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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing | Matthew Perry
121 posts | 136 read | 5 reading | 21 to read
The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny, and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence In an extraordinary story that only he could tell, Matthew Perry takes readers onto the soundstage of the most successful sitcom of all time while opening up about his private struggles with addiction. Candid, self-aware, and told with his trademark humor, Perry vividly details his lifelong battle with the disease and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that shares the most intimate details of the love Perry lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and hilarious: this is the book fans have been waiting for.
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Amandakay
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Pickpick

I don‘t feel comfortable reviewing this.

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Cosmos_Moon
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Pickpick

Matthew Perry‘s memoir accounts his life in somewhat of an anachronistic order from his life with his mom in Canada and father in LA, to lifelong struggles with addiction. At the end of his memoir, Perry seems to have overcome his biggest battles, but sadly we know where his story ultimately ends.

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Victoriahoperose
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Pickpick

Definitely tough to hear about all of Matthew Perry‘s struggles with addiction and his health, especially after his passing. This was really interesting book to hear about his life and what he went through and some backstory about his career. I really enjoyed this one, even though it was tough to know that he passed away shortly after he wrote it.

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Tove_Reads
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Wasn‘t sure I wanted to read this one, but I needed an audiobook today and it was available. Chandler was absolutely my fave character on Friends. It is really hard listening to this book and even though I knew what it would be about… Addiction and abandonment issues 😢

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Brennastroup
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Pickpick

Ooof, Matthew Perry‘s story was a lot rougher than I realized. Very glad I read it though, definitely a page turner. RIP.

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CRR
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Panpan

I thought Perry came across really shallow, self centered, and vain in this book. He writes about all the great things he did and women he slept with and drugs he did. But he never knew any sort of peace or satisfaction. Sad story in my opinion.

DocBrown I did not come away from this book with that impression. I felt like he was owning up to all his own shortcomings. Yes he did like to drop names, perhaps in an attempt to convince himself that his life wasn't a complete failure? Anyway it felt brutally honest and raw. 2mo
CRR @DocBrown thanks for your comment. I wonder how much of my impression has been tainted by my own perspective and personal struggle with addiction. 2mo
DocBrown @CRR I'm not sure I'd use the word 'tainted.' As readers, we can't help but bring our entire selves - our past and present, our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears - to whatever we're reading. That's why opinions on pretty much everything can be so wildly divergent! But I do agree with you that it's a sad story. He had some keen self-awareness but it didn't save him from a life of heartache. 2mo
CRR @DocBrown Thank you. Impacted or influenced maybe instead of tainted. It was interesting to me that Perry had so much self awareness and was able to help others all while suffering so much personal heartache. Life is hard. No one‘s story is simple. RIP. 2mo
35 likes4 comments
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BibliophileLibrarian
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Listening to his self-narrative memoir. Enjoying it so far!

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Coleen
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Mehso-so

As much as I loved Matthew Perry and Friends, I didn‘t have a big desire to read his memoir. Until he died. His death BROKE me. And so I felt I had to read about this troubled soul. However, this is not the most well-written memoir. Lots of repetition & timelines jumping back & forth which just made it confusing. But overall, I‘m mostly just sad. R.I.P. Matty. 😢

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MeganLindell
Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Amiable
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Mehso-so

It pains me to give this a so-so rating because it seems mean-spirited to speak ill of the dead. However, this memoir by Matthew Perry, which describes his lifelong battle with addiction in exhaustive and harsh detail, is fairly repetitive with a rambling timeline. It may have been cathartic for him to write; it‘s a bit of a struggle to read. Especially now. What a sad, tragic story. Would that it could have ended differently.

mcctrish Exactly what I thought, cathartic to write, having to read it - not so much 4mo
54 likes1 comment
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Kris10H
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Pickpick

Book #88
4.5/5
This audiobook was on my library holds list since it's release. When it became available to me a few weeks ago, so soon after his death, I jumped at the chance to borrow it. I don't know what else to say, other than to say that this memoir was very insightful and entertaining, and I would recommend it to any Chandler fan. ;)

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Read4life
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Pickpick

Listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Matthew Perry. He was a favorite actor of mine and Chandler was my favorite character on Friends. He didn‘t hold much back in this book and really put himself out there.
#BookSpinBingo #NovelNovember #RushAThon #WickedWords #Bing
@TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65 @DieAReader @AsYouWish

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳An excellent book! 4mo
Andrew65 So sad, loved in West Wing as well. 4mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4mo
ChasingOm I love autobiographies narrated by the author. This one is high on my list for when I catch up on my Libro.fm backlist and renew my membership. 👻🎄 (#GhostsofXmas) 4mo
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Read4life
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kellock
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Pickpick

An interesting read. When you watch someone in a favourite show you have no inkling of what their real life is like.

