It was great. I was surprised by just how much I loved! I enjoyed Cat’s book “If We’re Being Honest”(was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me last year) so was excited to get my hands on this. I loved (almost) all of the characters, and just like her first book, this one had me laughing out loud, and then crying some ugly tears, too. She’s magical! Thank you, @catshook and @celadonbooks!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.3 (3.5/5)

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
One thing I can say about this author, is that she knows how to write stories which are well composed with great detail and character development. Like her debut last year, this book does not disappoint with the plot at all! It was so well written, and there was a lot of intricated details, which I really enjoy when I'm reading contemporary fiction novels.

One aspect which I wasn't the biggest fan of was the pacing of the story. While the pace was rather slow for my liking, it does make sense based on the story itself. I would have like a bit of a quicker pace though in order to hold my attention more at certain parts.

When it comes to the characters, I absolutely loved Presley and Susan! I thought the bond they grew to have so sweet, and loved reading about their adventures together, and don't get me started on Susan's son - I loved him!

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- Character driven stories
- Emotional read at times
- Love letter stories to New York City

𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Ravine Vineyards🍷

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒐𝒓 𝑴𝒆 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐲, 𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛. 𝐈𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲-𝐭𝐨-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 “𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭.” 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐨𝐟-𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐨𝐟-𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐞𝐧-𝐙. 𝐈𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞-𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐰𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝒶𝓉 𝒮𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓀, 𝒞𝑒𝓁𝒶𝒹𝑜𝓃 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Humor Me is a fun, fast paced and character driven romp through New York City. The book follows relationship-averse Presley, a late night show production assistant, who unexpectedly befriends Susan, an old friend of her deceased mother, who is dealing with the fallout from her husbands affair in the midst of the MeToo movement.

Despite her flaws, I really enjoyed Presley’s character and her emotional growth throughout the book. Her struggle to deal with her grief over her mother’s death felt poignant and was surprisingly emotional. There’s also a great cast of supporting characters. I wasn’t sure about Susan at first, but I came to really like her friendship with Presley. Izzy and Clark were also loveable and I think the perfect match to Presley’s tough exterior.

I will say, for a book that talks about comedy a lot I didn’t find it very funny but that might just be personal taste. The reason this is only a 3.5 star read for me is the ending. After all the build up, the ending felt rushed and fell a bit flat. I really wanted better for Susan wish she had made a different choice or at least that it was discussed in more depth.

I kind of fell in love with Cat Shook’s latest novel, “Humor Me.” I really wasn’t expecting that - I don’t mean that in a negative way - I thoroughly expected to enjoy this book from the beginning, but by the end, I was completely hooked on all of the characters, New York, the comedy scene, and the found family that Presley surrounded herself with.

A coming of age story about Presley Fry, a 20-something assistant at The Late Night Show who scouts comedians in New York; Presley navigates work, friendships, grief, and even relationships as she begins to come into her own. I loved the emphasis this storyline had for female friendships and all the subtleties within. Presley’s relationship with Isabelle is an authentic female friendship with all the love, angst, and support that you hope for from your besties. I thought the pacing was realistic allowing each of the novel’s relationships (platonic and romantic) to develop at a natural pace that lent itself to becoming truly connected to the characters. Susan is delightfully awkward as she tries to befriend Presley and set her up with Susan’s son even as she navigates family changes and unwanted media attention in the midst of the me too movement.

A heartfelt story that even made me a little teary, “Humor Me” is a must read that I cannot recommend enough! I loved audiobook narrator Ferdelle Capistrano who expertly brought each of the characters and storyline to life, particularly Presley. I’ll definitely be watching for other books she narrates. I switched back and forth between the audiobook and ebook; thanks Macmillan Audio Celadon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read #humorme by @catshook_ I am a fan!

#celadonbooks #macmillanaudio #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #fiction #comingofagebook #humorme #humormebook #catshook #ferdellecapistrano #audiobooknarrator #netgalley #bookrecommendations #bookreview #highlyrecommend #strongfemalecharacters #youshouldreadthis #bookgeek #booknerd #imnotreadytomakenice #dixiechicks

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I thought I would like this book but it was not for me. I am not a huge fan of stand up comedy in books and this one had that. I just feel like I don't usually find it super funny to read and I would rather see a comedy show. I also just didn't connect with the characters or the plot.

This is not a bad book, it was just not my taste. I hope others love it!

Humor Me was my first book by Cat Shook and I ended up enjoying this women’s fiction read, which touched on so many themes. I enjoyed following Presley on her journey, and her ups and downs, as she navigated her career, dating life, friendships and grief. She felt very realistic to me and I really enjoyed the friendships Presley made throughout this book, particularly with Isabelle, Susan and Clark. I loved the backdrop of the book of the comedy scene in New York City, which added some humor to the story as well. I did find this book to be a little slower paced than what I usually gravitate towards but I was happy with the ending and at times didn’t know where the book was going which made me want to keep reading.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and rated it 4 stars! If you are looking for a women’s fiction read set in NYC that focuses on a 20-something trying to figure things out that centers around the comedy scene and scenes of relationships of all kinds and grief, check out Humor Me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced copy, out now!

