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Humor Me by Cat Shook

This story follows 25 year old Presley who is navigating through life in Manhattan, with her best friend Izzy. She works for the Late Night show, scouting comedians for Friday night showings. Not big on social connections, Presley is a little jaded when it comes to people and relationships. She hasn't faced the feelings that come along with the loss of a parent, drowning herself in work and denial. Through it all, we watch Presley strengthen existing relationships, develop unexpected connections, and learn to trust herself.

I really enjoyed this book. If you asked me what the plot was I couldn't really give you a clear answer, but what I can say is that it is a great story. These characters are so real; Just like people you would meet in every day life. It really brought Manhattan alive and I felt like I was right there with her. Izzy is absolutely amazing and there are other characters that I fell in love with, but I don't want to spoil it. This just read like real life and was so fantastic to read! Her issues with her mother really hit home with me (not my mother but another family member) and my heart broke for her. However, she meets some amazing people and builds such heartwarming connections. I love how this story evolved!

I recommend this book if you like:

Real life
Found family
Tough topics
Character growth
Urban setting
Office politics
Unexpected romance
Comedy

Thank you NetGalley and Cat Shook for providing me with an ARC and allowing me to review your book!

Sometimes a book is smart and engaging and comments on social issues in a way that is light and digestible. Sometimes books are heavier handed. This is just a bit too much for me. Thanks for letting me try.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this digital galley!

OUT JULY 9TH

The first thing you should know about Humor Me is that this story is largely character driven and is what I would describe as “no plot, just vibes.” I love a good character study, so this worked great for me. I found this charming and funny and found myself smiling down at my kindle at times while reading.

All of the characters felt fully formed and real and I often found them endearing. I enjoyed our main character, Presley. She’s outwardly very sarcastic and sardonic, but inwardly, she’s a good person who loves her friends and her family, even if she struggles to express it. I did at times get annoyed with Presley’s inability to express herself, but I think that was the point and we do see real growth and development in her by the end.

I enjoyed the range of friendships featured here. You have the close, ride-or-die best friend with Isabelle; a new, developing, uncertain friendship with Susan; a work friend with confusing signals with Adam. I think what I liked about seeing these different relationships is we get to know Presley more fully because we see different sides of her depending on who she’s interacting with.

The first note I took on this while I was reading was that it “felt like a love letter to New York.” In the synopsis, it says that about the NYC comedy scene, but I think it’s more about the city itself. I think the synopsis makes it seem like Humor Me is far more career-heavy than it actually is. It’s definitely a big part of the story because it’s a big part of who Presley is, but I don’t think it stood out over other parts of her.

There are a few different themes throughout, but the most prominent one is grief. We see different kinds of grief: infidelity in a marriage, ending of a friendship, and, of course, death of a parent and friend. I think it was shown in a very real way: no one has any answers and every one is dealing with it differently the best that they can.

I don’t think this is for everyone, but I really enjoyed it! If anything I said appeals to you, you should definitely read it!

I struggled big time with this book. I found I had to force myself to sit and read it because I didn't want to. I didn't feel any sort of connection to the characters, which is a shame because Presley really had great potential.

I also found the use of parentheses throughout the book annoying. Each set of parentheses added more details to what was going on, but wasn't necessary at all. For example, "Though tonight, eating a chicken salad sandwich (Trader Joe's Wine Country Chicken Salad is the only tolerable chicken salad in the city) with as much rage as..." It got to the point I stopped reading what was on the parentheses because they didn't add anything to the story.

I was incredibly underwhelmed with the story. It ended and it felt like there were so many things left that needed to be wrapped up. Overall, I give it two and a half stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Humor Me is out July 9th.

Major thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! A funny, heartfelt, and often heartbreaking ode to NYC, comedy, and the ties that bind. I had a lot of fun reading this one and was rooting for our main girl & her crush SO HARD by the end!! There were some slogs in the middle, but overall I found it an engaging read - and a total time capsule for a time not so long ago, but somehow lightyears away.

Navigating life in New York City and trying to make it big at her dream job, Presley falls flat in almost every aspect of her life. Her mother’s passing is still a painful reminder of how short life is, and her lack of a romantic life has her roommate orchestrating her every move to get her back on the scene and living life to its fullest.

I was waiting for something big to emerge within this story but was unfortunately disappointed. While this isn’t the usual genre I would choose to read, I needed to change things up and try a light-hearted read for the summer. Light it was. Maybe too light for my liking. Lacking depth and with emotionally stunted characters, I couldn’t get into it enough to finish it.

Overall, I recommend this novel to anyone who loves romcoms and fun, non-complicated, character-driven storylines.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ehhh - I spent the entire book waiting for more. It just felt very flat to me. The characters were fine, but I wanted a little more dimension from them. The story line was just okay, very predictable and there were no moments where I couldn't turn away from the book. I listened to this and read this and they were both just okay. I did not love the main character and I wanted more drama, entertainment and banter than we got. I did like that this book touched on trauma (a mother with substance abuse who passed away) and the dating world today. I also did like that the main character was very much a "I don't need everyone to like me" kind of person. I just thought that there was not enough oomph to the book and it was just flat.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to discover an author I never knew about but am so glad I do now. Humor me is a wonderful story about a young woman, Presley, who is such a fun character that I wish I could be friends with her. Presley is trying to figure out life. She wants a promotion at her dream job finding comedians for the late show she works on while she navigates life in NYC.

I loved the realistic friendship she had with her best friend Izzy and how Presley grew as a person throughout the book. The ending was perfect with it not being a complete happy ending for both Izzy and Presley but with them both growing so much that the reader left the book having faith that a happy ending was a distinct possibility.

Thanks again to Netgalley and to the publishers for opening my eyes to another amazing author and I look forward to seeing what else she comes out with.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Humor Me
Author: Cat Shook
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: July 9, 2024

Humor Me is a love story of New York City from the perspective of a talent scout for a late-night comedy TV show. The cast of characters is great fun, including the lead, Presley, her roommate Izzy, her work crush, and her extended faux family (old family friends), including Clark and his sunny mom, Susan. The whole story is so well-paced and oozes good vibes. Presley comes from a single-parent home, but Mom was a raging alcoholic. Mom has also recently passed away. Presley has never known stability and still carries guilt for her mixed feelings. It also makes her closed off to romance. But life happens, and Presley works on breaking down walls, allowing people to care about her, share with her, and want to help her succeed and be happy. This book is a SOLID 4.5, and I know it will be immensely successful. I cheered for Presley throughout the book and enjoyed seeing New York City through her eyes. This was a dynamic love story. #romance #friendship #family #trust #chicklit #NYC #NewYork @catshook_ @celadonbooks #celadonreader @netgalley
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the Celadon Books, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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#book #books #bookAddict #BooksOfInstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader #booklove #bookreader

This was a fun and charming read I devoured fairly quickly.

Presley is an assistant at a late-night talk show. She enjoys her job although she doesn’t make much money; getting the opportunity to work with her friend (and crush) Adam is more than worth it. Plus, she’s recently been given the responsibility of scouting out comics for a slot on the show. She’s always loved stand-up, and now she gets to go to comedy shows as part of her job.

Presley is still dealing with unresolved grief over her mother’s death. While her mother was a serious alcoholic, Presley still remembers some of the fun they had. But anytime someone talks about her mother, it’s like a punch to the gut.

One day she runs into Susan, a childhood friend of her mother’s. Susan’s husband helped get Presley an internship at the network, which led to her job. But now, he’s been accused of sexual harassment, which leaves Susan vulnerable, and she latches on to Presley. The last thing Presley would have imagined was striking up a friendship with someone like Susan, but surprisingly they seem to click.

This is a story about friendship, love, dating, and life in New York City, as well as how difficult it is to recover from loss. It also so accurately captures how first jobs can be fun even though you get paid next to nothing, and how they give you the chance to build your community.

Cat Shook has a real talent for character development and creating compelling personal dynamics. This book is funny, steamy, and a little emotional.

Many thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy! The book publishes 7/9.

Something about this book really captivated me and I devoured it in less than 24 hours. The comparisons to Curtis Sittenfeld’s “Romantic Comedy” are apt, in the obvious way that both books take place in the entertainment industry, but also in the writing of the main characters and both women’s struggles with anxiety and dealing with some emotional challenges. Cat Shook’s writing here was compelling and the dialogue and characters felt lived in and genuine. I was nervous about the Susan subplot, but ultimately got on board with how that was handled.

This felt like a fiercely feminist book through the depictions of friendship, the handling of the Adam situation, and the coverage of gender politics in the workplace. I liked how Shook handled the friendship dynamic between Presley and Isabelle. It was also uncanny how Shook was able to make the early days of the #MeToo movement feel somehow nostalgic and also like I was back in that time period getting angry again for the first time as all the accusations kept surfacing.

