Single Sundays: If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) by Betty White

Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:

Synopsis for If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) (from Goodreads):
It-girl Betty White delivers a hilarious, slyly profound take on love, life, celebrity, and everything in between.

Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White’s wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity. If You Ask Me mixes her thoughtful observations with humorous stories from a seven- decade career in Hollywood. Longtime fans and new fans alike will relish Betty’s candid take on everything from her rumored crush on Robert Redford (true) to her beauty regimen (“I have no idea what color my hair is and I never intend to find out”) to the Facebook campaign that helped persuade her to host Saturday Night Live despite her having declined the hosting job three times already.

Featuring all-new material, with a focus on the past fifteen years of her life, If You Ask Me is funny, sweet, and to the point-just like Betty White.

Author: Betty White
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Humour
Heat Rating: N/A
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I enjoy listening to audiobooks when I run errands or go for a walk. I’m a multitasker at heart and so taking time away to be “fit” is hard for me–it’s time I could be using to read something!

So I found this book randomly when searching what audiobooks were currently available for immediate download from my library when I went for a walk one day. I’m a huge Betty White fan. She’s like the perfect hybrid of my two grandmothers and so I associate her with fond feelings. Plus: she’s such a boss! She does so much!

The Concept:

I’m not sure how this compares to other Betty novels but this one is basically Betty sharing her personal philosophy on life. She talks (briefly) about everything from having pets to kids to starting your career to life overall.

I’m not normally one to enjoy celebrity novels that solely focus on their life philosophies–they don’t particularly inspire me and I find them boring to read–but there is something about Betty sharing her wisdoms about life that works for me here. I think it’s because I think of her as a wise grandmother and so it doesn’t seem patronizing to me.

The Writing/Narration:

I think this would have been boring to read if Betty wasn’t narrating this. She’s so expressive in her presentation that it is quite enjoyable to read. And she is so humble about everything too! I don’t think this would come across too well if I was just reading the words.