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kellock
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Next up . . . A colleague added it to our works library, seems like the right time to start it 😢

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ncayea
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Pickpick

This was an interesting read. Brave of himself to put his whole life in a book. Not everyone can air their faults and be comfortable doing so.
With his humor aside, he went through A LOT.
May he rest in comfortable peace.

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cemsreadingcorner
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book. I got to see Matthew Perry‘s cute & charming sense of humor. He reminds me so much of Chandler Bing from Friends. I had no idea he had this disease that brought him close to death so many times. You never know what anyone is going through. But I‘m glad his dream came true and that he was able to write this book & have it published so other people who are going through the same thing can see that they are not alone. Bless him!

cemsreadingcorner Bless him for opening up about what he went through. This book will help so many people around the world. And I am so glad that his friends and family are continuing with his legacy to help others with this disease with the Matthew Perry Foundation. It‘s awesome that his goals can be achieved even after he‘s gone. Bless his family! RIP Matty. We love & miss you. Always and forever. 🙏🏼❤️✨ 5mo
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AngieKWilson
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Pickpick

This was on my TBR pile and after his death I jumped right on it. What a great book to read via audio! RIP Matthew Perry. Your autobiography is truly your legacy.

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Allthebookclubs
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Pickpick

I picked this up after his tragic death and I regret not reading it sooner. My review is too long and in the comments. Book #68 in 2023

Allthebookclubs I don‘t hold celebrities up on a pedestal, but I‘m deeply fascinated by those who choose to genuinely reveal themselves. The self realization he hits in his book is unreal; from pinpointing the likely cause of his addiction (infant dosing), identifying his abandonment issues, and naming all of his insecurities out loud. 5mo
Allthebookclubs It took a lifetime of self-sabotage for him to learn so much about himself and I wish (and he also self proclaims) that his legacy was more about what he did in recent years to help the addiction community than to solely remember him as Chandler. Although, no one could‘ve been more Chandler and he was truly born to play that part. 5mo
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TheEllieMo
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books.

#ABookADay2023
😔

DieAReader 💕💕💕 5mo
27 likes1 comment
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eanderson
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Oh man…. Friends was and still is my favorite show. Matthew Perry was a fighter and it‘s sad that he‘s left this world. 😢

readingjedi 😥 5mo
OriginalCyn620 It will always be my favorite too. I‘m just devastated by his death. Love this illustration. 💔 5mo
TNbookworm 😢 5mo
tpixie Such sad news. He struggled so much. Great illustration. 5mo
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Follow.my.read
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R.I.P.#MathewPerry#Friends

dabbe 😢 5mo
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ShyBookOwl
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Having listened to this so recently, I can't say his death came as a shock today... and yet, it did 💔

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I feel the same 💔 5mo
TalesandTexts It was so shocking, out of nowhere! And he and Friends were such an important part of my childhood. Such a loss. 5mo
dabbe 😢 5mo
60 likes3 comments
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JMPemberton
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I‘ve had this memoir on my TBR pile for a little while now. In light of what‘s just happened, I feel compelled to read this right away. ‘Hi my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead. If you like, you can consider what you‘re about to read as a message from the beyond, my beyond.‘ … how hauntingly poignant the opening paragraph is. RIP Matthew Perry, you beautiful, fabulous man.

