Thank you to Netgalley & Atria/One Signal Publishers for the advanced reader copy.

Can we take a minute to talk about this cover? Two big thumbs up.

I have been a fan of Nora McInerny from the Terrible Thanks for Asking Podcast and loved her merch from the Still Kickin' Co. I enjoyed most of the essays, and liked Nora's voice & humor. As a Minnesotan, I really appreciated all the references to the city. A solid read, and rounding up from 3.5 stars to 4.

As always, Nora never disappoints with her insight and engaging writing, adding in humor to some heavier topics. This one is a little different from her first two nonfiction books, as those have more of a “storyline,” and this is a collection of essays. I really enjoyed it and always finish her books feeling a bit better about the world and grateful for her talking about the hard things in life that aren’t talked about as much as they should be.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced review copy.

This is a mix of essays, so hard to rate. Some of them were awesome and so relatable. Others missed the mark for me. Overall, average of 3 star review.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Funny and smart collection of essays handling mental health, motherhood, social media, and the dangers of toxic positivity.

There were plenty of things I liked about this memoir. Mostly, McInerney has a neat way of inviting into her world and mind. I love the line “we want to be able to alchemize our pain into something shiny and gold,” it really spoke to my soul and the trendiness of toxic/forced positivity.

So much honesty in here. Real honesty. The bits about motherhood were surprisingly deep and unraveled a lot of the dangers of putting a child online. I hadn’t expected that, but was thrilled to read it. Some essays weren’t for me, but the entire book is overall great, and I’d recommend it for the message alone.

This is a book for everyone! It kind of reminds me of one of my all-time favorite books, Dear Sugar. It takes and honest (and humorous) look at life and it makes you feel like you're not alone in this world. It's a warm cup of coffee on a cool day...it just gives you comfort!

Nora never misses. She writes with the perfect balance of candor, wit and curiosity. Can't wait to recommend this one to friends!

McInerny writes in a really funny, immensely readable way. Similar to my feelings with most essay collections, the essays were hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed "Asking for a Friend." As someone who is childless and only somewhat "on the internet," I didn't relate or feel invested in several essays/anecdotes. I absolutely loved the cover and title!

A few formatting updates to consider:
- In "Holy Envy," I think "than" should be updated to "that" in the sentence "I did not tell her than I spend the majority of my waking hours staring at some sort of screen.
- In "Privacy Settings," I think the word "call" needs to be added before "Nissan"..."branded content by an automobile maker we'll Nissan because that's their name." I'm not sure if there is a pun or something funny I'm missing - sorry if that's the case!
- In "Is This Good?." I think there are too many dashes in "anti-depressants"..."My Shih Tzu is on anti--depressants."

LOVED this book! Found myself relating to so many of the stories in this book. Loved the humor throughout the book. I can't wait for my girlfriends to read this so we can discuss it further. I will definitely recommend and buy them as gifts.

This was my first experience with Nora McInerny- and I feel like I have definitely been missing out! BAD VIBES ONLY touches on a lot meaningful themes, much of it centered around the loss of Nora's first husband and her identity as a remarried/mom/widow. Its a great guide to the messiness of grief and the grace that it requires. My favorite parts of the book are the most relatable-- the mom stuff, the inner turmoil of posting or not posting your child's every adorable movement, the challenge to realize them as a human apart from yourself and as more than an extension of your own identity. In these moments of back and forth, and in the recollections of her own childhood, I found the most depth, humor, and pleasure in Nora's voice. Highly recommend!

I think I laughed out loud for 75% of this book, even though there were some definitely darker takes. Nora did an excellent job underscoring mid life crises and the humor surrounding it despite the real life events taking place. Would love to reread

I got this as an ARC through NetGalley – it will be published on October 11, 2022. Nora is one of my favorite internet follows because her voice is so unique, and her book really does have the same tone. Reading her book kind of felt like having a conversation with a good friend – lots of bopping around topics, but reading about all the same things that you talk to friends about. Nora talks about what it’s like to be alive right now – and what her life was like growing up – but talks about it all in a very honest, raw, and funny way. While Nora has certainly had many life experiences that I haven’t, it felt so incredibly relatable.

