YOU'RE DOING GREAT! And Other Reasons to Stay Alive

Comedian Tom Papa sounds like his low-key, charming self doing stand-up. This audiobook is smoother than his live performances, but it's not too polished, and his vocal quality and understated emotionality are perfect for his brand of homespun humor. He complains about his own mistakes--overeating, erratic decision-making, letting others control him--and supplies a hilarious list of human foibles, injustices, and insults that almost everyone suffers. All of this is to illustrate the point of his message: In spite of these realities, we're going to be okay; in fact, we are okay--even with our missteps, foolish choices, and self-delusion. Papa's delivery is perfect because it suggests the kind of lovable NYC everyman who would care enough to have these kinds of thoughts and share them with the rest of us. T.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2020]