I smiled and chuckled my way through this collection of essays. I love humorous essays, but this is the first time I’ve read a collection by a black author. There were differences, but I identified with a lot of what she talked about. We’re both from the north shore suburbs of Chicago, I’ve also battled the depression she describes, and while my health issues are different than hers, I understand.

Parts of this collection are very funny; others poignant and sad. There are so many lines I’d like to quote but can’t because I’m reading an ARC (advance reader copy) uncorrected proof. I will definitely buy her first collection MEATY.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I howled laughing at this. I wasn't familiar with Irby's blog (but now I am!) and it's been a total joy to read this book. Irby is blunt, unashamed, anxious and downright vulgar- that lack of apology is rare for most women but Irby absolutely owns it and we need more women like this. Bodily fluids, toilet actions, sexual laziness, poor dietary habits- all of it comes up in this book and every single word is hilarious.

My favourite essay here was one about Irby's relocation and her letter seeking a new job; it was surprisingly tender and emotional, but I still spent the entire thing giggling. The blunt vulgarity will definitely be an issue for some readers, but sometimes a challenge is good- read this, and hear a different voice for a change. It can only do you good.

Me. It by takes the chaos of real life experience, and living with anxiety to a whole new level. One that is understood by me, and many others. However, she has chosen to laugh and carry on, no matter how hard it can be. She is genius sharing humor where others may not see humor. I think it is clever, she says it exactly as she sees it and that's the battle.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.and would recommend it it to everybody.
Clever lady!! 5 Stars!!

Great humorous essay collection especially recommended for fans of Lindy West, Roxanne Gay and Caitlin Moran. Irby not only hits the funny bone, but has a vulnerable and honest way about her writing which hits deep as well. At 46, I'm about 10 years too old for some of the references, making a few of the entries misses for me. Overall, another strong woman writing about real life with a biting wit. And, I will always sign up for that.

Samantha Irby's second collection of essays tackles modern romance. How do you find someone to love? Can you be friends with your ex-boyfriend? Can your first vacation with your girlfriend be a trip to scatter your father's ashes? Does love and marriage mean that you must leave everything you love behind and move to the suburbs? And why isn't any of this stuff easier?

As always, Samantha Irby is a pleasure to read.

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby is a very funny, completely outrageous book of essays that touches on so many difficult topics. Irby fearlessly discusses her experience with mental illness, living with chronic health issues (some of them TMI), growing up in poverty, body image, racism, bad relationships…and so on. The delivery is what works for her. Her irreverence, even when recounting something heartbreaking, keeps everything light and well balanced. I laughed out loud several times, which is not something I typically do when reading, even when it is something funny. There were also plenty of cringe worthy moments, gross out descriptions that could very easily be a deal breaker for a large subsection of readers. If you can tolerate the occasional crude standup comedian, then this is nothing you can’t handle. (Reviewed in March 23rd edition of The Napanee Beaver, pgs 6-7)

Not going to lie, the only reason I requested this book was because there was a cute cat on the cover. Shallow? Maybe. But I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome and fun this book was. Will definitely recommend to friends, family, and patrons.

Hilarious, slightly gross at times, and all too relatable. The author's writing style isn't for everyone; witty, incredibly frank and without filter, yet there's plenty of heart-warming and bittersweet moments that perfectly balance this collection out. Highly recommend.

Samantha Irby's essays are hilarious, heartbreaking, and deeply personal in a way that instantly endears her to the reader. I would recommend We Are Never Meeting in Real Life to anyone, but also to readers who enjoy David Sedaris, Roxane Gay, Jenny Lawson.

I *love* Samantha Irby, like seriously love her.

Irby writes with so much honesty and bravery it kills me. Her books have destroyed me. They make me laugh AND cry. Actually as much as I loved 'Meaty,' I think this one is even better. It's just as personal, funny, and poignant, but it's almost like 'Meaty' on steroids. I laughed out loud several times, which is not something I typically do when I read something funny. I'm usually amused, not roaring with laughter. But Irby is hilarious.

I love Curbside Splendor, the small press that published 'Meaty,' but I'm thrilled that this book is published by a major publisher because I want Irby to have a larger audience. Her talent is huge and she should be widely read. I really hope this forthcoming essay collection has the success Irby deserves because it's such a truly great read.

Samantha Irby has not had the easiest life. With health problems and a rougher childhood than most, her start was survival. However, Samantha Irby has written one of the funniest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Irby is best known for her blog Bitches Gotta Eat. Her new book We Are Never Meeting in Real Life is a collection of essays on everything from her alcoholic father, to her dating life, all the way to her obsession with the Bachelorette. The essays leave you have the time muffling your laughter so you don't look like a crazy person.

First and foremost, Samantha Irby is not going to be every reader's cup of tea, and that's just fine. She admits to having once filled a swear jar at work, if that is any indication. In short, if language offends, that's going to be the least of your worries with We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.

Some of the funniest stories in the book are also the ones that will leave you wincing. On a semi-romantic trip to Nashville, Irby accidentally manages to sprinkle her father's ashes into the wind and thus into her mouth. She navigates the difficult waters of what it means to date in a newer world, whether it's the fantastically awful men she's known or the wonderful woman she decided to marry.

If you're open to reading about uncomfortable situations, can take a joke, and don't mind a little language, do yourself a gigantic favor and read We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.

Sam Irby hits every single emotion in this book. I laughed, read passages aloud to my boyfriend, gasped, tutted, and got choked up. Sam is really relatable, even if you had a decent childhood. I'm so glad she's writing these books, and I hope this one gets her an even bigger audience.

'We Are Never Meeting in Real Life' is gritty, raw, and at turns hilariously funny and terribly sad. At times I found it almost hard to read; Irby puts it all out there, her quirks and her flaws, her embarrassing moments, her sad childhood and broken relationships. The rawness and realness of it made the book both hard to read and hard to put down. I have never read a book quite like it before; Irby's voice is unique and compelling. Well worth a read.

Wonderfully written, very personal essays that are hilarious, real, and left me gasping out loud. I could actually feel myself blushing the next day, thinking about certain entries because they’re so raw and right on.

Anything that makes me laugh out loud more than once is a five-star read. Full disclosure: I did not enjoy Meaty: Essays that much, so I was apprehensive about this book. But oh god, I needn't have worried. Irby's grown as a writer, and she's SO. DAMN. FUNNY. (Honestly, I get the giggles every time I think about the part of the book where she talks about Nutrisystem. That's a good read right there.)

I know that Irby's style won't be for everyone--lots of scatological humor, lots of irreverence, but I think she tempers it with *just* enough heart-warming stuff to balance that out. So enjoyable.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Blogger and comedian brings her brand of quirky humor to this hilarious book. I started laughing at the dedication (it’s to klonopin) and didn’t stop. From her questionnaire to be the next Bachelorette, to her adventures in dating to dealing with the fact that all her old hard partying friends have become soccer moms, Irby finds both humor and pathos is day to day life, as she writes all the things the rest of us wish we could say.