Quietly Hostile Essays

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When I read this in bed before turning in for the night, I had to stifle my laughter to not wake up my boyfriend. Every essay is like talking to that one friend who always has an outrageous story to tell you while making you do that weird no-sound laugh. Recommended By Vicky K., Powells.com

A hilarious new essay collection from #1 New York Times bestselling unabashed fan-favorite Samantha Irby invites us to share 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

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A GLAMOUR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR - A hilarious new essay collection from Samantha Irby "engages readers with her characteristic combination of laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt passages and plenty of awkward experiences.... Quietly Hostile will delight established fans and newcomers alike (Parade).

"Brilliant and one of the funniest people I've ever read." --Roxane Gay - "The king of sparkling misanthropy and tender, loving dread." --Jia Tolentino

"Absolutely hilarious.... If you are feeling down, or you feel like you haven't read anything you've loved in a long time, all you need is Samantha Irby.... She will make you laugh on every page." --Emma Straub, bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, on The Today Show

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.

A BEST BOOK from Vogue, Esquire, PopSugar, Glamour, The Skimm, and more

Samantha McKiver Irby is an American comedian, essayist, blogger, and television writer. She is the creator and author of the blog bitches gotta eat, where she writes humorous observations about her own life and modern society more broadly. Her books We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Wow, No Thank You were both New York Times best-sellers.