Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams

“Joyful” is the best word to describe this lovely challenge to spread goodness, by Nigerian American comedian and Emmy nominee (for Insecure) Orji, who wants to be the “springboard that propels you into being your best self.” Orji details her journey, starting with an account of her birth (she was born clutching her mother’s IUD). She describes failing organic chemistry and ditching medical school to become a comedian; at one point, she found herself just praying she could make it through a year without an overdraft fee from her bank. She shares her favorite Bible passages from what she calls “Da Good Book” and brings a fresh, humorous perspective to Christianity. Orji believes that much of her success came directly from God, such as a chance meeting with Chris Rock’s girlfriend, which led to Orji not only getting to meet her idol but to actually go on tour with him. Orji doles out advice (“you can acknowledge someone else’s brilliance without diminishing your shine) and emphasizes that one doesn’t need to be a Bible scholar or even a Christian to learn from her experiences and from the Scripture she paraphrases.