3.5⭐️ rounded to 3.

This was gender bent You, but with an unlikable mc. Marina was basically a combination of Joe and the worst male actor you can think of. Also, could have used a CW for a couple parts, contained a scene that would have made me not pick it up at all.

thanks to netgalley, house of anansi press, and hannah beer for the arc in exchange for an honest review of this book! ✨

i would rate this a 3.5, but rounding up to 4 for how quickly i tore through it, and reading from my phone no less.

i make my own fun follows a-list actress marina, famous and beloved by many. underneath her facade is a true monster, conceited, calculating, and darkly obsessed with stranger anna after one night together.

i’ll be the first to admit i love and delusional and unhinged female protagonist. marina is truly self-centered and evil, her deluded self-confidence is almost admirable in the way it never wavers. the pace of this book was fast, i was always dying to know what happened next. while i hated marina, i couldn’t help but be fascinated by what her next trick was. reminded me of american psycho’s patrick bateman.

i would have liked to see more exploration of her motivations. i felt the root of her obsession was clear (ego), but would have loved more background on why she is the way she is and if was she always this way. i would read about past marina to answer my burning questions.

highly recommended if you like queer and/or gossipy reads. i can’t wait to read what hannah beer writes next 🍸

Thank you to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press Inc for a complimentary early release copy of I Make My Own Fun by Hannah Beer.

I dnfed I Make My Own Fun on page 122 which is 47% of the book. I really wanted to like this book, the premise is interesting Marina a celebrity/a-list movie star gets obsessive when she meets Anna a bartender. This starts a bit of a game of cat and mouse between the two as Marinas obsession for Anna grows more dangerous overtime. I disliked these characters not a single one of them stick out to me, I didn’t find them to be interesting and don’t find myself caring one bit about them. Marina’s character is so unbearable to read from, to say she’s a bit egotistical is an understatement. When Anna is introduced it’s pretty much instant lovely and I just don’t get what there is to like between the two. Half the stuff Marina does is just petty behavior and when the obsessive behavior/stalking starts I’ve lost interest. I don’t like the manner in which things were being done, these characters feel flat, and the plot just isn’t working for me. I wanted to see some unhinged craziness but I don’t even understand what started Marinas obsession.

This book was deliciously unhinged. All the chaos of the protagonist's twisted grip on reality resulted in some wildly absurd dark comedy. I always appreciate that in a book.

The book follows uber-celebrity, Marina, who forms an obsession with a local bartender, Anna. To the public, Marina is a champion of women, a feminist, a philanthropist, and in a long term committed relationship with her hunky fellow actor, Henry. In private, Marina is a cruel calculating, manipulative woman who does not care about championing women, feminism, philanthropy, or her lavender relationship with Henry. After a hookup, Marina starts obsessively stalking Anna with the deluded belief that Anna is playing coy and deep down feels the same about Marina. Marina devises these over-the-top gestures to Anna believing they will provoke Anna to reach out and confess her feelings to Marina, but these gestures go horribly awry. Marina, in short, cannot handle rejection.

I really liked this book despite the overall trajectory of Marina's increasing desperation leading to a fairly predictable ending. It felt like watching an impending train wreck, you know it's not going to end well, but it's hard to turn away. The dying animals were a bummer to read about, (view spoiler), but at least the deaths weren't graphic.. plus it served to drive the point home that Marina is a monster and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

If you are looking for a short, quirky read - definitely check this book out. It will keep you interested. I couldn't put it down. I'd definitely read more of this author's work.

Thank you, NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for the eARC! <3

This was such a wild ride in the best way!
The FMC Marina is so disturbed, truly just vile. But I could not look away. I seriously couldn't stop reading this book; it was so good. Not what I had in mind in the beginning.
I was immediately captivated by Marina's self-perception and her self-assuredness, which only intensified as her life began to unravel in three months right before her eyes. She was somehow always a few steps ahead, but also not entirely a part of the equation, the entire time.
I think the pacing of the book was superb! Easy to read, enjoyable, and simple to get wrapped up in this insane movie star's world. I was not expecting that ending though...holy shit!
Thank you, NetGalley and House of Anansi Press, for access to the ARC in exchange for a review.

We follow Marina who’s a widely popular actress who after one night of passionate love making with a bartender named Anna she meets after one of her movie premieres becomes obsessed and desperate for her affection.

I loved how this was the reverse of the obsessed celebrity stalker trope.

Marina by far is the most unlikable character I’ve ever read (in a good way). She was bat shit crazy. A ego maniac, a narcissist, an overall shitty person that was unhinged at time that left me gasping at some of the stuff she did.