First time reading this author, and I am very impressed with how witty and fun this book is. The story is about friendships, awkward relationships, second chances and living in the best city in the world New York. Presley has some very interesting adventures with her best friend who is her ride or die and a newfound friend who happens to be her mother’s friend from when they were younger, and she develops a relationship with a person who she never thought she would have feelings around. This book is filled with wit, great banter and lots of emotions. It’s a cute summer read.

💭 MY THOUGHTS: I really just couldn’t get past the fact that I did not like Presley, the book’s female lead. She was not intentionally unlikable. I get she was dealing with the loss of her mother and hang ups from her past, but she really could not get out of her own way. She would often contradict herself in her own inner monologues and I could not find it in me to root for her. I felt she was too good for Lawrence. His patience for her was impressive a he deserves a medal for putting up with her hot then cold attitude. She also was really judgmental of people while condemning others for doing the same. End rant.

I did like the supporting characters though. They were dynamic and interesting and although I don’t understand why, really supported Presley and were great friends to her.

🎧 The audiobook narrator did a fantastic job bringing through all the different emotions Presley grapples with. Scenes of the comedians doing their acts were great to listen to as well.

Read for:
💙 Loss of a Parent
🍄 Unlikely Friendships
🚺 #MeToo References
🤣 Stand Up Comedy World
🔎 Single POV
📍 New York

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Spice Level: 🌶️ / 5

Presley is a 25-year-old intern at a late-night show, nursing a crush on her co-worker Adam, and still grieving her mother's sudden death 18 months earlier. Lawrence (Clark) is an assistant at an entertainment agency, son of Presley's late mother's friend Susan, and dealing with the fallout of his father's recent #MeToo scandal. Presley had a difficult relationship with her alcoholic mother, and she seems to hold herself apart in her other relationships. Clark is still struggling with a past breakup. There's a lot of dense relationship stuff to unravel throughout the book, especially as filtered through Presley's experiences with her mother, her close friendship with Isabelle, her feelings for Adam and her growing friendship with Clark and Susan. This is a 1st-person singular POV (Presley), which fits because this is more a story of Presley navigating her relationships, her work life, and her grief over her mother rather that it being a full-on romance. It's also very definitely a love letter to New York City, it's clear that Presley (and the author) have a deep and profound affection of the city. It was well-written but maybe a bit slow-paced for me. On a final note, I don't know how to feel that 25-year-old Presley had no idea who Michael J. Fox was, but of course the mother figure does. Why, just...why?? That's it, I'm officially too old to relate to books with twenty-something main characters. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Ebook ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

In 2023 I enjoyed If We're Being Honest so I was excited to see Shook had a new installment! She definitely has a way of writing characters - even though the writing can be dry, it feels poignant and I am left feeling like everyone will be okay in the end. This book does not really have a "happily ever after," it is more of a "happy for now."

Humor Me kind of deals with two different types of grief, told through the POV of Presley. The first would be of Presley grieving the death of her mom, an alcoholic with which she had a complicated relationship with. Presley did have some good memories of her mother, but also grappled with how many bad memories she had too, and had a tough time talking about this with anyone. Her grief really reflected in her relationships with others, and she had a lot of internal conflict that influenced her feelings and how she saw others. She is not "healed" by the end of this book, but I would like to think her grief feels a little lighter now.

The second round of grief comes from Susan, the childhood best friend of Presley's mother. They reconnect after being estranged for many years (Susan did not even go to the funeral), and the two of them are such an unlikely pair. Susan is dealing with grief of her marriage, which was jilted due to her husband cheating on her and having the allegations being public knowledge due to his very public career. She is also dealing with the grief of losing her childhood friend, no matter how estranged, and I think she finds a kinship in Presley. Susan struggled to figure out where to go from that event, but through Presley and her kids she is able to find a way to move forward.

There are so many unlikely friendships in this story, but all together they become a sort of Found Family for Presley. She goes through a ton of character development through this story, mainly in how she interacts with her friends. With one person she finds he has been stringing her along as a "backup plan" and she feels like she loses her best friend. Another friend finds love when they weren't looking, so Presley feels herself being moved to "second place" even though she isn't ,loved any less. Another is catching feelings for Presley and is incredibly patient with her, and allows her to take time to figure things out. Then there is Susan, of course, who kind of whittled her way into Presley's life until she is there to stay!

