Love this! Although it started out a little slow for me, it quickly picked up and I couldn’t stop listening. Presley, a women that hasn’t had the best example of what a relationship looks like growing up, go through her journey to not only work through all the baggage but also finding herself along the way. The book had all the feels- made me laugh, sympathize and found myself cheering for so many different characters! You won’t be disappointed!

This is my first time reading a book from this author and I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, this is my first time reading a book about females working in the comedy industry. The protagonist Presley was super cute, socially conscious, and had an ear and eye for picking up-and-coming comedians. Taking place in New York, the hub of comedy stardom, I thought that the story was a nice balance of comedy and challenging topics such as sexual assault in the workplace, the death of Presley's mother, and navigating relationships. The beginning started a bit slow but once it picked up with the introduction of all the other people in Presley's life, it had me locked in. If you're looking for a quirky, romantic comedy read, this is a good choice!

This book was really good! I loved that the quirky girl ended up befriending the high society woman. Their relationship was my favorite, didn't feel forced. The topics of romance and grief were well written and relatable. The romance wasn't the focus which was refreshing. The comedy scene and the NYC setting were perfect.

I really enjoyed this slower paced but witty novel. I listened to an advanced audiobook and the narrator perfectly captured Presley!

I like that this book is a romcom but with unexpected twists, the perfect amount to change up the formula a bit. The characters felt real, they weren’t caricatures or melodramatic. This book felt like a warm hug, an old friend, and definitely a love letter to NYC.

Thank you Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced audiobook copy!

This was a first listen to Cat Shook's fiction. While it read like a dramedy, it also has some important messages about sexist behavior and how hard it is to navigate politely, and whether we should feel obligated to. I appreciated that it didn't follow the normal 'just friends' romance trope, made it a surprising read. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this book and give my honest review.

Cute, funny, and a light Romcom. If you are a Romcom fan this is the book for you.

Thank you #Netgalley and #MacMillan audio for this ARC

Humor Me follows Presley Fry, a woman juggling her career, relationships, and personal grief. Presley is an assistant at the Late Show and always looks for new comedians to bring on the show. She is pining after a co-worker but doesn't want to address her feelings. She is currently avoiding emotional connections since the loss of her mother. Presley runs into one of her mother's childhood friends, who makes her face her grief and can help her heal.

The book is a character-driven story with emotional depth and a touch of comedy. Seeing a romantic comedy tackle substance use, family loss, and overcoming emotional struggles was unique. The use of comedy finds a lightness even in the heaviness of the subject matter. Humor Me created a narrative that was entertaining and emotionally resonant. I was annoyed with some of the characters' decisions, but that's just me. The audiobook narration was well done, and the articulation was clear. The book had a few slow moments, but it was worth the read overall.

Thank you, Netgalley and MacMillan Audio, for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Presley Fry is an assistant on The Late Night Show, she gets to scout new comedians and maybe someday she'll even get promoted.  She also lost her mother recently with whom she had a complicated relationship - her mom was an alcoholic and as such was not always the best parent.  One day while waiting for a cruller from Daily Provisions (they have the best crullers) Presley bumps into her mother's best friend Susan Clark, Susan is married to the head of the Late Night network and he has recently been ousted due to some unsavory behavior.  Now single and a bit lonely herself, Susan takes Presley under her wing and the two begin an unlikely friendship. WIth Susan Presley now has a connection to her mother which is allowing her to see her mother in a new light, she is hanging out with Susan's very handsome son and she has a new outlook on her life.

This was a cute novel about life in NYC and the TV comedy world around the time of "me too".  It was sweet, but for me none of the relationships really rang true.  Maybe it was because Presley just didn't have enough dimension for most of the novel and then just allowed herself to fall into these relationships, either way I never really felt any real connection to anyone while reading it; I just enjoyed the story and moved on.  I think the story was there, but the character development needed more and for that I just didn't get fully invested.  The audio was really well done, I thought the narrator was wonderful and enjoyed listening to this one as much as I enjoyed reading.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC to review

This audiobook was hard to sit through the narrator was very annoying in her voice and how she portrayed the story but otherwise it was a funny rom com

Loved this one! The author did a great job with nothing really happens but real life story. Very much enjoyed it

HUMOR ME is heartfelt story takes place in NYC at the dawn of the #MeToo era in 2017. Presley Fry is an overworked and underpaid assistant at a late night comedy show with a lackluster romantic life. Presley is floundering as she tries to navigate new adulthood without having the steady anchor of her mother. Presley connects with her late mother’s childhood friend and the two embark on an unexpected friendship.

This story explores how humor can be used as a coping mechanism to avoid vulnerability, but also the way comedy can bring people together. I loved the relationships Presley forged as she sought to find her place in the world.

The audiobook narration was enjoyable and made for easy listening. I'd highly recommend the audio format!


READ THIS IF YOU:
-have a soft spot for intergenerational friendships
-are interested in a character-driven story with a vivid NYC setting
-believe comedy can heal hearts

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so thankful to have received an ARC from Netgalley of the Audiobook of Humor Me by Cat Shook. The audiobook was narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano. I read "If We Are Being Honest" by Cat Shook about a year ago, and while I like that story, I loved this book so much more.

To sum up the overarching ideas of this book: Presley is a southern girl who has moved to NYC and works on a late-night show. She has lost her mother and has never had a boyfriend. She lives with her best friend.

The things I loved about this book: Presley's love for her grandparents & her best friend. The character growth that we eventually see in Presley. The late-night show setting. (I love comedy as well.) The story is thoughtful and emotional and has some very fun scenes. I also adored the unexpected friendship that bloomed in the story (which I will not reveal so I don't spoil anything.)

The things I was not crazy about: There was a "all older, white men who have power in business are terrible" theme. And, believe me, I can totally understand the Me Too movement that was frequently referenced. But, it felt almost "preachy" or mean at times. Yes, many men have done many wrong things---but not ALL or even MOST men.
Presley's relational immaturity was hard to deal with at times....but sometimes people (and book characters!) are who they are and just have to grow eventually.
Also, for what it is worth- I can always skip the too-many-details-sex scenes. UGH---Just no. Gross.


NOW: Let's talk audiobook! Ferdelle Capistrano knocks it out of the park! IT WAS AMAZING. I think this may have been the first book I have ever heard narrated by her---and oh my goodness! I want to listen to everything she has ever narrated now! The inflection, emotion, the investment in the story: everything was spot on. I highly recommend this book in audio if you can. (However, in reference to the steamy scenes make sure you have earbuds)

This was cute and fun and an easy listen. I enjoyed the somewhat unconventional friendship between Presley and Susan - it was a refreshing change to see a "parent-type" older woman presented as a fully three-dimensional character, rather than a foil to the younger ones. The banter between the characters was engaging and felt realistic, as did the challenges of working through the death of a parent and difficult parent-child relationships. There was more substance here than I expected, and I really enjoyed it.

4.5 Stars

This book definitely felt a lot like Curtis Sittenfeld's "Romantic Comedy' and that's not a bad thing! I really enjoyed this one! It had Rom-com vibes, but also tackled some more complex issues - addiction, grief, career development and relationships. I liked how the romance piece wasn't the center of the novel but rather a fun background topic.

I listened to and enjoyed Shook's first novel, "If We're Being Honest" and this, her second was equally entertaining. I'm definitely a fan of this author and can't wait to see what she's got coming up next.

The audio narration was excellent also. This was a fun and easy listen and it would make an excellent summer beach read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC audio of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book as an Arc from NetGalley.

Lovely story about friendship and living in NY in your 20s. I really enjoyed all of the little bits about New York. I was skeptical at first about the relationship between Susan and Presley but grew to really enjoy it.

This isn’t the normal book I go for but I really enjoyed this story.

3.5
Having enjoyed Shook’s previous novel I was very excited to get both an audio and a physical copy of this. While I appreciated the emotional and mental journey of the main character I didn’t actually start truly feeling connected to her until more than half way through. It grew on me but took quite awhile to get there. I actually switched from the audio because it wasn’t working for me and liked that route much better!

What I did really love was the intergenerational friendship that bloomed and found that relationship to be what I looked forward to hearing about most. There was a lot to like in this book like beautiful friendships and a love of NYC, so I’m sure plenty of people will love it!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the alc and Celadon for the #gifted arc!

I made it about 50% of the way through the book and then had to stop. I was hoping for comedy and insight and I got a little bit of comedy but if there was any insight to be had, it must have come towards the end after all the over analyzing, cringe worthy scenes. I might have done better reading, rather than listening. The audio book reader was very good -- especially when voicing the young people (her voice for the older woman really didn't work for me) -- but if I had read the book I could have skimmed and made it through all the tedious scenes of "does he like me?" "Do I like him?" I know this book is for a younger audience (20 somethings), but all the useless drinking and the fact that Presley was always so quick to anger about every possible slight was really annoying. I honestly can't tell if the author thinks all this paranoid perception of microaggressions makes sense or is showing how broken her character is, but in any case, as much as I'd like to know what happens, I'm getting too irritated by the very character I think I'm supposed to care about.

Unfortunately not a good fit for me and I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone going through something similar because you won't get any ideas about how to make yourself any happier!

Humor Me was a fun romcom, but was also, so much more. Presley, a young intern, working as an assistant to a producer of a TV comedy show and trying, unsuccessfully, to overcome her deep grief over the loss of her alcoholic mother a year ago. Set in New York City, it is full of great characters and places around the city.

Her relationship with Susan, a childhood friend of Presley's mom created a really great storyline. The relationship created a great way to watch as Presley grows and develops as a character. Presley is cut-off from her locked up emotions, and while the characters are dealing with a lot, the novel is filled with humor which makes the book so relatable and easy to read. Ferdelle Capistrano was a great narrator and gave great voices to Presley, Susan and the other characters.

This was my first Cat Shook novel and I would definitely read more from her because Humor Me was a romp, and I read it in an afternoon because it was just fun. I felt the ending was maybe a little abrupt, but on reflection, it was probably just right because to go on anymore would probably be too much.

Thanks to Netgalley for an arc audiobook.

This story is definitely a #lovelettertoNewYork and readers who are very familiar with New York will get more out of it than those who are not. I loved the narration by Ferdelle Capistrano of this audiobook but was only able to make it 48% of the way through. There was just nothing in it for me. I think the audience for this book would be late twenties and thirties. Those who are uncomfortable with foul language and descriptive sex scenes will not enjoy this book. While this particular book was not for me, I do plan to look into other books by this author that may appeal to some of our library patrons because she is from Georgia. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a free advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cat Shook's "Humor Me" is a heartwarming and humorous novel that follows Presley, a jaded talent scout for a late-night comedy show. Navigating the post #MeToo landscape, Presley grapples with the recent loss of her mother to alcoholism, a struggle mirrored in her own heavy drinking.

The story unfolds as Presley confronts the fallout from her connection to the Late Night’s show’s (a producer’s) sexual misconduct accusations.

An unexpected friendship blossoms between Presley and Susan, her late mother's childhood friend and the accused producer's wife. Witnessing their bond develop is a highlight of the novel. Their connection offers solace and growth for both women, showcasing the unexpected ways we can find healing.

Presley's journey is further enriched by a cast of quirky characters. Izzy, Clark, and Adam.

One minor point – while the novel tackles complex themes, Presley's heavy drinking, a potential coping mechanism for her grief, goes largely unaddressed. I found this a surprising omission.

Overall, "Humor Me" is a delightful read. It's a perfect blend of humor and heart, reminding us that laughter can be a powerful tool for healing, even in the face of loss.