Finally, a celebrity autobiography that isn’t a total waste of time!

Usually, celebrity autobiographies are pretty boring. Even if you like the actor, it’s tedious to listen to them blather on about their craft and how lucky they are and blah blah blah (the obvious exceptions are the WW2 celebrities, who made movies and punched Nazis). Neil Patrick Harris gets this-not enough to resist the urge of writing an autobiography-and makes his book pleasant and clever-and surprisingly heartfelt.

Framed as a Choose Your Own Adventure book, the reader is an active participant in the book, flipping to different pages in the book based on decisions Neil asked you to make (an example: “To get famous, turn to page 46. To get laid, turn to page 78”). It’s a bit that surprisingly doesn’t get old, as we go through Harris’s childhood, his first bit of stardom as Doogie Howser, his coming to terms with his sexuality and falling in love, and his current status as a certified famous fancy person.  Along the way, we hear from his famous friends and husband, get recipes, and learn a lot about magic. To be honest, I could have done without the magic.

Choose Your Own Autobiography was a funny and endearing book. I already was a fan of Neil Patrick Harris-after the 2013 Tony Awards, who wasn’t?

But after reading the book, I’ve become a bigger fan. His big heart and sheer love for his family shines through on every page. Plus, he’s actually a good writer! Will wonders never cease.