Overall, I really enjoyed the nuance of all the characters and how they all helped Presley out in one way or another. There are a ton of depressing parts throughout this story (you know, between death and infidelity), but there are also comedic moments through Presley's job, and heartfelt moments sprinkled in as well. This is a different type of story than I normally read, and I am grateful to have had a chance to read it. Shook goes out to show that even in your deepest grief you are not alone, and that you never know when you'll find friends that can help you through it. Worth the read!
Content warnings: grief, infidelity, loss of a loved one, cursing, misogyny, sexual content, alcoholism/alcohol addition, sexual assault, drug use

Presley Fry is getting by in New York City—working hard to get promoted and ignoring her feelings for a colleague. A chance encounter with her mom’s childhood best friend, Susan Clark, from Eulalia, Georgia will have significant consequences.

Presley hasn’t really dealt with the emotional consequences of her mother’s death. Patty was an alcoholic, leaving her parents to help raise Presley. Dealing with her own life crisis, Susan reaches out to Presley, asking her to be her friend. Susan not only introduces Presley to a world where money is not a concern, but also gives Presley glimpses of who Patty was before vodka became her crutch. Presley also becomes reacquainted with Lawrence Clark, who she first met as a child. He is most definitely not her type, but he is so open and easygoing, she can’t help enjoying his company. Especially as her roommate and bff finally seems to have found true love. Presley is happy for her, but lonely without her companionship.

The constant undercurrent of humor keeps this story humming. The main characters are all so genuine and likable—there aren’t villains, just ordinary people negotiating life’s challenges and trying to do so with decency. #HumorMe #NetGalley

“But God didn’t make Manhattan. People did. And they aren’t finished , never will be; it’s built upon every day. And while sunsets and mountains are beautiful, that fact is what takes my breath away. That this city is a living monument to what people can accomplish, what they can overcome.”



ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW


this book was a delightful surprise for me and a rollercoaster while reading it.

Presley thinks her life is going someway according to her plans and mind and just living as best as possible. But life makes what it looks like a little change, and suddenly that little change brings a lot of new things and experiences and makes her look at life and herself differently and also the people alongside her, who are also going through their own stuff.

And it's amazing to see her grow from this sweethearted person that pretends to be bigger than that to embrace her vulnerability while also being a knowledgeable city girl.

This book is also such a love letter to New York city and how it's that wonderful puzzle full of different people that fit and discover themselves and people that become their small found family. It's shown through the stand up comedy light but also with the different side characters in Presley's life.

It has love, it has laughter, it has statement. It was wonderful.



“All these people trying. The city pulses with the energy of their efforts.”

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC.

Presley is an intern working on a late night television show in NYC. Her mom, Patty passed a year ago and Presley is navigating life without her in it.
A chance moment on the street brings her mom’s childhood friend into her life. Susan is dealing with her husband being me tooed and could use a friend.
Presley is hesitant to become friends with Susan, but can’t help it in spite of herself.
She learns to let people in and that she can be a good friend.
I really enjoyed this book. I love the NYC setting and she was a likable person.

I enjoyed reading Humor Me by Cat Shook. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

3.75⭐️

Twenty-five-year-old Presley Fry has a lot on her plate! An assistant at a late-night talk show she is long due for a promotion and is on the hunt for a talented new stand-up comic to be featured on the show which has her exploring the stand-up comedy scene in NYC. It’s been a little over a year since her mother, with whom she shared a complicated relationship, passed away, and Presley is yet to come to terms with her loss. Her social life is mostly guided by her friend and roommate Isabelle, "Izzy," which is fine by Presley since she isn’t too confident in herself. She is also trying to navigate her feelings for a colleague, not quite sure whether the person thinks of her in the same light. When her mother’s childhood friend, the charismatic Susan Clark, who is also navigating a particularly disturbing life situation takes her under her wing, Susan’s friendship, advice and worldview not only nudge Presley out of her comfort zone but also help her to navigate her grief, open up to new experiences and embark on a journey of healing, self-discovery and personal growth.

The narrative is presented from Presley’s first-person POV. A lot is going on with the characters, but the narrative is fluid and the plot never gets convoluted or difficult to follow. The character-driven elements were stronger than the plot-driven aspect of this novel, which made this an interesting and enjoyable read.

The pacing is on the slower side, which suits the nature of the story. Cat Shook writes with wit, humor and much emotional depth and addresses sensitive themes such as complex mother-daughter relationships, alcoholism, the #MeToo movement, grief and infidelity with maturity and compassion. Her characters are real and relatable. We might not agree with all of their choices, but you can understand them. Presley is an endearing character and I was invested in her journey as she navigated her personal and professional struggles, her grief and much more. Susan is an interesting character and I enjoyed her dynamic with Presley. The romance angle was well-developed and deftly woven into the narrative. I enjoyed the insight into the NYC comedy scene, though I would have liked this aspect to have been featured in more depth. The ending is a bit too neatly tied up and convenient, but stories such as these are mostly predictable, so that’s not surprising.