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jamield1911
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Oh, Mathew 😭💔

BarbaraBB So sad 5mo
ravenlee 😢 5mo
marleed This photo - breaks my heart - it says so much. 5mo
dabbe 💔 5mo
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Catsandbooks
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I just can't believe he's gone 😭 Friends has been, & always will be one of my favorite shows of all time & it's because of this man. Friends was always there for me when I had a bad day or didn't feel well or just wanted something comforting. I've rewatched it countless times & the characters became my friends too. My husband & I fell in love while watching the show together.
Now I need to go watch the show for the billionth time & cry😭😭😭😭😭

DebinHawaii So sad! I just watched The One With the Halloween Party a few days ago. I am heartbroken. 💔 5mo
Cupcake12 So sad to hear. I watched all the episodes whilst on maternity leave. Chandler was the best! 5mo
Jari-chan 😢😢😢 5mo
JenReadsAlot So sad 😢 5mo
dabbe They are in my age group, and I lived vicariously through them in the 90s-early 20s. I am devastated, too. That show got me through a lot of tough times. I still have all 10 seasons on dvd even though my computer no longer plays them. So. Stinkin'. Sad. 💔 5mo
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TheBookHippie
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No clue what happened… but how very sad.

dabbe 💔 My favorite show of all time. 5mo
TheBookHippie @dabbe I didn‘t watch it but many of our #SundayBuddyRead peeps did and many other littens. (I was too busy working and surviving to watch. ) 5mo
AmyG I just saw this. 😢 One site said he drowned in a hot tub? So very sad. (edited) 5mo
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dabbe @TheBookHippie The show came out my 1st year as a teacher, and it was the only show I watched because I was too busy grading and planning lessons, but I lived vicariously through them (how did they afford those NYC apartments?). They are my age group. I am sadly reminded of Amy Winehouse and Karen Carpenter. All of them seemed to be getting healthier, but their hearts couldn't handle the past yoyo lifestyle. IMHO. 😢 5mo
TheBookHippie @AmyG I know his body was worn out at different times from prior life decisions, maybe he had a heart attack. Poor thing. So young. 5mo
TheBookHippie @dabbe I agree, their hearts just couldn‘t take it. I was working three jobs raising a full of it daughter and trying to keep my head above water 😵‍💫 while Mr Book Hippie worked two jobs and was in school 😂… ah youth .. all to have an apartment 😂😂😂😵‍💫 5mo
kelli7990 I never watched Friends. I was a little girl when the show was on so I was too young. I was watching the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network when I was a little girl. 5mo
dabbe @TheBookHippie And yet they made $1 million per 1/2 an hour episode. Now that's a whole other story of fair pay for hard work. 😱 But look at us now! 🤩💜🤗 5mo
TheBookHippie @dabbe those years are a blur sometimes and phew… we made it through 🙃 5mo
Leftcoastzen I am so sad about this .😢 5mo
Catsandbooks I am so heartbroken! 😭 5mo
Hooked_on_books I was unsurprised but so sad to hear about his death. What a struggle he had. 5mo
TheBookHippie @Hooked_on_books I feel the same, so sad, such a struggle, may he be at peace now. 5mo
TheBookHippie @Catsandbooks I thought of you first. 😞 5mo
Leftcoastzen @dabbe they always said that Monica‘s apartment was her aunts with rent control, might have been possible. 5mo
dabbe @Leftcoastzen That's right! And that was illegal, right? I remember the Super, Mr. Treeger alluding to that in an earlier episode (which, btw, I just looked him up, and he died last year 😢).
5mo
Catsandbooks @TheBookHippie I was sobbing yesterday 😭 At least he'll be able to forever live on in his works like Friends 5mo
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OriginalCyn620
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I am so heartbroken over the news of Matthew‘s death. I read his memoir earlier this year and was really rooting for him to live his best life. RIP 😭

JenReadsAlot So sad 😢 5mo
marleed It is so heartbreaking. 5mo
dabbe I am devastated. He and the whole FRIENDS gang are my age; I lived vicariously through them. 💔 5mo
CatLass007 It‘s awful 😞 5mo
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Kshakal
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Rest in peace ☹️

JenReadsAlot Oh sad 😢 5mo
dabbe 💔 5mo
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TheBookgeekFrau
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😢

dabbe 💔 5mo
30 likes2 comments
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Traci1
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I'm heartbroken to hear of Matthew's death. 😥

Gissy 😔 5mo
Soubhiville 😢 5mo
Christine Yes, same. 😭 I‘m so glad he told his story when he did. 5mo
dabbe 💔 5mo
51 likes4 comments
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dariazeoli
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This is not the big, terrible thing I wanted to hear about today. I read Matthew‘s book last year and was really rooting for him in recovery. He didn‘t get enough time.

