Start Without Me

(I'll Be There in a Minute)

By: Gary Janetti

Narrated by: Gary Janetti

This program is read by the author.

From New York Times bestselling author, and Family Guy writer Gary Janetti comes Start Without Me, a collection of hilarious, laugh out loud, true life stories about the small moments that add up to a big life.

Gary Janetti is bothered. By a lot of things. And thank God he’s here to tell us.

In Start Without Me, Gary returns with his acid tongue firmly in cheek to the moments and times that defined him. He takes us by the hand as we follow him through the summers he spends in his twenties, pursuing both the perfect tan and the perfect man to no avail and much regret. At his Catholic high school, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a nun who shares Gary's love of soap operas, which becomes a salvation to them both. And don't get him started on how a bad hotel room can ruin even the best vacation. This laugh-out-loud collection of true-life stories from the man “behind his generation’s greatest comedy” (The New York Times) is for anyone who has felt the joy in holding a decade-long grudge.

Whether you are a new convert to Janetti or one of the million who follow him on social media for a daily laugh, Start Without Me will have you howling at Gary's frustrations and nodding along in agreement at the outrages of life's small slights. It's the literary equivalent of a night out with your funniest friend that you wish would never end.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.

©2022 Gary Janetti (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“[Start Without Me] lives in the same universe, creatively and spiritually, as its predecessor, filled with first-person stories that range in tone from cunning to heartwarming and allow him to reflect on his life before he became a card-carrying member of the Hollywood establishment.” —Hollywood Reporter

“Reading Gary Janetti’s second book was exactly what I needed to lift me out of my winter blues. It’s like sitting by your funniest friend at a cocktail party, listening to their hilarious asides about everything they’re observing. Give yourself the treat of his hilarious writing.” —Buzzfeed

“If you think Gary Janetti's hilarious on Instagram, you should read him in print. The writer's latest collection of essays track his life from high school to the modern day, pointing out the absurd and obscene, and finding humor where it's least expected.” —Town & Country

Utterly Relatable

Gary has a knack for writing what we are all thinking, well what I am thinking, and made all the better in audio so we can hear the tone at which his words are meant to be delivered.

A Great Listen

Gary is a talented writer and listening to him narrate his story is a special treat. Even as an oldish, straight woman, I can identify with many of his experiences. This book made me laugh out loud, while feeling deeply for the young Gary navigating his way through childhood and young adulthood. I get a kick out of following him on Instagram and am so glad things turned out so well for him.

Funny and clever

Well written. Very enjoyable. Laugh out loud hilarity, while also being simultaneously poignant and heartbreaking.

Relatability funny

My only dislike is that I wish there was more! I finished this audio book so quickly. Lots of laughs while listening alone in the car. As someone who also suffers from anxiety, the description of his experiences were super relatable.

Start Without You…? We’ve Been Waiting!

A great follow up to his last book, Do You Mind if I Cancel! If you liked that one, you’ll love this one! It goes even more in depth (with some repetition of earlier stories) into the life that molded our dear Gary. What an amazing time. I know those that only those who enjoyed the first one are even going to contemplate reading this one, but it really is a heck of a time!

Couldn't stop laughing out loud.

I kept looking for activities to do so that I could continue listening with my earbuds. Walks, kayak rides, car rides...this was the second audiobook of Gary's I listened to and I actually liked this one even more.

Funny guy. Very dry

Found myself walking around with a smile as I listened to the book. Very funny.

Great, listen!

Wonderful writer. Excellent delivery. Laughing constantly as I listened to this. Really appreciated the comedic value as well as the heartfelt stories about his personal life. Highly recommend.

Hilarious

I’ve received the audiobook yesterday and I’ve already listened to it twice and laughed out loud both times. Thank you Gary!

Love this!

Loved everything about this book. Listening to it is the only way to go. Hearing his stories in his voice makes the book all the better.