I purchased both the book and audiobook for my own collection.
Publisher: MarySue Rucci Books / Simon and Schuster Audio
Published: October 14, 2025 (originally published November 2025)
Summary:
In this poignant, hilarious, and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood’s most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder reveals how saying YES changed her life—and how it can change yours too.
She’s the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today: Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder. Her iconic characters—Meredith Grey, Cristina Yang, Olivia Pope, Annalise Keating—live boldly and speak their minds. So who would suspect that Shonda Rhimes, the mega talent who owns Thursday night television (#TGIT), is an introvert? That she hired a publicist so she could avoid public appearances? That she hugged walls at splashy parties and suffered panic attacks before media interviews so severe she remembered nothing afterward?
Before her Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes was an expert at declining invitations others would leap to accept. With three children at home and three hit television shows on TV, it was easy to say that she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. Afraid of cocktail party faux pas like chucking a chicken bone across a room; petrified of live television appearances where Shonda Rhimes could trip and fall and bleed out right there in front of a live studio audience; terrified of the difficult conversations that came so easily to her characters on-screen. In the before, Shonda’s introvert life revolved around burying herself in work, snuggling her children, and comforting herself with food.
And then, on Thanksgiving 2013, Shonda’s sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything.
The comment sat like a grenade, until it detonated. Then Shonda, the youngest of six children from a supremely competitive family, knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her.
This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes—from her nerdy, book-loving childhood creating imaginary friends to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her (like Cristina Yang, whose ultimate goal wasn’t marriage, and Cyrus Beene, who is a Republican and gay). And it chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun—when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and giving the Dartmouth Commencement speech; when she learned to say yes to her health, yes to play and she stepped out of the shadows and into the sun; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes.
This wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes, an unexpected introvert, achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. And how you can, too.
My thoughts:
I have been a fan of Shondaland for years — yes, I’m one of those people that still watches Grey’s Anatomy. In fact, except for Bridgeton, I think I’ve watched most of her major shows…
But back to the book. I actually bought a copy of this book a few years ago–hence the paperback version–and just never got to it. But, when I was at the @bostonbookfest a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see Shonda speak and just WOW! I knew after listening to her talk that this book would be moving up on my tbr immediately. This book is a keeper. It’s one of those books you might not reread in its entirety, but you might flip through and reread passages or pages when you need a boost.
I loved the message of being pushed out of your comfort zone. Way too often, I find myself saying no because it’s easier or more comfortable. But by saying yes, what experiences might I be opening myself up to?
I loved the candor of this book. Shonda didn’t hold back with how experiences went, good or bad. It also was inspiring and I don’t know about you, but I sure could use some positive inspiration!
Audio thoughts:
This was narrated by Shonda Rhimes herself and I loved that it felt like we were just having a conversation. I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this book. It also included actual clips from the speeches she gave that were included in the book.
Purchasing from the link below supports independent bookstores and my blog!
