I confess to being barely aware of who Andrew Rannells is because I'm sadly lacking in Broadway knowledge. But the title pulled me in and Rannells' writing got me hooked.
He writes like he's talking to you face-to-face and it feels very genuine. You feel a connection to his experiences even when the only thing we seem to have in common on the surface is that we're humans who don't want children. His anxieties, worries, and concerns feel universal for our generation, which makes it a bit of a comfort to read about his misadventures and triumphs.
He also has a very pleasant and charming 'voice' that makes even the most mundane stories interesting. I mean, not many people can turn a trip to Trader Joe's into a memorable experience complete with a life lesson. And it's precisely the essays like that one that makes this such a great read. It's not just unrelatable famous person's adventures, it's the everyday things that anyone can relate to that make his musings feel universal. There are, of course, some very fun behind-the-scenes of Hollywood bits that add flair and extra fun to the book, yet it's the more personal essays that make you walk away from this book feeling like Rannells might just be a cool guy to really get to know.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the fun read!

I’ve been a fan of Andrew Rannells since… I don’t even know what came first?? Was it Book of Mormon or Girls? It’s kind of like the chicken and the egg I guess? Wherever it was I fell in love with him immediately and I’ve seen everything I could that he’s been in since. So when I got an email from Crown Publishing asking if I’d like to read the arc I clicked so quickly to grab it and then did something I’d never done before… I replied and said thank you for making my day.
If you’ve ever watched or listened to Andrew you’d think that this would be a humorous book and that’s all but he really delves into what it’s like being in his 40s and trying to find his place in the world, finding love, and being authentic. You don’t need to be a fan to enjoy this book though. His story is universal and very thought provoking and he’s very enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you to Andrew Rannells, Crown Publishing, and NetGalley for the early review copy.
Out now!

Thank you to Penguin Books for giving me a chance to read Uncle of the Year early. I love Andrew’s work and this book really lives up to the expectations.

I loved this book. I’m a big fan of Andrew Rannells and could almost hear his voice saying the words in the page. Honest and funny making me laugh one moment and appreciate the way he described something personal the next. I loved learning the inside scoop on his career like when he described singing in a challenging key for Book of Mormon intentionally to set himself apart from others who would one day get the role. Go get this one - it’s a joy. Thanks to Crown for the advanced copy.

I think I would have preferred this as an audiobook. It had some funny stories and light life lessons, but ultimately not any that really stuck with me. Andrew’s writing was conversational and enjoyable but the book as a whole felt like a reach to me. (this feels mean and I hate that but its how I felt)

One of my favorite actors is back with his second memoir! Uncle of the Year is @andrewrannells look into adulthood. What makes you feel like an adult?

Andrew is most famous for his role as Elder Price in the Broadway production of the Book of Mormon, but he’s starred in many things. He’s acted on HBO’s Girls, NBC’s the New Normal and Showtime’s Black Monday. He’s hilarious and adorable and he narrates his own memoir so I highly recommend the audiobooks.

He opens the book with an anecdote about how he and his HS best friend were on the Ricki Lake show and he discusses his start on Broadway with Hairspray and Pokémon Live. He then gets his big break in the Book of Mormon and it’s a true crime he didn’t receive a Tony for that performance.

Andrew also discusses his love like and what it was like to grow up gay in the Midwest in the 90s. And he gets very real opening up about his struggles with the pandemic and drinking too much to pass the time.

Many thanks to @crownpublishing and @prhaudio for my gifted ebook and ALC. Uncle of the Year is out now!

This book was really fun to read! Composed of a series of essays, Andrew Rannells talks about his acting jobs, friends, family, hopes, dreams…and I enjoyed each one. He discusses his feelings and fears as a young twenty-something in New York, describes his successes and defeats, and does it all with optimism and a practicality that I find very refreshing.

