I was trying to figure out which book I wanted to read next when I started flipping through We Are Never Meeting in Real Life (2017) by Samantha Irby. I knew this book was supposed to be a collection of humorous essays, and it was on NPR’s Recommended Books from 2017. Other than that, I knew almost nothing about the book or the author. Irby got right into it with her fictional application to the Bachelor television program. It immediately grabbed my attention, and was funny and entertaining. […]
Laughing in the Face of Pain
I’m not sure how I stumbled across We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. I hadn’t heard of Samantha Irby or her blog, “Bitches Gotta Eat”, before picking up the book, but the title and adorably annoyed kitten on the cover called to my inner crank. And in this particular case, the essays delivered on the cover’s promise. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life tackles a broad range of topics from love, sex, family, pets, pain, the Bachelorette, money, and Civil War reenactments with a sharp […]
Samantha keeps it REAL
I have been a fan of Samantha Irby’s writing for quite awhile from her blog (bitches gotta eat). I’m also a member of her book lovers Facebook community, Bitches gotta read. Thus, I was already poised to like We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. I adore her humor. And yet, this book exceeded my expectations! Her collection of essays allows Irby to bare her soul with her trademark matter-of-fact no fluff tone. I read the audiobook that she narrates herself, which I highly recommend! Hearing her own […]
I feel guilty I didn’t like this more
I really wanted to like this book. It seemed up my alley, and I was in the mood for essays; something sassy and brisk. The back cover blurbs were encouraging, and I had finished Lindy West’s Shrill just prior to the start of this cannonball read, so her endorsement left me hopeful that this book would have the same effervescent tone while having something larger to say about culture or gender or race. Instead, it just felt to me like reading someone’s blog – which […]