whatthekatdraggedin's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.25


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moodreader89's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.0


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kelly_e's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

Title: Bad Vibes Only (and Other Things I Being to the Table)
Author: Nora McInerny
Genre: Essays
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: October 11, 2022

T H R E E • W O R D S

Breezy • Humorous • Honest

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Nora McInerny, bestselling author and host of the beloved podcast Terrible, Thanks for Asking, has captured the hearts of millions with her disarming and earnest approach to talking about grief and loss. Now, she turns her eye on our aggressively, oppressively optimistic culture, our obsession with self-improvement, and what it really means to live authentically in the online age. These essays lay bare her own chaos, inviting us to drop the façade of perfection and embrace the chaos.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I'd previously read Nora's three nonfiction books, so when I saw she was publishing something new I instantly added it to my TBR to pick up at some point. Bad Vibes Only was a quick and easy listen, kind of like sitting down for a chat with an old friend.

Written in short essay format, Nora offers her personal musings on life, love, and loss in a way that's easy to come and go from. She tells it like it is with her signature humour, and her words are so relatable. While some parts came off as privileged and superficial, other parts are steeped in deep emotion. She offers the reminder that bad things happen and you don't have to create something great out of it.

These easy to get through essays made me feel seen. This book certainly isn't for everyone, but as someone who has been through my share of hard times, including the death of my partner, I appreciated what Nora had to say. At the end of the day, it's encouraging to know there are others out there going through something similar and thinking the same things as me. It made me feel less alone. Nora offers a reminder that a life worth living is about more than just 'good vibes'. If you do decide to pick this one up, I'd definitely recommend the audio route.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• anyone in need of a laugh
• readers who have struggled
• the overthinkers and burned-out

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Anything can happen, and it does, but we cannot live every day with the awareness that we are small and fragile creatures, vulnerable spirits in inadequate vessels made of breakable bones and soft tissue."

"Good, better, best. Give it a rest. Your good is probably fine. You don't need to be the best." 

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christinesreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.0


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mstadhei's review

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4.0


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katerockreads's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

One of the things I love most about Nora is her extreme vulnerability and candidness when writing about both the good, and bad, things that have happened throughout her life. 

Bad Vibes Only is a series of essays covering things like friendships, previous jobs with bad bosses, maternal guilt, loss, and more. 

Each essay is so well crafted and reminds us that things are both good and bad and can even be so at the same time. 

I firmly believe that you will feel seen in these pages. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will realize how truly universal the human experience is.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

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rhiannonafternoon's review

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emotional inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

A heartfelt collection of essays told as though you’re catching up with a friend. I want to be Nora’s friend. She gets it. 

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