He sure made me laugh as Chandler for a lot of years, though. Thanks, Matty. RIP.

https://www.tmz.com/2023/10/28/friends-star-matthew-perry-dead-dies-drowning/

DebinHawaii I just heard this. So sad! 💔 5mo
RamsFan1963 Such a f**king tragedy 💔💔😫 He had worked so hard to get clean and sober. Life is truly unfair 5mo
Deblovestoread Broken hearted. 💔 5mo
dabbe 💔 5mo
33 likes4 comments
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Madison91
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Pickpick

This was incredibly sad. And hard to read, as a friends fan. A little triggering for someone with an addictive personality

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Madison91
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October goals posting a little late

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cemsreadingcorner
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Reading this one at the moment too. I started reading it back in May and I was struggling with it because it‘s Non-Fiction and I don‘t really read Non-Fiction novels. I love the show Friends and I‘m a fan of the actor, that‘s why I borrowed the book and started reading it. It‘s funny so far. I can definitely see that Matthew Perry is a lot like the character he played on Friends. Can he be anymore like him?! 😂😂

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booklover3258
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Pickpick

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/jZqi-9rAmCs

Enjoy!

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Kaylamburson
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Pickpick

An interesting memoir that really dives into the horrors of addiction and how it‘s not a choice, but a disease. Although it touches on Friends and his experiences in film and TV, it‘s more focused on how his addiction impacted those experiences. Always nice to listen to the audiobook with the author‘s own voice.

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fredthemoose
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I don‘t know… He‘s gone through a lot and I wish him the best. Parts of the book were engaging. I don‘t want to minimize his very real challenges, but also, he‘s so incredibly privileged and pampered that it‘s a little exasperating listening to what seems like the same cycle on repeat for decades. From the book his growth seems sort of surface level and the story is not particularly satisfying.

Larkken I was reading online that he targets Keanu Reeves in this multiple times and for no good reason… maybe I‘m just blinded by being #teamkeanu, but it seemed petty and didn‘t make me want to read this one lol 😝 6mo
fredthemoose I heard that, too, but that he was removing the references for future printings. I didn‘t notice them in the audiobook, so I‘m not sure what they were. 🤷‍♀️ The book was fine enough when you‘re looking for a quick, easy read, but I don‘t think anyone is missing much by skipping it. 6mo
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anushareflects
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Mehso-so

I love Friends, and I‘d heard a lot about Perry‘s battles with drug abuse and alcoholism, so thought I‘d give this memoir a shot. Perry‘s writing is very honest and open, albeit a tad too casual and informal. I didn‘t enjoy the “writing” but I did appreciate the candour with which he dealt with his demons and his experiences struggling with abuse. Really sad what he‘s been through, but kudos for fighting through it. But not a book for everyone.

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Eggs
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#CelebMemoir #BookBinge

Quite a book! His colon burst from overuse of opioids and he had a 2% chance of survival at that point. Addiction can really age a person.

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks yeahhh 😳 He had colostomy bag for a year or so… (edited) 8mo
AnnCrystal Oh my, I never knew that about Matthew Perry. 8mo
See All 6 Comments
Eggs @AnnCrystal I read he‘s had 14 stomach surgeries 8mo
Suet624 Yowzer! Ouch! 8mo
Eggs IKR 😞 @Suet624 8mo
50 likes6 comments
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Evita
Pickpick

3.5 out of 5

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DieAReader
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Pickpick

#Wardens2023 #WeekendReading #BookSpinBingo

Even not being a ‘Friends‘ fan, this one was on my radar. If for no other reason than pure curiosity.

I‘m happy to report that, although I‘m probably on the #UnpopularOpinion team, I enjoyed this one. It was a frank memoir of an addict. No🐂💩& no holds barred, as it should be imo. A great #ImpulseRead audiobook for today!

WJCintron I‘m a huge fan. Thanks for sharing. I need to read it! 🙌😃 10mo
DieAReader @WJCintron 😉❤️‍🔥 10mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 10mo
See All 6 Comments
DieAReader @TheAromaofBooks 🥳I think I actually should look at my BINGO card today lol. Might have made progress on a line somewhere🤨🤣 10mo
TheAromaofBooks I'm more into the haphazard approach myself 😂 10mo
DieAReader @TheAromaofBooks 🥰That‘s what my card generally looks like too lol. I rarely post it ‘cause it just looks horrible & chaotic🤪 10mo
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DieAReader
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#WeekendReading #Wardens2023 #BookSpinBingo

It‘s the ‘Victoria Day‘ long weekend. Everyone‘s official summer start where I am so, I‘m taking advantage of the extra reading time.

