Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life by Jonathan Van Ness | Book Gush

The first time I was introduced to Jonathan Van Ness was in the random, I’m-only-half-paying-attention manner of the Internet. I learned about what he does, saw from a distance all the discussion about Queer Eye, and then put it out of my mind, although that respect for them still remained. It was not until a friend/subscriber recommended JVN’s book Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life and I read it that I became a huge fan. It’s because of JVN that I started watching Queer Eye and now I’m OBSESSED with the show.

And because of how truly fabulous this book is – not just because of the show or because of my love for JVN – I thought I should come here and tell you/gush about it. A rare 5-star for me this year.

Love That Story is a collection of JVN’s essays in which they talk about a range of topics, be it their personal life, grief, handling grief, American history and queer history, politics, allyship, being queer, and so much more. Sometimes, in a book like this, you tend to merely see how the author came to their conclusions or how they handle everyday life. Love That Story is this, yes, and it does all of this gloriously well.

But let me tell you this: Love That Story is also so much more. And the best part about this book is that unlike other books of this type – and I don’t mean that in an ‘I’m not like other girls’ way, I promise – Love That Story complements all of those with heart and honesty and elevates it into magnificence and majesty. A Queen, if you will.

Jonathan Van Ness, in this collection of autobiographical essays, acknowledges how he has come a long way and the changes he has had to make along the way. There’s love and compassion for everyone in here, and the essays are so uplifting and encouraging through all the heartache and heartbreak he shares with us, that it’s hard not to love him. It’s hard not to say, “This is one person I’ll always look up to.”

The best part about his writing, though, is how he sees others. And by ‘see’, I mean SEE. We usually think that the best part of any writer writing autobiographical essays is that they are relatable. This is true with JVN as well, but there are added bonuses to watching his words reach you. His absolute, sincere honesty. His outrage at injustice. His compassion. His understanding of what needs his voice. And also his understanding of when he needs to elevate the voices of people facing injustice. His sassy humor. His emotion. I could go on for days and still not stop, because I found every single one of them in this book.

It might sound like I’m putting JVN on a pedestal, but I’m not. I’m just telling you why his compassionate humanity drew me to his story, his energy. He’s a role model, a person who I look at and think, “How wonderful would it be if there were more people like him in this world!” or “The world would be such a better place if it was filled with JVNs!” But I guess we don’t always get what we want, do we?

And yet, let’s give thanks that people like JVN do exist, because with their work, with their writing, they make the world a better, a more beautiful place. They make you want to do better, to be better. You want to get to a place where when you narrate your life, people go, “LOVE THAT STORY!”

That was me gushing about Jonathan Van Ness more than about Love That Story, but read the book and you’ll see what I mean. He has put so much of himself into the book that the lines between the book and the man blur into each other. You feel like you know them, raw and bare, although we all know that that’s impossible. And that’s a talent in itself.

I’ll leave you with a quote from the book that I absolutely love:

Seeing ourselves in someone else’s vulnerability makes us all feel less alone. The fear of being unlovable due to past experiences is the literal definition of shame, and shame isn’t something to keep buried. It needs to be brought to the surface, turned around, examined, and processed. It’s incredibly difficult work, but it’s impossible to live healthy lives as individuals, much less as a society, unless we do it.

And before anyone even tries to start that journey, we must first get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

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So that was me gushing about Love That Story: Observations from a Gorgeously Queer Life by Jonathan Van Ness.

What did you think of this review/gush? Have you read JVN’s books? What do you think of them? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

I’ll see you in the next blog post.

Until next time, keep reading, keep watching (go watch Queer Eye. NOW!), and add melodrama to your life! ❤

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