Book Review: B.J. Novak
The Office Actor Pens One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
He may be best known as the character of Ryan Howard — the smug and scheming temp on The Office — but B.J. Novak was also one of the Emmy-award winning show’s writers. His gift for written gab is clear in his debut book, One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories. A collection of weird musings, understandable riffs, and twists on familiar topics — all light but with dark undertones — Novak’s book didn’t elicit out-loud laughs, but all of the stories brought smirks, head shakes, and, sometimes, sad faces. Out of the 60-plus stories, particularly memorable ones included “The Man Who Invented the Calendar” (an early-days trip through the year), “Closure” (a new way to deal with exes), “If I Had a Nickel” (a literal take on a phrase), “Chris Hansen at the Justin Bieber Concert” (a rant on both guys), and “Strange News” (blurbs that sum up big world problems).
