I think this book should besplit into two parts. You have the personal stories from the author and then you have the do-it-yourself part.

The do-it-yourself part I believe is good to use as prompts in your journal or you can go through them and learn things about yourself and discover who you are. I thought these parts were done well and have some explanation to get you on the way. Though these topics and prompts are general and not really unique, but then again can you still be unique in that topic these days. It's more about how you bring it to the audience and if it helps and encourages the reader.

The personal stories are basically the author going through all the prompts herself and you get to learn about her. These parts were fun to read in the beginning, but about halfway I was kinda done with them. A lot of returning topics and I didn't feel myself engaged anymore. That took stars away for me. It started to feel incredibly long and I started skipping parts at that point.

This book changed my life. Sharing ourselves with others can be hard and this book helps you know where to start and why it’s important

Interesting at first. Made a few great points. Then became repetitive. Was hoping for more but alas… started good. Ended meh.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Such a great premise to the book and it was written so well. I love her podcast and felt the same vibe throughout the book.

I've loved Laura Tremaine's podcast, so was very interested to see what her book turned out to be, and it turns out that I loved it. There are 10 chapters, each with a question to ask yourself. Then Laura "goes first" with several stories from her life relating to the question. In between chapters she has interesting and quirky lists, showing another way we can write about our lives.

As I read Laura's stories (and she had some powerful stories!) I was so motivated to write about experiences in my own life, some of which I haven't thought about for decades. I also started thinking about women that I'd like to invite to be in a bookclub especially for reading Share Your Stuff. I think we're going to have an amazing time!

When you are a child, friendships are easy. You walk up to the other child waiting to use the slide or hang their backpack in their cubby and ask if they want to be friends. Then you run off to play blocks together and all is well. But for grownups, it can be a bit more challenging. Laura Tremaine had moved from Oklahoma to Los Angeles and was searching for real friends. She started by writing a blog and confessing the truth of her life as a new mom. Sharing online led to sharing in person, and Tremaine stumbled upon a magic formula for building relationships--ask good questions, listen well, and share your own stuff first.

Laura Tremaine provides readers with ten questions to help their relationships go from casual to deep. She shares her own answers to those questions about who she is, what she is afraid of, what broke her, and who taught her how to be. Tremaine is very open about her own successes and struggles, and this book truly reads like a friend telling you stories about their life.

This book is part memoir and part guidebook, as Tremaine transitions to a discussion at the end of each chapter by providing readers with things to discuss with their friends. Share Your Stuff could be a valuable guide for the person looking to deepen their friendships.


Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First.
10 Questions to Take Your Friendships to the Next Level
By Laura Tremaine
Zondervan February 2021
224 pages
Read via Netgalley

I think friendship is really complicated and there aren't enough resources that are regularly talking about the complexity. I appreciated this book's simple invitations into deepening friendship. It felt geared toward a particular kind of reader and I'm curious if and how it might be shared with a wider readership.

I have found such amazing friends through podcasts. Friends I adore, friends I can’t stop listening to, friends who have no clue who I am. 😜 So when I found out that one of those friends, Laura Tremaine, was publishing her first book in February of this year, I ordered four copies. One for me and one for each of my girlfriends on the other side of the country. It is after all a masterclass in friendship and the prettiest book cover of the year, hands down. Read this when you are in the mood for a memoir that doubles as a guidebook for authentic connection in relationships. It is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott meets The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Best paired with a giant bowl of queso and Fritos. XO, Tara

I love this book so much that even after receiving an ARC, I bought the book. I've been a fan of Laura's for quite some years, and she has a definite knack for helping people find ways to share connections. This book is a great tool for that. and I'm hoping to run a book club with it this fall.

I first found Laura through a podcast as a reference of what the host was loving, then I found her podcast and loved it myself.

I was so excited for this book and was not disappointed! Laura is a wonderful storyteller and asks engaging questions of the reader to reflect on and discuss with who they deem appropriate. I appreciate her heart and candor in sharing the highs and lows of her life through this book and asking us to reflect on our own.

Definitely recommend and think this would be a great buddy read with a dear friend or with someone you want to know better.

Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First
by Laura Tremaine
Published Feb. 2, 2021

Part memoir and part guidebook, Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. is the invitation you've been waiting for to show up with your whole self and discover the intimate, meaningful relationships you long for.
I really liked this book. I am always looking for ways to make my friendships more meaningful. I think this book came out in the best of times to do this. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 star

Laura Tremaine encourages her readers to be vulnerable and share their stuff in order to deepen their relationships. Filled with personal stories, journaling prompts, and questions for discussion with your girlfriends, this was a timely read during the pandemic. I’m planning to buy some copies for my friends!

