Samantha Irby

For a woman who claims to have no goals, no ambition, and to be completely disorganized - okay, maybe, but what Samantha Irby can do really, REALLY well is to tell you hilarious stories, where she's usually the butt (Irby has IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome) of the jokes. In her third book of essays, Irby explains how she started a little MySpace blog (without really knowing what a blog ever WAS), and her overshares became so popular that they became a website, and then other comedians and show more agents came to call. She is still remarkably surprised by her success, which makes her even more endearing to the reader. Frequently profane yet humble, able to overcome being raised by completely indifferent parents, her stories are ones that would have her surrounded at a party by people screaming, 'WHAT DID SHE SAY???" Not essays for the easily offended, Irby's blunt truths will leave you rapt with admiration for the writer who created 2019's Fat Babe Pool Party in Lindsey West's Hulu show Shrill.

Quotes: "In hindsight, don't ever do anything for anyone, but especially not for a man who has a girlfriend. Leading people on is a hate crime." show less

My bookclub chose this one. I had never read Samantha Irby before, and didn't know anything about her at all, so I didn't know what to expect. I was LOLing by page 25 and found it hard to put down. I really identified with some of this stuff due to my age, location, and anxiety. My favorite chapters were "late-1900s time capsule" for the 90s playlist, "hysterical!" for the no-holds-barred god-awful truth about the life-wrecking hell that is menstruation, "we almost got a fucking dog" for the show more quirks of pet ownership, and "hello, 911?" for the hilarious-when-it's-not-me shit my brain also worries about every day. There's also a cheeseburger macaroni recipe that I'll be trying! show less

Best for: Anyone who enjoys a great collection of essays.

In a nutshell: Samantha Irby shares stories from her life that are at times so funny you’ll stop someone on the street to read a passage just so they can share in your joy.

Line that sticks with me: “No one ever tells attractive children how much they suck, and then the rest of us get stuck with insufferable, narcissistic adults who can barely tie their shoes because someone else is busy either doing it for them or congratulating show more them on their effort.”

Why I chose it: The cover. Seriously, look at it.

Review: I’m writing this review fewer than 24 hours after buying this book. I read it all evening on the walk to an event this morning, on two bus rides, and wile I inhaled my lunch. I kept yelling out passages to my husband, who kindly paused his video game and then found himself laughing along with me.

I’m late to the Samantha Irby game; this is her second collection of essays. But oh my god it is brilliant. There are parts of her life I can relate to (like just wanting to stay inside and not interact with others) and parts I can’t (like her experiences growing up) but I found myself riveted by every single essay.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but there is an essay about the start of her relationship with her now-wife that I was not expecting but that was candid and hilarious and real. This is one of my favorites of the year for sure, and will likely get many re-reads in the years ahead. show less

I have to be cautious reading essays about mental health, but the way Samantha Irby describes her depression and anxiety did not trigger anything except laughter. Probably because I'm FINALLY in a headspace where the anxiety isn't winning. Thanks, extended-release Propranolol!

I loved her dry, self-deprecating humor even about the darkest of human experiences because I, too, love to make a joke about the dead folks in my life but for some reason that makes other people uncomfortable. Her show more life isn't perfect, she's got problems, and she's SO HONEST about it. My best friend has Crohn's and Irby's so-for-real writing about living with chronic illness helped me (again) see that our healthcare system is TERRIBLE, especially for those with chronic diseases (AND ESPECIALLY anything autoimmune-related and/or systemic. All those damn medical specialty silos!). I have a deep & silly sadness about our bygone blogging days and wish, hope, dream of those days coming back — this book took me back to those days when people would share wildly personal details in a blog but couldn't or wouldn't talk about any of that with people face-to-face. (And sometimes maybe even forgetting that people were actually reading ANY OF THAT...)

Can't wait to listen to more from Samantha Irby!

Books featuring Anxiety & Other Mental Health Issues I read at the WRONG time but still LOVED:
- My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel
- Monkey Mind by Daniel Smith
- Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson show less