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Naturally Tan
Naturally Tan: A Memoir | Tan France
60 posts | 64 read | 39 to read
From one of the stars of Netflix's overnight sensation Queer Eye, Tan France's memoir has his signature wit, style, and tells the origin story of the first openly gay, Muslim man on television. In this heartfelt, funny, touching memoir, Tan France, star of Netflixs smash-hit QUEER EYE tells his origin story for the first time. With his trademark wit, humor, and radical compassion, Tan reveals what it was like to grow up gay in a traditional Muslim family, as one of the few people of color in Doncaster, England. He illuminates his winding journey of coming of age, finding his voice (and style!), and how he finally came out to his family at the age of 34, revealing that he was happily married to the love of his life--a Mormon cowboy from Salt Lake City. In Tan's own words, The book is meant to spread joy, personal acceptance, and most of all understanding. Each of us is living our own private journey, and the more we know about each other, the healthier and happier the world will be.
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sarahgreatlove
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Pickpick

As I impatiently wait for another season of Queer Eye, I devour more memoirs. This one is excellent. Most shocking are the stories of racial discrimination Tan faced as a kid. Listened to the audio which he narrates and is 😻.

Clwojick I loved this one the most I think! I still have to read Karamo‘s book, but Antoni‘s and JVN‘s books were great too! I‘m a fellow #QueerEye fan and I will shamelessly admit that ever single episode made me tear up. ❤️💗 (edited) 1y
StaceGhost Karamo‘s book was fantastic! I absolutely agree about doing Tan‘s on audio— plus there‘s a bonus interview! (edited) 1y
sarahgreatlove @Clwojick 💯💯💯 oh yes absolutely!!! I‘ve only read JVN‘s so am excited for Karamo‘s! 1y
11 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn‘t just listened to Jonathan‘s memoir. I enjoyed much of Tan‘s story, but it felt repetitive and the audiobook quality was terrible. It alternated between a normal, clear audiobook and a tin can. I did love the little interruptions from Antoni, though. A low pick/bordering on so-so.

Maria514626 Jonathan‘s book was a-ma-zing! ❤️ 2y
37 likes1 comment
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StaceGhost
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Pickpick

Putting together valentines for my toddler‘s daycare class tomorrow while listening to Tan France spill the tea ☕️

AmyG How cute! 2y
SRWCF What a cute idea! 2y
Karisa I love Tan France! Can practically hear his voice in my head when I read that. I‘m sure he‘d approve of those Valentines—so sweet! 2y
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StaceGhost @AmyG @SRWCF thanks! I got the inspiration from a zero waste blog & I‘m too cheap to buy them lol 2y
StaceGhost @Karisa me too! His accent is so good and he‘s the best when he‘s sassy I‘m here for it! 🥰 2y
SRWCF @StaceGhost These types of "handmade" items are so much more appreciated than something just purchased off a store shelf, even bt 2y
SRWCF Even by toddlers! 2y
25 likes7 comments
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MallenNC
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Pickpick

Tan is my favorite of the new Queer Eye hosts, so I enjoyed his memoir. He throws in some fashion tips while taking you through his life. The funniest part is that at the time he was asked to audition for Queer Eye he wasn‘t sure he even wanted to do it, so he was pretty aloof during the casting. I‘m glad to know from this book that the hosts all get along!

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Mrs_B
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Mehso-so

I love Tan‘s sarcasm and brutal honesty. I love that he read it and his personality really comes across. But the book is disjointed and towards the end gets a little whiny. Also incongruous, he complains about people acting as mad fans when he is just a person but then acts star struck meeting other celebrities.

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Carlile.Nat
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Pickpick

Stunning, simply stunning! Tan's story is so interesting and he tackles so many issues in such an engaging way. Loved it 💚

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BiblioLitten
Mehso-so

As much as I love QE and all of the guys on in, I feel you can give this one a skip.
I felt the whole book could have been summed up as a newspaper article.

