These little slices of Liz Phair’s life are meaningful moments that vibrate. This book is set up a lot like an album with different “tracks” or stories that make up a collection. Don’t expect a standard autobiography/memoir format.

Liz is slightly biased, but shows her flaws, allowing herself a bit of healthy empathy, but doesn’t dwell in self-pity. I enjoy how she interrupts events and her writing style.

I was a little let down that there wasn’t a lot about her music, more a focus on the industry and a reflection on the level of professionalism she exhibited, even in the intense and uncomfortable moments.

What isn’t addressed is what I really want to know- Why did she stop making new music?

I am a long time fan of Liz Phair (in fact I own all 6 of her albums), and also a fan of celebrity memoirs, so I was excited to check this book out. This is definitely not your typical celebrity memoir - in fact I'm not sure whether memoir is in fact the right term for it - it's more of a collection of autobiographical essays. They are each themed loosely around something that was sad or scary or upsetting that she either did or observed, and they are not in chronological order at all and skip over large chunks of her life - but they are also deeply personal and revealing. So it's very interesting in that you get only the barest outline of the overall story of her life - but yet come out with a searingly intimate feeling for who she really is as a person. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this since her song lyrics are so sharp, but she is actually an astonishingly good and powerful writer. I'd actually love to see her try her hand at writing fiction.

Note that I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley, which omitted chapter 14 which apparently is about sexual harassment/me too. I don't imagine it would have changed my opinion of the book but if I do end up reading that chapter at some later point I'll update this review as needed.

I've read not very good books before about musicians: Sting, David Bowie, Maria Callas. Horror Stories is an entirely different class of book, because Liz Phair is a great musician, and a great artist, but she's also a bona fide writer. A really great one who's willing to go there in this collection - to take her deepest darkest embarrassments and fears, the things that torture and keep one up nights for years, the nitty gritty behind failed relationships and she analyzes and elaborates for us. I didn't know she's adopted, and found it endearing that pregnancy stories weren't a thing for their family for that reason. I also didn't know that chlorine is bad in pregnancy. I love that she interned for Nancy Spero and Leon Golub. I want to know what country her brother moved to, but I notice with admiration that Horror Stories reveals only secrets of her own, none of her family members' whom she might have written songs about in the past.

I loved these lines:
Guilt is the poisonous flower that springs up after a selfish act.
How could anything that dazzling be toxic? How could anything that toxic be dazzling?

An amazing memoir in that she does not portray herself in a terribly positive light. She let people down. She had an affair. She destroyed her marriage. One of the most honest memoirs I've ever read. It really has a lot of value to everyone, not just people who are fans of her music.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for sending me a digital ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of Indie rock queen, Liz Phair - I knew I HAD to read her memoir, "Horror Stories" ASAP!

This is an unusual but unique memoir of sorts. It's much more of a essay collection. In each chapter, Liz speaks candidly about an event or situation that left her traumatized in her personal life or recording career. "Three Bad Omens" is definitely a standout in this collection. Who knew Liz was a psychic!? My favorite chapter is "Labor of Love", in which she describes being in labor with her son, Nick for 30+ hours. Yikes! Liz is not ashamed of exposing her weaknesses when it comes to love either. In the "The Devil's Mistress", Liz openly discusses the toxic affair she had when she was married. In "She Lies" and "Below" - Liz becomes a bystander to frightening daily encounters that leave her rattled and uncomfortable. At the end of each chapter, Liz learns a valuable lesson from each failure and mistake, ones that were self-inflicted or out of her control.

This is the kind memoir that you don't have to read in a specific order. Many of the stories are non-linear. Jumping from her University years, to her music career, to her childhood, and back again.

Liz is unconventional, just like this memoir. I liked and understood the concept of this book, but with that being said, I still wish I got a little bit more backstory, especially how it felt to be a female musician in a male-dominated industry. I felt like something was missing. Liz is a great storyteller though. Just like she's a great songwriter. Her brutal honesty is what makes her special. I found her relatable. She has insecurities and inner-demons like the rest of us. I've been with her through all her career highs and lows. I wish her all the best. I appreciate when an artist is unafraid to expose painful and shameful parts of their pasts. That's what makes us human after all. Life is Phair.

I read a lot of music bios and memoirs and this one really subverted my expectations in a good way. What I assumed was going to be a standard A to B to C narrative of her rise to Indie music stardom, turned out to be a collection of stories that happen during (and before) that time that were "horrifying" in some way. Her writing is very evocative, and she puts you right next to her for all of these misadventures. There are several passages in this book that will stick in my mind for a long time. The tree climbing incident with her brother, which I won't spoil, truly lives up to the title! I also admire her candor, especially when it comes to celebrity and her romantic relationships.