Yes, I would ultimately classify this as a romance (with some very sweet and steamy scenes) but it was so much more than that—perfectly encompassing the feeling of being in your mid-20s and trying to figure out how to be an adult. “Humor Me” very much felt like a love letter to New York City; I was glad to pick up on a lot of the references and neighborhood shoutouts having just visited the iconic city for the first time this month.

There is a lot to unpack with this book, but I really loved it and I am eager to read more of Cat’s work!

Oh, this was such a tender and beautiful book. Two decades on from my own sudden parental loss, Humor Me felt like such a much-needed journey. I really appreciate Cat Shook's brilliant writing, and am grateful for this book.

This was cute. Very heavy on the love for NyC so it’s a bit much. There’s not a lot to the story but it’s still a good read.

Interesting read! This was a very different read than what I normally stick to. But it was a good change! The characters development was great, the storyline kept me invested and wanting to read more! I’m so glad I was able to read this one!

Presley is an intern on a late night tv show in charge of searching for new stand up comedy artists. She’s trying to work her way up the ladder to a more permanent position. She loves her life in New York City and would not change it for anything. She’s been navigating complicated feelings after her mother’s death. She believes she’s managing well until she runs into her mothers old friend Susan. They form an unlikely friendship. There’s miscommunication, new found friendships, and of course love.

I laughed and cried a bit throughout the book. The banter between the characters was amazing!! Loved the open communication between Presley and Clark.

Such an amazing book!!! Cannot recommend it enough.
Thanks to Celadon Books and Netgalley for the e-arc copy!!

3.75
Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for providing me an
ARC of Humor Me. Humor Me follows Presley Fry, a comedian scouter from New York, as she navigates the grief that comes with her mother's death and the development of new relationships.
I thought the setting of this book was perfect. I really felt as if I was in New York. Everything was well-described, and I could picture every comedy club and dingy bar!
I also love the character and relationship development.
Susan and Presley's friendship was honestly my favorite part of the book. I could connect to all of Presley's inner circle as well.
However, I was not a huge fan of being inside Presley's mind. I understand that she is negative because her mom had died a few years ago, but I think the negativity was too much. I also did not like the Metoo references. They added nothing to the story and just kind of annoyed me.
My thoughts on this are all subjective though, of course!
I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a deep, emotional story but with witty humor and a great New York City setting.

Unfortunately, I found it quite difficult to connect to the main character. I felt like the story was a bit all over the place and it was hard for me to find the story line in it all. I appreciate the opportunity to read this though.

I gave Humor Me four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you Net Galley and Celadon Books for this ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I loved this book! It’s so interesting because there’s not a lot that happens in the book, plot wise. But, on the other hand, there’s so much that’s going on.

Car Shook can write characters! I absolutely relate to and understand several characters in this book. Mostly, Presley, but also Susan and Izzy. And Clark, too. I was invested it them and wanted to keep on reading about them. There is so much development and growth that I feel like I knew them.

This book is hard to explain, but it’s almost like you are friends with these characters and you’re talking to them on the phone and getting caught up on their day to day life.

My only complaints are that there were a few times where he got a little sluggish and the ending was abrupt.

This was cute, sweet, heavy on the love of NYC (I for one just DO NOT get it), and charming. I think it was a nice read, but nothing that will stick with me long term.

Such a sweet and lovely story! A Rom-Com, but with a bit of a twist, in my opinion. I loved Presley Fry (what a fabulous name too) and her love of New York City was palpable. As a native New Yorker myself, I loved hearing about her and her best friend, Izzy's love of the city, and all the fun ways they continue to experience and enjoy it.

Working as an assistant on the Late Night Show, it's Presley's job to scout new comedic talent, a job she loves. We also learn at the very start about her secret love for her co-worker, Adam, as well as the weight she carries after losing her mom, Patty, an alcoholic with whom she had a complicated relationship with. When she runs into Patty's old friend from back home in Georgia, Susan, now a rich NY socialite, Presley feels obligated to accept a lunch invite as it was Susan who helped Presley land the job she loves so much when she first moved to NY. While Susan is dealing with a huge issue of her own, I really enjoyed watching their friendship develop.

My first book by Cat Shook, I loved the story, the realistic characters, and the NYC setting. A wonderful book about friendship, grief, humor, and unexpected love that I SO enjoyed!