Humor Me by Cat Shook is a reflective look at the life of Presley Fry, a 25-year-old assistant at a comedy club in downtown NYC. The book navigates Presley's daily struggles at work, her relationships, and her grief over the loss of her mother. At its core, this is a story about healing and personal growth, with Presley learning how to be kinder and more connected to her emotions.

Presley's journey is relatable, filled with awkward social moments, panic attacks, and a hesitant romance that only begins to unfold towards the end. The book often felt repetitive, with much of the focus on her job, nights out at bars, and the comedy scene, which dragged the pacing for me. However, I did enjoy the glimpses into the New York comedy world, her friendship with her roommate, and her evolving relationship with her late mother's friend, Susan.

While Presley is a likable character and her narrative voice is compelling, Humor Me seems torn between being a new adult novel and literary fiction aimed at a younger crowd. The heavy themes of grief, alcoholism, and the #MeToo movement are balanced by humor and rom-com moments, but the pacing was slower than I expected, with writing that oscillates between insightful and somewhat immature. Perhaps this reflects Presley’s emotional stuntedness, which is a key part of her character.

Overall, this was an okay read. I liked Presley and appreciated her growth, but I won't be revisiting anytime soon.

I enjoyed the narrator quite a bit, and the NYC setting, as well as much of the humor! For me, the pacing was a bit slow and I had some trouble staying “hooked”.

Wow, is Humor Me truly Cat Shook's second novel!?! I'm seriously impressed. This is a very intricate story, and the way Shook develops the plot and the characters' stories... well, the whole thing is just beautifully done.

I adore books set in New York City, and I was the same age as Presley when I lived there. I was in a very similar financial and job situation as she is, though GAH, my life would have been so different if it had been the 2020's and not the 1990's LOL! Hookup apps and Trader Joes? Ha, how times have changed.

But there are more similarities than differences. Cat Shook's observances of things like riding on the subway, going to clubs, and the overall vibe of the City hasn't changed much and I loved how Presely navigates her way through everything this amazing place has to offer.

Anyhoo, in addition to the ambiance Shook captures about NYC, I enjoyed Presley's interaction with the other characters. Humor Me is a unique and captivating novel and I highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to reading If We're Being Honest and whatever else this talented author produces.

The audio version of Humor Me is nicely performed by Ferdelle Capistrano.

I enjoyed Humor Me by Cat Shook—it was a roller coaster of emotions. While it had some comedy, it also dealt with grief and romance, so it really had it all.

I loved the main character, Presley, with all her flaws and her journey as she copes with the grief of losing her mother while working hard on her career. The characters surrounding her add depth to the story and keep it engaging.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book!

This was a good uncomplicated listen where the main character is living in NYC in her 20s, and going through all the growing pains that are inherent to that decade of life. Fleshed out characters and decent dialogue made it suitable for the audiobook format.

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

Travel By Book - New York City Edition
Humor Me by Cat Shook, a coming of age story set in New York's comedy scene - Presley an assistant at a late night show is stuck in a rut, working, her wonderful roommate, crushing on a work friend from afar and tinder, basically fill all her needs but could there be more to life ? And is she ready to embrace it ?
What starts getting her unstuck is meeting her deceased mother's childhood friend by chance and her having married somebody who is getting embroiled in a metoo-scandal. Having perceived herself as a feminist and having the requisite judgements, stereotypes and notions of pop culture Presley's eyes are opened when she bumps into Susan. Susan needing someone, latches onto Presley as her high profile husband has been caught cheating.
This book follows the two with a focus on Presley for the better part of a year and I loved that since events don't feel forced or rushed.
Presley has some growing to do and that she does in this warmhearted and funny story - i enjoyed being along for the ride. This book is also an ode to New York City with vivid descriptions and lots of places mentioned and I loved traveling there by book.
I listened to the audio for this one and it was a joy - the narration by Ferdelle Capistrano was spot on and set the scene vividly for me.

Humor Me was another great Cat Shook novel. I liked the character exploration and the writing was propulsive. I would read more from this author.

