Book ~ "Challenge Accepted!"(2018) Celeste Barber

From Goodreads ~ From funny woman, Instagram star, and international comedy sensation, Celeste Barber’s "Challenge Accepted!" is a raucous, hilarious and outspoken guide to life, unwanted gas and how to rock a sexy scar. 

Part memoir, part comedy routine, part advice manual, "Challenge Accepted!" is Celeste at her best, revealing her secrets to love, friendship, family and marriage (#hothusband), and how to deal with life’s many challenges - why she checks the bath for sharks, how Nutella quite literally shaped who she is as a woman, and why being famous on Instagram is like being rich in Monopoly. It’s real, like totally, really real.

I came across Celeste Barber's Instagram page last year and started following her.  I thought her parodies of pictures were a hoot and I liked her humour.  To be honest, other than that, I didn't know who she was.

I saw that she is touring and will be in Toronto in a couple months so I bought tickets.  If she is as funny in person as with her pictures, I figured it would be fun (looking forward to it!).

When I came across her book, I was interested because I assumed it would be funny ... and it was.  Plus as I enjoy reading bios/autobios, it was a chance for me to learn more about her.

Celeste is an Australian actress, former dancer, writer and comedian. She is married to Api (#hothusband) and they have two children.

The book is full of stories about Celeste and her family ... including being bullied in school when she was young, dancing, friends that have passed away that she still holds dear, meeting and falling in love with her husband, having open heart surgery when she was 25, how she got in trouble at yoga, why she started her Instagram account and more.  She feels that Friends is the "greatest show in the whole wide world" so each story title starts with "The One ...".

I liked the writing style and her humour definitely came through.  As a head's up, she swears ... a lot (there are lots of F-bombs).  Though the manner of her storytelling is amusing, her stories have a serious tone ... for example, about bulling and body image.  I appreciated her honesty in discussing some difficult topics.