If you know me in real life, you know I twirl my hair, sometimes to the point of pulling it out. It’s a terrible habit steeped in anxiety. I’ve tried to stop, but it’s become a soothing habit. Imagine my shock when the opening lines of Share Your Stuff describe the exact same compulsion. Laura and I are also both enneagram 1s, so to say this book made me feel seen would be an understatement.

The fact that I even put that on the internet shows this book had an impact on me. It’s all about deepening your relationships through true vulnerability. There are 10 questions to ask and answer with your friends, and Laura goes first. Sharing about her life- the good and the bad. I couldn’t tear myself away from this book. While Laura and I are very alike, we are also very different, and I enjoyed the book all the more for it.

This is obviously a very personal review, I’m not sure how this book will work for every reader. but for me it was one I won’t forget and will be urging loved ones to read. I’d also love all Bachelor/Bachelorette contestants to pick this up. That show is my guilty pleasure but definitely doesn’t know what “opening up” is- this book will educate in that department.

This is a beautiful memoir and guidebook all in one. The essays are beautiful and thought provoking. It is also full of great advice on connecting with others and creating healthy relationships. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I love Laura's Podcast- 10 Things to Tell You (and her past one Smartest Person in the Room). I follow her on social media and have for years, this is how I found out about the book. I really enjoyed learning more about her and how she views the world. I will definitely be reading this book again in order to process the journal aspect of it. I felt like the first time reading it I was just enjoying the book and now will go back and do the journaling aspect.

I have followed Laura for several years & really enjoy her prompts for introspection. I’ve also learned that it’s our stories that create connection between us. I picked up this book because I love hearing Laura’s stories and it delivered new stories as well as additional detail on stories/relationships she has shared on the podcast. The added benefit is that this book provides a framework to think of your own stories. We all have those events that have shaped us & they probably overlap several of the categories. This book provides a great starting point to get those out for retelling - maybe with acquaintances as positioned in the book, maybe to build connection in existing friend/family relationships, I could see some of these being woven into job interview responses as well & I’d imagine many more places. Next step is to get started on mine! Thanks Laura!

BOOK REVIEW:
Share Your Stuff, I’ll Go First
⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5

This book is part memoir and part guidebook. Laura Tremaine shares 10 questions to deepen your friendships and get that relationship you long for. This is meant to make you think and dig deep.

I’m at a loss of words. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I personally don’t believe I am at the right stage in life to apply this although I would love to eventually dig deep into my own life like this someday. Quarantine has changed my friendships in many ways. I’ve grown closer to one friend, lost touch with a lots of others, and experienced a friend break-up. I would love to revisit this book later in life when I have experienced more in life.

I did love learning about Laura and some of the advice and random 10 tid bits at the end of each chapter. She has a fantastic podcast that I just started listening to. I bet once I finally convince myself to start journaling I will find this book much more helpful.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting and ready to dig deep into your own life and really get down to the nitty gritty with your friends. It also has great journaling prompts and asks the tough questions.

I have followed Laura online for years, and have always adored her smart, honest, and funny blog, social media posts, and podcast. Reading this book was the perfect extension of all of that. It is SO her. I loved getting a glimpse into her life--from her childhood to her college years to marriage and motherhood--and it also really made me think. I'm not typically a "self-help book" type of person (or a journaler), but Laura absolutely made me want to pick up pen and paper and start asking myself the great, probing questions that she poses throughout the book. I read this book in less than two days and enjoyed it so much.

I've listened to Laura Tremaine's podcasts for a number of years now and so was slightly apprehensive that there wouldn't be much new in this book for me. I feel like Laura has shared so much already, but I didn't feel like I was just reading the same stories that I'd already heard at all. Yes, there were many similar themes (e.g. friendship, loneliness, personal relationships, mind/body connection) covered in the book as in her podcast but it is definitely worth reading the book too.

