The queen of Thursday night TV delivers a sincere and inspiring account of saying yes to life.Rhimes, the brain behind hits like Grey's Anatomy and Scandal, is an introvert. She describes herself as a young girl, playing alone in the pantry, making up soap-opera script stories to act out with the canned goods. Speaking in public terrified her; going to events exhausted her. She was always busy, and she didn't have enough time for her daughters. One Thanksgiving changed it all: when her sister observed that she never said "yes" to anything, Rhimes took it as a challenge. She started, among other things, accepting invitations, facing unpleasant conversations, and playing with her children whenever they asked. The result was a year of challenges and self-discovery that led to a fundamental shift in how she lives her life. Rhimes tells us all about it in the speedy, smart style of her much-loved TV shows. She's warm, eminently relatable, and funny. We get an idea of what it's like to be a successful TV writer and producer, to be the ruler of Shondaland, but the focus is squarely on the lessons one can learn from saying yes rather than shying away. Saying no was easy, Rhimes writes. It was comfortable, "a way to disappear." But after her year, no matter how tempting it is, "I can no longer allow myself to say no. No is no longer in my vocabulary." The book is a fast readreaders could finish it in the time it takes to watch a full lineup of her Thursday night programingbut it's not insubstantial. Like a cashmere shawl you pack just in case, Year of Yes is well worth the purse space, and it would make an equally great gift. Rhimes said "yes" to sharing her insights. Following her may not land you on the cover of a magazine, but you'll be glad you did. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In her new memoir, Hollywood writer and producer Rhimes, creator of Grey's Anatomy and other hit TV series, recounts a self-improvement project to step out of her personal and professional comfort zone, embracing opportunities for growth and positive change. As narrator, Rhimes delivers a home run with her poised, down-to-earth style of delivery. She effectively uses annunciation to bring context to her self-esteem metaphors and mantras, several of which-like "dance it out"-she has included in her TV shows. Her confessional tone shines through in numerous funny yet insightful anecdotes. In one especially memorable example of empowerment, she maintains her sanity as a single mother by saying no to a request from her children's school that parents provide only homemade items for bake sales. As an added bonus, the audio edition includes recordings of several recent high-profile public speeches that Rhimes references in her narrative-speeches that Rhimes says she would have declined in previous years. A Simon & Schuster. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Rhimes has become one of television's most powerful women-her ShondaLand production company owns Thursday night with Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away with Murder. But career success aside, Rhimes is an introvert who was perfectly happy turning down most of the invitations and promotional opportunities that came her way. That is, until an older sister said six words that sparked a personal revolution: "You never say yes to anything." Rhimes's response? Change everything. She says yes to a commencement speech at her alma mater, Dartmouth; yes to her daughters when they ask to play-even when she's busy; yes to embracing her "badassery"; yes to a healthier self. She shares happy stories from childhood, how Grey's Christina Yang voiced everything Rhimes couldn't say herself, and that saying "yes" can also mean saying "no"-including to marriage to the perfect man. VERDICT Rhimes herself reads her raw, revelatory memoir, and the result is an epiphanic gift of audacity, wit, guffaws, and "girrrrrrrrrrl"-worthy wisdom.-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.