Humor Me by Cat Shook was engaging from the beginning and I couldn’t bear to put it down.
I found the main character relatable while still seeming honest and unflinching about herself.
I thought this was a well written, thought provoking novel.
I really enjoyed this story and I’m honestly looking forward to Cat’s novel!

Thank You NetGalley and Celadon Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you Celadon for the review copies for me and I also note a very generous sharing with my college class of 2001 (that's right) book club! We can't wait to discuss it, seems a lot of themes resonated with my friends.
Thank you as well to MacMillan Audio, this was a great book to read and listen to, I thought the narration from Ferdelle Capistrano was excellent and really captured Presley's voice and made Cat Shook's book resonate in a fun engaging way. Great audiobook!

My review:
TLDR: I really enjoyed this contemporary coming of age rom com that leaned nicely into themes on grief, friendship and self-growth. A great ode to NYC as well as the complex but exciting personal and professional challenges that many 20 somethings experience. The audiobook is a great way to get into the pace and tone of the book!

I really liked this blend of romcom with coming of age themes and how deftly Shook gave space to Presley to grow, a balance of a young person figuring things out, making some mistakes (though I hesitate to say mistakes as much as perhaps necessary parts of growing up...?), and learning about what she wants, who she is, and what is important to her in relationships. I loved her friendship with her roommate, the book is such a testament to the importance of found family and having people who get you and show up for you.

The romcom allusions are there with themes on figuring out who is the right and the wrong person for you, learning that some relationships just aren't that great after all, and that figuring out what you want can help you see people, and yourself ,more clearly. This was nicely explored in a way that honored the tropes but also blended nicely with the bigger themes on self growth, growing up, and for Presley also gaining her own strong sense of self.

Humor Me also is a story of grief, what it means to lose a parent to alcoholism and to grapple with what that has meant and may continue to mean for identity and growing up. At the same time, I thought Shook wove in the role of Susan, Presley's mother's best friend but also Presley's work mentor, effectively to showcase care and nurturing that Presley needed but also to give Presley a sense as to who her mother was outside of/before addiction took over; I thought this was deftly done and I think added to the themes on grief and coping in valuable ways.

Clever and wickedly funny! A story about self discovery, healing, and found family under the guise of romance and comedy that I found very relatable. The friendships in this book are now on my vision board.

Blurbed as perfect for fans of Romantic Comedy, and I second that but this is even better. My only hang up — the overuse of adjectives and internal monologues felt distracting at first, but the extra witty characters complement the verbose writing style.

I really liked the premise of this book about an assistant on a late night tv show, whose mother recently passed, making her way in NYC. I found it too slow for my taste and couldn't really get into it.

Thank you Netgalley & Celadon Books for the advanced reader copy.

I LIKED this book- I didn't love it but I certainly did not dislike it!! It started out so strong for me, but dipped about 20% in. We bounced back towards the end though!! I found Presley to be soo frustrating, but I think that is the point. We the people want to read imperfect characters. Honestly Izzy and Susan really stole the show for me. They were wonderfully written and perfectly supported Presley in her journey. I wanted to fall in love with this book, and I can't exactly pinpoint why I didn't, but I know the right reader really will! Feels like a sweet, deep, heartfelt indie movie come alive.

Humor Me is a raw and heartfelt story that touches upon friendships, grief, and healing. There is a little bit of romance as well. Presley, the main character, lives in nyc with her best friend and works at a late night comedy show. You see how she navigates life in the city. Within the story you see all the ups and downs Presley goes through and how the power of friendships go a long way.

There were some parts in the book that were a bit slow for me, but overall a good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for the Arc!

When books have a strong narrative voice, I'll sometimes 'hear' the text, along with the dialogue. This book kept playing into my inner ear in a Brooklyn accent, so strong was the New York vibe.

It's marketed as romance, with stand-up comedy as an element. I nabbed it from NetGalley, saving it for a time when I really needed relaxing reading; I ought to have remembered that stand-up comedy always has more than a spicing of pain at the keelson.

There were times when this book veered more into women's fiction. Not a bad thing. The writing was tight, stylish, aware, and the characters varied, their pain real. But the romance between the leads pretty much took a back seat to the romance with the city. It's a love letter to the people of New York.

