Welcome to Litsy!

I loved this one. MESSY! It filled the "I wish I could just read LUSTER again and again" shaped hole in my heart. The cover makes it look more light than it is. It's about a 29-year-old comedy writer flailing after the late night show she works on wraps, and how her life becomes entangled over the course of the weekend with its 65 year old host's life. Moral ambiguity by the bucketful, amazingly satisfying banter, but again, not a light read.

In episode 58 of the Brit Lit Podcast, hear from Erin Somers between British and American humour, the challenges of writing funny books, her novel STAY UP WITH HUGO BEST, and more.

Hugo Best, newly-retired late night talk show host, unexpectedly invites his former writer‘s assistant, June Bloom, to his obnoxiously beautiful mansion home after he catches her stand-up act (& her post-act, vomit-filled jitters). Despite this, she asks, “You know how nothing‘s fun?” This describes the book. It‘s not fun. But I weirdly don‘t mean that as an insult. It *is* sharp & dull at the same time, which I also don‘t mean as an insult. 👇🏻

“I had been an English major, which embarrassed me. Telling people only ever elicited a snide remark about Jane Austen. That or they‘d lecture me about liberal arts being a waste of money. How I should‘ve learned a trade instead, or skipped college altogether. The founder of Facebook didn‘t finish college, they liked to say. As if I should go back and do that.”

“If he had known all those years ago when he started smoking that he would end up chewing gum for the rest of his life like an asshole teenager he wouldn't have started in the first place. He'd almost take cancer instead.“

Some reviewers have claimed that this book isn't funny. It's certainly not innocuous but I'm rather enjoying the snark.

I settled on this. It‘s got a 44% Litsy rating, so it was an obvious choice to follow-up a work of complete genius. 🙈😅 #questionabledecisions

I like it, so far, though! It‘s different, which is what I needed.

I totally didn‘t get this book. Was it supposed to be funny? Or purposely unfunny so it was a commentary on life in the modern urban world of comedy television? Beats me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The main character is a young low-level assistant on a comedy show starring a past-his-prime comedian, Hugo. He randomly asks her to spend the weekend at his house. Bizarrely, she accepts. The book covers what happens that weekend. ...I don‘t know what the point was.

Not what I expected. While parts of the book intrigued me, I struggled to connect with June, the 20-something protagonist who is floating through life without much purpose. Her irreverence and cynicism struck me as inauthentic at times. This book will not be memorable for me.

Starting a Girls' Literary Weekend Getaway in Chicago. So far we've been to Unabridged Books and The Book Cellar... 3 more stores to hit tomorrow. My TBR has reached a very scary level 😲

The two main characters dance around self destruction and a feeling of ‘what‘s next?‘ after they both find themselves out of a job. Very funny, timely, with a healthy dose of dry wit. And this cover- how do you not pick up a book with this cover art?? 😍🦢

One successful comedian's life and career told by a faithful fan a comedy writer, with witt and verve; lifes dissapointments and triumphs. An enjoyable read😉

Thank you to Scribner and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book in advance of publication. I wasn't ready to part with June and Hugo just yet, but I enjoyed the brief time I spent with them.

June, an assistant for a late-night show that has just ended its stint, ends up spending a weekend with Hugo, the revered star and her long-time celebrity crush......review here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40539024

Look what I received today! I'm anxious to read this one!

Just scored this ARC...looks good.