The book is different to anything else I have I read. Each chapter poses a question, Laura goes ahead and answers the question from her life experiences. Then she encourages you to answer the same questions either in a journal or in conversation with another person. I think it would be great to work through the book with a group of close friends or with a partner. I like that each chapter ended with a list of 10 things, I think this acted as a good palate cleanser between the heavier questions. Would recommend this insightful book which got me thinking and reflecting a lot on my own life.

In this memoir/self-help hybrid, Laura Tremaine goes through several big questions like "Who are you?," "Who Taught You How to Be?," and "What Broke You?" by answering them herself first, then encouraging her reader to do the same. Vulnerable, compelling, and persuasive, Laura "shares her stuff" with raw honesty and self-reflection. She is gentle and compassionate with her reader as she asks pointed follow-up questions and demonstrates how one could take the questions to their journal or their best friend to strengthen relationships and self-awareness.

I related to many of Laura's experiences, particularly surrounding motherhood and faith deconstruction, and many were outside my experience, making it all the more compelling to read about. Time after time, I was blown away by her honesty and bravery in sharing some really deep stuff. Although there were a handful of spots that felt disjointed, I came away from this read wanting to go back through it with my journal and dig in deeper. Highly recommend!

I cried through a lot of this book. It was unexpected, but also very cathartic. I love all of the questions asked and plan to go back and journal through them. It is also great to hear more of her story. I highly recommend this book. Funny and insightful.

Laura Tremaine and I have been friends for a while. Read: I have been following Laura and listening to her podcast for a while and just knowing we would have the best time at lunch. Whether she posts on Instagram or speaks through my radio, I shout "YES!" because she seems to be a great voice for the 40 set. This will be my new go-to for gifting as my friends and I enter the wonderful world of our 40s. While I love the kitschy cover, don't be fooled. This book will rock you. This book will open up some parts of your psyche that you have worked hard to tuck away. Several times in her story telling and questioning, I was brought to tears. I also grew up in a small town and found similar experiences in Laura's childhood as well as through her stories within adulthood. She is vulnerable and honest and hopes that through her stories, you can do the same. So excited I was able to read an advanced copy and look forward to holding the physical book in my hands and gifting it to all my friends. Thanks, netgalley. <3

I'm familiar with Laura Tremaine because she is adjacent to other women I follow on the internet like Jamie Golden and Kendra Adachi. Though I don't regularly listen to her podcast, 10 Things To Tell you, I love pulling up her book episodes. Laura is a great interviewer and has an open, honest attitude when she shares details about her life, which she does even in those book episodes. That authentic voice translates well to the pages of her debut book, Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First: 10 Questions To Take Your Friendships To The Next Level. 

If that tagline gives you a gimmicky vibe, I get it, but don't let it stop you from reading this book. While the ten questions discussed in the book would certainly help your friendships reach a new level of intimacy, the content in Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. has a much broader application. What Laura models by going first in these pages is the importance of self-discovery and confidence in your own story. 

I realize that all sounds woo-woo and self-helpy, but Laura is down-to-earth in her narrative and advice. She presents ten simple questions (eg Who are you? Who was There? What Are You Afraid Of?) and then answers them herself. Laura is a compelling writer so her own stories are easy and enjoyable to read. Her tone is conversational and I found myself thinking of her as a more experienced, fun aunt whose confidence and self-awareness I'd like to emulate.

I blew through this book in 24 hours and got to the end feeling motivated to answer all these questions myself, looking at my life experiences with an eye for meaning instead of just reliving memories. 

"Share yourself with yourself by feeling your feelings, writing them down, sitting in silence. Share yourself with others in good conversations, in thoughtful expression, and as a way to be known."

A great book for getting to know the author better, but also yourself and friends. Each chapter is an essay about a certain topic in the author's life. She "goes first," tells her story and then invites discussion on that topic. Ideal for small groups and book clubs.

