Here is a hilarious new essay collection from Samantha Irby that shares in the gory particulars of her real life, all that festers behind the glitter and glam.
Samantha Irby’s career has taken her to new heights. She dodges calls from Hollywood and flop sweats on the red carpet at premieres (well, one premiere). But nothing is ever as it seems online, where she can crop out all the ugly parts.
Irby got a lot of weird emails about Carrie Bradshaw, and not only is there diarrhea to avoid, but now—anaphylactic shock. She is turned away from restaurants for being inappropriately dressed and looks for the best ways to cope, i.e., reveling in the offerings of QVC and adopting a deranged pandemic dog. Quietly Hostile makes light as Irby takes us on another outrageously funny tour of all the gory details that make up the true portrait of a life behind the screenshotted depression memes. Relatable, poignant, and uproarious, once again, Irby is the tonic we all need to get by.
“It’s always entertaining to see Irby—a first-rate, self-deprecating mind—riff on the oddities of her own life. . . . What’s most endearing about this new collection is that the voice is always brazenly, unapologetically hers.” —The New York Times, “19 Works of Nonfiction to Read This Spring”
“A sprawling essay collection that humorously celebrates all manner of quirky, even socially unacceptable, behavior . . . The author’s humor and wordplay positively sizzle, and her chapter titles are characteristically amusing . . . The narrative bursts with the compassion, insight, honesty, and wit that have made Irby a household name.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Irby shows off her wit, empathy, and self-deprecating humor. . . . Bouncing between irreverence and poignancy, [Quietly Hostile] keeps the laughs coming while serving up intimate personal reflection and entertaining cultural commentary. . . . Top form.” —Publishers Weekly
“At her comic best. . . . Don't be fooled, though—there's tons of emotional depth hidden under the layers of comedy…. Irby's many fans, and anyone whose anxiety and hermit-like qualities ramped up during the pandemic, will celebrate and identify with her latest.” —Booklist, *starred review*
“The best part about reading a book by [Irby] . . . is the way she makes you laugh out loud. The next best part is when people who hear you laughing ask what you’re reading and get to spread the hilarious gospel of Irby.” —GRAB Magazine
“NEW SAM IRBY!! In her fourth book, Irby brings her trademark humor and honesty to essays that reveal “all that festers beyond the glitter and the glam.” Sure, she’s now walked the red carpet . . . but does that mean she still isn’t dealing with diarrhea and her own teeth traitorously poisoning her from within her own mouth? No!” —Autostraddle, “114 Queer and Feminist Books Coming Your Way Spring 2023”
“Superstar essayist Samantha Irby is back . . . When it comes to writing, half of the struggle boils down to capturing the right ‘voice.’ Do you sound smart? Approachable? Hilarious? Samantha Irby is one of those rare writers who has conquered all three categories. . . . from public bathroom mishaps to delving deep into The Real Housewives universe. . . . Quietly Hostile stands apart.” —Bust
“Quite possibly the funniest person alive.” —Go Magazine
“Behind the new-found glam, Irby is just trying to keep her life together. Our friend in print is back, on point, and ready to take us with her.” —Sunset, “These New Books by Black Authors Need to Be on Your Reading List”
“Delightfully funny essayist Samantha Irby is back. . . . If you loved Irby’s previous collections . . . don’t miss this latest.” —USA Today, “12 Books by Black Authors to Read in 2023”
“In this comedic essay collection, Irby writes about incontinence, exhaustion, eating habits, aches and pains . . . all the things I, too, grapple with on the daily. The way she portrays the reality of edging deeper into your early 40s—that cognitive dissonance that occurs when you still feel like an incompetent child even though you’re old enough to have pushed an incompetent child out of your own vagina—is so pitch-perfect.” —Steph Auteri, BookRiot, “These Books Made Us Feel So Seen”
“I’m guessing you need a laugh. . . . Well, a Samantha Irby book always delivers. And this is no easy feat—reliable literary laughs are only achieved by the likes of David Sedaris, Trevor Noah and a handful of others.” —Samantha Schoech, San Francisco Chronicle, “8 new books to look forward to in 2023”
“A noted blogger and comedian, [Irby] is in top form in her latest.” —Steph Auteri, Book Riot, “8 Memoirs About Getting Older”
“Wow, No Thank You author returns with a hilarious new essay collection that touches on her rotting teeth, QVC obsession, and frequent bouts of diarrhea due to Crohn’s disease. All of which prove that no matter how famous Samantha Irby gets, she’ll never stop being #relatable.” —TIME Magazine, “The 23 Most Anticipated Books of 2023”
“An outrageously funny offering that once again shows how Irby has become the beloved writer that she is.” —She Reads, “Best Beach Reads of Summer 2023”
“Confessional and fearless, Irby is a raw consummate personal essayist.” —Oprah Daily, “The Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2023”
“Irby is [one of] the most reliably hilarious essayists working now, so any time she publishes a new collection, it’s cause for celebration. . . . I look forward to laughing—helplessly, breathlessly—at all of it.” —Jessie Gaynor, Literary Hub, “Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2023”
“If you’ve read Irby’s previous collections, or even skimmed her Instagram, you’re likely waiting for her next book of hilarious essays. This one sounds promising: it has a skunk on the front and covers everything from working in Hollywood, to getting a “deranged pandemic dog” . . . to being turned away form a restaurant for being dressed inappropriately. I can’t wait!” —Edan Lepucki, The Millions, “Most Anticipated: The Great 2023 A Book Preview”
“Wildly hilarious.” —Electric Lit, “62 Books By Women of Color to Read in 2023”