This book was very unique, Especially in structure. I really how in between chapters we get a little outside perspective from journalists and fans from fan forums. I thought that was cool. I really enjoyed this read and the author has my admiration.

There was a little bit of an open ended conclusion that could possibly lead to a sequel that I would very much be excited for.

Marina is a wild character. Unhinged. Manic Pixie Dream Girl vibes through and through. Her obsession with Anna, keeping people at arms length, and assuming the world loved her felt absolutely astounding. The story itself felt predictable in the best ways, and seeing Marina play her impromptu playbook was an absolute wild ride. Though predictable, it left me speechless. The commentary about fame and celebrity status was the added bonus to this book that I was thankful was included via the news articles and forums. I truly belive without the public obsession, Marina’s character would have just felt unfulfilled.

Thank you NetGalley and House of Anansi Press for access to the arc in exchange for a review!

Marina is famous, vapid, the proud owner of multiple Oscars, and frankly lowkey very naughty? I am so conflicted on how I feel about this one. For the pros, I really do like the length of this one. It felt like just enough content to keep me engaged and full once I was finished. The storyline is okay, and interesting if you think about a super well-known celebrity who is well-known for being kind but is devilish behind closed doors. There are also tons of confusing moments, like when Marina just casually integrates herself into society and nothing happens as a consequence (case in point: if T Swift shows up to a wedding, you should believe it's a super not peaceful affair and no one is really leaving unscathed- especially the celebrity. Anyways, this one was decent! I hyped it up in my head, which never does work out well for me in the end. As far as debuts go, though, this is sparking and I look forward to more by Hannah! Thanks so much to her and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC. #houseofanansipress #imakemyownfun #imakemyownfunhannahbeer #hannahbear #anansipress

I do love me a bad girl with pychotic tendencies and boy does Hannah Beer's write one for the ages. Her deliciously villainous FMC in I Make My Own Fun made my whole week. Thoroughly enjoyed this tale!

Thank you to House of Anansi Press Inc. | Anansi International and NetGalley for providing an eArc for a honest review.

i love the cover but unfortunately, this book was not as fun as i hoped.

i liked the first part but then the book lost me. it just didn't make sense? marina didn't even know anna to become that obsessed and unhinged. plus, she didn't even really put in that great of an effort to build a connection with anna. a truckload of peonies and a blimp for someone you only know through a PI? that makes absolutely no sense.

anna showed barely any interest in marina so i didn't really understand why marina was obsessed. there was no actual chase - just stalking and random grand gestures. i think marina is supposed to be the female actress version of joe goldberg but it just didn't work.

A wickedly fun and unhinged ride. Told from the perspective of Marina—a Hollywood elite grappling with turning 30 and no longer being the hot new “it” girl this book dives into her increasingly psychotic hobbies and her desperate quest for relevance. When Marina sets her sights on Anna, a bartender who finally stirs something deeper than her usual one night flings, she spirals into a darkly hilarious obsession, using her wealth and unusual methods to win her over.

Marina is like if Demi Moore’s character in The Substance had a baby with Joe Goldberg from You—glamorous, deranged, and disturbingly compelling. If you loved You or A Certain Hunger, this one will be right up your alley.

Thank you House of Anansi Press Inc. Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy!

Marina is an icon. At a young age, she mastered the art of show business and secured the glamorous acting awards. She knows it. Her acting skills are not limited when films are rolling. Playing a character as the renowned actress is her main role.

I enjoyed the book, read it only in a matter of days. The prose was really easy to get into that transporting between my world and Marina's was such an ease. The way it captivated me was in comparison when I lose myself in a Taylor Jenkins Reid work.

The story is, naturally, unhinged. I was expecting more of a romance story, the kind that will keep me on my toes and smile whenever Marina does something crazy just to woo Anna. Her infatuation was not even borderline creepy, or the vibes of a stalker, cause it was. I have seen a glimpse of Marina's life to be blindsided that it was normal for a high-profile person like her to do literally whatever she wants.

The plot was exciting, not sure of where it was going to go. As a hopeless romantic, I was rooting for a success love story. Seeing the whole story, I was taken aback by, there was actually no story at all. Hannah managed to keep me in a string that was tied to nothing. I am not sure what the purpose of the subplot pertaining to a certain creature. Maybe I missed a couple of symbolism, but it does add up to Marina's psychopathic tendencies. That being said, I should not even have expected anything. Marina was nice enough to give me, a normal person and a reader, a glimpse of a life I will never attain. In a way, I felt played by the protagonist herself. And isn't that her goal?

I Make My Own Fun is a great debut novel. I can only expect better works from Hannah Beer in the future. Will definitely watch for her next book.

Rating: 7.5/10
Ease of reading: 8/10
Can't get enough of: 8.5/10
Overall: Recommended

This book isn’t for everyone, but it was for me. I loved this fast paced sapphic thriller that felt like a gay version of Caroline Kepnes’ (and of course, the Netflix show) “You” but with a Hollywood twist.

Our narrator, Marina, is truly a horrible person….but I kind of loved her? Like, I would hate her if she was a real person - but as a fictional character I was so invested in her thought process & journey. I felt like the author did a really great job at making a not-likable character still really interesting and intriguing no matter how you felt about her. I also loved the dichotomy between how the public saw Marina vs how she saw herself, shown through tabloids and Reddit threads. I thought it was a really smart way to represent that.

I am so glad I read this one! Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC!

The triumph of Hannah Beer's 'I Make My Own Fun' lies in creating a truly compelling character out of its meglomanical protagonist, Marina: a women who is certainly selfish, conceited, cruel, and a liar, but written with enough restraint to avoid becoming cartoonish. Despite being a woman of extreme means (A-List Actor, 5-Time Oscar Winner) in extreme circumstances, her emotional life is convincing and grounded in a way many books in this subgenre fail to pull off:

Her apathy, giving way to cruelty as a means for her to feel anything at all; Her narcissism, projecting an image to protect her from any criticism or comment that would demand introspection; Her fear, marketed to women, trying to convince us 29 is not only middle-aged but geriatric.

Still, as familiar as a character like Marina feels, the book is a fresh perspective. It's current without entirely dating itself. It evokes other contemporary, "unlikeable female character" works, yet it stands out amongst its peers for its willingness to commit to portraying a truly disturbed perspective.

This book was a very fun, yet harrowing, read. I loved the "news" stories and social media clippings; they made the world more immersive and served as a pithy reminder to give up your parasocial inclinations and remember to touch grass. I laughed a lot.

It was the essential darkness of Marina's character that kept me up devouring this book. The tension it creates colors everything. It's Beer's skillful balancing act on the line between "woman as monster" and "woman as caricature", along with the masterfully executed ramp-up in intensity, that makes this such a delightful read. An impressive debut!

Readers of Eliza Clark, Chelsea G. Summers, Jen Beagin, Tara Isabella Burton, and CJ Leede will enjoy this! Thank you House of Anansi Press Inc and netgalley for the ARC!

i LOVE crazy women. i really appreciated that hannah beer committed to the crazy full tilt — in making her own fun via a series of increasingly wild actions, marina made a lot of fun for me, too. this book was quite short (clocking in at only 288 pages), but i felt like that was the perfect amount for the content. it was sharp and biting in a tiny package, and not a single moment was wasted.

when i say marina is crazy, please know that i 100% mean it. she is unrepentantly out for herself and herself alone, and does whatever she wants when she wants it — up to and including literally kicking puppies. she’s evil! and it’s for her own amusement! her growing obsession with anna as the book went along wasn’t exactly a surprise, but i still enjoyed reading it all play out. it felt like watching a car crash in slow motion — it’s horrifying and fascinating all in one, and i couldn’t look away.

3.5 stars.

Marina, an A+ list movie star is the actress everyone loves. But beneath her public persona…she’s truly awful. She’s set her sights on Anna, a London bartender and Marina will do anything to get what she wants.

This was a little fun, a little silly (Marina has five Oscars and she’s not yet thirty? That’s just dumb.) It’s always a joy to read about bad people doing terrible things. I’m not sure what that says about me but you got to dance with them that brung you.

In Hannah Beer’s debut novel, “I Make My Fun,” readers are introduced to Marina, an unreliable narrator and IT Girl. Marina becomes infatuated with Anna, a young person from Gen Z who is simply trying to make a living in London. What follows is a sort of reverse version of Misery, where the celebrity becomes the fanatic.

It’s a book that’s hard to put down, filled with an antihero and her erratic actions—like a train wreck you can't look away from. The story is dark, funny, and captivatingly twisted.

I highly recommend this novel, especially for fans who enjoy messy protagonists or unreliable narrators. If you liked Jen Beagin’s "Big Swiss," Emma Cline's "The Girls," Liann Zhang’s "Julie Chan is Dead," Hannah Deitch’s "Killer Potential," Kit Conway’s "Cat Fight," Swan Huntley’s "I Want You More," or Oyinkan Braithwaite’s "My Sister, the Serial Killer," you will likely appreciate this book as well.

Thank you to House of Anansi Press Inc., Anansi International, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.