This is a definite recommend, even for people only vaguely familiar with Liz Phair's music. And if it makes you a fan, all the better!

(Note: I plan to swoon about this book on an upcoming episode of my podcast, Learning The Tropes.)

The stories in this book are often uncomfortable or unsettling to read--recollections of times the author failed to act in the way she would have wished she had, in retrospect. And as deeply personal as that is, it's something that many of us can connect with--things we still look back on and beat ourselves up over, even years later. If we, like Phair, had a major-market book deal, a chance to write the things we would want our families or fans to know, would we tell the truth as unflinchingly as she does? There are several of the stories I won't soon forget, and I hope I remember not only the horror of the situation but also the lesson Phair wants us to remember, that "our flaws and our failures make us relatable, not unlovable."

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. First off let me just say, I adore Liz Phair. Her music is raw and unapologetic in ways that most other female artists were not when she 1st came on the scene. So I was really excited to read her 1st memoir. The writing was fine. The individual stories were fine. The book itself was a little all over the place. Sort of like my lunch conversations with my close girlfriends. So for me it was enjoyable. Liz portrays herself in Horror Stories as a regular woman who just happens to be a famous musician. In no way coming off as pretentious or as a “humble brag” type of author/artist. If you are looking for a book detailing the progression of LP’s life and career this book is NOT that. It’s literally just random stories about times in her life. No idea how she picked which stories to include. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed them, the book just wasn’t fluid like I would have expected. If you’re a fan of Liz Phair I’d definitely say check it out. She seems like a really chill, grounded person with the same concerns and life experiences as the rest of us. I found myself thinking “ok so I’m not the only one” several times while reading this book. #netgalley #horrorstories #lizphair

Nothing makes me want to know a celebrity more than reading a book they've written. Fiction, non-fiction, children's book, whatever. If you put your heart and soul into something, I'm gonna want to meet you. And being VASTLY musically gifted is also a great reason.

In Phair's book, Horror Stories, she has essays on her life and love and children and drugs and what her life has been like. It comes across as real and heartfelt and raw and even a little mystified that she's the person she's become. I guess we can all be like that at times.

I loved Horror Stories and truly appreciate anyone who is able to tell the public who they really are. There's something so vulnerable about being honest in a book. More so than an interview in my opinion. There's a reason memoirs are my favorite genre.

They just make me feel so damn human.

Horror Stories releases 10.8.19.

5/5 Stars

Not really a memoir.

Liz Phair was the soundtrack of my high school years. Champagne Supernova was a staple on many mixed tapes.

If I hadn't had such a nostalgic bond with Phair's music, I doubt I would have picked up this book. And that's who this book is for: fans who want to know more about the artist, in any form.

But if you're looking for a "Behind the Scenes" of the music industry ... well, you won't really get that here. It's just a collection of memories as essays. And they're depressing. Really depressing. There's a reason the book is called "Horror Stories." Phair has some good stories to tell, but they're not rockstar stories. They're mundane stories told very well. It could be anyone telling these stories.

The best thing about this book is Phair really can write. She's an artist in any medium.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Theme: 3 stars
Writing/Prose: 4 stars

Frankly, I was surprised at how little of this book was about her life as a musician and recording artist. Her most popular songs and albums are never even mentioned. This book is a collection of stories, mostly about her personal life and I suspect that most of her fans will be disappointed in how little of the book discusses her music. Even when the story tangentially revolves around her tour dates, the story itself is a romantic one about her falling for her guitar player while in NYC (to do shows) during the 2003 blackout. She surely goes into personal details about her life, some of which make great stories, but there is so little here about her music that you would hardly know she is an active touring and recording artist who has had a 20+ year career.

As a Liz Phair fan, I was terribly excited for this book, yet nervous it may not meet my expectations. Right out of the gate, it was more wonderful than I could have imagined!

This book cracked my heart open in the best possible way. It’s not a linear memoir about becoming a rockstar. It’s a collection of skillfully written essays about being a human who just happens to also be a rockstar. The stories are moving in every way, sometimes I laughed out loud, sometimes I almost cried. As with her songwriting, Liz's prose is emotional, raw, and honest. She perfectly captures what it's like to be a women who doubts herself at times, who owns her sexuality at other times, and who in general just wants to love and be loved. As a fan, it was tough for me to hear about the times when Liz felt isolated and ostracized for being the way she is, which is why her music has always resonated with me so much.

This is a must read for her fans. It will also be enjoyable for readers of memoir and personal essays.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

In 1998, my dorm cafeteria played music videos on multiple screens in the dining space. I was sitting in a booth, with a few girls from my floor when the video started. A very blown out video, full of home movies, an annoyed looking bride, and a woman in a (very 90s) slip dress, laying on a mattress. "You're lucky to even know me, you're lucky to be alive." Liz Phair immediately my favorite singer and I have never looked back.

