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mydearwatsonbooks's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Islamophobia, and Homophobia
Slut-shaming (minor)bookishandlegal's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
This book was hilarious! Like laugh out loud funny throughout! I’ve also really like Tan and he’s one of my favorite guys on Queer Eye so I was excited to read this book. The audio is narrated by Tan so I’d highly recommend listening!
I learned so much about Tan’s childhood in the UK and his relationship with his husband and journey to the US & onto queer eye. He breaks up a lot of the chapters with fashion and life tips/dos and don’t’s which I found really fun. I don’t agree with him on everything (especially fashion things, but mostly cause I’m not as fashionable) but he has a way of being very firm in his opinion but not making you feel combative or lesser for disagreeing with him.
This book is light and funny but also gets into some pretty deep topics. He talks pretty in depth about his depression and a period where he was suicidal and about 9/11 and the effects on him as a Pakistani male since. These were really well done and had a good mix of being real and very serious, while still making some jokes and bringing humor into it.
I loved all the chapters about Queer Eye and learning more about the process and the behind the scenes of the show. Antoni also made some surprise appearances in the audio which were amazing and another reason to listen to the audio!
Overall I really really enjoyed this memoir and would highly recommend!
I learned so much about Tan’s childhood in the UK and his relationship with his husband and journey to the US & onto queer eye. He breaks up a lot of the chapters with fashion and life tips/dos and don’t’s which I found really fun. I don’t agree with him on everything (especially fashion things, but mostly cause I’m not as fashionable) but he has a way of being very firm in his opinion but not making you feel combative or lesser for disagreeing with him.
This book is light and funny but also gets into some pretty deep topics. He talks pretty in depth about his depression and a period where he was suicidal and about 9/11 and the effects on him as a Pakistani male since. These were really well done and had a good mix of being real and very serious, while still making some jokes and bringing humor into it.
I loved all the chapters about Queer Eye and learning more about the process and the behind the scenes of the show. Antoni also made some surprise appearances in the audio which were amazing and another reason to listen to the audio!
Overall I really really enjoyed this memoir and would highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
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
louise010's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
nellkristen's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.75
The timeline of this memoir was a little confusing and hard to follow, as Tan jumps around in his life a bit. I also thought he came across as snarky in a few places when discussing fashion do’s and don’t’s. But I really enjoyed hearing about his experiences growing up as an East Asian man in England, as well as hearing some of the behind the scenes of the show.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
leahlovesloslibros's review
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Tan France makes up 1/5 of the team as the fashion expert on the new Queer Eye series on Netflix, which I recently fell in love with. In this book, Tan shares his thoughts and experiences on a variety of topics, including growing up gay and South Asian in England, relationships (both platonic and romantic), fame and being in the press/public eye, style/fashion tips, and more.
I listened to the audio book, which is narrated by Tan himself, and I really loved it. I typically try to find memoirs that are read by the author, as I find the experience of listening to them tell their own story to be more personal than hearing it told by someone else. Hearing Tan recall childhood memories, especially painful ones such as being bullied for being brown (his word), are so powerful and heart-wrenching. Coming out was also something that was difficult for him, as there were certain cultural expectations placed on him by his traditional Muslim Pakistani family and culture.
Listening to Tan tell the story of starting and running his own businesses, as well as meeting his husband and the progression of their relationship, was both interesting and inspiring. Among his own story, Tan would insert advice on career, love, and just being authentically you. I really enjoyed that this book was not necessarily told completely in chronological order; rather, it was broken up by topics. Sometimes reading memoirs that are told chronologically gets a little dry, in my opinion. This book was told loosely in chronological order, but each chapter read as its own section, which made it almost like short stories. Personally, I love reading memoirs told in this way, so that was a big win for me.
I love Queer Eye, and I absolutely plan to read the book written by the Fab Five as well, but hearing Tan's story individually with bits of the show sprinkled in here and there was such a wonderful way to start my Pride Month 2021 reading.
I listened to the audio book, which is narrated by Tan himself, and I really loved it. I typically try to find memoirs that are read by the author, as I find the experience of listening to them tell their own story to be more personal than hearing it told by someone else. Hearing Tan recall childhood memories, especially painful ones such as being bullied for being brown (his word), are so powerful and heart-wrenching. Coming out was also something that was difficult for him, as there were certain cultural expectations placed on him by his traditional Muslim Pakistani family and culture.
Listening to Tan tell the story of starting and running his own businesses, as well as meeting his husband and the progression of their relationship, was both interesting and inspiring. Among his own story, Tan would insert advice on career, love, and just being authentically you. I really enjoyed that this book was not necessarily told completely in chronological order; rather, it was broken up by topics. Sometimes reading memoirs that are told chronologically gets a little dry, in my opinion. This book was told loosely in chronological order, but each chapter read as its own section, which made it almost like short stories. Personally, I love reading memoirs told in this way, so that was a big win for me.
I love Queer Eye, and I absolutely plan to read the book written by the Fab Five as well, but hearing Tan's story individually with bits of the show sprinkled in here and there was such a wonderful way to start my Pride Month 2021 reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
thatsssorachael's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5
I came off JVN's audiobook on a really high note and renewed love for Queer Eye. I was so excited to jump into Tan's books, but it just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I didn't really need for there to be fashion tips, and maybe because it was on audio, but it came across as a little judgemental. While there was LOL moments, a lot of it was pretty repetitive and the book could have been quite a bit shorter. While JVN really was no holds barred, Tan was a lot more conservative with what he let his readers/listeners know. I understand that he's a private person, but a memoir should have a little bit of grit to it IMO. I finished feeling vaguely unsatisfied and wanting more.
I did have a lot of fun, especially listening to that accent. I recommend the audiobook, for the bonus content alone. It has Antoni in it, do yourself a favour and listen.
I did have a lot of fun, especially listening to that accent. I recommend the audiobook, for the bonus content alone. It has Antoni in it, do yourself a favour and listen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Violence
smithy361's review against another edition
Tan is a beautiful person but the autobiography did not meet my expectations. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Tan’s life pre-Queer Eye. However, it was odd how he linked pivotal moments with clothing. This method seemed to force the stories to fit rather than allowing them to flow naturally.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
jmeslener's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs