admiration for her tenacity. She went through so many obstacles and I’m so happy to see her where she’s at now. I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook version because it includes a song at the end sung by none other than Ms. Haddish. Most importantly, Tiffany brings such raw authenticity while telling her stories. Her narration made it feel like we were having a girls’ night, drinking wine (except I don’t drink), chatting away, LOLing, and maybe shedding a few tears.
One of my favorite sections in the book is about her long road to comedy because she discusses how she deals with the sexism in the industry. I find it empowering to read that Tiffany didn’t resort to any shortcuts, but rather, used her own skills to claw her way through the industry. Her experience shows that you can get further in your career if you devote the time to grow your skills and make it.
Moreover, The Last Black Unicorn is a reminder that hardships are temporary. We experience a lot of obstacles throughout our lives—maybe not as extreme as what Tiffany gone through—but I think if you have hope and you continue to work towards your dreams, you can overcome any adversity life throws at you. The key is to remain determined, and never be afraid to tell your story.
So I leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
“…I’m willing to talk about my stuff. Whether it’s onstage, or with friends, or in this book. I think that’s why I came back to comedy, after being out of it for a while in my teens and early twenties. So I had a place to talk about my painful stuff, to share it, and to do it in a way that worked, and helped out other people, too.”
Title: Half World
It has been a while since I read a Haruki Murakami book. Although I have read a few novels by him, I am by no means a hardcore fan who knows everything. I read some reviews that this novel is better than IQ84 (on my list!) but pales in comparison to his earlier novels such as Kafka on the Shore and Norwegian Wood—both which are also on my list. I can neither agree nor disagree with these statements, so I can’t say much about Murakami’s writing style. However, I did thoroughly enjoy delving into the life and mind of this “colorless” character named Tsukuru Tazaki. When I read about Tsukuru and his group of friends, I felt like I could relate to him. This seemingly ordinary fellow who thinks he has no outstanding attributes compared to his friends. 
Title: Reboot
marisa muses 