I really wanted to love this book. I even tried reading it as I had the audio and kindle versions. I just couldn't connect to it.

The plot sounded so good but I just wasn't feeling it.

I found it a little monotonal and the characters were a tad flat. It did get better in the last 1/3 but it wasn't enough to bring this book back from the brink for me.

The pace was slow too and I think that was one of the reasons it really didn't work for me.

it was a 3 star read for me but I think im in the minority.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Celadon books as an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was... A lot... And also not a lot. I'm very mixed on my opinion of this book because I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it, but I also kind of liked parts, and kind of didn't like parts. In the end I feel like there were parts of this book that I really enjoyed but overall was underwhelmed with it

Presley is our MC, a mid twenties young professional in NYC working on a show that sounds kind of like The Daily Show or another late night talk show. Presley loves comedy. Presley loves NY. Presley grew up in a small town in South GA, and her mother was an alcoholic who died a few years ago. Presley makes friends with a woman who was her mom's friend. Presley navigates the messiness that is crushes on boys when you're kind of trying to be a cool girl. Presley loves NY. Presley has a best friend who loves being casual with girls, until she meets someone who sweeps her off her feet.

The story is fine. Presley is a main character I liked, and I appreciated her narrative voice. I just felt like this book was trying to be more of a literary fiction aimed at a 24 year old instead of a new adult book. There's a dash of rom com. There are some very heavy themes of grief, dealing with a parent with alcoholism, and navigating the #metoo movement. The pacing was much slower than I thought it would be, and the writing in some moments is incredibly astute and polished, and then on the next page it is very sophomoric. Maybe that's appropriate for Presley's age...in some ways she is beyond her years and in others she is emotionally stunted. Overall I'm not mad I read this but I am also glad to be done with it.

Delightful! If you love NYC, the late night scene, or comedy, I think you’d love this book. It’s a wonderful mix of family, friendship, and romance that never gets too sweet or deep into any one theme— just like life. It reminded me of Romantic Comedy a little bit. Loved it!!

This book was a nice break in the typical books i’ve been reading! I really enjoyed this book feeling like a slice of life story as well as a love letter to the NYC comedy scene. Presley is a great main character to follow as she’s just navigating her 20s in all of its messy glory. I loved Presley and Susan’s relationship as well as Presleys relationships with her friends.

I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to see what Cat Shook writes next!

Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Humor Me is a beautiful story about friendship. Cat Shook was able to create well-rounded, loveable characters, but allowed the plot to fall a little flat. The beginning of the book had me hooked, but mid-way through, the book felt never-ending. It wasn’t poorly written, it was just missing something to jazz it up and keep it interesting. Then - it ended pretty abruptly. Overall - it didn’t feel plot strong to me.

The concept of the book, searching for comedians, had me feeling this book would be more humorous than it was.

Overall - I was hoping for a little more. A little more from the plot and a little more comedy. The characters were overall really well-written.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A big thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
First, I adore Cat Shook's book covers.
Second, I love Cat Shook's books.

Read this.

Thank you.

Humor Me by Cat Shook is truly a book about friendship. Cat does a nice job of showcasing the characters, but I wish it had more oomph in the plot. In my opinion, it was like reading an episode of Sex and the City. You have the friendships, romance, grief, and working life of the characters that live in New York. I also wish it wasn't so politicized, but I guess it helped the reader examine the characters more, even if it was generalized.

I was neutral in my feelings about Humor Me. I didn't love it, and I didn't hate it. I was hoping it would be more funny, but scouting for comedians for a late night show was an interesting concept.

I feel like younger people in their twenties, especially if they live in New York, will enjoy this book more than I did. They will be able to connect with all of the places that are mentioned and know what it feels to live that kind of lifestyle.

I gave this book three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Cat Shook for my free copy of this book. This is based on my honest opinion.

Humor Me was an enjoyable read. I loved the narrative about life being messy. All the New York City descriptions and the funny stand up comedy moments really made this book stand out. Presley was a great character. I really enjoyed this book!

