First of all, I didn't think you could do a parody book of another book. But Kitty showed me it could be done. Kitty's first book, Bridge Burning and Other Hobbies, made me unashamedly chuckle out loud in public places (especially because I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Kitty herself). In comparison, this book felt a bit more patchy / less flow-y, but that should've been expected because the style of the book was different; it was less of a storytelling, and more of a collection of 'rules'.

I still chuckled in some places, although unfortunately I picked up the US version (I especially realised when it referenced Walmart instead of Woolies, and Macy's instead of Myer!), so I was distracted trying to imagine what the Aussie version would've been.

Anyway, it was still very entertaining (I'm a fan now!) and I will definitely pick up the next book Kitty writes.

the writer seems like a funless boring pathetic crabby person who is taking her irritation out in this book. its a whine list, nothing else. I thought the description was so amazing but the rules are stupid.

I was given access to a copy of 488 Rules for Life: The Thankless Art of Being Correct by Kitty Flanagan in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

This book made me laugh for the majority of it, especially because a lot of the situations are very relatable.

I went into this book with a mindset of “this will be something like Murphy’s Laws” … and I wasn’t wrong in a way.

Granted, I couldn’t relate to all the situation, either because they don’t occur in my life or just because some of them aren’t that common.

Still, this ‘guide’ is hilarious and I really appreciated it. I may end up printing and posting some of these rules around the house, so that some people take the hint!

A light and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with the early review copy.

#488RulesforLife #NetGalley

488 Rules for Life Kitty Flanagan

Some laugh out loud moments, Some eye opening moments!488 rules for life is a light and funny read based on the author's experience for behavior and etiquette we best follow :)
We might not like reading some of these but it's fun and as the author itself has said, skip what you can't agree with !
Rule #19 - Flush. Pause. Check
Rule 126. The train is not your office (no one else on the train wants to listen to you doing business on your phone)
Rule #222 - Gender-reveal parties are not a thing

Recommend this book to all those who need a break from all monotony and have some fun :)

A great read full of fun, imaginative rules for life. I liked this book and would consider it as a gifting option.

As an Australian, I love Kitty Flanagan. However regardless of origin, this book caters for everyone in the western world. I no doubt think that wherever you are in the world, if you love to have a laugh, you will love this book.
I like that the book is split into sections: Around the Home, Fashion, At the Office, Food, Relationships and Dating, and many more that cover every aspect of life and situation. Each contains a set of rules to make you either laugh out loud in agreement or disagree entirely (there are plenty that made me think, “No, really?! I do that!”). It really made me question how we all behave, the things we do on a day to day basis and how it makes us come across to other people.
Having seen Kitty countless times on tv, I read the entire book in her voice. I think that was one of the reasons it was so funny to me. Her use of metaphors had me laughing out loud on countless occasions, “Her criticisms of society sneak in through the rules and I really love this depth to the “joke”, for example: “I don’t really fancy being buried or cremated, but I’d love to be stuffed and placed in an exhibit at the natural history museum; I could be posed sitting cross-legged, mouth slightly open, staring glassy-eyed at a television, a true representation of the twenty-first century human.”
As stated in her introduction, this book started as a joke, and should be taken as one. A light-hearted, funny read, I devoured this in one sitting. The only thing I was disappointed to find out is that there aren’t 488 rules in the book. She gives you space at the end to write a few of your own rules.
I really think that if you love a laugh and are looking for a quick read, (or something you don’t need to read in one sitting) then you will enjoy this. I hope America loves with Kitty as much as Australia does!

I liked the way this book was put together, however found a lot of the witticisms lacking in wit. In some cases it was like the author was trying to fill gaps. Not something i'd pick up again.

*Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

Quick and funny read just as I expected when I requested this book.
However, it should be consumed in smaller doses because when read all at once is not that funny.
Some rules I agree with, some not, and some I wish I thought about too.

488 Rules for Life is a hilarious play on Jordan Peterson's book 12 Rules for Life. Australian comedian Kitty Flanagan gives a comprehensive guide to navigating modern life.

The book reads really easily because it's written as a list of short, funny rules about how to properly behave in everyday circumstances. Usually I find comedy a really difficult genre because it needs to be really very funny to work, but this book actually had me laughing out loud at time so definitely a good sign!

A very entertaining book, would recommend it!

Kitty Flanagan's 488 Rules for Life (actually 447 but there's room to add your own at the end) are actually surprisingly sensible for a comedian. Some seem obvious to me and I found myself nodding my head. Others reflected Kitty's personal gripes (food served on slabs of wood, banana in fruit salad and pony tails on men) but if you disagree with some you can always apply Rule 1 (If you don't agree with a Rule, forget it and move on). This makes for a light read which can be dipped into in and out of in short bursts. Perhaps I expected to find the Rules a little more humorous, although there are some little gems and laugh out loud moments, especially in Kitty's own personal reflections on events in her life.