At forty-four years old, Andy Rannells, starts to ponder exactly when he became an adult. Talking through his essays, we get a glimpse of his life. The roles he got and the roles he didn’t. His behind the scenes stories of his broadway productions and his humor throughout. The essays are shared haphazardly in no particular order making the book come across disjointed, a fun read, but nothing remarkable. Thank you to Crown and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Through a series of short essays the reader gets to learn more about the person that the actor Andrew Rannells is. I haven't had much experience in knowing Rannells outside of his work on Girls, and I found this memoir to be extremely entertaining. I loved hearing about his time on Broadway. It was an introduction to a world that I am not really familiar with, but certainly sounds fascinating. I think maybe my favorite essay involved Mark Ruffalo at the Golden Globes-- if you know, you know. I felt like the essays were taking a peek into his diaries, it felt so much like it was truly written in his voice. I found myself laughing at times at some of the ridiculousness, but then pondering some big life questions that he would raise at other times. I enjoyed this book very much, and think that people who are fans of his work will certainly love this book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy of this fun memoir. All opinions within this review are my own.

Okay so if you’re a fan of actor Andrew Rannells (and I certainly am) then you’ll absolutely want to pick this or the audio edition up ASAP.

In 2019 Rannells first book ‘Too Much Is Not Enough: A Memoir of Fumbling Toward Adulthood’ was published. It was funny and filled out with touching stories, growing up and breaking into show business. However, the book finished upon Rannells landing his first professional gig, which for anyone who became obsessed with all things Elder Price was a letdown since ‘…Mormon’ didn’t come till much later.

This is the answer to that. Through a series of magazine-length essays, Rannells with his quick wit and easy charm takes you through the ups and downs of being a working actor in both New York and Hollywood. From his early days in “Hairspray” to his breakout performance in “The Book of Mormon” Rannells is both honest, and vulnerable, and did I already mention funny? Thanks to Crown Publishing for the advance copy.

Amusing Essays about Growing-up, Career and Family

Andrew Rannells is an actor with roles on Broadway, film and television. I admit I hadn’t known much about him before reading this book, but I was impressed with his candor and humor. Much of the book relates to his career like auditioning for the Book of Mormon. One of my favorite essays is Saigon in the Finger Lakes. He was cast as Chris in Miss Saigon. During his stay in the Finger Lakes he wrote numerous amusing letters to his friend, Zuzanna. The essay is primarily the letters.

Andrew delves into growing up. One question is when do you know you’re an adult: when you have a house, a career, a lover? I found his musings quite relevant. How do any of us know when we’re grown up.

In the context of family, he talks about being an uncle. He never wanted to have children and was startled when his brother and sisters began to produce off-spring. He knew he wouldn’t have children, so he decided to become a good uncle.

I enjoyed his writing style. It is very conversational making you feel like you know the other person. I think the audiobook might be even more enjoy because the author’s style lends itself to the spoken word.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it if you’d like a book that you can enjoy in chapters as a relaxing read.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

I read quite a few celebrity memoirs, and I have to say, they are rarely as funny or as entertaining as I hope they will be. However, Andrew Rannells really managed to make Uncle of the Year: And Other Debatable Triumphs an extremely engaging read.

I was planning on this book being my "filler book" while I read other things, like an in-between read for when I don't have enough attention to focus on my longer books. However, once I picked up Uncle of the Year: And Other Debatable Triumphs, I actually had a hard time putting it down. Each story is amusing and instantly relatable, even to a middle-aged-ish suburban mom like me. I'm not a Broadway superfan (though I actually saw Andrew Rannells in The Book of Mormon), but I still was obsessed with his personal journey told in little bits and pieces throughout the book.

Andrew Rannells is a talented writer and instantly likeable, which made this book both fun to read and also thought provoking. I think this book would be even better in audio (I might get that also) because of how personal and engaging Andrew came across in the book.

Enjoyable from start to finish, Andrew Rannells wrote a very satisfying memoir for his fans and casual readers alike.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I devoured Rannells’ last collection of essays (Too Much is Not Enough), so when Crown Publishing reached out to offer me an ARC of his newest book, I was ecstatic. And I’m very pleased to say this lived up to all the hype I put on it.