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CoffeeNBooks
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Pickpick

This was such a great book, and Tan France is so much fun to listen to! He has such a great personality, and so much enthusiasm for life!

GingerAntics 💙💙💙 4y
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CoffeeNBooks
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I'm thoroughly enjoying this audiobook right now!

Mrs_B I didn‘t realise Tan read it!!! 😍 4y
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KathyWheeler
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Pickpick

I loved this book. Tan is a bit less open than Jonathan, but I don‘t find that surprising at all. 😊 He does let you into his life, and it‘s fun, joyous, and sad all at the same time. He added an extra section to the audiobook where he talks to Antoni, and that was fun. Up next — Karamo. I got to walk before it was raining; that was nice. #audioexercising

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KathyWheeler
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I‘m enjoying this book, but Tan‘s stories about bullying and discrimination because of his color and his religion make me sad and angry at the same time. The spot where I walked looks all woodsy, but it‘s not. It‘s right along the edge of a public golf course and there‘s a major road to the right. The places I‘ve discovered while I‘m out walking, simply by actively trying to avoid people, have been interesting and nice. #audiowalk

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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

I love Tan France. That is all.

Book 13 for #bookspinbonanza

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Awesome progress!!! 4y
33 likes1 comment
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LittleRedReadingHood
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Mehso-so

⭐⭐⭐

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janeycanuck
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This book has me cracking up constantly.

Prairiegirl_reading New season of queer eye starts June 5! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I love Tan and JVN. Both books are better than I expected. I enjoyed both very much! 4y
janeycanuck @Prairiegirl_reading JVN‘s broke my heart 💔 I just discovered the Japan episodes so I‘m watching them now but super excited for the next season! 4y
26 likes2 comments
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canoflightbulbs
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Pickpick

A wonderful read. I find it hard to articulate what I like so much about this book, but I know it‘s always nice to find people who share similar views on things to your own. I borrowed the ebook from the library, but I‘ll have to buy my own physical copy.

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canoflightbulbs
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There are things you can compromise on, and there are things you can‘t. It‘s nice to see someone acknowledge this.

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canoflightbulbs
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“What ailment are these breadsticks and Alfredo sauce attempting to cure?”

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InezRay
Pickpick

I LOVE QUEER EYE. Everything about it and although I could never decide who my favourite is, I do feel a connection with my fellow Brit Tan France. This book has humor, romance and sadness. For anyone that's every felt like an outsider, you'll definitely be able to connect with Tan.

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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a really good fun read. I have to admit that I've never seen Queer Eye and wasn't at all familiar with Tan France (I think Book Riot recommended the book) but he comes across as an incredibly likeable charming bloke. I'm not at all into fashion but I found the fashion tips quite amusing (and entertainingly bitchy)...

arlenefinnigan ... His life story is quite remarkable and while the showbiz stories are fun, he's at his best when he's talking passionately about his determination to be himself - he's rightly angry when talking about the racism he experienced as a child and the treatment of Muslims post 9/11, and his reflections on masculinity are really interesting. I'd recommend this, whether you're a Queer Eye fan or not. 4y
35 likes1 comment
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jen.crofts
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Pickpick

I LOVED this book! I already liked Tan from the show, but it was so fun to hear his story, especially the bits where he talks about his husband. I also enjoyed hearing the reasons he loves Salt Lake City since a great up a few cities away.

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arlenefinnigan
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#ReadHarder challenge 4 : a memoir by someone from a religious tradition that is not your own

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Augustdana
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This has been my ritual for the last few days. I‘ve cleaned up after dinner, brewed some tea, lit a candle and...it just feels like such an indulgence.

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xicanti
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1. I‘M SO EXCITED ABOUT QUEER EYE‘S JAPANESE EPISODES!!!! Two of my favourite things, combined! Whee!

2. I‘ve always felt like Tan is the cast member I‘d be least likely to click with, and his book confirmed that—BUT, I think said book has made me like him more on screen. Huh.

3. I‘m still grumpy he dissed my hair in one of his sidebars, though. NOT COOL, TAN.

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MsLeah8417
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love you, Tanny!! This book is fast paced and a joy to read. Tan is quick witted, genuine, loving and super fun!

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thricerenewed
Pickpick

I love a book when I can imagine someone telling me the story, and I could hear Tan in my head reading this to me as if we were having a conversation - inflection and all. Sure, it may be a little disjointed as other readers have said, but it didn‘t take away from learning more about Tan, for me, and that‘s really why I picked up the book. Overall, nice easy read, two laugh out loud moments, and learned some QE behind the scenes tidbits.

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Kalalalatja
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Mehso-so

I don‘t really know how to review this, since I‘m normally a really big fan of Tan. However, this book didn‘t put him in the best of lights. It was messy and disjointed, and while I like Tan‘s fashion tips, they felt like something I have heard a million times before. Tan‘s history, problems with racism, and the love for his husband, were interesting to listen to, but they got lost in the messiness of it all.

Blaire Interesting to hear...I really like Tan and enjoyed his interview on fresh air. Too bad the book doesn‘t hold up. 4y
tournevis Yours is the third nearly identical review I've read about this book on here. Must be true! 4y
68 likes2 comments
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xicanti
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Pickpick

A borderline pick. Tan‘s got lots of important things to say about racism, colourism, authenticity, celebrity, and relationships. I‘m glad we‘ve got his voice.

That said, the book isn‘t well organized. It reads like a brain dump. It also reinforced my impression that Tan and I may be both too similar and too different to really get along. His strong views on fashion often stand counter to my own AND contradict what he states elsewhere.

xicanti Oh, and I MIGHT have taken a particular satisfaction in buying blue hair dye on my afternoon #audiowalk. One of Tan‘s strong views is a distaste for hair that‘s unnaturally coloured and/or super long. I‘m gonna keep my blue hair, thanks, and if things carry on as they are I hope it‘ll someday be long enough to sit on. 4y
34 likes1 comment
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xicanti
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Tonight I took Casey for an #audiowalk, made supper, remade my bed after laundry day, did a ton of dishes, stirred peanut butter, and somehow found myself most of the way through NATURALLY TAN.

It‘s pretty stream-of-consciousness and—please don‘t hate me—I‘m still not sure Tan and I would be friends. I mean, he has Very Wrong Opinions about hair. I feel like we‘d be in conflict pretty often, on that account and due to a few other points.

emtobiasz That‘s how I felt after reading Karamo‘s memoir. Like “oh, I might like him less after learning all this about him.” By the time I got to Tan‘s I think I was prepped for that idea. 4y
xicanti @emtobiasz I was sort of braced for it here, since Tan‘s always been the cast member I‘ve felt I might only be casual acquaintances with, but I AM a bit worried about the others. I‘ve got Karamo‘s book our now too, only in print. 4y
46 likes2 comments
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emtobiasz
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I‘m still having trouble concentrating on the books I bring home, so I‘m trying Tan France with my thunderbuddy Olive 🐶⛈😳

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Clwojick
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As a huge fan of Queer Eye, I was extremely thrilled when I heard that Tan was publishing a book. He has such a quirky fun attitude on the show, and I‘m glad to see that sassy quirkiness has come through in the audiobook in all the ways I had hoped. I‘m only about 1/4 of the way into it, but so far I‘m loving it. #NaturallyTan #QueerEye #CloudLibrary #Audiobook

marleed I loved this audiobook! I have these five incredible men on a high plane of goodness. I gotta say, I was a little relieved that Tan has has thoughts not always on that elusively high status! 4y
Clwojick @marleed YES! There were some parts that I could totally relate to. Ones that, I would assume, most celebrities would not admit to. 😂 4y
77 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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marleed
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Pickpick

The Queer Eye show is pure goodness. It was fun to read Tan having opinions that muddy up those waters. ...PSAs from Tan France are simply the best!

Prairiegirl_reading It‘s a fun read. I loved his opinion on the Olive Garden. 🤣 5y
marleed @Prairiegirl_reading Oh me too. Now when I bite into that wonderful gooeyness, I‘m going to tell myself it‘s in exchange for letting sh*t go! It‘s a good exchange, I think! 5y
NaomiO Love love love him. I realized after reading his book that he is one of my spirit animals. I think he is such a wonderful guy. 5y
marleed @NaomiO I just love him, too - even more with the book and my sigh of relief that he is among us mere mortals in thought and opinion! 5y
56 likes1 stack add4 comments
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RealLifeReading
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Current audiobook and wip - a baby blanket using a Catherine wheel stitch. #audiocrochet

llwheeler Love the colours! 5y
Oryx Pretty! 5y
Lindy So pretty! 5y
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Leftcoastzen Beautiful!👏 5y
Bookzombie So pretty! 5y
Johanna414 Love it! 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Sweet colours! 5y
BooknerdsLife Awww that‘s so pretty!!! 😍💗💗I‘ve just started crocheting recently too and it‘s so addictive! 5y
95 likes9 comments
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RealLifeReading
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Good morning! I am seriously jetlagging. I spent the last few hours awake (since 326am) tossing and turning, reading a bit, lying there practicing deep breathing and trying various things like counting backwards from 1000 in threes. And of course googling things like “how long does it take to get over jet lag”. Which isn‘t helpful as it takes 1-2 days to recover for each time zone crossed and Singapore is 15 hours ahead of CA

MrsMalaprop Hope you get over it soon 😴. 5y
MicheleinPhilly Ugh. Hope you find a remedy soon. 5y
MEGR Have you tried melatonin? That usually works for us. Good luck 👍🏼🍀! 5y
88 likes3 comments
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NaomiO
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Pickpick

I fell in love with the Fab 5 from the moment I watched their first epsiode, and my love for them has increased with every season. I absoultly loved this book that Tan wrote. I think he is my spirt animal. This book is a great read and I love all the advice and heart warming stories he shares. Plus his love story with his husband is so sweet.

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NaomiO
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Long weekend read!

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SiriGuruDevSingh
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Pickpick

❤️💕

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JoScho
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Pickpick

If you love QE then this book is a no brainer. Tan is so warm and honest. He talks about his upbringing in England-being bullied for being “brown” and finding his place. We learn about the casting for the show and all that fun stuff. The audiobook read by him is fantastic.
Now not so patiently awaiting JVN‘s book in September!

Prairiegirl_reading I put it off thinking I was being obsessive about queer eye but I decided to go for it and used my audible credit. I‘m am not sorry I did! It‘s good fun! 😄 5y
Prairiegirl_reading Also can‘t wait for JVN‘s book in September! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 He‘s my favourite!! 5y
gradcat He‘s just soooo cute, too...I think he‘s really a good-looking guy. ♥️ 5y
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JoScho @gradcat yes he is adorable! The way he talks about his relationship with his husband is also pretty awesome. 5y
JoScho @Prairiegirl_reading yaaaasss Queen! 5y
gradcat @JoScho His husband is pretty cute, too...he kind of reminds me of David Bowie... 5y
78 likes6 comments
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theshrinkette
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Pickpick

I finished this in pretty much one sitting. I really enjoyed how this memoir was set up to mesh his fashion tips with his personal stuff. As a fellow desi queer, I related to and appreciated his discussions on mental health, colourism in the community, racism, etc. I also commend him for being very clear about the boundaries around his personal life, and that some things he wasn't going to put out publicly just for tragedy/pain porn consumption.

Erinsuereads This is one of my favorites of the summer! 5y
28 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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theshrinkette
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Today's commute reading.

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BookMaven9
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Pickpick

Excellent memoir! What makes it so excellent? He wrote it all by himself, flaws and all. You can‘t get more authentic than that. Interesting and engaging young man who is a completely grounded soul.

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thelizflynn
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5! I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir! Tan‘s voice is amazing and the book is light hearted and fun while touching on some more serious aspects of his life. I feel like it didn‘t go as “deep” as Karamo‘s memoir, but that doesn‘t mean it‘s any less substantial. I actually kinda enjoyed this book a bit more! #audiobook #queereye #litsyAtoZ

squirrelbrain I just got Karamo‘s book on Kindle, but haven‘t read it yet... I really want to read this one too. 5y
thelizflynn @squirrelbrain they‘re both really enjoyable and fun if you‘re a fan of the Fab 5! 😊 5y
11 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MEGR
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🧖🏻‍♀️

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MEGR
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Chilaquiles & a book 📖

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Mitch
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OMG he was brilliant. Sooooo good and genuine and witty and brave. Series 4 airs in the U.K. July 16 and he‘s starting filming season 5 end of this week - so lots of treats to come!

kellyann28 Tan France is a treasure! 5y
JoScho Love him so much! 5y
Mitch @JoScho and just so nice in person. Just like he is on the show - I was so relieved! 5y
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JoScho @Mitch that is so great to hear. You always worry they aren‘t as kind as you think they are. 5y
Fridameetslucy Envious. Did you hear Karamo on Russell Brands podcast recently ? I follow them all on Instagram. 5y
Mitch @Fridameetslucy I didn‘t.. I must check that out 5y
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Smrloomis
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Pickpick

💕💕💕💕 I loved this so much. Didn‘t realize there would be so many f-bombs - and had to pause it around some sensitive little ears - but otherwise I really, really enjoyed it. Especially the audio. If you like the show, then you should read or listen to this. 💕💕💕💕

Smrloomis Oh and also special thanks to @Smangela because I might have otherwise missed this! 🤷🏻‍♀️ I watched and loved the show but didn‘t realize I wanted to read books from them until I saw this one. 👍🏽 5y
DivineDiana Why so many expletives? Not necessary for me. 🤔 5y
Smangela @Smrloomis oh my gosh yes, having read it, I must‘ve glossed over the f-bomb. I imagine the audio would be awesome BUT definitely hard around little ears 😂 5y
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Smrloomis @DivineDiana I don‘t think it was excessive but always a consideration with audio. 5y
Smrloomis @Smangela 😂 it was funny and also had a cameo from one of the other fab five. Did the book version also have him in there? 5y
Smangela @Smrloomis no! Omg lol now I need to check out the audio book! 5y
Smrloomis @Smangela YES!!! You should listen to it. The camels - erm, cameos - are short but very worth it. No camels. That‘s just autocorrect doing what it does best. 5y
BooknerdsLife Oh I love the show and everyone of them!!! 😱😍💖 Hope my library has the audio too!! 🤞🏼 5y
Smrloomis @BooknerdsLife my fingers are crossed for you! I loved this so much so I hope you get to listen to it too! 5y
65 likes4 stack adds9 comments
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Smrloomis
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Started this today and - no surprise - I‘m really enjoying it. Just what I need right now and I am really glad to have it on audio 😁.

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IndoorDame
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Picked up this new audible original featuring several queer comedians telling short autobiographical stories, hosted by the tagged author (not yet in database). It‘s a quick listen, a bit all over the map. I found it in turns dull, funny and moving. But I was really glad to have it today since I wasn‘t able to make it to Pride.

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Karen.reads
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“No matter how sexy my shoes, I am full-on trash.” Tan France is a beautiful and hilarious human.

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sophierayton
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Pickpick

As a girl from Doncaster, how could I not love Tan and his book?! I actually had no idea that we shared a home town, nor that we share a 'Mormon' connection (He now lives in Salt Lake City and is married to someone raised as a Mormon). There is some salty language, but it's done in a good humoured way and Tan is just so lovable that I didn't particularly mind. Tan is vulnerable but also funny and smart, I think this memoir is very well done.

Anna40 Of the fabulous five, Tan is my favorite. :) 5y
25 likes1 comment