Amy Poehler is basically perfect.

I have been slacking. I’ve been slacking big time. A large part of that is due to a lit class that required me to read 7 novels in 7 weeks and effectively burned me out on reading, period. I should probably review those, but frankly, they were pretty boring books that I don’t want to think about.

Instead, I give you my palate cleanser. I love Amy Poehler. I loved her on SNL, I love her on Parks and Rec. I think she’s hilarious, smart, strong, and beautiful. She’s everything I want to be when I grow up. She is someone whom I can point to and say “That is a woman who deserves to be admired.” So when I heard she was releasing a memoir, I said sign me up! I wanted to see what she had to say about her life, about her role as an actress and writer and developer of content, as a mother and wife, as a woman. So this week, after the evil lit class was over and the final paper written, I decided to treat myself. Little did I know that there would be a chapter in this book that connected so strongly with my life, I almost cried.

First off, this book is phenomenal. My one complaint is that I didn’t like the paper it was printed on; that was literally the only thing wrong with it. The structure is wonderful, the chapter titles cracked me up, and Amy is a very gifted writer. Even though there were experiences I haven’t had (childbirth, writing for SNL, hosting an awards show, etc), I felt myself relating to them. She makes them seem so real and accessible. That is a true testament to how talented she is.

Then I got to her chapter on her sleep issues. Hoooo, boy. A few years ago, in order to go back to school, I switched positions in my company to work at a 24-hour call center. My hours were all over the place and I believe it really screwed up my sleep schedule. On a good night, of the 8-9 hours I spend in bed, I get 4 hours of sleep. I’m chronically tired, which is about as fun as it sounds. Reading this book, I discovered that Amy is the same way. Reading her discussion of what it’s like for her to try and sleep had me shouting in agreement (In my head. In reality, I was in a hospital room where my sister-in-law was in labor and probably wouldn’t have appreciated my joy.) Amy talked about how hard it is when you close your eyes, and your brain just fires up. It’s not anxiety, per say, just that all the thoughts from the day are now trying to get processed. Of the tossing and turning. The sleep studies, the specialists, the CPAP machines. And then I got to this:

I now read articles about how great sleep is and how important it is and I cry because I want it so bad and I am so mad at how great everyone else seems to be at it.

That one sentence sums up my life better than I ever could. Yes, this book is smart, funny, fascinating, and just about everything you expect from Amy Poehler. But in one line, this book became an instant favorite and an instant classic because I connected with it. I can’t ask for anything else in a book. Thank you, Amy.