Who doesn’t love Gary Janetti’s Prince George memes and dry, Tweet-like comments? I think he’s hilarious and the best kind of snarky, which is why I’ve had his book of personal essays in my TBR for the last year. Don’t read this expecting a tell-all of his time writing/producing hit shows like Will & Grace or Family Guy. And he barely mentions his relationship with husband and celeb stylist Brad Goreski. This is about his life long before that, the formative years. Each essay is a quick snippet into a time in Janetti’s youth that he still thinks about. Praying for Susan Lucci to visit a Long Island Saks, working as a Bellman at a New York City hotel, taking a cruise trip alone as a teenager…tiny moments defined him (though he didn’t recognize them as such at the time).
In collections like these, many authors forget they have the opportunity to link each piece. While it’s perfectly fine for each essay to stand on its own, I really enjoy when there’s a through-line woven through the work and when the final essays bring things full circle. Janetti managed to accomplish both here. At times it rings a bit shallow, but it’s fun and barely over 100 pages so you can read it in a single sitting.
3.75 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: A shot of tequila, followed by a banana daiquiri
Peaches to Apples 