Starred review from April 18, 2022
Fischer and Kinsey, costars of The Office and cohosts of the Office Ladies podcast, celebrate the show’s nine seasons and their 18-year friendship in this highly entertaining work, a “scrapbook, a BFF journal, and a love letter to fans.” Alongside a bounty of behind-the-scenes photos, Fischer and Kinsey opine about the cast’s unique bond (“When you watch The Office, you are watching a group of people who are having fun and becoming good friends”); credit producer Greg Daniels for allowing the cast the freedom to create their characters’ histories—including Fischer’s backstory for Pam’s prolonged engagement to her first fiancé Roy, who “spent their wedding money on a pair of Jet Skis with his brother”; and offer the delicious scoop on “Jam” (“Jim + Pam = JAM”): “From the moment we met,” Fischer recalls of her first read with costar John Krasinksi, “we shared the JAM brain.” From fleshing out the story of Angela’s cat, Sprinkles, to sharing humorous stories of their real and fake pregnancies and mutual admiration for Steve Carell, “the nicest man in show business,” Fischer and Kinsey leave no crumb of Dunder Mifflin lore uncovered in typical Office fashion: “We worked hard on it,” they write. “That’s what she said.” This is a must-read for fans.

Starred review from April 15, 2022
Pam and Angela combine forces in a charming book about the massively popular TV show. Fischer and Kinsey, co-hosts of the Office Ladies podcast, are engaging storytellers, and their often hilarious escapades as best friends make this joint tale fascinating for even the most casual fan of The Office. The chapter about the "Death Bus" episode (directed by Bryan Cranston), which nearly killed the entire cast, is laugh-out-loud funny, and Kinsey sums it up appropriately: "Pie mends all things, including near carbon monoxide poisoning." Mostly employing a dialogue format, the authors walk the line between a behind-the-scenes look at the landmark comedy and the desire to maintain the secrets they share with their friends. (That said, many readers would love to hear the R-rated "master class in 1980s Hollywood gossip" that the authors learned from James Spader.) For hardcore Office fans, Fischer provides personal insight into some of her--and the show's--most important scenes, including her wedding and what she said to Steve Carell in their final scene together before he left the show. Kinsey discusses the fascinating mechanics of hiding her pregnancy on screen and how she and Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute) navigated their first make-out scene. In addition to numerous insider insights about the creation and filming of the episodes, Fischer and Kinsey reveal much more about their friendship, their decision to launch their podcast--and a media company--together, as well as the struggles of being working mothers. Fischer writes about how she had to return to the show much faster than she wanted to after the birth of her son because, "in our business, there is no paid maternity leave." Ultimately, the authors manage to make everyone feel like they are also one of their BFFs. A smart, sweet look from inside The Office about how the show spawned enduring friendships and unexpected careers.

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