I’m sorry, but this memoir just did not resonate with me. The author has a unique writing style that I am sure appeals to a particular audience. Unfortunately, that is not me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co. for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Memoirs narrated by the author are my favorite audiobooks, and Start Without Me is no exception. Gary Janetti hilariously describes his childhood growing up in New York and his love of movies and TV. Listening to these essays was like hearing your favorite, funny uncle tell you tales of what his life was like when he was growing up - very conversational and sarcastic. I'm such a fan and am already awaiting the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of often snarky essays from Gary Janetti's life, mostly in a good way. The essay about neighbors cracked me up. Either Janetti grew on me over the 4 hours or the stories got better toward the end.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Gary Janetti takes us into the mind of his younger self dealing with being "different" from other boys before, and after, he realizes that he's gay. We see his self-isolated life and the importance of Carol Burnett and Judy Garland along with his family in his development. Gary would rather spend his summer watching TV than playing outside with the other kids and his parents don't understand it.

Start Without Me is full of humor while also a little sad. Janetti emphasizes the chages in society since he was a young boy and how technology (i.e. cell phones) has made it easier for young gay children to connect with others.
As the grandmother of a young boy beginning to understand his sexuality, I found comfort in knowing a path has already been plowed for him.

It was a very quick listen and I enjoyed hearing the authors word in his own voice.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

Start Without Me
by Gary Janetti
Genre: Humor
Narrated by: Gary Janetti
Pub Date: 26 April 2022

A fun & hilarious trip down memory lane with master essayist Gary Janetti (Family Guy). A perfect commuter read/listen to add to your April TBR!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞: From camp counselor betrayals to a hook up gone completely awry, this collection of humorous essays is premised on the self-deprecating, relatable moments of life.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝: An introvert’s delight. I saw shades of myself in Janetti’s description of his youth, particularly the young child who prefers the company of adults.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝: So short it was over before I knew it! Please, sir, may I have some more Gary?

Read if you:
🏡Fans of Dave Sedaris & Jenny Lawson
🏡Absolutely lose your sh*t over The Wizard of Oz
🏡Have a “you’re never gonna believe this” story
🏡Need a cocktail before going out with people...for cocktails

Thank you to @netgalley , @henryholtbooks & @macmillan.audio for the ARC & audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

#books #bookstagram #bookclubreads #bookclub #booklover #reading #ilovebooks #bookreview #humor #true #story #funny #essays #bookrecommendations #tbr #nonfiction #comingsoon #bookblog #netgalley #shortreads #audiobook #StartWithoutMe

Join Gary Janetti in this hilarious, but real narrative collections of short moments of his life. The moments he recalls are so enthralling, and the speech Gary gives at a graduation touched my soul. This is a light and comical read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to listen to his other book as well.
*Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I alternated between laughing out loud, nodding in agreement (piano lessons, anyone?), and sighing at the touching stories about Gary’s childhood, family, insecurities, and other hilariously memorable moments. The audiobook is read by the author, and it is perfect because, really, who could have told these stories better‽

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Delightfully funny, Janetti shares stories of his life, sharing soap opera stories with his counselor as of they were family dramas and confessing to his ability to avoid his neighbors,

As the narrator of START WITHOUT ME you truly get a feel for his emotions. His ability to make you laugh is tenfold by listening to the audiobook.

LOVED this collection!!! Serious David Sedaris vibes and I am all in for that! Laughed out loud throughout.
It took me a minute to get used to Gary's voice but I much prefer the author reading biography/humor like this.

First a HUGE thank you to #GaryJanetti, #NetGalley #HenryHolt for the ARC of this book.

A laugh out loud listen, I loved the audio book so much I went back and read the book as well. Gary's stories of summer camp (the most nightmarish tiny cocktail party you could imagine), Pen Pals (Hell is other people) and tanning (which he worked on with the same kind of round-the-clock dedication as a medical intern) are so outrageous you want to immediately be friends with him.

His "commencement address" should be printed and given to all graduates (high school, college and graduate school) and made required reading for anyone turning 18.

Very quick read that is full of wit and humor. The narrator was entertaining and kept the story flowing. I enjoyed the format and content.

This is Gary Janetti's second book of humorous personal essays. I also read and enjoyed his first book Do You Mind If I Cancel? Both are quick, smart, funny books that are excellent on audio because they are read by the author. Fans of David Sedaris will surely enjoy these collections.

The unifying theme of this new book is coming of age, 70s/80s nostalgia, lifelong obsession with pop culture, and being different. My favorite chapters were about his love for the Wizard of Oz and the commencement address.

Janetti is funny, honest, and wry. He doesn't sugarcoat things for the reader or for himself. His natural inclination is towards cynicism, but only to a point. It's like he almost can't help weaving in a healthy dose of sweetness and optimism despite his skeptical stance on most topics. I think this is because ultimately he can't deny his happy surprise at the way his life has turned out, exceeding his childhood expectations.

The stories are nostalgic, mainly about growing up in the 1970s - a time which is starkly different in almost every way from our current world. But what makes Janetti's nostalgia different than most is that he doesn't fully lean into romanticizing these "simpler" times. He riffs on the ways that his life would have been easier back then if he'd had today's technology, with almost an envy for how easy the younger generations have it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Gary Janetti for the ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This audiobook was totally hilarious. I laughed out loud countless times. This author was not previously on my radar but I will definitely tune in to everything he writes going forward.

-Disclaimer: I won this book for free through Goodreads giveaways & Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.-

1.5 stars

Another typical memoir.

He definitely tries hard to describe things differently. There were lots of references and the tone was lively. This would be best enjoyed on audiobook. He does well describing things. You can clearly imagine his life playing out at a quick pace. There was the occasional chuckle but nothing particularly interesting.