Quietly Hostile

She's funny and a good writer, just not quite my vibe.

I love Sam. I just know we would be the kind of friends who keep saying we should hang out but neither of us are motivated enough to actually pull the trigger-but when we do, it's amazing and we are drinking margaritas and just giggling the whole time. With that being said...this one felt like it needed more time in the oven. I know it was partially written during COVID and it kind of feels that way. There were a few compelling chapters (sex and the city rewrites did make me pass away) but the rest felt filler-y.

I love Sam Irby of COURSE. I checked this one out on audiobook and it worked for me–I'm not a big audiobook person bc it's harder for me to pay attention long-form and I often will realize I spaced out and need to scrub back a few minutes. But with the essay format it was easier to follow (and TBH some of her more in-depth discussions of pop culture stuff that I don't know as well, like Sex and the City and Dave Matthews, I was fine spacing out on). Overall: just the funny, frank (to the point of grossness) stuff you'd expect from Sam Irby.

Thanks to Libro.fm and the publisher for the arc!

This was my first Irby book, so I wasn't totally sure what I was signing up for. Honestly, if Saeed Jones recommends something, I will more than likely pick it up. So! Absolutely no shade on the writing. Strong humor writing abounds here. I got a little lost in the sauce on some of the topics (I have never seen an episode of Sex and the City) which I think impacted my overall enjoyment. That being said, when Irby writes about tough topics I can't relate to (like a parent dying or going into anaphylactic shock) I found myself the most engaged and weirdly laughing the most. Was the whole book up my alley? Nope. But I get the feeling that a) she does not care, and b) I will still recommend to others.

I only just started reading Samantha Irby's essays earlier this year, but she's quickly becoming one of my favorites. Normally bathroom humor isn't my thing, and there was a lot of it in this book, but here it didn't bother me. It was brutally honest, laugh-out-loud funny, and (sometimes sadly) relatable. My only complaint is that some essays dragged on a little too long (the Sex and the City one in particular). Overall, I really enjoyed this collection.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Vintage for the advance reader copy!