I kept seeing so many rave reviews by trusted bookstagrammers on this one, but after several tries, I couldn't get past 20%. It just felt like I was forcing myself to listen when I'd almost listened to this book before, but this wasn't really any different than an episode of SATC.

Presley is a funny, smart, hard-working assistant for a late-night Comedy Show. About a year and a half ago, Presley’s mom, who was an alcoholic, died. Their relationship was thorny, and Presley’s grief was complex. Mourning is on her mind, but Presley doesn’t discuss it with her friends or colleagues. That’s Presley’s pattern. People love Presley and want to be close to her. But, she shares limited personal information with her roommate / best friend, colleagues at work, crush, or newest friend –Presley’s mom’s childhood best friend.

Presley struggles to trust that people are honest with her. She wonders what they see in her and believes that liking her is a mark of bad judgment. Presley is so skeptical of others that she’s built a brick wall of boundaries to protect herself from them.

Therapists frequently encourage people to set boundaries to protect their mental health. But Presley is too effective at boundaries, and her boundaries are rigid.

Rigid boundaries wall a person off, making it hard for others to get emotionally close. Many people with rigid boundaries have a history of abusive, manipulative, or otherwise unreliable relationships. These negative experiences led them to believe that avoiding intimacy by keeping others at a distance lessens the possibility that they will be rejected, hurt, or let down.

Here are tips to relax rigid boundaries.

Differentiate Self-Protecting from Self-Sabotaging: Unhelpful thoughts like “I need to end things before they get to know the real me,” or “They’ll inevitably break up with me, so I’ll do it first,” are self-sabotages masking as self-protection.

Say Yes More Often: Hang out with people. Let friends help you. When someone tries to get to know you, meet them halfway by sharing your thoughts, feelings, history, and stories. Collect positive experiences with others and remind yourself to acknowledge and remember them.

Change Gradually: Boundaries can be weak, healthy, or rigid. Impulsive, dramatic change leads to overcorrecting. Take small steps to avoid switching from rigid to weak boundaries.

Humor Me by Cat Shook

Love Cat Shook? Me too. Check out my post on Allyship and IF WE’RE BEING HONEST by Cat Shook.

I was hesitant about this book because I am not the biggest fan of stand up comedy but thankfully the book did not go that far into it. There were discussions about finding comedians but I did not have to read any bad jokes so that was a big plus for me.

That being said - I really did feel like this book was 3000 pages long. I kept waiting for things to pick up a bit and they never really did in the end.

There were some relatable moments for me. The MC Presley was a bit of a wreck and was in a weird will-they-or-won’t-they situation with a handsome coworker. I feel like we have all had a weird flirtation in our lives that we hoped would turn into more.

That being said.. She kinda sucked. While I got that she was going through some things, she did not need to be such a raging, jealous b**** to her best friend... It was super gross to read through that honestly. I did like her love interest though, he was more likable.

All in all - not my favorite book I have read this summer. I am surprised I finished it in the end.

In this novel, we follow Presley, a New York transplant from Georgia. She is anti-love, has never been in a relationship, lives with her anti-love BFF, and grew up with an alcoholic mother who passed away recently. Presley, a comedian scout for a late-night talk show, frequents comedy clubs. She reconnects with a woman who grew up with her mother and strikes up an unlikely friendship with her. Susan and Presley have experiences together that leave them open to new feelings. Throughout the year, Presley tries to figure out her feelings for romantic interests, friendships, and her past.

While the book has some really great moments that make the story worthwhile, some parts drag on and focus too much on Presley's day-to-day life. The great conversations, revelations, and aha! moments bring this book into the "OK" category instead of being boring. Overall, it's easy to get distracted while reading or listening to this story, but it does have great moments of interpersonal relationships that make it worthwhile.

I love a book that makes me feel and this one made me feel so many emotions. I was a bit comedy, but death with grief and romance as well.

I loved our main Presley. She's dealing with grief of losing her mother. But also working hard trying to pave her way in her career. She has a small but interesting group of friends.

This one took me on an emotional roller coaster!

Thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books and MacMillan Audio for eARC and ALC copies.

I don’t DNF many books, however at half way through this one I can’t bring myself to finish it. So far I feel like I’m just following this girl around in her boring life and nothing major is happening. Listening to the audio, my mind keeps wondering as there is nothing that is really keeping my attention on the story. I feel it is lacking a hook to the plot.

Honestly, I couldn't even finish this one. The book didn't seem to be going anywhere and I had no motivation to finish it. I was not connected to the characters or the story at all.

This was unexpected in a good way. I was expecting an enjoyable but run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. Despite the romance plot (which I enjoyed—I’ll get to that), I didn’t think that the romance was the most prominent storyline until towards the end. Rather, I felt this was a story about Presley, her grief over losing her mother, the solace she and Susan found in their connection, and her journey of self-discovery. And then there is a love story, too. But it isn’t the love story I expected.

Susan Clark’s storyline appears on the surface to be included as a catalyst for Presley to meet other viable dating options (her son, Lawrence) and to connect about her late mother. Susan brings both of those to the book, but her character is experiencing her own story of love, loss, betrayal, and opening up. Her husband is the head of the network where Presley works, and he’s been caught up in his own #metoo scandal. The book doesn’t touch heavily on her husband, though. Susan needed someone to connect with as she processed what happened in her marriage, and Presley being the daughter of her best friend offered her a way to both connect with her friend, but also mentor a younger woman. They also connect over losing someone they cared deeply for. She also, of course, introduces her sons to Presley and becomes the family that Presley needed. Susan’s story doesn’t go where you think it will, and that is a positive thing. I appreciated the way it was left. It felt organic and healing, somehow.

I keep thinking of all the cheesy sayings about opening yourself up to new connections (when life closes a door… etc.) after reading this book. Despite rolling our eyes at the saying themselves, their message is true. We always have options, and sometimes it isn’t life that is trapping us, it’s ourselves. Presley is closed off in many ways, she has crafted a narrative about herself that she doesn’t do relationships. But does she actually believe this, or is it because of her crush on Adam?

I’d argue it is the latter, because we also don’t see Presley engaging in casual flings in the book. She isn’t looking to meet anyone as long as Adam is still an option (though she doesn’t admit this to herself until some tough love from her bestie, Izzy). Presley and Izzy’s friendship was authentic to being in your early twenties. They experience the complications that occur when close friends grow into their adult lives and relationships at different times and at different paces, and are finding their new normal. Issy was a serial dater, but finds herself with a girlfriend just as Presley is dealing with a tough relationship moment with Adam. I liked seeing their growth!

Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for my copy. Opinions are my own.

I’ve had two close friends lose parents to alcoholism this year alone, so this book hit home in that regard for sure. I liked the age-gap friendship between Presley & Susan - an old friend of Presley’s mom who’s going through her own personal crisis and seeking connection. Their antics cracked me up and I found their friendship to be so sweet and believable. Presley’s unrequited love for a “bestie” coworker was so relatable as well and her overall job finding comedians for a late night show was interesting and fun. I love an NYC setting and this book is a great mix of depth and humor excellently narrated for audiobook. Cat Shook is quickly becoming an auto read for me.

I really really enjoyed this book. I love a good romance, but then you add in humor, and i'm sold. This book was just so golden. Highly recommend

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a cute read, with well written characters, plenty of humor and a sense of realness. The narrator did great. I would read more by this author.

Presley Fry, a character entrenched in the routines of her assistant role at the Late Night Show. Her life, marked by a pragmatic approach to dating and a reliance on her lively roommate Isabelle for social engagements, lacks genuine connection. Yet, Presley finds joy in the world of stand-up comedy and the discovery of new comedic talent. Her life is further complicated by her grief over her mother’s recent death.And her life shifts with the introduction of Susan Clark, her mother’s childhood friend.

“Humor Me” balances humor and seriousness, capturing the essence of a woman finding her way through the intertwining challenges of career, love, and loss. Presley's journey is relatable and heartfelt, making this a compelling read for those who appreciate character-driven stories with emotional depth and a touch of humor.

A light fiction novel walking is through a young woman's journey to finding herself in her career, family, friendships, and love life.