This book is filled with friendships, a little romance, some self discovery, and coming of age. Honestly there's a LOT going on. Seeing Presley navigate a relationship while dealing with some strong emotions was very real and raw. I appreciated that side of her! Somewhere along the way it kinda lost me. I had a hard time focusing on it in spots I guess. I didn't feel really connected until I was over halfway through the book. I did enjoy the lessons learned and the friendships! I felt like I was just continuously questioning where the story was going with everything going on. Then it ended quite abruptly. Personally I was just hoping for more. I felt like some of the topics needed to be dove into more than they were. But that's just my thoughts. Overall a good story and audio.

Unfortunately I DNF this 25% of the way in. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review it, it was just not for me at this time. I think this is probably a very fun story I was just having a very hard time getting into it at this time in my life and may revisit in the future. Thank you again for the chance to read this book.

When I read the synopsis of this book it was instantly so appealing, a girl just trying to make it work and figure herself out in the city and within the New York comedy seen but in execution I liked it more than loved. There are a lot of things that work separately in this book, but when put together it feels a bit mismatched. Presley is a fine MC, the romance is okay, society commentary feels surface level and It would not stop reminding g me this book is set in 2017/18.

The female friendships are where Humor Me shines, the pacing is a bit slow which is not a bad thing, but when paired with such an abrupt ending (thought i saw what Shook was going for) it feels unsatisfying. This is a fine book and I overall didn’t have a bad time reading it, I guess i just wanted more.

This was the perfect mix of romance, humor, and real life.

Presley is working for minimum wage as an assistant at a late night show and she is working hard to take over the stand up comedy spot to help her move up in her career. This is a story of unconventional friendships and how they change and develop. Presley doesn't have a lot of friends. Her best friend and roommate Izzy, her deceased mother's old friend who bumps into her adopts her Susan, Adam her coworker, and Lawrence Susan's son.

This story was heartfelt, irresistibly entertaining, and witty.

2.5/5 stars. I honestly don’t know how to feel about this. I loved the setting of New York in the media and entertainment industry but I didn’t love the main character. I couldn’t tell where the plot was going and some of the dialogue was pretty cringey. All in all just mid read for me.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc of humor me. This book is an easy read from start to finish. Presley works for a night time tv show and looks for and books their comedian talent. She has some complicated work relationships a d complex social relationships, she is mourning the loss of her mother who she did not have the best of relationships with. Presley runs into her mothers friend Susan and her life is set on a much better track. All the feels and a warm ending. Four solid stars

The characters in this book were authentic, and the story line was not too outlandish. It was easy to follow and there was not an overwhelming amount of things thrown in at once. This was an enjoyable read, however it was pretty slow paced and I did find myself getting bored at times during long periods of nothing happening, and it was hard to continuously read for long periods of time. I did end up stepping away from this book a few times, to move to a different book during these periods. I just wish that I was able to get more invested in this book and story.

This book does deal with grief after the loss of a family member, great friendships, and coming to terms with the fact that things are not going the way they are originally expected to, relationship wise.

I did enjoy the romance aspect of this story, and glad that Presley did not end up with Adam, as it was originally portrayed as a possibility. Clark was a great MMC for Presley. Also, the dynamic between Susan and Presley was heartfelt at times. As someone who had lost her mother, it was nice to see that Susan was able to act as somewhat of a mother figure to Presley.

One thing that I am sad about, is that the comedy aspect of this story line was not brought to the forefront more. Since Presley is an assistant for a late night show, and seems to be focusing on finding talent for the stand up comedy parts of the show. This was an original concept to me, since I had not yet read a book where a FMC has this type of job, so I was a bit disappointed with the lack of exploration and utilizing this more in the story line.

I felt a little old for this one (out of the age demographic) but I found it witty and enjoyable and heartwarming. Takes me back to those years when you're figuring out who you want to be and what you need. Super fun and sweet.

Humor Me was a very different read and not quite what I was expecting. A little bit of romance, a lot of friendship, some self-discovery and coming of age, and some "me too" movement - this book had a lot going on. For a book with humor in the title, I didn't find it very funny but I did appreciate the stand up comedy elements.

There was more suspension of belief in this novel than I anticipated. Shook did a good job explaining how Susan and Presley reunited and bonded but it still took me a while to believe it. Part of me wished there wasn't the backstory of Presley's mom and Susan and that Presley and Susan just kick started their own friendship. That would've felt more genuine for me.

