Book Review - I'll Have What She's Having

“For anyone who has ever found themselves wondering why some of their favorite romcoms just work. Hint: Timing, persistence, and hard work all come into play."

I'll Have What She's Having, Erin Carlson

Why this book?
I found Erin via her SubStack; I got nosey and ordered her book.

Blurb it:
“For anyone who has ever found themselves wondering why some of their favorite romcoms just work. Hint: Timing, persistence, and hard work all come into play.”

Genre:
Biography

This book made me want to:
Write the next great romcom.
Rewatch- When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.

At it’s heart this book is about:
How Nora Ephron took a toxic family history and several unsuccessful marriages, and used it as the foundation for writing books, screenplays, and later directing movies where the stickiness of relationships is the action that we’ve all come to enjoy.

Also: It’s a super fun behind-the-scenes read / time travel option that will have you wishing that your hair was half as good as Meg Ryan’s.

Question for the author: How exactly does one get Tom Hank’s phone number so you can interview him for your book? Asking for a friend.

Writer Thoughts:

The Ephron sisters (I hadn’t realized that she was writing partners with her sister Delia) grew up with parents who were a writing team. Because of this, it seemed that they graduated “How to Be a Professional Writer 101” simply by living their lives.

• “Everything is copy.”
  If it was funny/ beautiful/ sad to you, it’s probably the same for others. Write in down. Use it.

• “Laughs sale and tears don’t.”
  Their mother told them that if you slip and fall on a banana peel everyone laughs at you but if you tell everyone that you slipped and fell on a banana peel that they would laugh with you.
  As someone who is funny (at least my friends seem to think so) but who has trouble “writing funny,” this is the one that I am, in a sense, figuring out how to best put into use. I see the truth of it, but getting it out on paper is a different thing altogether.

Trigger Warnings:
None! (Unless you melt with embarrassment at the thought of directing the “I’ll have what she’s having,” scene while your mother sits right there. That was super cringe.)

Bonus Content:

This piece by Nora’s sister and writing partner Delia, about finding love later in life and the perils around such things (gasp! possibilities of the Grand Canyon!) was a treat to read. As was this piece, from the third sister Hallie, about their mother.

Enjoy.

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One last thing:

I really enjoyed this book.

Erin is able to write about Hollywood/ film-making/ celebrities as if they’re actual humans instead of the foreign aliens they so often are seem. Check her out over here:

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Now to the important part: