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yvo_about_books's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
Finished reading: February 8th 2024
“All I can say is speak up; ask questions. Explain your concerns. It's the first step in feeling empowered to push forward with your own agenda. There is no reason to stifle yourself! Because as a wise man once told me: the best moments are the ones where you're you.”
I needed a memoir that explores queerness for the POPSUGAR challenge, and my mind immediately went to Naturally Tan. I enjoyed watching Tan France in the shows Queer Eye and Next In Fashion, and there is just something about his personality that made me want to know more. And I have to say that this memoir ended up being a huge success for me. What I loved about it is just how well Tan's voice shines through in the text, and it shows that Naturally Tan is all Tan and not a ghost writer. I could hear his voice as I read this memoir, and I can imagine the audio version being fantastic with him narrating the story. There are a lot of different topics and the chapters often jump between different moments in his life, but I personally didn't mind as they were mostly chronological. More serious elements including racism, xenophobia, homophobia, outing and suicidal thoughts are mentioned along the way, but there are also plenty of lighter moments to give this memoir balance. The writing style itself is really engaging, and it really helped me speed through this book. Definitely a great option if you like his personality and want to know more about his life!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia, Cursing, Homophobia, Hate crime, Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Violence, Outing, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts
hanlov's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Islamophobia
radmusikitty's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Islamophobia
Moderate: Homophobia
omissacat's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Beautifully written for the most part. This books gives a lot of insight into what it’s like as a South Asian British queer man, and naturally deals with heavy topics such as homophobia and racism. It was a real eye opener to issues other people face.
However, since I listened to the audiobook (narrated by the author himself), it became clear he liked to use one particular sentence structure a lot: [statement] BUT [contradictory statement]. I’m sure it’s fine if you’re reading it because you have your own voice in your head, but (ha) the author could definitely benefit from restructuring his sentences to give more variety to his work.
However, since I listened to the audiobook (narrated by the author himself), it became clear he liked to use one particular sentence structure a lot: [statement] BUT [contradictory statement]. I’m sure it’s fine if you’re reading it because you have your own voice in your head, but (ha) the author could definitely benefit from restructuring his sentences to give more variety to his work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Racism
kshertz's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
This was an interesting book. I enjoyed learning Tans backstory. He’s also very funny. It made me understand him even more. I love him more now for sure. His friendship with Anthony and his marriage were my favorite parts. If you love Queer Eye, you should listen to this audiobook. Tan reads it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Outing, and Racism
booksnbarristers's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Homophobia
ekmook's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Islamophobia, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts
mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, and Homophobia
Slut-shaming (minor)calster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia
zombie_giraffe's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
It's a great look behind the scenes of Tan France. In my mind this memoir was read in his voice that I know from watching #QueerEye and #nextinfashion . The writing style matches the way he speaks and captures his sassy-ness.
It is funny, it is light-hearted and sometimes touching. It is exactly what you expect it to be if you have watched Tan France on TV.
I don't really like some braggy parts and his sometimes very judgemental PSAs. Like the one about belts where he says "Just wear the right size pants, for goodness' sake". Bitch, my weight fluctuates about 3kg depending on my cycle and I am not going to have 10 pairs of pants. Get over it.
Other than that, I liked the book, because I like Tan and this memoir is very much on brand. I feel like I know him better after reading it and I absolutely love that his husband did the illustrations.
It is a great read for a lazy afternoon or a train ride, but it is not the kind of memoir you would be interested in if you are not already a fan of Tan. It is stories from his life told in a very enjoyable way - nothing more, nothing less.
It is funny, it is light-hearted and sometimes touching. It is exactly what you expect it to be if you have watched Tan France on TV.
I don't really like some braggy parts and his sometimes very judgemental PSAs. Like the one about belts where he says "Just wear the right size pants, for goodness' sake". Bitch, my weight fluctuates about 3kg depending on my cycle and I am not going to have 10 pairs of pants. Get over it.
Other than that, I liked the book, because I like Tan and this memoir is very much on brand. I feel like I know him better after reading it and I absolutely love that his husband did the illustrations.
It is a great read for a lazy afternoon or a train ride, but it is not the kind of memoir you would be interested in if you are not already a fan of Tan. It is stories from his life told in a very enjoyable way - nothing more, nothing less.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia