Member Reviews

I was excited to read this but the formatting was off on my kindle, will eventually pick up a physical copy because I love Nora!

The title alone makes me excited to get to this because I am a bad vibes girly myself.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed Nora's previous books, this one felt more vulnerable. I was drawn to the title.

Was this review helpful?

Nora McInerny's Bad Vibes Only is a collection of essays that explore the author's experiences with grief, anxiety, and the pressures of modern life. McInerny writes with honesty, humor, and compassion about her own struggles, and she offers readers a unique perspective on what it means to live authentically in the age of social media and self-care culture.

One of the things that makes Bad Vibes Only so relatable is McInerny's willingness to be vulnerable. She doesn't shy away from discussing difficult topics like grief, anxiety, and depression. But she also does so in a way that is both humorous and hopeful. She reminds readers that they are not alone in their struggles, and that it's okay to not be okay.

McInerny also challenges some of the harmful narratives that are often promoted in self-care culture. She argues that it's important to embrace our negative emotions, and that we don't always have to be positive and upbeat. She also encourages readers to be kind to themselves, and to stop putting so much pressure on themselves to be perfect.

Overall, Bad Vibes Only is a refreshing and honest book about the challenges of modern life. It's a book that will make you laugh, cry, and think. And it's a book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is feeling lost, alone, or overwhelmed by the pressures of modern life. It's a book that will remind you that you are not alone, and that it's okay to not be okay.

Was this review helpful?

I was first introduced to Nora's writing through her TED talk. Well, more specifically I was introduced to Nora's story when she gave a TED talk and then consequently through her first book. Her witty and candid look at grief and how it changes us and also our responsibility as humans to move through grief and let it change us made me take a moment and really consider my perspective. I highly recommend anything by Nora McInerny--starting with this book.

Was this review helpful?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by the barrage of toxic positivity hurled at you every time you unlock your phone. [RAISES HAND].

Bad Vibes Only is for you. It’s a breath of fresh air in a world constantly spewing self help aphorisms and productivity tips. Nora is as real as it gets, speaking her truth and helping us understand our own. Few things are as comforting as reading about someone else’s experience, relating to it deeply, and realizing you aren’t the only person that’s ever felt this way. That’s what you get, chapter after chapter, in Bad Vibes Only. Permission to bring any vibes you want and promise that you’ll only get real ones from these pages. I could (and probably will) read it over and over again.

Thank you to Netgalley for the gifted copy.

Was this review helpful?

Per usual a fantastic book of essays by Nora McInery, she is always such an amazing writer who does an excellent job of explaining her dark emotions through funny stories. Highly recommend for a quick read or when you are looking for an emotional nonfiction read or even just a quick escape.

Was this review helpful?

"...reminding us that a life worth living is about more than just “good vibes.”"
Unfortunately, "Bad Vibes Only" ended up being a DNF for me. The tone of the book was a mix of wittiness and cynicism, and the cynicism outweighed the things I found enjoyable about Nora McInerny's book. Each essay in "Bad Vibes Only" tells a story of Nora's life at different ages and focuses heavily on the negative aspects of whatever was going on at the time, or what negative things came from her actions. I only read a few essays because by the time I got to the end of each one, I felt ridiculously unhappy. The essays I read all started with the feeling of "there's this happy, shiny thing that I wanted so badly" and turned into "here's how awful it actually was once I had it" or how it was only something happy and shiny because someone else said it should be.
I think this book just wasn't for me.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great book of essays that dealt with a lot of themes most people try to avoid. It was nice to read a book by someone the same age as I am, as it helped me connect to some of the essays more than I would normally. I appreciated the honesty in which the author talked about motherhood, grief, adult friendships, and the reality of influencers. I loved her humor and found myself laughing many times as I read. I would definitely recommend this to my friends.

Was this review helpful?

I picked this up because my vibes are also very bad, and I felt I could use some company!

Bad Vibes Only is an excellent set of essays for people who are getting through life but can't help but let the bad vibes sprinkle even the best of days. Nore McInerny covers a range of topics such as raising children in an era of social media and technology, maintaining adult friendships, aging, loss, and finding yourself over and over again.

McInerny writes with the perfect blend of humor and blunt honesty to make her points hit home. It was relatable in a way I never really expected, and I love the ways in which I could connect even when I had no real experience with a lot of her situations.

I think I wanted a little more from a couple of the essays, but overall, they were excellent! Would recommend to all my non-fiction lovers out there!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for my ARC!

Was this review helpful?

If you are looking for a sarcastic, insightful, and timely essay collection by a women this is a great one to pickup. I don't think it offers anything new and exciting to the conversation, but if it's your shtick, go for it.

Was this review helpful?

Special thank you to NetGalley and Atria/One Signal Publishers for the ARC of this humorous yet raw novel.

Anyone who reads this book will find it relatable on some level. Each chapter is an essay which ranges in a variety of different topics, and will leave you reflecting and contemplating personal life choices and society itself. We’re all in for the ride. Embrace your good vibes - and the bad.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely love anything Nora McInerny puts out, and this book was no exception. Her writing style is direct, relaying the seriousness of her experiences but also manages to infuse humor into the moments that just need it. I loved the stories she told and the writing style.

Was this review helpful?

⁉️What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
I took this shot in our family’s fave ice cream shop @peeweesicecream. So, looking at it has me thinking about it. They’ve got a lavender honey one that is 🤌

BOOK REVIEW
Bad Vibes Only by Nora McInerny
Published: October 2022
224 pages
Thanks @atriabooks @netgalley @onesignalpub for the gifted e-book

This was such an easygoing read. I breezed through it and connected with most of it personally. Nora is the host of @ttfapodcast, and this reads so much like podcast episodes tied together, like one long binge.

The reason I’m not giving this a higher rating is though it was all wildly relatable, it felt relatable overall in just the most generic way. I don’t think I’ll remember much of it, but I enjoyed the time I spent reading it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#noramcinerny #terriblethanksforasking #nonfiction #essays #podcast #podcastlife #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #badvibesonly #badvibes #netgalley #marchreads #bookreviewer #bookblogger #atriabooks #bookstagrammer #bookcommunity #readersofinstagram #readingvibes #booktography #bookrating #bookthoughts

Was this review helpful?

Bad Vibes Only by Nora McInerny. Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary digital copy. I’m not a big reader of essay compilations but I do enjoy reading them from time to time. This book was fun and easily digestible in its different essays. If you like Mary Laura Philpott, then you’ll like this book. Very fun!

Was this review helpful?

This was my first introduction to Nora McInerny and what an introduction it was. From the foreword on, I knew there would be nuggets of insight I could gleam from this collection of essays. I don’t tend to highlight passages in books often. But reading through Bad Vibes Only, I found myself highlighting a passage in each chapter.

McInerny captures the nuisances of being a woman, a mother, a widow, and just a person trying their best. This collection of personal essays spans between the ethics of getting Botox, parenting, and being an “accelerated” student.

It’s a quick and fun read. I think any person with an inner anxious child who has accepted that they won’t be the next Sarah Patrick will find it enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Bad Vibes Only is an essay collection from the host of the Terrible, Thanks for Asking podcast, Nora McInerny. While everything she discusses in this collection and on her show are traumatic, she approaches each situation with humor and heartfelt sympathy. Nothing feels fake here. Feels like a conversation with an old friend.

Was this review helpful?

This. Book. Was. Everything. I felt really strongly about the fact that McInerny was writing from heavy personal experiences. This book gave me Really Good, Actually vibes by Monica Heisey. There is something about the tone of these essays that is captivating from the get-go. This is absolutely a book that I would recommend to people who's opinion matters to me.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a treasure of truth.

Nora McInerny gives us a humorous look at the world today, including the over abundance of self-help books (how did we live without them?)

This is a book that will touch every single person on some level and make you look at life with a bit of a lighter outlook. We don't need to be perfect - it's a goal that is unreachable and adds stress.

Was this review helpful?

I was not familiar with Nora McInerny before receiving this ARC but I quite enjoyed this collection of essays. I was immediately drawn in by her disdain for toxic positivity, and I really appreciated her honesty on the variety of topics she covered. I loved her mention of Mormon mommy bloggers, why have we all gone through that phase and fascination??

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is my first time interacting with Nora McInerny’s work, and I have to say that this was a very enjoyable read! I’m always trying to get myself to read more memoirs, and I’m very glad I was able to pick this one up! She bring a her life into this book, and she highlights the joy, hardships, and perseverance. A wonderful read!

Was this review helpful?