Horror Stories by Liz Phair is not a rock and roll memoir. There are no groupies, no t.v.'s being tossed into pools. Horror Stories is one woman's reflection on her childhood, her marriage, her boyfriends, her vagina, her life, her celebrity.

Much like her lyrics, Liz is open and honest in these essays. She writes of her paranoia of being lost in a snowstorm, of being trapped by spiders in a tree with her brother, of being in labor for hours. She writes about the end of her marriage, the memory of a girl she regrets not helping, and about boyfriends who changed her life, even when the relationship was full of pain. She writes in her own voice, not trying to be anything but herself. And being oneself is one of the most powerful lessons I learned in 1998 and again in 2019. Liz has long been one of my favorite musicians and this collection of musings adds more fuel to my fandom fire.

Whitechocolatespaceegg, Whip-Smart and Exile in Guyville changed my life in my 20's and Horror Stories is a welcome addition to my life in my 40s.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and to my queen, Liz Phair, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Now this was not what I expected. When a musician writes a book it's usually all "Oh and then me and Kurt Cobain were laughing about the funny story I had just told when David Bowie walked around the corner!" This is definitely not that book. Liz Phair had two albums in the '90's that I loved and then she got more famous but I was one of those nerdy fans who liked her more before she was on the radio. But, once again, this is not that book. The book that this is is a series of non-chronological stories from her life that shaped her. She's climbing a tree as a little girl, she's getting divorced, she's having a baby, she's experiencing the death of her grandparents, etc, etc. From her songs, I'm not really surprised that she lays it all out there, including her own regrets. And still no Billy Corgan conversations or celebrity anecdotes. Good stories though.

Not your average rockstar memoir.

Anyone familiar with Phair’s music should know before they read page one what to expect— tightly packed, emotional, “short story“ like personal anecdotes that open your eyes and cause you to think.

Horror Stories is remarkable not for what Liz Phair teaches you about being a rockstar or even a musician but what she teaches you about being a human being, warts and all.

I recieved a digital copy free from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a huge disappointment. I came in expecting stories about Liz's music, the industry, and how she grew up and matured. Unfortunately its a collection of stories about things that were terrible moments that stuck with her that never really click.

Reading through the book, you understand where the moments latched on, but there isn't much connection. The first chapter is probably the one I connected with the most, as the regrets are easy to relate to.

As the book progressed I felt like it wavered and veered off in to less interesting material. While the stories are obviously personal, it just doesn't make for great reading. At some points I had to fight off skipping ahead in chunks.

As someone who has been listening to Liz since high school in the early to mid 90s, this just let me down. There was so much potential considering how relatable her music had always been, yet this book just fell super flat. I can't recommend this at all.

Fans of Liz Phair, be warned: If you're expecting a wild rock n' roll memoir, you won't find it in this book. But, don't let that deter you from picking up this beautifully written book, a collection of Phair's memories and stories cobbled together in a quiet, pensive collection that seems antithetical to her riotgrrrl, "Fuck and Run" musical persona. She talks about a particularly emotional, cathartic photoshoot that became one of her most well-known spreads to-date; she reminisces on spending falls in her grandparents' house outside of Cincinnati and the discovery that the house was once an abolitionist safe house during the Underground Railroad. She remembers fleeting interactions with women from her adolescence who she still thinks about to this day, a young woman passed out in a nightclub bathroom who nobody bothered to help; a melancholy, beautiful young teenager about to get major surgery, who beseechingly asks, "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

If you love Liz Phair's music, you likely appreciate her sharp, beautiful lyrics; she shows that her prose is just as striking. This book is sometimes crass, sometimes funny, but always poignant. The stories in each chapter are pithy but effective. Each one stirred some new emotion in me and gave me a better sense of Phair as a whole person, not just a rockstar. Again, this isn't your typical music memoir - it's a much more powerful yet understated memoir style that more musicians and artists should consider.

I never listened to Liz Phair before getting this book, though I certainly knew who she was.

This memoir-by-essay collects vignettes from Phair's life, from her childhood to dropping her kid off at college. Things happen, Liz does things, Liz learns not to do other things but then does them anyway. "Horror Stories" is an apt title, in many respects. Growing up the daughter of a doctor, and living in tony Winnetka, IL did not make her life easy, nor her path smooth. I was pleasantly surprised there weren't more horror stories from the exploitative and misogynist cesspool that is the music industry.

Recommended for Phairies (I just made that up...you know, like Duranies), or fans of early 90s rock.

A fantastic and insightful story of hard-won success. A bio equal to her albums, and in the authentic voice only Liz possesses.

I expected this to be more of a memoir about the author's life, but found a collection of essays instead. They were okay, but some were tedious to get through. I'm just disappointed it wasn't more of a memoir.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.