I enjoyed this book but there were times when I was a little underwhelmed. I didn't get the Adam obsession nor did I really feel invested when she finally saw the light and had enough. I liked Presley's feminism generally but at times found her grating and immature. Her reaction to her best friend finding love, her jealousy issues, and her general demeanor toward men was often frustrating and obnoxious. Also if I heard the word "gag" one more time or read about one of Presley's very unnecessary dramatic reactions to just about anything I was going to lose it!

I listened to this novel and didn't particularly love the narrator - her voice was a little obnoxious and immature which was maybe perfect for Presley or just added fuel to the fire for me!

Overall, I did enjoy this book but it's not one that will likely stick with me. I may have enjoyed it more had I not listened to the audio so I'll be curious to hear my fellow book club members' opinions!

Thank you to Celadon Books, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

Humor Me was a solid women's fiction novel that blended several themes. I saw it described as a love letter to stand up comedy in NY City and I would definitely agree with that analysis. But it was so much more. It was also a romance but not a typical one because our main character, Presley had to figure out how to love herself before she could love anyone else. The book was also a heartbreaking story of loss in that Presley is grieving her mother. Even though she tries to downplay it by mentioning her mother's alcoholism casually as if it's so matter of fact and no big deal, It was just so very sad. I could feel her underlying anguish and was saddened for her.

Meanwhile, there were other side plots going on that all blended together to truly pull this story together into something special. From the issues regarding her co-worker, Adam to the accusations made against her mother's friend Susan's husband to her blossoming relationship with Susan's son, Lawrence, Presley had a great deal to balance. All of this was going on while she was trying to get an up and coming female stand up comic discovered.

This book was just like a warm blanket that you enjoy covering your self with.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio was done very well and truly captured to spirit of the book itself. I was engaged throughout and really felt that the narration was spot on. 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

I can’t tell if there’s a trend in literature at the moment, or if it’s a coincidence, but it seems the last half dozen or so books I’ve read, both fiction and memoir, feature similar characters and circumstances, and even in some cases, the style of writing. Complicated mother-daughter relationships, fraught with addiction and/or mental illness; grief over loss, depression, and loneliness; low-grade toxic men (it’s not that they’re horrible, but the mark they leave on the women who love or lust after them remains, ever-present); and an educated, but working-class, female character at the center who is struggling to grapple with it all. I guess those elements are rather broad and therefore it’s not altogether strange that there would be a string of books featuring them, but it’s worth noting that I think my reception of this particular book may have suffered because they’ve all sort of started to blend together for me.

All of that being said, Humor Me did stand out as being a perfect balance of smart and introspective, and fun and escapist. Author Cat Shook deftly navigates the landscape of grief and connection as her protagonist ventures outside her comfort zone, exploring a friendship with an unlikely source, in the form of middle-aged housewife Susan, and a relationship with an even less likely candidate, Susan’s buttoned-up, silver-spoon-raised son. I really love books that challenge our notions of right and wrong, and I liked that this one inverts the now-cliché trope of small town MC has liberal awakening. Here, our already liberal city gal has her own prejudices against what she perceives as the wealthy, white elite, challenged. She discovers that she can connect to the woman who she would normally write off as inaccessible, aloof, or vapid, and similarly, finds her expectations upended in regards to her upper crust son.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of hot mess contemporary women’s lit who are looking for something of quality, but with a twist.

3.5 STARS

Humor Me is a character driven novel, not a laugh out loud comedy which was kind of what I was expecting. I did go into this book pretty blind, having no real knowledge or expectations. Humor Me gives us life's complications and deals with serious issues such as the loss of a parent, but it's still is a light and easy read for the most part. I will say that it had a bit of a slow start for me but then had me rooting for our main character, Presley. As a reader you want to see her happy and you're rooting for her in life.

I love the idea that this book is a love letter to NYC. You can't read this book and not think about planning a trip and one day I will visit and enjoy a trip to NYC. I love how this book talks about the city and it makes you feel like you're there, you can feel the city around you at times.

There's love, loss, friendships, everyday life, trying to find yourself in a big city, and a little humor. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys literary fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.