I received an Advanced Review Copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Laura Termaine's debut book is perfect for this pandemic time we find ourselves in. We are all seeking to connect with others and understand ourselves better and Ms. Tremaine offers a framework of questions to facilitate these conversations and introspection. At the same time, she shares engaging stories from her own life. I've enjoyed "getting to know" Laura through her podcast, and her book took that even deeper. This book is well-written and thoughtful. Readers will want to take their time with each chapter to apply to their own lives, while also wanting to turn the pages to read more of Laura's stories. Highly recommend!

This book was sent to me as an ARC on Netgalley. However, all opinions are of my own.
This was really educational in some sense - i loved how you were able to answer the questions in particular sections.
It was informative and interesting.

This book is getting amazing and glowing reviews from many people who know and love L. Tremaine from her social media ventures. I have listened to her sporadically in various podcasts over the past few years and am familiar with some of the themes she gravitates towards. Those same themes are captured here in this book. She is, no doubt, a thoughtful and lovely person. She is also not going to be relatable or resonate for every reader (nor should she have to, but this is how it is). This book will appeal to people who love to follow Laura for various aspects of her lifestyle or share-all-the-things personality. It has some moments that are truly insightful and thoughtful. I'm not sure it will bring in large groups of people who don't already know and love her public persona, but maybe it's not intended to.

In some ways, this book works really well. Laura's prompts and personal stories are at times very insightful and touching, and at other times way too navel-gazey. Some people love this type of narrative, especially if an author is adjacent to a community they like to idolize or fantasize about (in this case, Hollywood). The part memoir - part journal/story prompt setup works, mostly. Laura has a goal to foster community and connection by facilitating openness and sharing of story. This is a good thing, but Laura is largely preaching to the choir here. People who love Laura and who love responding to these types of prompts are already likely to be personality types who are naturally drawn to public storytelling, who resonate with public discussion and sharing. These folks don't need the prompts, necessarily, although they can be an enjoyable exercise. And for those not prone to public sharing, Laura does indicate you can simply take them to your journal, but that doesn't take friendships to the next level necessarily. This book really functions best as an extension of her work as a blogger and podcaster, but (in my opinion), struggles to completely stand alone as its own work. I don't think Laura's struggles, genuine as they are, are so revelatory that they will "reveal unique details and stories you've never thought to tell" as the blurb indicated. But I do think it will prompt reflection and that is always a good outcome from reading an author's words.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Zondervan for the ARC.

Laura Tremaine is one of my favorite podcasters and people to follow on the internet. Her desire to learn and connect and grow is contagious and I love how so much of her presence is being open and helping give others a space to do the same. This book was part-memoir and part-guide-to-deep-relationships. There were things that Laura discussed that I hadn't ever reflected on or thought about myself before, but she gave me space to think about parts of myself and my story that are important to share. Her openness and vulnerability in this book leads the way and makes it less scary to think about sharing our stories with those around us. I think she has an interesting and compelling way of viewing the world and so I loved to hear more about how she thinks.
I recommend this book, I especially think it would be great to go through with a friend or group of friends and discuss along the way to put into practice sharing your stuff!

This book felt like the antidote to small talk. With each chapter posed as a question, Laura Tremaine takes the time to "go first" and answer the question with vulnerable and relatable stories from her life. Each chapter ends with the invitation for the reader to do the same. I absolutely loved the storytelling and memoir-like feel of this book, that also doubled as a model for how to go deeper in relationships. "Share Your Stuff" was truly the catalyst for lots of reflection and conversations in my own life.

PS. Laura shares a lot about her own experience growing up going to church/Christian camps, and what it's been like for her to step away from church culture and the faith of her childhood. I know this can be a tricky topic to talk about, and I thought Laura was careful to share her experience and not tell the reader what to think. Even so, I just wanted to mention that this pops up quite a bit throughout the book, for those who might feel sensitive to that.

During a time when I've felt more unsure of myself and less connected than ever before, Laura Tremaine's debut arrived at the perfect moment. I cannot explain the way in which her stories and insightful suggestions create an environment that invites readers to gently examine their pasts in an effort to expand their future. I love the disarming way in which she guides readers through an exploration while giving examples from her own life that are honest, vulnerable and humorous. I have been a fan of her blog and podcast for years and this is such a treat!

This book is as well written as Laura Tremaine is well-spoken. The stories are fun and the questions led to lots of deep thinking. The timing of this book is perfect as the world is craving deeper connections and bonds.

Laura Tremaine writes with such honesty and clarity that comes from wisdom. She “goes first” in sharing her stuff and invites her readers to take a look at their relationships and explore what it would mean to deepen them by being honest, sharing vulnerability and being open. Such a great book, I’ve already bought 2 more copies for friends!