I hated small talk and being pinpointed as an oversharer because I am exactly that (an oversharer) but after picking up this book I am more reflective , acceptive of who I am and the story that makes me the person I am .Laura Tremaine is hilariously clever as this book reads part memoir and part self-help. I enjoyed it thoroughly and could not put it down . It's a wonderful book about discovery .Every chapter begins with a story/stories about Laura and ends with a little homework you so want to do.I highly recommend this book. Huge thanks to Zondervan for my ARC

I have followed Laura Tremaine on social media and listened to her podcasts for years, and this book is the best of all her content. I was blown away by how deep and introspective it was. It was challenging and thought-provoking in all the best ways. I also enjoyed the layout with a question per chapter. Being able to read out of order and working on one at a time, in any order, is refreshing.

This book is filled with vulnerability, authenticity, wisdom, insightfulness, and honesty. It is self-reflective, well-written and engaging. I look forward to re-reading and really putting thought into answering each question during 2021. Thank you for a great book, I will be recommending friends and family pre-order a copy!

This is essentially a guide for blogging for beginners. It is fine for what it is, but I feel like it is coming too late. There are lots of these on the market, not to mention that there are lots of free resources for this information on the internet. Why waste your money on a book written by a mommy blogger that seems horribly behind the times?

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Satirical memoir--funny in a trying too hard kind of way.

I first learned of Laura Tremaine though a podcast in which she was one of the hosts, and then followed her when she set out to create her own podcasts. Others may know her from her blogging days, as a young mother in Los Angeles. If you are familiar with her from either of these medias, you will find a familiar voice and style in her book. In a format similar to her podcast, 10 Things to Tell, each chapter poses a question (ie. What were your pivotal decisions? What broke you?) . She gives her response and then some guidance as to how to answer the question for yourself. Interspersed between chapters are 10-item lists (ex. 10 things I learned from my big sister, 10 letters I never sent). This would be a great book for a circle of friends to learn more about each other.

I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

A few months ago, someone asked me to name a *famous person* I would most want to “run into” and spend an afternoon with, and, without hesitation, I said @laura.tremaine (followed closely by Kristen Bell, Reese Witherspoon, and Michelle Obama in case you were wondering). 😂😂😂 *I don’t think Laura would consider herself famous at.all.

I’ve been following Laura’s various podcasts and social media accounts for the last five-ish years, and I just love her for her vulnerability, relatability, no-nonsense-ness, and (especially) her book recommendations!

Sadly, I’ve yet to bump into her (she lives in California), but getting an early edition of her first book #shareyourstuffillgofirst was the next best thing! I was SO excited!!!

And it did NOT disappoint! I read Share Your Stuff in exactly 2 sittings, and I enjoyed every last page of it. Truly, it was like sitting down for a long coffee date with a friend (in this case, the same Laura I’ve known and loved online all these years). Her voice, style, and overall message were perfectly familiar, but her stories were new and intimate... The *only* thing missing was someone to talk to and work through the questions asked in each of the chapters — and I will, for sure, be pre-ordering a print copy so I can re-read and get in on all the discussions that will definitely be happening online when the book officially comes out in February!

Thanks for this @laura.tremaine ! I’m so proud of you and thankful for your bravery in going first. 🥰

The title, the cover art, the fact that the foreword was written by Jenna Fischer (yay for The Office!): they all drew me into this book. The idea of having better conversations and going deeper in relationships appealed to my introvert self, who wants to just cut past the small talk and get to the Good Stuff. Early in the book, Tremaine writes that “people will tell you exactly who they are if you listen closely.” I absolutely believe that to be true, as well, and I was eager to learn more about having these kinds of in-depth, profound conversations.

That hope of learning left me a little disappointed as the book went on. The marketing for this book describes it as “part memoir and part guidebook,” but it’s mostly memoir, with some brief “Your Turn” practical bits to close out each chapter. Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. read, to me, like a collection of profoundly personal stories centered around certain themes (brokenness, something “magic” happening, identity), offered as a kind of guide to the sorts of stories YOU could share with a close friend (or ask them to share).

I am all for more books on friendship. I’m not sure this is the one I’d recommend, though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy for this review.

I enjoyed Tremaine's book even more than I expected. I read through it quickly the first time, but will slow down and spend time on the journal prompts the second time through. I appreciate her authenticity.