This audiobook🎧📕 #ImpulseRead is brought to me by Libby🤣🤓📚 Came in just in time for me to take a quick walk to get some☕️🥛.

Mine looks to be the #UnpopularOpinion but, so far at 15% in, I‘m liking the no🐂💩/frank approach he has with speaking about himself👏🏻

CoverToCoverGirl Not familiar with this person as I‘ve never even watched an episode of Friends. That he acted in that sitcom is the only thing I do know about him. 10mo
DieAReader @CoverToCoverGirl It‘s not a show I can handle lots of - short spurts tbh. I do like his character, Joey‘s & Phoebe‘s characters the best though. The others are my least fave lol. I think, I‘ve become a memoir junkie🤣🤷🏻‍♀️ I find them interesting & often better than I expect. 10mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 10mo
See All 6 Comments
DieAReader @TheAromaofBooks 😉❤️‍🔥🤓📚 10mo
Andrew65 Must be an interesting read. 10mo
DieAReader @Andrew65 I think so yes! At 70% now & likely finish before bed. Nap first though lol 10mo
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Michellesibs
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Pickpick

Matthew, I always give biographies 5 stars as I'm not in the business of rating people's lives but this is one hot mess.

I'm a big Friends fan but I didn't need your book in my life.

If this was published 15 years ago I'd roll my eyes. I expect better from a book published in 2022.

I tell you where there is a bias Matthew, it's in publishing, as men like you get paid to write to write and promote this kind of narrative.

Ugh, what a mess.

Sparklemn I just read that he went back and self-edited to take out the Keanu
Reeves digs. He received a lot of bad press for those. The digs alone were enough to turn me off the book.
11mo
Michellesibs @Sparklemn Same. The fact he wrote that and it got through the whole team of editors and publishers is gross. The publishing industry really needs a good look at itself. 11mo
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mcctrish
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Too little, too late? MP is assuming his book will get other printings?

5feet.of.fury He‘s just stirring up the drama again. Anything to try to stay relevant. 🙄😒 11mo
mcctrish @5feet.of.fury bang on !!! 11mo
rachelk Those bits should have been removed before the book was published. Perry failed to realize that somewhere between the nineties and now Reeves became a truly beloved cultural icon — widely considered a great human, rendering the supposed “joke” nonsensical. Why didn‘t anyone tell him? 11mo
mcctrish @rachelk you‘d think an editor would have said “this the hill you want to die on?” Keanu has spoken publicly about being friends with both of the deceased celebs that MP was canonizing, maybe MP should have said it should have been him ODing instead of their bright lights going out 11mo
rachelk Yeah. It‘s weird. Either people that read the book before it was published didn‘t say anything about it or they did and he didn‘t listen. Seems obvious that it wouldn‘t go over well. 11mo
26 likes5 comments
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wen4blu
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Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name.

#firstlinefriday
#currentlyreading

@ShyBookOwl

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SarahBookInterrupted
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On this weeks Manuscript Monday Kim recommends this book not because it‘s good but because she want to know if others felt the same way she did. If you‘ve read it let me know. https://www.bookinterrupted.com/post/manuscript-monday-friends-lovers-and-the-bi...

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mcctrish
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Pickpick

Audio and puzzle done! #AwesomeApril readathon in full swing 👏🏻👏🏻 of course I lost a piece 🤦🏻‍♀️ my bench mark of being better than Prince Harry continues 🤣😬 and this is. MP can write. He is not likeable but the book is engaging. This is my third celebrity memoir about addiction, I‘m going to need to take a break from substance abuse

TheSpineView I hate it when you get to the end and a piece is missing! 😬 12mo
mcctrish @TheSpineView now I‘m going to have to find the bloody piece, I guess it‘s spring cleaning time 12mo
TheSpineView @mcctrish Good luck! 12mo
AmyG Beautiful 12mo
45 likes4 comments
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Kristy_K
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Pickpick

I‘m a little torn on this memoir, but I think the biggest takeaway here is that addiction is a terrible disease and completely takes over the life of an addict.

I loved Matthew Perry in Friends and years ago when I learned he battled addiction and was often high or hungover during the filming, I was genuinely surprised.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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