I love Rannells’ voice - both singing and storytelling. He has this way of capturing both the hilarity and poignancy of situations that is pure joy to read, and I think is indicative of truly skilled memoirists. Which is to say, while it helps if you are a fan of his (and you should be - he’s amazingly talented), you do not need to be familiar with his stage/tv/movie work to enjoy this book. He writes about wholly human experiences that are deeply relatable even out of context.

All that gushing to say - please read this book, and go back to read Too Much is Not Enough if you haven’t while you’re at it. And then join me in line waiting for his next project!

Thank you Crown publishing for the review copy of Uncle of the Year! I really enjoyed this, I tend to like celebrity memoirs and reflections, a little funny self awareness of being an actor and the life/behind the scenes themes works for me. There is an essay in here for most readers, funny, inviting, and engaging and also just right for a reader looking for something light to read by the pool, summer work breaks outside... the essay style makes this easy to read off and on (in a good way) and is a nice addition to a summer suitcase, picnic basket, or a few quiet moments alone OR perfect for a leave me alone and let me escape into a charming book for a few hours mood.

My one note is the title... this is a set of essays mostly about Rannells acting life, his identity and experiences in those identities, and doesn't lean into family much other than the final essay. I admit I was expecting a little more funny family related anecdotes so for readers looking for that, just take note. It's still a fun book but the title might not line up with expectations you have.

The marketing folks over at Crown Publishing reached out to see if I would like to read an early copy of actor Andrew Rannells' new memoir, and after looking it over, I thought, Sure, seems fun, why not? Fortunately, for me this book was exactly as I imagined it would be: enjoyable, easy to read, and ultimately somewhat forgettable.

I think this will land great with readers who are already fans of Rannells. I had to google his picture to see if I recognized him, and realized I did in fact remember his face from Girls (in which he plays Hannah's ex, Elijah), but not much else. I can absolutely picture him in the lead role in The Book of Mormon, which is perhaps what he's best known for. In this memoir-in-essays (his second, as it turns out), we get what you might expect: stories of his various relationships and heartbreaks, behind-the-scenes details of working as an actor on Broadway and Hollywood, musings about his how his expectations for his life have differed from the reality. There's a particularly funny essay about his time volunteering with SAGE, an organization that helps older queer people around the country, and one that made me laugh out loud about his sitting next to Mark Ruffalo at an awards event. Because of the cover and and title, I did think there would be more about his role as an uncle, although that ended up only being the last essay in the collection, which felt a little forced.

Like I said, I enjoyed it and I think lots of other readers will too. 3.5 Stars

4.25 stars!

Most people might know Andrew Rannells from his starring role in a little broadway show called The Book of Mormon. (Or when he temporarily played King George III in Hamilton.) I was first introduced to Rannells when he played on the hit HBO show Girls. He was one of my favorite characters, despite originally only having a smaller part. In Uncle of the Year, a collection of short essays, Rannells’ shares snippets from his life, covering subjects from how he feels about his birthday to performing his solo song from Mormon on the Tonys to how strange life got during the pandemic. And, of course, how he feels about being an uncle. Witty and charming, this collection kept drawing me back, oddly comforting when I needed an escape from reality.

Despite reading this in ebook form, I could “hear” Rannells’ distinctive voice throughout the pages. I can only imagine the audiobook form of this collection read from Rannells’ own lips would be even better. Uncle of the Year is Rannells second book. From what I understand, his first book Too Much is Not Enough is more of a traditional memoir, covering his childhood up to being cast in The Book of Mormon. It’s not one I have read yet. So maybe Uncle of the Year picks up where that one left off, although he does include events from that time period, as well, in Uncle of the Year. He also includes a story he left out of his first book about appearing on the Ricki Lake show when he was 18, which was quite memorable.

