Tom Papa is a very talented guy. The list of job titles on his resume is almost hard to believe: stand-up comedian, writer, movie actor, television actor, television host, radio host, and podcast producer. And what makes it more remarkable is that he is good at all those things, in addition to being very, very funny while doing them. I have long been a big fan of his work and his comedy specials available on various streaming services are among my absolute favorite things to binge when I need a quick pick-me-up from the daily grind.

In We’re All in This Together, Papa gives us his unique take on a wide variety of topics involving life’s mundane occurrences, including the travails of traveling with your family, the useless stuff we tend to accumulate, unexpected things that can kill us, the joy in several glasses of wine, bug infestations in the house, picking up roots and leaving home, rules for the food we eat, the art of not complaining, and even how cats can be conniving jerks. Written in more than three dozen short essays, collectively this volume is a little hard to classify—it is not quite a memoir, not quite a set of philosophical musings, not quite a lot of rants on random peeves. What it does add up to is one man’s easy-going and cheerful insights on the modern human condition.

I enjoyed reading this book, which is hardly surprising given my regard for virtually everything I have seen the author do. Papa is a good writer, but mostly where he excels is as a great storyteller. I did not find any of the essays to be enthralling or even side-splittingly funny—it seems very hard to be as humorous in writing as one can be in person—but each was interesting in its own way, whether dealing with events from the past (his boyhood) or the present (his current family life). Although somewhat haphazardly organized, this collection of observations is an easy one to recommend, whether you are a long-standing follower of the author or someone discovering his work for the first time.

As a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa knows how to make his audience laugh. This book combines his smart humor and human observation in 37 essays that tackle relationship issues, family, pets, drinking, and much more.

“ Tom Papa’s books make readers laugh, but–crucially–feel better about themselves while doing it.”

Fun anecdotes about life. Nothing earth shattering in terms of humor, but a humorous way to see the every day mundane. Enjoyable to read.

3.5 stars! This book was the perfect palate cleanser. Tom brings his comedic touch to lots of different topics with stories that are quite relatable and funny. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a fun and lighthearted read! This is a collection of short essays with Tom Papa’s reflections on life, dating, growing up, family, marriage, etc. Each story is written with a light comedic touch and a lot of heart. Each story felt very approachable and relatable. His clever writing will bring a smile to your face while reading this after a long day. Truly fun and delightful!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

I love Tom Papa's stand up and his previous book "You're doing great", so I wanted to love this book too. It's well written and interesting, but lacked the "lol" moments I was looking for. He has a distinctive voice and paints engaging, often touching vignettes from his past and his current life with vivid clarity. The tone and themes of this collection of essays just wasn't for me, but I think many other fans of Paps will enjoy it. He's a talented humorist and very funny stand up; I'll be looking forward to his next offering to see if it resonates more strongly for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think that essays like this are really my thing. The writing was good, there were some elements of humour, and they did resonate with me as an Italian-Canadian. But in the end, they felt very disjointed and I guess were not what I was shooting for. I was hoping for more humour from a comedian and more LOL moments which just didn't happen. And because of that, I kind of wanted this to then veer more towards the serious which it skirted at best.

Papa is a storyteller, so he does a good job when he gets into a story even with some exaggeration and attempts at funny. He is also well spoken so there is nothing to critique about his skills. I just felt like these essays were not very structured as a whole and as such felt very random. Glimpses into his youth. Glimpses into his young adulthood. Glimpses into his adulthood and now. But all kind of randomly jumbled together. I did appreciate the idea that we are all in this together. And I did appreciate his moments of trying to link situations with his lived experience to life lessons. Just not enough to really make up for my overall enjoyment of the book. It wasn't awful. It just wasn't great. Or wasn't great for me.

If you like Papa as a comedian and are a fan of his other writings, then I think you'll enjoy this one. If you are into essays about lived life without any major drama, then also a good pick for you.

Just as funny as his stand up with more insight.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Only recently having discovered Tom Papa on Netflix, it was a big thrill to receive this book. The stories/essays within range from amusing to thought provoking. The author really opens up on his own views in a way that keeps you reading and laughing out loud at some of the antics. Great break from some serious nonfiction reading and a motivator to go see him in person.

We’re All in This Together is a lighthearted and humorous collection of essays about growing up, dating, marriage, vacation, family, and more. Whether you are familiar with Tom Papa's comedy or not, I recommend this to readers looking for a quick and diverting read.

Thank you very much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Tom Papa always makes me laugh. He is a great storyteller, and he knows how to make things like marriage and traveling funny without being mean or using bad language. He is witty and thoughtful, and one of the best comedians working today. I will read anything he writes.

Take on Italian-American father, mix in stand-up, NPR, and children to get an idea of Tom Papa. He opens this volume of 30+ essays with a ambling talk about connections. He then dives into his remembrance of being different in Kindergarten, an essay on what not to eat, why Mark Twain smoked cigars, marriage, love, regrets, and many more topics. Some of my favorite essays - "Cats: Ancient Menace" which is the topic that got me interested in this title, "Why We Return to the Sea" on time spent crabbing with his dad, and "What Gnomes Can Teach Us" regarding kids and nature. But all of these essays are enjoyable, nicely paced, and a reasonable length. Take the time to slow down and read these vignettes on life!

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this title!

Good family fun to get us through temporary grumpiness or just for a healthy laugh!
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Tom Papa has become one of my favourite comedians over the last few years. He first came to my attention after his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience. After that he appeared several more times and I grew to love him more and more. I was excited to read his last book You’re Doing Great and I really enjoyed it so I was equally excited to get the chance to read this book.

Each chapter discusses a different take the author has on a myriad of topics. This ranges from family vacations, diets, relationships and more. I really loved the quick hits from each chapter and the humour Tom provides. As any comedian does he finds reality in his points of view and I found a lot of points to be very relatable. The book is similarly written to his last one in terms of style so if you enjoyed that one you will certainly like this one too. I would highly recommend this one to comedy lovers everywhere

string of monologs that could have come from Papa's stand-up routines. Like most such collections, some were outrageously funny, others lukewarm.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tom Papa, an Italian American comedian shares stories from his life. From a young boy to present adulthood it was entertaining and enlightening to read. Being able to compare our own life experiences with those of Tom Papa made it open our eyes to various influences.

Sorta funny, sorta silly but sorta fun! Never heard of Tom Papa before but it’s seems he is really popular.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is very enjoyable collection of 37 essays addressing common situations we all encounter.

Tom Papa is highly observant and brings to the surface interesting commentaries about our reactions to life's ups and downs. He does this with humor and understanding - showing us that we are all human and make the same mistakes that others do in similar circumstances.

I recently laughed so hard watching Tom Papa stand up comedy on TV that I could hardly breathe. I have no idea how many tissues I used to mop up the tears of laughter streaming from my eyes. Now that I’ve discovered 3 books of Tom Papa’s essays I know he is much more than a very funny guy. If you read We’re All in This Together you’ll see what I mean. Yes, there’s definitely humor in his writing, but also comforting reassurance that we all screw up sometimes and just do what we can to make the best of things. Two thumbs way up for author Tom Papa!

I really enjoyed these essays from one of the best comedians around, Tom Papa. He was funny and relatable, and I laughed a lot.