We can all use a little more humor in our lives so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, I'm just not her target audience I suppose. This will be a good book for women who identify with the author and relate to feeling like a bit of a failure, not so much for happy older women.

This is probably my least favourite from Samantha Irby but I still managed to finish it in one sitting and had so much fun! Her writing is as engaging, witty and a blast as always. I got a little bit bored during the Sex And City part. I understand why it was included with her role in writing AJLT but rather long. She is a fantastic author and I can’t wait to read whatever she brings out in the future. A 3.5 star

Posted on Tiktok under my video of what I read in a week

samantha irby has a distinct and hilarious tone, which makes reading everything she writes such a delight. she writes with wit and brutal honesty, and it is just such a good set of essays. i felt like i was talking and laughing with a friend over facetime. just good vibes all in all!

Absolutely loved reading this book/group of essays. I have loved reading her books since a couple books ago actually!
Sam talks about her family life now, her younger years, and also not long before she met her wife. It's a literal "Laugh Out Loud" the whole way through! I think what makes her so enjoyable to read is that she takes normal situations, and throws IBD in the mix, and normalizes it, while also throwing a funny spin to it. There is no shame and you just have to laugh at how she can make the most uncomfortable situations hysterical. I hope to see more from her.

She is nor for everyone but she is for me! Another raucous collection from the queen. The switch from tender to raunchy to sweet is her strength, no one does it better.

Do you like reading essays or short stories? What are some favorites?

I started off greatly enjoy Samantha Irby’s Quietly Hostile. It’s a series of essays that delve into her life and experiences. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard reading a book of essays. Her stories were brutally honest and hit home with me on so many levels.

Then the essays fell off a cliff for me. She had a very strange one that delved into too much detail on the kind of porn she likes to watch. I don’t really care what she likes to watch and I don’t need to read the details. I skipped the rest of that essay, but the next essay was a detailed summary of all of the seasons of Sex in the City. I enjoyed that show twenty years ago, but I’m not so much of a super fan that I even remembered what was being talked about in these vignettes. She is a writer on the new series, so it was interesting from that perspective.

I just got stuck in the middle of this for two months. I picked it back up again and the rest were enjoyable, although not at the level of the very beginning of the book. I especially liked her essay on trying to get a TV show going on the fictionalized version of her life. It was fun to get the behind-the-scenes perspective on this.

I also enjoyed that Samantha Irby lives in Kalamazoo Michigan and had some local stories as well. I was born in Kalamazoo and grew up not far from there.

Book Source: Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

the cover is what drew me in but i stayed for the humor! quite relatable. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

not my cup of tea - it felt like every 'millennial' thought or joke that ever occurred to the author was just mishmashed into this collection of essays that truly talked way more about poop then i would ever care to read

As an avid reader, stumbling upon Samantha Irby's "Quietly Hostile" was like finding a hidden treasure. This book is an unapologetically authentic glimpse into Irby's life, with a side of humor that had me laughing out loud at every turn.

Irby's raw storytelling abilities are on full display as she fearlessly delves into the gory particulars of her real-life experiences. Behind the glitz and glamour of her skyrocketing career, she peels back the curtain to reveal the messy, relatable truths that lurk beneath. From debilitating dental issues to recurring bouts of diarrhea (yes, you read that right), Irby doesn't hold back. And honestly, why should she?

What sets "Quietly Hostile" apart is Irby's ability to find humor in the most unexpected and sometimes straight up gross places. She effortlessly spins tales of being turned away from a restaurant for her choice of clothes, diving headfirst into therapy and the wonders of medication like Lexapro, exploring the mystical realms of Reiki and crystals, and even succumbing to the addictive allure of QVC. Irby's self-deprecating humor never fails to hit the mark, and she always makes me laugh while also offering a comforting sense of familiarity.

If you're looking for a book that will have you laughing until your sides ache, while simultaneously feeling seen and understood, "Quietly Hostile" is an absolute must-read. Samantha Irby has once again proven herself as the relatable, uproarious tonic we all need in our lives. Brace yourself for an uproarious rollercoaster ride that will leave you begging for more of Irby's uniquely infectious charm.

I've been a fan of Sam Irby for years - I even have a book she signed right in front of me during an event with her and Lindy West. Her humor really works for me and I find her writing incredibly human and relatable. I just love her point of view. For anyone who has loved her other work, this is obviously a necessary addition to the oeuvre.

Samantha Irby is one of my favorite essayists. I have read all of her books and they simply never disappoint. If you like audiobooks, Irby narrates, and are the best way to consume her work, imo!

I will preface this by saying that I am not a huge fan of the essay as a genre, but I have tried to read Irby's last several works and haven't found one that resonates with me. I love the covers though!

This would have been 5 ⭐️ except a huge portion of this book talked in depth about Sex and the City which I get (she is a writer for the reboot), but I’ve also never watched it so I had no idea what was going on. I did LOL several times while listening so it was definitely funny.

Samantha irby has a singular voice. She’s honest, gross, funny, and neurotic. I love everything she writes and this collection is no exception. How lucky we are to live in a world with writers like her!

If Samantha Irby writes a book, I will read it. Her self deprecating humor and realism just get me every time.

That said, as with all essay collections there are parts I like more than others. Essays about dogs? Loved. Essays about TV shows I never watched and never plan to watch? Less interesting to me although I'm sure super fans loved it.

This is another hilarious collection of humorous and observant essays from Irby. I found myself laughing out loud numerous times throughout this book.

Samantha Irby is just fucking funny. She is no hold's barred funny. I absolutely love her essay collections and this one did not disappoint. As a fellow IBD sufferer, I appreciate her fresh and raw take on what it's like to live with a debilitating autoimmune disease that ravages your body. Not everyone is willing to be so real and honest, but to me, that is where Irby really shines. If you liked this one, definitely check out wow, no thank you. They're both legit laugh out loud favorites for me.

So far, my favorite Samantha Irby! I particularly loved the Dave Matthews piece, as well as the one about relating (just don't try) to teenagers, and her honest portrayal of her (non)relationships with her siblings were the standouts. I even enjoyed her very deep dive into Sex & the City episodes, while having not watched despite being the exact target audience during its heyday, I knew enough by osmosis to find entertaining. 30% through I was hopeful that we'd avoid the blow by blow bowel narratives so prevalent in previous books, but found myself cringing through again, only to land in an elderly nun porn film... not my speed, but I enjoy her writing and humor enough to power through those to get back to the good stuff I know she has in her.

Thank you to Vintage and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I deeply enjoyed reading all of Irby's collections when COVID started. She makes me laugh like no one else -- reading her books feels like reading a text thread from a slightly unhinged but very funny friend of mine who I maybe don't know very well but loves to talk. And this was no exception! I love the movement of the essays to be about things that you do as you get older, as you settle, as you start to care much less about the bullshit that's going on constantly. In a way, these seem more personal than her early essays about her background.

4 stars.

I love Samantha Irby, and enjoyed a lot of this book, the small chapter on whales was my all time favorite, it felt like someone was writing thoughts directly from my brain. That is what I love about Irby's writing it seems to resonate with such a fun audience and I always feel less a lone reading her thoughts, as well as like wow I can not believe someone else shares these same thoughts as me. I don't think the essays on Sex and the City were my flavor, but I did enjoy a few parts of that as well. Irby as usually just knocked it out of the ballpark.