Skip to main content

Member Reviews

This book falls into the category of required reading for all. Rarely if ever have I read a self help book which combines this much honesty and applicable, effective advice.
I now have a name for that “voice” - frenemy. It may not be lilies I purchase or coffees but I won’t feel guilty about the occasional fab restaurant or trainer sesh. By the time you finish reading, you will feel as if you’ve made a new friend in Tara Schuster. And no surprise, this will be THE grad, hostess, bday, new mommy, you name the occasion gift as anyone who reads Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies is better for it. I’m so thankful this crossed my desk & moved straight to my nightstand. Thank you Tara Schuster for your generous bravery in writing this and may we have more please?

Was this review helpful?

Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies hit so close to home for me. I had a really similar childhood that I'm still struggling to get past. I can't wait to try out some of the techniques outlined in the book to live a happier life! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this book, it's exactly what I needed.

Was this review helpful?

The book wasn’t what I was expecting, so I didn’t finish it. I think people looking for self-help will enjoy it.

Was this review helpful?

I just could not get into this book and the author just did not "grab me" as a reader. I read the first few chapters but just could not keep going. The language used was rather basic and just did not lead me to feel compelled to read further. Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House Publishing for the review copy!

Was this review helpful?

This is essentially a self-help book by way of memoir. There’s a lot of good stuff in here. It’s always helpful to have a reminder to stop the negative thoughts about yourself—like that you’re a failure because you don’t have a boyfriend/the job you want/you aren’t working out or eating well enough and so on. For some of us, giving ourselves pep talks is not our natural state, but Tara reminds us: If your friend were in a similar situation, would you talk to her that way?

It’s also good to remember to live in an attitude of gratitude for what you do have instead of always wanting what you don’t have.

Taking care of yourself through eating well, not muting our lives with drugs including alcohol, getting enough sleep, and nurturing relationships, makes for a much happier life.

But here’s what endlessly distracted me from what good stuff is in here: Tara seems to think she’s writing in the language of Tweets or something. I’m pretty sure she took a lot of this from her own journals, and in my journaling, I also use shorthand because ideally, I’m the only one who is ever going to read those pages. Maybe she was trying to seem overly conversational, but she was only having conversations with other Millennials, because those of us who are Gen X or older LEARNED TO WRITE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES BECAUSE THIS IS A BOOK.

I got an advance copy from NetGalley, so the first couple times I ran across the lowercase “rn,” I thought it was some kind of typo, which happens a lot in advanced reader copies. The third time, from the context, I realized she was trying to say “right now,” and apparently didn’t have the time or space to be clear about this. I’m on social media so I know many shorthand terms, but sometimes, just bothering to write things out makes for actual clear writing, which is a super handy thing when it comes to communicating in written form.

I identified with a lot of what Tara had to say. The tumultuous childhood she had was nuts. The most nutty thing were the unimaginably cruel voice mails her estranged mother would leave her after her parents separated and the mother took the younger sister, leaving Tara with her Dad. So, even though I’ve had ups and downs with my own mom, it made me appreciate that we do have a good, if not always easy, relationship.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 18, 2020.

Was this review helpful?

This is quite funny. Tara is very candid and smart. I'm a little old this probably, as younger folk will likely be the target. But it's still entertaining and potentially helpful (there's advice, etc). As an aside I'm not excited about the trend of 4 letter words in titles (I'm not a prude -- it's just a silly way to get attention), but that's a different matter... Recommended.

I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!

Was this review helpful?

First of all- GREAT COVER! I really like in her intro she says "In all things, I let truth, vulnerability, and kindness guide me." That was a great start for me. Schuster is definitely hilarious and I think everyone can identify with at least one part of her hilarious story. I definitely found myself saying "yep I've done that" or "that was me" and "me too". I will be recommending this to everyone I know. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Was this review helpful?

Loved it!! It’s an honest book on mental health told by a real person. She is so open and honest in her journey that you love to take it with her.

Was this review helpful?

open honest Inspiring hilarious guide to life.Howtoo treat yourself well how to be strong confident.I will be gifting friends with this book.#netgalley#randomhouse
.

Was this review helpful?

I love this title. I cannot wait for it to be released to purchase it for friends. It was so validating to read a "self-help" book written by a real person with faults and flaws and vices. It was a wonderful wake-up call and left me encouraged to be better to myself.

Was this review helpful?