I watched Harold & Kumar Go to the White Castle as a teenager who, for the first time, saw someone who looked like me in an American movie! I was fascinated as the idea of a brown person in Hollywood seemed wild to me at the time. I was probably too young to watch the movie (this is what happens when you've working parents and are home alone), but I developed a massive crush on Kal Penn.

Heartfelt, hilarious, and honest, You Can't Be Serious was a fun read (highly recommend getting the audiobook). From navigating his way to Hollywood in the sea of white actors to leaving his acting career for a while and working for the Obama administration (still bitter about his exit from House M.D.), Kal Penn bares it all. Well, almost.

He does not owe us his entire life story, but I was surprised that he didn't go into detail about his sexuality, especially how his parents reacted as there were plenty instances mentioned in the book where his parents wanted him to 'at least' go to law school and had strong opinions about his career choice. But we do get a cute little chapter on how he met his fiancé, Josh.

Reading about the racist remarks and microaggression he came across in the movie industry made me livid. It's no secret that systemic racism is prevalent in the West, and reading such stories just makes your stomach sink. This memoir is a great portrayal of how racist Hollywood truly is.

In fine, it was an interesting read, that was well-narrated. And I'm glad I got to read about one of my first crushes.