Some of my other favorite essays in the book:

“Saigon in the Finger Lakes” – Rannells shares his experience performing the lead male role in Miss Saigon over five weeks in the Finger Lakes region of New York by sharing his email correspondence with his best friend during the time. I smiled so much throughout this chapter. Only with our best friends can we be so frank and comfortable.

“Happy Birthday” – He discusses his complicated relationship with his birthday: his favorite birthday when he was five, the birthdays that slipped quietly by when he was working, and how he spent his last birthday sitting at the oncologist with his mother. I think I identified with this chapter because I’ve always had similar feelings about my own birthday. Rannells concludes that because his birthday always fell during the first week of school when he was a child, he never got to really celebrate it the way other kids did, which had me thinking about my own birthday which falls very near Valentine’s Day and how my experience was somewhat similar. Maybe there’s something to his theory?

“What Words Can I Give You That Will Comfort Me?” – During the pandemic, Rannells decided to join the Cameo app to raise money for the Actors Fund. Cameo allowed fans of public figures to reach out directly and request a short video for a fee. Many people requested birthday or anniversary wishes, but Rannells was surprised and understandably nervous about some of the requests, which varied from words of comfort to bordering on therapy sessions by repeat clients. I remember hearing about Cameo during the pandemic, but I never used it. It was intriguing to get a glimpse into the experience from the perspective of a celebrity who was also struggling through the pandemic.

If you’re a fan of Andrew Rannells or The Book of Mormon or actors’ experiences behind the scenes—or even if you’re an adult who has no desire for their own children—you’ll enjoy Uncle of the Year. Told in quick, short essays, this is a collection that can be read slowly—or you might find yourself unable to set it aside, like me!

Andrew Rannnels lets us in on his life in this hilarious and heartfelt memoir. Tackling stardom, anxiety, family and wrinkles, Andy gives us a glimpse into his life as an actor, an uncle, a boyfriend, and a guy just trying to be as awesome as he can. Very enjoyable and entertaining, this collection of essays is real and revealing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Whatever your reference point is for Andrew Rannells, there will be an essay in this to connect to. It's often funny, it's insightful, and it feels very honest. It's a quick read and a nice addition in the celebrity essay world.

The writing was easy to read and humorous at times. It was an OK and quick read. I really was hoping to connect and like it more, but all in all, I just wasn't interested. I did finish the entire book and interestingly enough, the title of the book only made sense after I read the essay, where he discusses being an uncle. If I had to say one thing, I don't think the title of the book does it justice. I read it thinking it was going to be a deep dive into his family, almost like a "real-life" Guncle, but it was far from that.

The only thing I knew Andrew Rannells from was The New Normal, back when I was actually watching tv. I didn't realize the was one of the original cast members of The Book of Mormon, and while I knew he could sing, I didn't realize he was a belting tenor. Overall, I found his writing style to be honest, humble, and down-to-earth and I really enjoyed reading about his experiences and reflections about what has made him the man he is today.

This memoir was a refreshing change from some that seem to list their accomplishments and all the famous people they've met. Rather, Andrew reflects on his life and what he thinks it means to be "an adult". I especially found his thoughts about therapy and his relationship with it to be insightful, and I could feel some of the darkness that he shared during the pandemic. The chapter that talked about his experience with Cameo was especially poignant.

While he does mention some very well-known people in this book, he focuses on what the chance meetings meant to him and how much he appreciated their kindness. Two examples of that were when Paul Rudd looked out for his family at the Tonys even though they had never met, and when Hugh Jackman encouraged him just before he went on stage. I also loved hearing about his best friend Zuzanna Szadkowski, and how that friendship has carried him through even the toughest of times. I have no idea who she is because I don't watch tv, but she sounds like an amazing friend.

Overall, this was a quick read that would have been quicker, except I kept getting sidetracked with searching for videos of him singing on YouTube, which then led to videos of Neal Patrick Harris singing for the Tony Awards and so on. So easy to get sucked in, lol!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book comes out next week on May 16.