This month I read a book from 2023 that I can not believe I missed as it is amazing. It’s JoeNuthin’s Guide to Life by Helen Fisher. The story follows a young man with a disability who lives at home with his mother. He has a job and absolutely loves living by a schedule. Everything he does is at a certain time; eating, watching his favorite show, going to work, and even going to bed. So, when a tragic life event occurs it throws off everything for Joe. His friends do their best to get him back on track as does a notebook with instructions for life his mother has written for him. Additionally, he is determined to make friends with another young man at work, who is bullying him. Joe doesn’t accept that they are not friends. His mom has told him that he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body so why doesn’t Charlie like him?
The characters in this story are so well fleshed out and the dialogue is at times hysterical and at times heart-breaking. I fell in love with Joe and his friends and wish there was more to discover about this hodge podge group of misfits.