Former MTV VJ Dave Holmes tells the story of his weird, unplanned life in PARTY OF ONE, detailing coming to terms with his sexuality, auditioning for MTV in a whim, and all the music he loved along the way.

Usually celebrity memoirs are either forgettable nothings or overly self-important, and this is neither. Alternately funny and serious, Holmes takes his self-acceptance ups and downs seriously, but never his weird quasi-celebrity status.

There are a lot of jokes in here that would sound try-hard from other writers, but in Holmes hands, they’re the perfect mix of funny and nostalgic.

Holmes also writes so wonderfully about coming out in the midst of a Catholic upbringing and in a society that, in the ‘90s, was only just beginning to understand and accept gay men. The whole cultural journey from repulsion to “every gal needs a gay BFF” to just getting to be a normal person is covered over the course of Holmes’ career.

PARTY OF ONE is a wonderful light read with a real heart at the center of it. Plus, it’ll make you want to dig through your music collection for all your fave ‘90s jams.