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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Preface:
1. I don't know who this author is, as I don't follow his genre of pop culture.
2. I have a love/hate relationship with memoirs.
3. I listened to the audio book (read by the author) rather than read a print or ebook.
About a third of the way into this book, I thought "This is just an attempt to show everyone how cool Michael is." The overly descriptive narration about his office decor and the subsequent Kristen Bell visit seemed like bragging to me. This coupled with the repetitive discussions and details about Diet Coke, wine, New York, sex toys, car service, the C word, poop, etc., just made me think this guy needs to be noticed. I may have thought differently had I read the book, but listening to him gleefully describe all this and more about himself was nauseating. However, if I had read the book, I may not have finished, as I see in other reviews that typographical errors abound in the print. The misuse of "your and you're" would have caused me to stop reading and begin editing, with a red pen. Since it was an audio book, it's a passive act to listen, so I kept going...as I cleaned the house, swept the garage, did the dishes, etc.
That being said, and ignoring the self-promotion, the story was heartfelt and I did want to keep listening. Even though I knew what happens in the end.
I wish he would have spent more time with his body image issues, and made a real statement about that. Or discussed the hurdle of Kit coming out to his parents, and really gotten into that and how it affected them individually and as a couple.
Instead it was details about poop, sex toys, and...well, you know.
And when he gets Kit to eat something while in hospice care, he makes it a victory for himself! Narcissistic tendencies?
I don't doubt his grief, and I know everyone works through it differently, but I went back and forth being emotionally invested, to being shocked and sometimes angry.
It's a good solid 3 stars for me.
1. I don't know who this author is, as I don't follow his genre of pop culture.
2. I have a love/hate relationship with memoirs.
3. I listened to the audio book (read by the author) rather than read a print or ebook.
About a third of the way into this book, I thought "This is just an attempt to show everyone how cool Michael is." The overly descriptive narration about his office decor and the subsequent Kristen Bell visit seemed like bragging to me. This coupled with the repetitive discussions and details about Diet Coke, wine, New York, sex toys, car service, the C word, poop, etc., just made me think this guy needs to be noticed. I may have thought differently had I read the book, but listening to him gleefully describe all this and more about himself was nauseating. However, if I had read the book, I may not have finished, as I see in other reviews that typographical errors abound in the print. The misuse of "your and you're" would have caused me to stop reading and begin editing, with a red pen. Since it was an audio book, it's a passive act to listen, so I kept going...as I cleaned the house, swept the garage, did the dishes, etc.
That being said, and ignoring the self-promotion, the story was heartfelt and I did want to keep listening. Even though I knew what happens in the end.
I wish he would have spent more time with his body image issues, and made a real statement about that. Or discussed the hurdle of Kit coming out to his parents, and really gotten into that and how it affected them individually and as a couple.
Instead it was details about poop, sex toys, and...well, you know.
And when he gets Kit to eat something while in hospice care, he makes it a victory for himself! Narcissistic tendencies?
I don't doubt his grief, and I know everyone works through it differently, but I went back and forth being emotionally invested, to being shocked and sometimes angry.
It's a good solid 3 stars for me.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
i mean this in the most profound sincere and genuine way possible guys. rip kit cowan i wish you were here to experience the cultural resurgence of the word cunt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
What I love about memoirs is how they capture the author's voice- and Ausiello's wit and snark are what drew me in. The story of him and his late husband kept me til the end.
I wish he'd given more detail of what happened in their relationship between the beginning and the beginning of the end, but the raw emotion of the latter half of the novel is what makes it a great book.
I wish he'd given more detail of what happened in their relationship between the beginning and the beginning of the end, but the raw emotion of the latter half of the novel is what makes it a great book.
If you need a good cry, this is the book for you. One of the interesting parts of Ausiello's story telling is that he portrays all of the good and bad of his and KIt's relationship. It has been a while since a book has made me feel the way this true story has made me feel.
The book was better than the movie, and the movie was fantastic! This book just grabs you by the heart-strings. The timing of the flashbacks are perfect and help build the love for this couple. Thank you for sharing your love and your heartbreak. (I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, but I also downloaded the ebook because there are pictures that you miss by just listening).
I put this on hold as soon as I knew it existed, because I have appreciated Michael Ausiello since back in his EW days. That alone made this worth checking out.
Then I got my hands on it, and realized that I was about to read a book about his partner getting cancer. And dying. And part of me was like...I don't really know either of these people, why am I reading this? And the other part was like...I'm going to do this anyway.
Which led me to my lunch hour today, reading the last couple of chapters of this book, reading about Kit reaching the end of his journey, Michael by his side. I was crying, my hands covering my face so the busy lunch room would hopefully not notice I was crying, because there was no turning back now.
So here's the thing -- I loved Kit. I loved Kit, because Michael loved Kit. I fell in love with him throughout the course of the story - his charm, his spirit, his faults. Neither Michael or Kit or their relationship was perfect, but they worked together anyway. And that was so touching. Which made it all the more painful.
I applaud Ausiello for sharing this story. It couldn't have been easy. And there was a moment at the very end, just before the "Flash Forward" that broke my heart a little. I'm glad he did though. If for no other reason than Kit now gets to live on in a very concrete way. I also loved the actual "Flash Forward" ending for the hope it showed. Kit may be dead, but he's not gone. And hopefully he's preparing heaven for Mike to join him. I know I'd like to believe he is.
Then I got my hands on it, and realized that I was about to read a book about his partner getting cancer. And dying. And part of me was like...I don't really know either of these people, why am I reading this? And the other part was like...I'm going to do this anyway.
Which led me to my lunch hour today, reading the last couple of chapters of this book, reading about Kit reaching the end of his journey, Michael by his side. I was crying, my hands covering my face so the busy lunch room would hopefully not notice I was crying, because there was no turning back now.
So here's the thing -- I loved Kit. I loved Kit, because Michael loved Kit. I fell in love with him throughout the course of the story - his charm, his spirit, his faults. Neither Michael or Kit or their relationship was perfect, but they worked together anyway. And that was so touching. Which made it all the more painful.
I applaud Ausiello for sharing this story. It couldn't have been easy. And there was a moment at the very end, just before the "Flash Forward" that broke my heart a little. I'm glad he did though. If for no other reason than Kit now gets to live on in a very concrete way. I also loved the actual "Flash Forward" ending for the hope it showed. Kit may be dead, but he's not gone. And hopefully he's preparing heaven for Mike to join him. I know I'd like to believe he is.