I'm not sure what genre I'd classify this book as, but it felt like just living a slice of life as a twenty-something New Yorker, which I've never wanted to do in real life but enjoyed nonetheless. It's 2017 and Presley Fry works as an assistant on a famous late-night comedy TV show, and fills the emotional void her mother's death left behind with purposefully distant hookups, work, a will-they-won't-they with her coworker Adam, and the friendship of her bestie/roommate, Isabelle. That's all well and good until Presley gets roped into friendship with her mom's childhood best friend, Susan, who's going through a marriage crisis, Adam and Isabelle both get girlfriends, and Susan's son insists on being nice to Presley.

There's a lot of humor in this book, fittingly, but it's paired with a painfully realistic depiction of grief for both the loss of someone you had a complicated relationship with as well as the loss and nostalgia for certain periods of your own life. I definitely got choked up a few times, and while the start of the book is a bit slow, the payoff was worth it and felt realistic rather than just wrapped up in a bow. Female friendship is the heart of this story, as is being emotionally stunted, which, relatable. I loved Presley but I also wanted to shake her a few times. And her interactions with various types of men in this were uncomfortably real, not just through her personal relationships but even just people she worked with, etc. I'll definitely keep an eye out for future work from this author; she writes emotions so well and authentically, I can't imagine a story in which I wouldn't appreciate that. Thanks to Celadon and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

"Presley Fry is an assistant on the Late Night Show. She scouts comics hoping to find the next big thing. She struggles with dating and relationships. And she's still grieving her mother's death."

This is the "single girl living in New York City and figuring things out" trope. I struggled to relate to that part of Presley. I think writers sometimes forget how different NYC is from the rest of the country. I did appreciate the decriptions of Presley dealing with her mother's alcoholism. It's pretty accurate without being overly dramatic. There are several instances where Presley has her emotions under control - much better than I would in those same situations. Her friendship with her mother's old friend is an interesting choice - but it works. The magic mushroom scene is hilarious.
Presley does figure some things out in this book. It's always good to see a character grow and change.

Fans of character-driven contemporary fiction should enjoy this one.

A slow start but a very well rounded, character driven story. This book was, stylistically, different than those that I usually read but it absolutely still had my attention. true to what was promised in the blurb. very good character development. I love the way this author handled Presley's grief it was very engaging to read.

Thanks to Celadon, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my gifted ARC and ALC of Humor Me in exchange for my honest opinion.
Fresh off a trip to NYC, I was swept right into this story set in the city. Presley is a recent college grad, living with her college best friend and hustling at her assistant job, trying for a promotion. She works for a late night show, trying to find the next big name in stand up comedy for their Friday episodes, meaning she spends a lot of her time scouting fresh talent at comedy clubs. Humor Me follows Presley as she navigates dating (or not), work, friendship, and her grief handling her mother’s death from one year prior. Female relationships, both familial and friends, are at the forefront of Presley's journey to establish herself.
This New Adult book is written well, which is a strong endorsement from me, considering I typically avoid the genre. I took a chance on reading this after enjoying Shook’s previous release, If We're Being Honest. Presley’s character is written with a maturity that allowed me to relate to her more than most characters in their early 20s, and I loved how sarcastically funny (maybe satirical is the better description) the book shows her early life out of college. It's not laugh out loud humor, but I found myself chuckling and rolling my eyes a lot. I mostly listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Ferdelle Capistrano was engaging and clear. The book and audiobook will be available this Tuesday!

This book started as a slow burn for me, but about halfway through I was fully involved. Presley was a complex character, and her journey through grief felt real and raw. This is an engaging read for anyone who loves a good character arc.

Humor Me by Cat Shook ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Why I Chose It: I was drawn in with the description particularly, “for fans of Romantic Comedy…”

I LOVED the friendships in this book. They were so wholesome and provided some of the most memorable moments in this book. I loved that they were unexpected at times and completely normal at others.

Presley was a distinct character. Her inner monologue was witty and funny. I struggled at times with some of her decisions and lack of growth, but that gave her a realism that I appreciated in the end. The other characters were strong in their development. They each served a purpose and made the story stronger.

I struggled with the time jumps occasionally with this one. But it wasn’t enough for me to stop enjoying it. Once I reoriented myself, I was back in New York with Presley. Speaking of New York, this was absolutely a love letter to the city.

