What do you think?
Rate this book
Sex Saved the Summer: Essays & Confessions
Funny. Messy. Honest.
Across eleven real stories, Joseph Adam Lee explores relationships, childhood, and New York City misadventures through dark humor and sharp self-awareness.
In the opening essay, A Royal Rumble on Fire Island, Lee recounts his accidental starring role in a romantic spiral involving a Ghanaian princess. From there, the chaos housing a bohemian squatter with more confidence than hygiene (The Opulent Squatter), a college prank gone haywire (The Imposter of McIntire Hall), and a surreal family mix-up involving his grandfather, an orange VHS tape, and his own mother (My Mom, the Porn Dealer).
And that’s just scratching the surface.
Across eleven real stories, Joseph Adam Lee explores relationships, childhood, and New York City misadventures through dark humor and sharp self-awareness.
In the opening essay, A Royal Rumble on Fire Island, Lee recounts his accidental starring role in a romantic spiral involving a Ghanaian princess. From there, the chaos housing a bohemian squatter with more confidence than hygiene (The Opulent Squatter), a college prank gone haywire (The Imposter of McIntire Hall), and a surreal family mix-up involving his grandfather, an orange VHS tape, and his own mother (My Mom, the Porn Dealer).
And that’s just scratching the surface.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2026
About the author
Joseph Adam Lee
6 books6 followersJoseph Adam Lee is a Franco-American writer.
Once known for his hellraiser antics, he now writes essays, stories and poetry about work, women, drinking, faith, and what it costs to try to mean something.
Forged by a working-class background, he writes with a voice shaped by excess, mistakes, and the aftermath. His style is conversational, honest, and darkly funny.
He lives and writes in New York City.
Once known for his hellraiser antics, he now writes essays, stories and poetry about work, women, drinking, faith, and what it costs to try to mean something.
Forged by a working-class background, he writes with a voice shaped by excess, mistakes, and the aftermath. His style is conversational, honest, and darkly funny.
He lives and writes in New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 10, 2026
"We looked like angels, but behaved like devils."
"Boredom...We're the only species arrogant enough to get high on it."
"Each person simultaneously relied on themselves and on everyone else... for validation, for attention,
for proof they mattered."
Fun, messy, and brutally honest!
This essay collection of confessions by Joseph Adam Lee is a must read if you enjoy reading about others troubles and tribulations, as well as growth.
I live what I find to be a very normal, not-quite adventurous life. This collection had me laughing, in shock and overall amazed how lives are so different from one another's.
"Boredom...We're the only species arrogant enough to get high on it."
"Each person simultaneously relied on themselves and on everyone else... for validation, for attention,
for proof they mattered."
Fun, messy, and brutally honest!
This essay collection of confessions by Joseph Adam Lee is a must read if you enjoy reading about others troubles and tribulations, as well as growth.
I live what I find to be a very normal, not-quite adventurous life. This collection had me laughing, in shock and overall amazed how lives are so different from one another's.
June 10, 2026
The honesty in this book caught me off guard in the best way. I laughed, I cringed, I sat in pause. It made me feel vulnerable and reflective.
Reading it brought back flashes of being young and reckless, the wild nights, the mistakes, the secrets I carry, the version of myself that lived hard and free. There were moments where it felt less like I was reading someone else’s story and more like I was confronting pieces of my own.
Great read. Get your copy!
Reading it brought back flashes of being young and reckless, the wild nights, the mistakes, the secrets I carry, the version of myself that lived hard and free. There were moments where it felt less like I was reading someone else’s story and more like I was confronting pieces of my own.
Great read. Get your copy!
June 11, 2026
Funny • Chaotic • Honest
This collection of personal essays is funny, messy, and surprisingly relatable. Through a series of real-life stories, Joseph Adam Lee reflects on relationships, childhood, and life in New York City with plenty of self-deprecating humor and sharp observations. From bizarre dating experiences to unforgettable family moments, each essay brings its own brand of chaos.
What I enjoyed most was the author's willingness to laugh at himself. The stories are often outrageous, but they never feel exaggerated for the sake of shock value. Instead, they capture those strange, awkward, and memorable moments that make life interesting. The essays are quick to read, entertaining, and packed with personality.
🌟 Rating: 4/5
Would recommend to: Readers who enjoy humorous memoirs, personal essays, New York City stories, and authors who aren't afraid to share their most embarrassing moments. 🗽📖✨
This collection of personal essays is funny, messy, and surprisingly relatable. Through a series of real-life stories, Joseph Adam Lee reflects on relationships, childhood, and life in New York City with plenty of self-deprecating humor and sharp observations. From bizarre dating experiences to unforgettable family moments, each essay brings its own brand of chaos.
What I enjoyed most was the author's willingness to laugh at himself. The stories are often outrageous, but they never feel exaggerated for the sake of shock value. Instead, they capture those strange, awkward, and memorable moments that make life interesting. The essays are quick to read, entertaining, and packed with personality.
🌟 Rating: 4/5
Would recommend to: Readers who enjoy humorous memoirs, personal essays, New York City stories, and authors who aren't afraid to share their most embarrassing moments. 🗽📖✨
June 9, 2026
This was a very fun book! easy to read, perfect
for summer... or any day when you are just chilling and want something entertaining to read, you will laugh and have fun. I will definitely recommend it to everyone! get a coffee, a beer or a kombucha and get lost in this pages.
for summer... or any day when you are just chilling and want something entertaining to read, you will laugh and have fun. I will definitely recommend it to everyone! get a coffee, a beer or a kombucha and get lost in this pages.
June 10, 2026
This is a must have book for your beach bag this summer! It is a rare book that really make you laugh out loud while simultaneously striking a profound and vulnerable chord within. Joseph Adam Lee establishes himself as a captivating and essential modern voice. Bravo!
June 10, 2026
I loved this book. Just quick, well written, funny stories I feel like we have all experienced (well maybe not all of them). Must read!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews