It took me a few chapters to get into this book, but once I did I loved it. Colin Jost is funny on SNL, and he's just as hysterical in his book. I laughed out loud throughout the book, and I especially loved his behind the scenes stories at SNL. His list of the skits he wrote/co-wrote reminded me of some of my favorites, like Matt Damon as Justice Kavanaugh.

I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This title had me LOL'ing and I didn't really stop. Colin grew on me during SNL, and I was very interested in reading more about him. I enjoyed this! I find it hard for comedians to be funny in written word; the most important part of any joke is the delivery. However, Colin had me laughing throughout. It reminded me of a less raunchy version of I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I haven't laughed so hard reading a book in a long time. Really smart, really funny. Very well done.

I like Colin Jost on SNL and think he's very funny, but this book didn't translate for me as far as that humor.

Legitimately laugh out loud funny! It helps to have seen Jost on SNL, because then you can read this with his voice in your head. Self-depracating humor and a look into what the life of a comedy writer is.

A Very Punchable Face is Colin Jost’s first book. A leading comedian at Saturday Night Live, Jost regales us with his humour, his hilarious anecdotes on life, his job, growing up and all the crazy situations he’s been in, and gotten himself into over the years.

I requested this on a lark, but despite my ambivalence towards Colin Jost I decided to keep an open mind while reading his book. After reading it, I'm sorry to say that while I did get slightly more insight into his life, that ambivalence still remains.

Most of his chapters are nothing more than trivial anecdotes that don't really have any conclusion other than, "So that happened. Crazy, huh?" The exceptions to this, and my favorite bits, were the chapters about his mother during 9/11 and the behind-the-scenes info about what it's like to work at SNL. Other than that, Jost has led a fairly standard life with some occasionally amusing experiences. Although I did find it interesting that he majored in Russian lit and flopped out of a semester abroad in Russia.

I think part of the issue is that his writing style just didn't gel with me. It was a little too glib for my tastes. And the jokes....not that funny. But that's always how I've felt since he's been on Weekend Update. :/

A Very Punchable Face will have you laughing out loud the whole way through. Colin Jost writes about his life from childhood to now. We see how he grew up and learn what lead him to become a writer and a part of SNL. He writes essays about specific moments in his life that he felt are significant and it came together perfectly.

He begins with his childhood and upbringing. It's so interesting and you can tell how much he values his family! He always adds humor whether its a happy or embarrassing moment. Colin is genuine and honest the entire time and I think many readers will appreciate it.

There is a section of the book that is for all the 'Saturday Night Live' fans. He answers all the questions you have and then some. He talks about how he got a job at SNL, explains that SNL is actually live, gives advice on how you can work for them if that's what you want, and talks about his favorites and least favorite from the show (we all know it's Aidy ;) ).

I give A Very Punchable Face 5 stars. It's humorous and witty. And no you won't want to punch Colin in the face after you read this but he does know he has one of those faces. I highly recommend this to fans of Colin and SNL.

Colin is hilarious. I have to admit that I am not a Saturday Night Live viewer, so I had no idea who he was. My father in law was sick and I had a lot of downtown while taking care of him. So, I wanted something funny and light that would take my mind off of everything else going on. My father in law asked me one day what I was reading so I told him a little about it. He said he loved Colin and The Weekend Update. It was fun to talk to him about it. Colin is actually coming to our town later this year and it would have been perfect to go together. Recommend this funny and easy read.

In A Very Punchable Face, Colin Jost assembles a memoir through a series of 33 essays that range from deeply humorous to emotionally moving to casually reflective. As with any grouping of essays, some resonate more than others.

If you're looking for the funniest of the lot, I would say "Sports for Nerds," "Oops, I Fell Asleep in a Graveyard," "Okay, So Maybe I've Shit My Pants a Couple Times," "The Chapter about Alcohol and Drugs," and "My Visit to Google" are must reads. For many reasons, not just some of the more outrageous titles, these essays stood above the rest and more often than not made me laugh out loud while reading. That's not to say that many of the other essays don't have a few good quips, but this grouping felt like they had a solid stream of jokes that was more consistent throughout.

As for emotionally moving, Jost offers a fitting tribute to his mother's work with the FDNY, particularly during and post-9/11 in "Why I Love My Mom." I will admit that I had tears in my eyes when I finished reading this essay. There were other moments scattered throughout many of the essays where it is clear that his family, coworkers, friends, and significant others have also played a large role in his life and shaping; however, if you're looking for one essay that particularly shows the molding of Jost during his formative years, I do recommend "Why I Love My Mom."