Reading these essays felt like having a long conversation with a charmingly frank, dry-witted friend. Touching on topics that range from the pressure to be beautiful and elegant and a perfect mother in a culture that prizes stylish beauty and motherhood as the pinnacles of female experience, to unlearning self-hatred in therapy, to the devastating loss of a partner, to rebuilding old friendships and creating a blended family with a new partner, Nora McInerny does it all with wonderful candor that made me feel at times uncomfortably seen. I look forward to more from her in the future, and I can' t wait to harangue people into buying this as soon as it hits shelves.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

I love Nora’s podcast, so I was thrilled to get an arc of her book! I LoVed It!!! It was endearing and funny and sad and especially relatable- everything that I’ve come to expect from Nora! I could have kept reading for 500 more pages. I highly recommend!!

I would read ANYTHING Nora writes, but this is extra special. The essays are so relatable and have the sense of humor we rely on Nora bringing to the table. I think truly any woman who reads this would find something to relate to, from motherhood challenges to feeling like you're behind in your adult life milestones, to how hard we have tried to contort ourselves to fit in. Love love love!

Yes, I do judge a book by its cover so when I saw this title, I was immediately intrigued. Never having read anything by Nora McInerny before, I will now. She's witty and insightful with a very dry sense of humor.

I'm a person who tends to see the glass half empty, so a book titled Bad Vibes Only is right up my alley. McInerny gives voice to all of those insecurities, troubling thoughts, and not-so-great life experiences that we've all had but are reluctant to share out loud to others. Thank goodness for Nora McInerny who isn't shy about detailing her bad vibes and holding that mirror up showcasing life's foibles.

Essay collections can run hot and cold for me, so some stories resonated with me more than others, but overall, McInerny has provided an interesting and quite informative read.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC of #BadVibesOnly.

Bad Vibes Only was so easy to read. It felt like I was revisiting my childhood. If you like to sit on your porch and get lost in conversation with an old friend, this is the book. It took me right back to my 80's childhood as I had many similar experiences and memories. Nora is so easy to relate to making you feel a little less crazy in this big world.

Nora is just so funny! I love her writing style and her humor is right up my alley. Her essays are raw and relatable. Loved this one and flew right through it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this title!

I did not know who Nora McInerny was prior to reading this amazing collection of essays ranging from childhood antics to motherhood. This book was filled with self- deprecating humor and raw honesty. I recommend this book to anyone who understands that life isn't always easy. . This is my first time reading anything by Nora and I'm excited to read the rest of her work.

Thank you to #NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. From the beginning, Nora McInerny had me hooked with a combination or beautiful prose, raw subject manner and an honest, clear voice. She’s not afraid to expose the reality behind the perfect Christmas card photo, and I loved every second. She tackles subjects ranging from the elegant woman she decided not to be to body image to her late first husband. I appreciated her candor, her humor, and her introspection, and I know other personal essay fans will too.

In the intro to Bad Vibes Only, McInerny notes that this book is for people who “cannot help but put a little sprinkle of sadness on their happiest memories, or who know that life is short and still fill those waking hours with long-held grudges against former colleagues whose names they cannot recall.” From that point through the end of this collection, I felt seen—even when I didn’t want to. What can I say, my vibes are bad! At least I now know I’m in good company.

The essays range in topic, from raising children in the digital age to maintaining friendships as an adult to whether getting Botox is “cheating” at aging. (Spoiler alert: not really, but you do run the risk of some mild facial paralysis.)

Tonally, the collection was a really lovely blend of humor, piercing honesty and philosophical/existential contemplation. I find it’s often hard to balance those elements well, but it was done beautifully here. And when I say honesty, I mean forgetting your kid in the car, overdosing on edibles at your high school reunion, admitting to a new therapist that you hate everything about yourself kind of honesty. It was raw and deeply relatable.

4.5 stars out of 5, rounded up. I would have given it a full five, but some of the essays ended a little abruptly, making them feel inconclusive.

Overall, I would highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy!