I liked some parts more than others, which is the blessing and curse of short stories or essay collections. Overall, a great read.

“Turns out the secret to salvation from Hell is to stop believing in it.”

Pop Quiz: What do you get when you take the insecure oddball from a Bible-thumping evangelical family in the heart of God's Country, Virginia and expose him to, like, literally any perspective other than the one he was raised with? Answer: Exactly the kind of person you'd expect to grow up and write a collection of humorous essays.

I’ll start with the praise: this book wins the award for greatest title in the history of the English language. It perfectly fits the tone of the collection: full of sardonic, dry wit with a peppering of moral and spiritual existentialism for good measure. Just how I like it.
And I’ll give credit where it’s due: Zach Zimmerman is quite funny. There were quite a few times during my read that I let loose a little chuckle. One of my personal favorite lines was in the essay aptly titled “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” where Zimmerman writes, “The only way I survived thirty back-to-back performances of Fiddler on the Roof was by pretending I was God.” As a recovering high school theater person, that one hit particularly close to home.

But the unfortunate thing about this book is that, oddly enough, it seems to struggle with its identity (considering a lot of it is about finding identity, this is a bit ironic). Zimmerman seems to have trouble maintaining cohesion, which results in what feels a bit like literary whiplash. For example, by far the most engaging essay in the collection was "#2." It's deeply personal, heart-wrenching, and shows a vulnerability that comes off as more genuine than in any of the sections on heartbreak. It seems a bit strange to follow up such a moving piece with a story about...Red Lobster? That's like how Taylor Swift decided to follow up "All Too Well" with "22." It's just a bit of an odd pivot.

Although the majority of the book is well-written, some of it does come off like an attempt to meet the page requirement. Most of the lists read a bit like if Rupi Kaur's milk and honey possessed a modicum of self-awareness, which is about as backhanded of a compliment as one can dole out. There's also a repeated sight gag in the sections titled "Evidence for the Existence of God" and "How to Write a Eulogy" that just felt entirely unnecessary. It wasn't particularly funny or profound the first time, and it definitely wasn't funny or profound the second time. (view spoiler)

And now, ladies and gents, is the time for my personal beef with the book (aka the things I didn't enjoy but aren't, like, objectively things I can hold against it). The first qualm I have is that it is almost aggressively Millennial, which, you know, makes sense given the author falls into that category. It's not that the jokes didn't translate, or the references weren't understood. It's more that the overall tone was, at times, cloyingly...cringe (and, yes, I realize by accusing a Millennial of being cringe, I'm coming off as aggressively Gen Z. Well joke's on you; I'm actually a cusper). Take the section "Some Things That Are Hard to Find." It takes the form of a word search with terms like "true love," "yourself," and "meaning" in the word bank. I'm sure this is because I primarily belong to the generation that discounts trends and styles almost immediately after they enter the zeitgeist and the fact that we've relegated anything that seems like it belongs on Tumblr in 2014 to the hidden annals of internet history, where we hope the final vestiges of this breed of online humor/quasi-poetry will never again see the light of day. I'm sure there's a subsection of the population that enjoys this kind of content (specifically, readers born between 1981 and 1996), but it's a bit inadvertently alienating.

I harbor no ill will toward the author (on the contrary; I hope he continues to hone his craft and find his audience), so I'll end on a positive note. As a whole, this was an enjoyable read. Although it vacillated between a number of contradictory moods at times, none of it was bad. Far from it. Zimmerman has a charm that comes off effortlessly on the page and it is precisely that voice that propels the reader forward. I'd be interested to read anything he writes in the future with the hope that he smooths out some of the speedbumps that got in the way of my full enjoyment of this.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

A collection of comedic essays by Zach Zimmerman, Is It Hot in Here (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth)? had so much promise, but ultimately felt like a let down. While it was largely a memoir, the structure was not chronological, and therefore as a reader I felt jostled around. Additionally, every time I thought that Zimmerman was about to use humor to go in deeper into a moment from his life, instead he used it to deflect and jump away from diving in deeper.

As someone who wants more stories of being queer in the South and Midwest, I was so hopeful for this book, but ultimately I felt like everytime I wanted it to jump it, it skipped ahead, and I struggle to understand what i was supposed to take away from the book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

I really enjoyed parts of this; specifically the essays: #2, sit downs with Satan, and the seven days of creation under capitalism. I liked that Zach was using self-deprecating humor as most comedians do, but I wanted just a little bit more earnestness I think? I wanted to connect to him and see him struggle in ways that were more honest. But maybe that’s not what the book was about. I’ve seen people complain that the stories jump around a little too much, but I actually found them all to be very connected and sort of woven together in a subtle way. Overall a quick read full of some real fun. #2 did have a lot of the honesty I was looking for and I wanted to see more of that side of the author.

This felt like a millennial comedian’s substack if they were like, pretty creative. I didn’t find it all that introspective because I felt the barrier of wanting to come across as funny to be in the way. I liked the picture it painted of certain experiences- NYC baby gay getting into drag race, the pandemic while your parents live in a red state and watch fox news, and a buddhist meditation retreat (?), but it didn’t feel all that comprehensive. I’d recommend it for a fun, quick funny jaunt into this comedian’s life, but I’m not sure I’d say it’s for everyone.

First off, let me tell you that this book had me in stitches at times. Zimmerman has a razor-sharp wit and his writing had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. I particularly enjoyed and related to his stories about navigating life as a queer person in a religious, conservative upbringing. It's clear that he has a talent for taking heavy topics and finding the humor in them.

That being said, while I did find this book to be funny, I have to admit that I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. I'm not sure if it was the structure of the book (it's a collection of essays, lists, and musings) or just that some of the humor didn't quite land with me, but I found myself getting a little bored at times.

However, I do want to emphasize that just because this didn't quite meet 5 stars for me, that doesn't mean it won't be a hit with other readers. If you're looking for a laugh-out-loud read with a strong voice and some poignant moments, I definitely recommend giving "Is It Hot in Here" a shot.

Thanks so much to Chronicle Books as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in advance of its publication in April of 2023!

"How did I get this gig exactly?"
"We wanted someone gay," she said, "not too fabulous."

Here's an enjoyable passel of humorous essays by a funny, but not too fabulous comedian. I most liked the ones that dealt with the travails of a gay, vegetarian, atheist's attempts to connect with his meat-and-potatoes, bible-banging parents.

A fun collection for humor fans.


Some essays were originally published in The New Yorker.

This was a great collection of essays. All of them short enough to stay engaging and even some making me want more (A sit down with Satan) There was also a really good mix of funny coming of age stories, and more emotional and vulnerable stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short autobiographical stories and essays, think early Sedaris.

Is It Hot in Here (Or Am I Suffering for All Eternity for the Sins I Committed on Earth)? by Zach Zimmerman was witty and heartbreaking because we've all just wanted our mother's to eat the salad we made for the meal. I felt so lucky to get a copy for myself! I have shared on my goodreads, bookstagram, and booktok!

I knew 0 about Zach Zimmerman before requesting this title. Turns out he is a comedian, and his memoir is humourous! This is a collection of essays/lists/stories about his life experience. I related to some of it, some of it I didn't connect with/love as much as others. Overall, this is a quick, and at times funny collection. I wouldn't say that it is life changing, but I am interesting in seeing some of this author's stand up.

Thank you to the publisher for an e-arc.

This was... fine, I guess? I really don't know how to rate or review this. I feel bad giving it less than 3 stars because I think it was very much a "me" issue (comedy memoirs and essays are VERY hit-and-miss for me), but I was just honestly bored throughout a lot of this and found myself skim-reading more often than not.

I didn't laugh or even crack a legitimate smile at any of the comedy bits, and I think the most impactful part of the entire thing was the segment about how isolated the author felt as a rare queer person who isn't/wasn't into Drag Race (which I fully relate to, as someone who has, on multiple occasions, sat quietly in the corner playing on my phone while all of the other people in my friendship group chatted animatedly about the latest episode). Oh, and I did enjoy some of the bits about growing up queer in a strict religious home, because that's an eternal mood.

But... yeah. This was just fine. I'll probably never really think about it again, but a lot of people will definitely love it more than I did and if you're into comedy essays about queer culture, you should still give it a try!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

A funny series of short stories that ended with a whimper instead of a bang. The book was full of images that mentioned copyright laws. I wish they weren’t there or any artwork for the book was viewable.

Although this was not the tear-jerking and knew-slapping book that was promised, the retelling of Creation was. I think as someone who is Southern-born with Yankee parents, I was not shocked by the stories that Zach told. I will note that the story about the salad is 100% accurate- that salad will not be eaten at a true Southern meal.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and I hope others enjoy this quick and fun read.

After reading this, it makes me feel more comfortable growing up close to NYC. Hilarious and eyeopening. It was like hanging out with one of my good pals. Thoroughly amusing, would love to see him perform live one day.

This was cute, but unfortunately I think the title and cover art were my favorite parts of the book. Could’ve been partially that my ebook was formatted in a weird way that didn’t allow me to fully appreciate the organization of the book and I got distracted. Related almost too much to the part when at the end he talked about his sauna experience (not relatable) and his inner monologue about his tumultuous relationship with Allen (very relatable)

Zach Zimmerman is witty and I align with his sense of humor, but this book was poorly structured and none of the essays were particularly memorable or deep. I wish he had done some more intense self excavation and introspection to arrive at more fresh and unique conclusions about his journey to being an openly queer atheist. This just felt bland and like I'd seen it before but done better. I did laugh out loud a few times at his more creative essays on God. Also, one Hillbilly Elegy joke was funny but 2 were just cringe.

I'm a big fan of Zach's standup so I was probably predisposed to like his book, which I very much did. Incredibly clever, at times cutting, and entertaining.

My one critique is that I wish he'd peeled back the layers a little bit more, gotten a bit more vulnerable or openhearted. That was likely not the intention behind the book, so I can't fault him for it. But I left the book thinking "Yeah, he's very funny" but not feeling as though I got to know him exceptionally while through reading.

This book of humorous essays was entertaining and easy to read. I will say I don't seem to have a grasp of who the author is as a person outside of those vignettes, but I enjoyed his story telling. It's a good read for when you're traveling or otherwise can't give your book 100% of your attention and focus. Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for this ARC! Zimmerman has a refreshing and funny perspective which I really enjoyed. His story is authentic and vulnerable while providing insight, growth and plenty of laughs. I wished the pace moved along a little faster and felt distracted rather than entertained by most of the bulleted lists and things like the interview with Satan. When sharing his lived experience Zimmerman writes with style, humor, true feeling and a strong point of view. While I felt it could have benefited with more cohesion, I liked the book and plan to read more from this author.

The essay format of this book is an excellent choice and gives the reader the chance to enjoy each memory individually. Each essay wove through the grief and humor of Zimmerman’s life in a nice pace. Zimmerman has curated an experience for his reader in this debut. I did lose interest in some of the essays but would feel re-engaged in the next. I feel it gives an authentic feel to this memoir.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of “Is It Hot in Here?” in exchange for an honest review.