Loved this book! Very funny and relatable. I grew up during the same period as the author and this book brought up so many memories. The author walks the line between humor and sentimentality really well. Would definitely recommend this book.

"We tell each other to practice self-care as though there are enough bubble baths to protect you from a world where you can pay fifteen thousand dollars in health insurance premiums just for the privilege of still going bankrupt with a serious diagnosis."

The first time I heard of Nora McInerny was two weeks after my daughter died. I saw a video of her TED talk on Facebook, and then I proceeded to re-watch the video 3 times. It was one of the first moments following Quinn’s earth shattering and unexpected death that I felt like my grief was seen, understood, and mirrored back to me in a way that made me feel less alone.

This is the first book that I have read by McInerny, and it won’t be my last. She is poignant and engaging, clearly writing about the gravity of heavy and hard topics without sugarcoating or glossing over the bad stuff.

I don’t want to gloss over the bad. I want to see it, sit with it, experience it, let it teach me something if there is something to learn, and if not, that’s okay too. I want to feel the shared experience of difficulty instead of staying superficial. After the death of my daughter, I have no space left for superficiality. Unfortunately, or maybe not so unfortunately, it has led to some of my relationships fading away. It’s also illuminated and strengthened the relationships that are meant to last.

What I love about the book Bad Vibes Only, is that it covers a range of different topics and how our society has a tendency to try to avoid things that are uncomfortable. Whether that be through our constant “connection” with social media, the ending of friendships or jobs, or how parenting has turned into a competitive sport, Bad Vibes Only makes you reflect on your own experiences and reactions to the messy stuff.

If you liked the essay style writing of Untamed, but cringed at the level of toxic positivity it pushed on you, I would highly recommend giving Bad Vibes Only a read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy In an exchange for an honest review.

Loved this one. There were definitely som heard truths, especially when McInery talked about how everything in existence is both good AND bad. Religion, political views, etc. they all help some and hurt others. Really changed my perspective on some things and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book not knowing anything about the author or her past and I was pleasantly surprised. I found most of the stories very relatable, .The story about not judging parents was so true and something try to be mindful of when hearing something on the news or reading online. I love how she changed up the poem at the end, not everyone has to be the best.

I love Nora McIrnery's vivid narrative voice and ability to tell the truth with grace and humor. I have read all her books and this one is similar in its clarity and intelligence.

I am from this point forward saying "bad vibes only" to every person I encounter.

A hilarious, at times thoughtful and completely on-the-nose understanding of millennials in their natural habitat ( listening to Taylor Swift and screaming about impending doom).

Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This was my first read of Nora's and now I want to go back and devour the others. Love her casual writing style and hilarious and sometimes sad essays. I appreciate her honesty on how she has processed some difficult times but does not let that hinder her day to day life. I particularly like the stories from her childhood and learning about her college friend who ended up becoming a cloistered nun. She shares that things are not always perfect or how you planned but you can still pick out the positives and funny points.

Gosh, is this funny. Nora McInerny is at her best in Bad Vibes Only.

I tore through this collection of essays and neglected my obligations just to live inside her insightful, smart, critical brain for two days. I’m exhausted! And strangely settled. Nora pokes at (hers, mine, ours?) insecurities and pacifies them simultaneously. The essays in Bad Vibes Only are generous in spirit in that each one points to a truth shared and a burden most of us carry. I appreciate how McInerny earnestly tries to comfort her reader’s by uniting us in our imperfections.

An advanced reader’s copy was generously given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Bad Vibes Only will be published on October 25, 2022.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this title from Atria through Netgalley . What follows is my honest opinion.

For those unfamiliar with Nora McInerny's work, she is a podcaster and writer whose work is a humorous look at the uncomfortable feelings we all endure especially sadness, anger, and guilt. Now in her sixth book Nora uses her personal life experiences to take down our modern culture's insistence that we focus only on the positivity of life. She challenges the pressure we all feel to present a polished version of ourselves and grants readers permission to embrace life in all its messiness. Bad Vibes Only is a brilliant follow-up to her previous books and a hilarious rebuttal to our Instagram-filtered lives.

I loved this funny, smart essay collection. I could almost hear Nora’s voice narrating these pieces, and I mean that as a real compliment - her voice is so distinct. I particularly enjoyed the early essay on Botox and beauty standards.

This is a book I'd buy and display for the cover and title alone. As an outgoing yet wildly introverted human who's been gifted that "Please Leave By 9" banner by not one but several friends, and whose attempts at small talk either fall flat or evolve (devolve?) into therapy-esque territory in the first five minutes, I laughed out loud when I saw this book. The only way I'd ever display one of those horrible, ubiquitous 'Good Vibes Only' signs is if I'd been kidnapped and needed to somehow signal to my loved ones that all was *not* well without tipping off my kidnappers, so, yes, I felt deeply and immediately seen.

Moving along to the content! Like the author, I am a Taylor Swift aficionado. She's a spectacular songwriter - and the gorgeous, gut-punching power of her work comes from her specificity. The ten-minute masterpiece All Too Well, for example, is chock-full of details - and while I've never literally left a scarf at a former lover's sister's house (as far as I'm aware), nor have I had weepy encounters with famous actresses in party bathrooms, I scream-sing along and I feel every bit of the emotion in it. On the other hand, it's no coincidence that ME!, arguably the most maligned song in her discography, is also her most generic.

I swear this digression has a point, and it's this: By far my favorite essays were the ones where McInerny got personal, sharing specific details of her and her loved ones' lives. In my opinion, two of the standouts were 'Stay-At-Home Mom', where she examines her lack of interest in travel (in stark contrast to her activity- and adventure-inclined second husband) and then relates their dynamic to the disparities in her parents' relationship, and 'Asking for a Friend', in which she recounts growing apart from - and eventually reconnecting with - her childhood friends after her first husband dies. On the other hand, 'Competitive Parenting Association', which didn't center or even mention her own experiences, read like a tired (if amusingly written) rant I could probably recite offhand if required. Overall, I liked most of these essays and loved a few - and in all seriousness, I'm in awe of McInerny's ability to find the humor in almost everything.

When I think of books to compare this to, strangely, Bittersweet by Susan Cain comes to mind. While that's traditional nonfiction and this, while true to her own life, decidedly isn't, it felt like a more casual, more personal, and far funnier exploration of that same phenomenon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.