My family and I have always enjoyed Jo Koy and I was pretty excited to find that he’d written a book. I was too excited for this but it took me awhile to get around to reading it. His story was really refreshing. While I’m not mixed like Jo, I’m not unfamiliar with the balance or imbalance of Filipino and American culture. The part that hit home the most was about how strict moms are and the chance of girls getting kicked out at some point of their lives. I facepalmed so hard because that was my life at 19 and it just meant a lot to read that. I don’t read these autobiographies very often but I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. The insight into his life was really great to read and the recipes! I’m looking forward to trying them out. I’d definitely recommend this to others. It was deep but still light and heartwarming.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

I have been a fan of his for a long time. I enjoyed the book. I will be buying a copy for one of my friends. I would recommend it.

This sat on my TBR list far too long. While I think fans of Jo Koy would love this book, I think all dads should read it. While becoming a good father was a process for Koy, it seems like he really got there and a lot of dads could learn a lot from how he treats his son and ex-wife.

I think if you have the choice, go for the audiobook since Koy reads it himself, but reading the text book is still great. The reader gets more insight into how Koy got where he is now and learns about his family, the good and the tough parts as well. Koy comes across as very honest. The book does get a little repetitive at times, but overall, this was a really good read and made me more of a fan of Jo Koy.

Thanks to Dey Street Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Josephhhhh

I think this was such a unique twist on a memoir. It shared family recipes, it showed the good and bad of a mixed plate and it embraced diversity in such a unique way. I think what Jo Koy does exceptionally is make you feel comfortable talking about the uncomfortable topics. He is relatable to anyone even if you are not a mixed plate.

I've been a fan of Jo's comedy for awhile now and reading his book was a great glimpse behind the curtain. A lot of his life he does share on the stage, but in 'Mixed Plate' he offers more than what we are used to seeing and hearing in his comedy specials and find an identifiable story involving childhood, growing up, mental health, and the need for a creative outlet, as well as the determination to try to unknown... in Jo's case it was stand up comedy. Also, how can you not like a book that includes traditional Filipino recipes... I highly recommend.

Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo

I Picked Up This Book Because: I’m a fan of his comedy.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: CCP Library
Dates Read: 5/5/21 - 5/7/21
Stars: 4 Stars


The Story:

It’s amazing that I’ve been watching Jo Koy’s comedy for years but there is so much I didn’t know about him. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I expect him to spew all of his dirty secrets on stage but he seems to tell so many personal stories on stage yet they are just the tip of the iceberg. He is wide open in this book and his experiences are so different from my own I was addicted.

The Random Thoughts:


Challenges:

Goodreads Book Bingo 2021 - G2 - An author’s debut novel

I went into this book already being a Jo Koy fan and let's face it, that's exactly who should be reading this book. I'm not saying you can't enjoy it if you're not already a fan, but it sure helps. Jo Koy has a very interesting story that speaks to the true American experience. He came to this country with his family at a young age and we learn that the struggle is truly real. As an adult he tries to break into the comedy world and it wasn't easy for a non-white comedian.

What really impressed me about the book was that he didn't shy away from anything that made him look bad. He dove head first into the less than stellar parts of his life and was fully honest about what he had done wrong and how things have changed. He didn't have to admit any of that. He could have glossed over it but he had the fortitude to step right up and say "yes, I did this, it was a bad move but I made amends," and that's a very brave thing to do.

Jo Koy is one of my favorite standup comedians, and I found his book to be absolutely delightful. I read along with the audiobook, and his narration adds a super element to his story.

I love, love, love Jo Koy! I've seen him live multiple times, and will continue to follow his career. It is awesome to see how successful he has been strictly by using his own drive and pure talent. His story should help inspire other kids, especially kids of mixed heritage to push through and keep the faith that you can do anything you set you mind to. Jo's book is funny and heartwarming. Go Jo!!

This is a fantastic book from a really funny comedian.
I loved it.
I would re on end this book to every adult yo read.

I first heard of Jo Koy when his special “Live from Seattle” aired on Netflix. I remember watching it with my sister at her house. We were laughing and crying our asses off! Even my mom was laughing at the Skyflakes and Vick’s jokes. When Christmas came along, I bought my sister and her husband tickets to see him in San Francisco. It ended up being my sister and I going and we had the time of our lives. We loved it! After that I was practically in his fan club. I started listening to his podcast, The Koy Pond, and (trying not to) laugh my ass off at work. I remember throwing my earbuds off my ears because it was so funny that I had to pause. My hubby and I went to see him at Thunder Valley Casino where I stood in line for 3 hours after the show and was at the very end of the line to meet and take photos with him. If I was super tired, he must have been exhausted but he still gave his attention to each person waiting in line to meet him. I truly appreciated that.

Jo Koy’s memoir is special. He hustled and worked his ass off to get where he is today. He is such a family man and takes care of his people. Gave this 5⭐️. Go watch his specials on Netflix and once we’re all able to have live events again, I recommend seeing him live. His openers are super funny too! And lastly, go pick up a copy of his book! 🇵🇭♥️

Thank you Jo Koy, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Jo Koy as a comedian and so I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, there were some really sad parts. Parts of his story are tough. That's real life. However, it still made me laugh out loud and I enjoyed it.

If you enjoyed JoKoy's comedy specials - this is for you.
This is an extended, behind the scenes, with bonus features edition to his work and I LOVED IT.
Truthfully, I read the entire thing in his voice; there is so much personality he put onto paper it, it definitely felt like you were sitting across from him just having a cup of coffee while he shared with you his life story.

Is he a funny guy? Yes. Is there a lot of depth in this memoir? Yes.
It always inspires and makes me appreciate an creative's work more knowing how hard they strived for it and he laid it bare.
Also, being an Asian American, this makes me proud to have a story you can relate to on many levels.

Pick up this book, its recommended!

I loved this funny, painful book about the rise of comedian Jo Koy. Jo Koy tells us about his childhood raised by a single mother, in poverty, with a brother who has uncontrolled schizophrenia.

This was a page-turner of a book in which Jo Koy inspires readers with his dogged determination to make it in show business.

Each chapter of the book had a Filipino recipe at the start. This felt odd because even though Jo Koy explains that he loves Filipino food, he never tells us that he likes to cook. It felt disjointed.

That said, this is a funny and inspiring celebrity memoir that I would recommend to others.

Jo Koy was one of the first comedy specials I ever saw and I laughed until I cried. This book lives up the expectations. His humor is underrated and this book hopefully shows people what they've been missing.

Sure, I'll be the first to review Jo Koy's memoir. No pressure or anything.....

I was working in post production the first time I heard of Jo Koy. We were working on the release of one of his specials and my job was to make sure the closed captions were correct. This took me almost three times as long as any other job because I was in tears laughing for so much of it.

Mixed Plate is also something that brought me to tears - and not entirely because of how funny it is. Jo opens up about his life - his trauma of being an 'other' in school, of learning how to make people laugh to fit in, of dealing with family drama and hiding it deep down inside. Jo strives to gain his mother's approval - an Asian mother's approval is of the highest honor - and I think she will be proud of this book.

Jo talks about his start in comedy, of the struggle of working three jobs and doing late night shows causing him to miss his son. He talks about the parent-child relationship, of sibling rivalry and sibling friendship. He talks about being the best dad that he can.

This is a book full of heart. Jo Koy is opening his heart on these pages and I closed the book full of tears, yet again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.