For fans of strong female friendships, New York settings, and funny lines in a book, this will be very enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the sophomore book by Cat Shook, with the audio wonderfully narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Presley Fry loves NYC and her job finding new comedians for a tv show and has a crush on her coworker, Adam, but they seem to be stuck in the friend zone. For romance, she tends to use Tinder for hookups, and lets her roommate, Izzy, be in charge of her social life. She's also still coming to grips with her feelings about the death of her mom, an alcoholic, with whom she had a difficult relationship. Her mom's childhood friend, Susan, whose husband has just been caught in a #MeToo situation and is the head of the network where Presley works, comes back into her life.

This is not really a rom-com, but it certainly has those aspects, as we see Presley pining for Adam, but also developing feelings for Susan's son. It's more of a look at grief, found family and friends who are there to help us through the hard parts of life - if only we can let them in. The characters felt real and Presley was lucky to have lots of people in her corner. It's definitely a love story to NYC (and Bud Light and Trader Joe's!), and I enjoyed the look behind the scenes of discovering new comedic talent.

3 🌟 I have so many different thoughts about this book. First, it truly is a love letter to New York and I love that! How immersive the experience is and how much our FMC loves the city shines through the entire book. Second, this is more of a character study than a plot driven book. We are following our FMC as she lives with grief over losing a loved one, working to make a name for herself at the Late Night show, and trying to open herself up to romance. I don’t mind a character study but Presley is very negative/ cynical and it makes it hard to root for her. We can see how her experiences have shaped her but I personally struggle with the type of person who says they hate something but actually like it. Lastly, I really adored the female friendships in here! They are a very central component in this story and the different ways friendship can evolve. Also, I loved the comedy element and how Shook incorporated stand-up bits in here! I was so excited and impressed when I saw the jokes. From a reading experience perspective, I’d say this is a more fall/ winter read and would recommend waiting to pick it up until then. Cat Shook’s books are so unique and I will definitely continue to read her work!

Thank you so much to Celadon for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Humor Me is the second book I have read that was written by author Cat Shook, and I think she’s got a pattern going here. When you first start to read, it’s just a story you know you’ll love, and when you have to put the book down and do something necessary like chores, eat or sleep, you can bookmark your place and come back to it. Suddenly, though, you are no longer in control and the story takes over and becomes magically fantastic and you are enthralled. You can’t put it down, you absolutely must know how this works out, if all the things you are wishing and hoping for will happen. The plot moves along so smoothly, the words are so expertly crafted you savor each of them, the characters delightfully lovable – or not. Believe me when I say you will not be able to set this aside until you reach the utterly satisfying The End.

Presley is a mess. At the beginning not even an adorable one. Her life is overwhelming and her coping method is to say no it’s not and to close in on herself and just keep pressing forward. She’s not letting any grief, anger, fear, longing, desire out. To say she is holding her emotions close to her chest is an understatement. She is close to the grandparents who mostly raised her, and she confides in her best friend Izzy, and that’s it. She does love the world of stand-up comedy, and parts of her job are great, but being an assistant at the Late Night Show is a lot of thankless go-fer work with a promotion and enough salary to actually live on dangled out there like a carrot just out of reach. She fights acknowledging she’s developed feelings for her work friend Adam. He’s flirty, funny, always there for her and they seem to have some magical connection, but he’s also clueless, or doesn’t have feelings for her like that, or just something you can’t figure out. He immediately goes on the reader’s Watch Out For That Guy List. It’s painful to watch her in pain over him.

The story takes place near the beginning of the Me-Too movement. Women like Presley doesn’t want Dependent Little Housewife to be their title, and they are understandably wary of the behavior of many men. After a scandal involving Thomas Clark, the head of the network where Presley works, his wife Susan seems determined to start a friendship with Presley. Susan was a friend of Presley’s late mother Patty way back when they were young in Eulalia, Georgia. Presley can’t figure out why Susan would want to be friends, and at first doesn’t want any part of it. But she and Presley actually become friends and it’s good – for both of them. And then there’s Lawrence Clark, Susan’s son. He and Presley are thrown together a couple of times and become sort-of friends. There’s just something about him with his wide eyes and big, oafish body and golden retriever vibe – and that giant, open laugh – but nope, not telling you about how that unfolds, because that is definitely part of the magically fantastic.