Kitty's list of Rules for Life reads like a modern etiquette for the 21st century as she covers a wide range of topics including: Dining Out (Rule. 147: 'All you can eat" is not an order at a buffet), First Dates (Rule 178: Don't mention your ex and Rule 179: Don't show pictures of your kids), Parenting (Rule. 207: Don't name your child after an inanimate object eg. Blanket, Banjo), Relationships (Rule 188: Never propose to someone in public and Rule 189: If someone proposes to you in public say Yes and then explain kindly in private if the answer is No), Health and Lifestyle (Rule 26: Cushions are not spiritual advisors (no trite advice on soft furnishings), Sport (Rule 255: Never tell a fan 'It's just a game, nobody died") and Fashion (Rule 250: (my personal favourite) Once you hit 60 all bets are off - see off your senior years in a riot of colour and craft!)

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance digitally. This book was just alright for me. It would serve as a nice coffee table piece to stir the conversation or for guests to pass time. A lot of the rules are obvious at least for me but I hope others may find this book helpful. The book does have its funny moments but no large takeaways.

This book was hilarious, It is a great book to pick up and read a few rules every day to have a chuckle to and unwind after a long day. It takes a comical take on all the awkward situations we can find ourselves in during our everyday lives and most of them I find I agree with, especially the one where you can never have too many rules.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something a little light-heartened to lighten our lives just a little during these tough times.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this book.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3520583058

After reading some super-heavy non-fiction books, this was a fun palate-cleanser and an enjoyable way to spend yet another morning in pandemic lockdown. Kitty provides rules and ideas for survival in the modern world, as well as the best methods for not being a dick. It's all about common sense, right!? Kitty's style is fun and breezy, and this is a GREAT gift book that you can dip in and out of and read at parties (whenever we get to have those again) while navigating the least offensive way to share the snacks. This version was chock-full of Americanisms for the US release and those were fun to explore, too. A good time.

This was so hilarious! I love that what first started out as a joke became so popular that the author actually got a chance to write this book. She has a good balance between humorously stated reactions to real-life scenarios ("Not all of your thoughts need to be articulated" about tourists who ruin the vacation experience) and opinions-we're-all-thinking-but-are-too-polite-to-say ("No using speakerphone in public. Ever."). She covers every conceivable social and person situation, and I read the whole thing straight through, laughing the whole time.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley.

For a book coming from an Australian comedian, this book had absolutely nothing lost in translation. It's a quick and simple book to read, conveniently separated into sections so you can read what applies to you and skim the rest. I also appreciate the pages at the end dedicated to letting you write in your own sets of rules.

Overall this is a cute gift for the touchy friend in your life--the one you like. The one you don't like can get your customized list of rules from the back of the book.

A light, funny, must read! I learnt a lot 😂 For example I will never wear anything but black leggings from now on.

Thanks @NetGalley for an advance copy of this e-book.
#488RulesforLife The Thankless Art of Being Correct #NetGalley
This is a light and fun read by Australian comedian Kitty Flanagan of ABC TV's The Weekly. Because Kitty is a comedian, I think I expected more laugh out loud rules so on that mark, this fell a bit short for me. This is a book of lists outlining things that would make the world a better place in the format of self-help for OTHER PEOPLE. This is a short quick read and one that can be skimmed by topic of interest or picked up and put down without having to remember where you left off since each entry stands alone. For this reason, I found it more interesting to read in small doses, otherwise, I would have skimmed entire sections. At the end of the book you are invited to write your own rules. I gave this a strong 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I did agree with many of her rules and found some of them funny. Most notable for me:
At the Movies/Theater: Avoid eating noisy snacks and crinkly wrappers. No talking once previews start. Turn your phone off (not silent with the bright screen lighting up).
Shopping: Do not call anyone older than you are darling.
Do not tell someone a book or movie has a twist because they spend the whole time thinking, “I wonder if this is the twist?”

This was pretty funny and interesting to read. Basically, it's just one man's opinions on multiple aspects of life and how people should behave in various situations. I agreed with a lot of his "rules" but some were just kind of silly or I found fault with. But from a humor standpoint, it did make me chuckle here and there.

This list, a lot of times, thought it was more clever and cutesy than it actually was. Most of the rules have no bearing on your functioning or life.

The author’s blurb description gets in a needless dig at Jordan Peterson, which really doesn’t fit in with anything and is completely unsolicited. Trashing your superiors/competition is, just, well ... trashy! The author would do well to learn a thing or two from Peterson in how to help people with their daily lives if the author is unable to pull off comedy.

488 RULES FOR LIFE by Kitty Flanagan

Such a cute little book and I loved every minute of it. Everyone needs rules and rules are even better if you have enough to help in any situation. There are even rules for your tenure in Kindergarten. I mean, who doesn’t need an interesting easy to read manual on how the world works and how to live in it. Honestly, I loved it and actually learned from it. Does that count?
Check it out, you will be a much better person, as far as rules anyway.