Overall, I enjoyed Humor Me by Cat Shook and thought it was a well-written novel.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano, which made for a delightful immersion reading experience.

Many thanks to Celadon for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Humor Me offered me everything I wanted from another literary fiction/romantic comedy that takes place in the comedy television space and didn’t get. In my opinion, this book is so much more than a day in the life of a struggling NYC young professional. Is there romance? Yes. Is it rom-com material? At times. Akin to contemporary romance authors like Emily Henry and Abby Jiminez, Cat Shook provides a very real, and raw, reflection of trauma and grief that I think many who have suffered can understand and empathize with.

Our main character, a survivor of child neglect, a byproduct of addiction, shows so many signs of unhealed trauma. Through her various relationships, she begins to work through said trauma after years of just existing aside it. She finds an unexpected friendship with an older family friend, and her son. Both women are suffering through grief and loss and really help support each other through their journey. I loved seeing the dynamic of our younger main character and her mother’s old hometown friend. Through this friendship, she is able to connect with parts of her mother she never saw as a child and begin the process of healing from the neglect she remembers. I’d argue the friendships in this book are equally as important as the romance in seeing our main character begin her healing journey and I loved it.

I personally found myself relating very strongly with the main character and saw glimpses of a younger me struggling to build healthy relationships while remaining closed off and hyper independent. I absolutely adored the character development in this book and found myself wanting to read an epilogue set further into the timeline to see all of our main character’s hard self work pay off.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories of self love as much as those of contemporary romance.

Thank you to Celadon and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book; all opinions are my own.

Presley Fry has escaped small town Georgia to New York City where in her mid-20’s she’s slowly making her way up the assistant chain at a late-night comedy show. Presley helps book talent for the show and has recently been tasked with discovering the newest rising comedian to showcase on air. Besides hanging out with her best friend and roommate Isabelle in the East Village, she spends her nights in underground stand-up comedy venues and open mics on the hunt for who’s ready to be showcased on national TV.

Underlying the fun 20-somethings who intensely love New York City vibe are serious elements: Presley’s still reeling from the death of her alcoholic mother, having been brought up by her grandparents, and also she’s been recently befriended by an old childhood friend of her Mom’s, Susan Clark – whose powerful husband has just been denounced for sexual bad behavior at work.

There’s also a Gen Z romance burbling along: between Presley and Adam, a fellow assistant at the late night show, whose boyish sensitivity have them both struggling to break out of best friends’ mode to a relationship.

A fun summer read, blending humor with a feminist twist.

Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Humor Me is a marvel. Billed as a love letter to the NYC stand-up comedy scene, its protagonist is Presley Fry, who works as an assistant on a beloved late night show. Presley is dealing with a lot. She’s anxious that she hasn’t yet been promoted, and she’s mortified that she seems to have caught feelings for her work BFF, Adam. But mostly, Presley is dealing with grief over her mother’s death the previous year, trying to grapple with the fact that so much about their complicated relationship was left unresolved. When she runs into her mother’s childhood best friend, Susan, the two strike up an unexpected friendship, leading Presley to relationships and realizations she never could have anticipated.

Humor Me is one of those novels that celebrates the messy magic of life: what it’s like to be young in a big city, trying to figure out who you are and what you want, both personally and professionally; how it feels to fall in love – with someone else, with your city, with yourself; what it’s like to navigate the fraught waters of grief. Presley is the best kind of character; she’s vulnerable but guarded, longs for connection even though she sabotages opportunities for it at every turn, self-aware even though she stubbornly refuses to face some hard truths about her life. Her closest relationships – with her best friend Isabelle and especially with Susan – are conveyed with so much authenticity. I adored the relationship between Presley and Susan, with its subtle mother-daughter vibes and the genuine warmth and affection at its heart.

Humor Me is funny and sexy and charming, but also surprisingly emotionally resonant, dealing with deep themes like complex family dynamics, alcoholism, and #MeToo in a well-balanced narrative. It’s a “slice of life” sort of book, not majorly plot-forward – it’s more just the story of Presley’s growth and becoming, and Cat Shook kept me invested in her whole journey. Thank you to Celadon Books for the early reading opportunity.

Humor Me follows Presley Fry, a talent recruit/assistant for a network late night show, as she guides us through New York City, from a NYC lovers eyes, and with a somewhat jaded approach to dating/finding love: isn't having a best friend roomie to come home to enough?

Presley also grapples with the loss of her mother while navigating a new friendship with one of her mother's old friends, who happens to be married to the head of the network at which Presley works, and was recently involved in his own scandal.

There are many threads of this story, but I found that they worked to give us a look at city life, boundaries, what different kinds of love look like, and flashes of standup comedy sets.