Thanks to Celadon Books for providing an advance copy of Humor Me. I have said this about every single book I have been lucky enough to receive from Celadon and I think they’ve got a pattern going, too: they publish a small, highly curated list of new titles a year, and if those titles were all I got to read all year I would be satisfied. Fiction, non-fiction, romance, thriller – pick a title and if they’ve published it you will love it and count it as one of your favorite books of the year. Cat Shook is a talented author who crafts beautiful sentences and creates amazing stories and characters that stay with you. I recommend Humor Me as well as her debut novel If We’re Being Honest without hesitation. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

In this book, our main character, Presley, is two years out from her alcoholic mother passing away. She works in NYC at a late-night show, where she has taken on the role of scouting for the next "up and coming" comedian to perform on their Friday night show. One morning, hungover, she sees one of her mom's childhood friends (now frenemy?) who lives on the UES and is a member of high society. The next day, it comes out that her husband has been "Me Too'd" and he also incidentally got Presley her job.

This story is all about women going through life and love. Learning to love. Learning what kind of love you want. Learning what you deserve, etc. No one here is unbroken. However, even though all of the characters are slightly broken, the book is not too sad because it's focused so much on healing.

In slice-of-life books like this, it can be difficult for me to understand why this particular slice of life was chosen. Here is it incredibly clear. None of our characters are the same person they were when the book started. They have all grown. They have all healed. And they're all a little better for it.

✨What it is about:
Presley Fry is a young lady who works as an assistant in the talent booking department of a late night comedy show in New York city. She is worried about being stuck as an assistant and not being promoted. She is also grieving the loss of her mom, who was an alcoholic, and she builds a connection with one of her mom’s friends who ois also experiencing some issues in her life. Presley works to figure out her new reality, and in the midst finds more than she ever expected.”

💭My thoughts:
This ended up being more of a story about friendships, loss, and finding yourself for me. The romance was a small bit of the story that we never fully saw bloom until the very end. I found myself enjoying all the nods to New York, the inner workings of a late night comedy show, the humor, Presley’s friendship with her roommate, as well as the development of her relationship with Susan, her mother’s friend. At first, I thought that particular relationship was not going to work all that well, but somehow it survived all the initial awkwardness. That was definitely an interesting plot line the author explored, and in the end it paid out a little extra for Presley, but you’ll have to read the book to find out why. I read the digital copy along with the audio and it definitely enhanced my experience. The story was narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano and I think she did a great job capturing the youthful and some what effervescence of the main character, despite the grief she’s dealing with…a 25 year old finding her way through life and all its ups and downs. With this one you can expect a little bit of humor, a tiny bit of drama, and the start of an unexpected romance. This might just be the palate cleanser you need between your heavier reads.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Read if you like:
🏙️ Stories with female friendships
🏙️ New York City
🏙️ Stand up comedy
🏙️ Unexpected love
🏙️Coming of age

⚠️CW: Alcoholism, death of a parent, grief, infidelity, mention of sexual harassment.

The blurb for this book described it as a love letter to NYC. I can see that, but I'd also say it's a love letter to rom-coms. I love rom-coms, so this was a fun read.

I liked all the characters in this one and the fact that the most important relationships weren't romantic. The romance was cute enough, but the friendships were really the heart of this one. There isn't much of a plot here, but the characters and their connections make it a sweet, charming story.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

For fans of Good Material, Romantic Comedy or Funny You Should Ask. This book was a perfect combination of everything that I personally enjoy - character development driven plot, comedians, fun banter, behind the scenes of a TV show, endearing characters, NYC setting, good pacing. I have no notes!

I think that it did a really good job of tackling the issues that it mentioned, such as Patty’s alcoholism, Presley’s ensuing childhood trauma, workplace sexism, privilege, etc. It did so in a non-cheesy way and the main character was open about these topics and explored them thoroughly in her narration. It is a big pet peeve of mine when something happens in a book and is immediately glossed over, but that was not the case in Humor Me. Each issue/occurrence/plot point was explored well and satisfactorily before moving on. There were many times I wished I could fist bump the main character through the page.

The focus wasn’t primarily placed on romantic relationships, which meant that we got to see various degrees of functioning friendships. Presley worked through these and as she did, she grew to know herself better. Her friendship with Susan was entertaining for sure, and Izzy was the kind of friend that everyone should have supporting them. Adam..well I won’t go there, but I will say that Presley no doubt made the right choice. It was refreshing to not be super frustrated by the main character’s decisions.

Overall, a big yes from me!

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Cat Shook and Celadon Books!