How to Be a Normal Person (How to Be #1)[November 1, 2025]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for How to Be a Normal Person by T.J. Klune starting on November 1, 2025.


Happy Reading!

[Ann-Marie]

I cannot wait for you guys to meet Grumpy Gus <3

[Nirkatze]

Thank you!
This is a Cozy November thread. Read any time in November!

Check out the list of other scheduled cozy reads in the Cozy November[buddy read] thread, or seek friends for a plan of your own in the [planning] thread!

Series (Here or Schedule)
1. How to Be a Normal Person
2. How to Be a Movie Star

[Nirkatze]

I read this last week and it was absolutely wonderful. Gus is awesome. I love how the narrator did his "Oh my god"-s. He definitely needs all the hugs.

Also, as a fellow semi-luddite, loving my phone-less life and with absolutely no social media (except for GR), I empathize with his plight, having to navigate "normal" people... (view spoiler)[but OMG the advice he got off the internet was insane. I want that document by itself to read.

And the phone company lady. How there were two Mytsy/Mitsi-s? Who knows ONE Mitsy? LOL And when he called back and she pretended not to know him... actually, I think all those phone company conversations were my favorites.

I also just love that whatsisname--forgot the guy who wasn't Gus--turns out to be a vampire/shifter/smut writer or something. Some aspects made me wonder if Klune based part of that character on a younger version of himself...

Can I also just gush about the fact that this is a quality asexual romance? The Green Creek one didn't feel asexual really, though I guess it is a spectrum. It's rare to find asexual characters period, and I love that Klune brings a variety of spectrums into his work. (hide spoiler)]

Does the next book have any overlapping characters?

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I have GR and Discord and Google search bar... Even with phone I avoid social media

[Ann-Marie]

Nirkatze wrote: "Does the next book have any overlapping characters? "

Yes, the entire cast is back with some pretty awesome new additions <3 I am so glad you liked it, you know how much I love Klune and Grumpy Gus is my absolute favorite of his characters! I'll start a re-read in a bit today and comment more but (view spoiler)[while I agree Gus's interactions with the cable company were stupid funny and his internet search for how to be normal was as equally hilarious, for me I would love to read an entire book of Gus and Pastor Tommy together.

Also I can't recall off the top of my head but I am 95% sure the person who wrote the how to be normal was a character in another of his books, Why We Fight :) (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Finished this today and I love this book so much, all the feels, humor, found family and just makes me happy, I love Gus so much <3 This book hits differently for me since I lost my mother and yeah, definitely all the feels. And I am like 99% certain that the author of the web site is the MC from Why We Fight since (view spoiler)[there was mention of a man who fell into the hippo enclosure at the zoo which is straight out of one of the earlier books in that series lol (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

FYI there is a different narrator for the second book, the narrator of the first stopped doing it so Michael Lesley stepped in. I was concerned about how he would do Gus but I am happy to say I was totally okay with his depiction <3

[Nirkatze]

LOL OMG that's great, that it might be an in-verse author....

That is good to know about the narrator change. Those're tricky.

I don't have #2 yet, so I'm hoping for the sitewide sale...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I started this at work this morning, but had to pause cause I was laughing too much once Gus tried to start being normal... getting a library card, calling "Comcast" to setup internet, etc...

[Ann-Marie]

Glad you did/are enjoying it :)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

laughing just wasn't conducive to maintaining situational awareness...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

You can buy Yasser Arapants online, from Mitzii's Art Emporium (Mitzii with 2 i's, not to be confused with Mitzyy with 2 y's, from the internet service provider in the story?)...

https://www.mitziisartemporium.com/pr...

I went to the site after linking it, and it's run by a Klune fan, with permission of Klune, and 25% of sales profit goes to UK LGBTQ charity...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Reached the epilogue... poor Mitzii...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

The final paragraph... UGH...

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "The final paragraph... UGH..."

lol

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "You can buy Yasser Arapants online, from Mitzii's Art Emporium (Mitzii with 2 i's, not to be confused with Mitzyy with 2 y's, from the internet service provider in the story?)...

https://www.mitzi..."

There are a few places that sell merch and so long as the people agree to donate a portion to charity he is okay with it. I wonder why this site doesn't offer a Nana muumuu from the At First Sight series, she had some good ones lol

[Nirkatze]

I thought the "two i's" would be Mitsi v. Mytsy instead of Mitsii v. Mitsyy. I have been shown the light.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I don't know if 2 ys is at the end or Mytsy... the one with 2 iis is definitely at the end, tho... based on that website... I just assumed on the Y one...