When reflecting on various aspects of his life, Jost's essays span a range of time from childhood to college to his work on SNL. Essays that stand out include "You're Gonna Need Stitches" and "I Become a Commuter at Age Fourteen" as well as the 10 essays specifically about SNL. Jost concludes his reflection in "Epilogue: Leaving Home" by suggesting that he's mentally preparing to leave SNL while still being vague about when. Ending on a joke, Jost expresses that if he leaves and fails he can always beg Lorne for his job back.

Overall, this is a solid group of essays. As a reader, Jost's ability to poke fun at himself was what made many of these essays resonate.

There is no way this review will be able to accurately express my pure joy and love for Colin Jost’s memoir. I have never laughed out loud so much from a book…ever.

This memoir had me up late, shaking the bed as I held back tears of laugher, trying not to wake my sleeping boyfriend besides me. It is just that funny.

Now, I’m definitely biased: I love SNL, and I especially l love Weekend Update (when Colin and Che wrote each other jokes to read on air for Christmas?! Hysterical), so I already had high hopes. There are plenty of SNL behind-the-scenes pearls in here, from the most popular sketches to moments with celebrity hosts. But I didn’t realize how entertaining Jost’s everyday anecdotes would be. (The Harvard grad’s best chapter is called: 𝙊𝙠𝙖𝙮, 𝙎𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙈𝙮 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨.)

And just when you think every chapter is about to have the same formula of storytelling, right in the middle is a chapter about his mom, the Chief Medical Officer for FDNY on 9/11, that will have you weeping.

We all need a laugh right now, and A Very Punchable Face will have you uncontrollably, ugly face laughing through and through.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 stars

All I knew about Colin was that he was on Saturday Night Live on Weekend Update and he was dating Scarlett Johansen. Still, it turns out there is much more to Harvard educated Jost as he was a head writer on SNL for years, plus he's done the rounds in stand-up comedy so it was with anticipation I read this a sort-of-memoir written in the form of essays, and it did not disappoint. The stories range from hilarious to moving (his mother is amazing) to crude (one piece, in particular, is a little too much TMI but at the same time funny), but they are all entertaining. I was a tad disappointed he didn't do a bit more dishing about his relationship with ScarJo but that's his prerogative and I respect him for it.

Jost's "memoir" is a good bet for readers who have enjoyed the books of conversational essays by young celebrities such as Kevin Hart, Ellie Kemper, Amy Schumer, Busy Philips, Tiffany Haddish, Joel McHale.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance digital reading copy.

A wonderfully written book that anyone who watches Saturday Night Live will enjoy. A fabulous and very funny book! I enjoyed it.

I loved getting to see behind the scenes of Colin's life. His writing is hilarious and poignant. It was also really cool to learn more about his background and the obstacles he's had to overcome. Hope to hear lots more from him going forward!

Colin Jost is a head writer at Saturday Night Live and a very funny co-host of Weekend Update. I like reading books about how comedians get their start, work their way through the circuit and finally their big breaks and this one does not disappoint. It was a good look as well at Staten Island, Harvard and behind the scenes at SNL.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I love Colin Jost, especially because he doesn't take himself too seriously. I highly enjoyed this comedic look at his life.

Fun read from Colin's childhood in Staten Island to his years working on SNL. He's funny, and make light of the things that have happened to him through the years. He's very relatable and his stories what me chuckling out loud. I'll be looking for his next book chronicling all of the times he poops his pants.

I liked Colin before I read this book, but after reading it - I like him a lot more. This humble look at his life is funny and endearing. He doesn't take himself too seriously and shares lots of embarrassing moments - some are quite unexpected! If you need a good laugh and an appreciation of what's involved in "making it" from a writer's perspective - read this book!

As a fan of Colin Jost, I thought this book was incredibly enjoyable. A collection of essays put together so well and it keeps you intrigued throughout the entire book. If you are an SNL fan, you'll get behind the scenes stories about not only Jost, but other castmates and hosts and its exciting to read about. This book brings you through his younger years up until now and how humor really does drive his life. I was laughing throughout and I've only become a bigger fan since finishing the book. 5 stars

Holed up in this pandemic, I was looking forward to reading Colin Jost's memoir, A Very Punchable Face. After all, we all need a laugh right now. And Jost is an excellent and very funny writer, behind some of my favorite SNL moments, among them, the Brett Kavanaugh cold open with Matt Damon, and the Lobster in a Diner skit, which made me laugh my head off for reasons I'm still not sure I understand. At any rate, Jost enters a really strong field of Saturday Night Live memoirs, among them Tina Fey's Bossypants and Amy Poehler's Yes Please. The bar was high, and while some of Jost's essays are funnier than others, Jost gives us a charming look at his life -- born on Staten Island, educated at Harvard, but truly schooled as a twenty-something writer at SNL. He is frank about the pressures of writing for the weekly live comedy show, and suggests that he's moving into a time in his life when he'd like to do something else with his talents. Not that he and his very punchable face are ready to leave SNL just yet. Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.