Review By Becca (Marketing & Outreach Library Associate)

I started watching The Office back in college (not sure if that makes me, the show, or both of us old at this point…) and like most of the country, found it to be an absolute delight. It’s charming, cringey, funny, and masterfully written, directed, and performed by an incredibly talented cast of actors, many of whom got their start in the show and have moved on to be even bigger stars. It still holds up today and even had a bit of a Renaissance during the pandemic while people were looking for a comfort show to binge while in isolation.

For many of us, the characters in The Office became our friends and for the actors, their coworkers became like family. So when Jenna Fischer, the actress who plays ‘Pam’ the receptionist, and Angela Kinsey, the actress who plays the uptight accountant ‘Angela’, decided to start a podcast where they break down every episode of the series, I had to tune in. Their podcast, of course, led them to the writing of this book: The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There. 

Filled with stories about filming the show, their fellow actors, and life in the spotlight, but most of all, the lasting friendship between these two women, this book is a must-read for any fans of The Office but entertaining enough for anyone to enjoy! Read by the authors, I opted to listen to the book first, as I was already invested in the podcast and knew I wanted to experience the book in the same way. The audiobook has a special introduction by Rainn Wilson (Dwight, in the show) which is not available to read in the hard-copy of the book, as well as an original song written and performed by Creed Bratton (who plays Creed in the series). Of course, the pro of reading the book, is seeing all of the candid photos that the Office Ladies (as they affectionately call themselves) added. If you do pick up the paper copy, you will notice that each paragraph is titled with either Jenna or Angela’s names, indicating that they are the author of that particular piece, so you can imagine their voices reading those sections as well. Luckily, you can get BOTH the audiobook and the hard copy free from the library, and I highly recommend you do so!

I enjoyed this book so very much. It’s part memoir, part tell-all. If you enjoy stories from behind the scenes of tv shows and movies (like almost getting lost at sea while filming and the struggles of wearing a fake pregnant belly), or stories of strong female friendships, this is a wonderful book to pick up! It would also make a terrific gift for any fan of The Office. And if you’re looking for more, well, check out the Office Ladies podcast!