Book review: No Shame, by comedian Tom Allen

 I write this on the evening of Sunday. Started reading this yesterday, finished about 20 pages, and completed the rest of the book today. My first complete read in a while, it's also really rewarding to feel that you didn't waste your entire day in bed not doing anything productive, because finishing a book is a reward in itself, the content obviously. But also the fact that one was able to assemble the mental energy and devotion to finish the 180 odd pages is an achievement that's worth patting one's back over in these times of rapidly shortening attention span.

The book was No Shame, by comedian Tom Allen, who I've seen on panel shows, interviews and who has also appeared on podcasts. He's a funny dude.

I thought the book was beautiful, funny, charming. I had a couple of deep bellied laughs, the full strength, that I wasn't expecting. There's some bits here and there that seem to have been added a little out of place, and dare I call them sentimental without deserving the sentiments, but they do fit in decently well with the rest of the text. Bits and parts towards the very ending of the book are just logistics stuff, thanking so and so, remembering friends and family, which is acceptable for somebody on their first published work.

It's a great touching story, written well in his voice, lots of jokes, overall it's lovely in a way lot of British comedians' lives are. Highly recommend it for a light reading, over the train or plane or as such, or on a nice weekend day.