Gossip is such an interesting concept to me. I love the psychology of stuff like that, too, so this was really interesting to me. This came across as very well-researched but also well-written---the writing was clear and easy to parse, the ideas were concise and well supported, etc. I am really excited to get this in at the branch, because I definitely think we could do a cool display with this book and a lot of patrons are going to love it.

I love normal gossip. I love this. Fascinating every minute of it i LOVED and couldn’t put it down. 10/10.

WHO WHAT WHERE: GOSSIP GOSSIP READ ALL ABOUT IT! Kelsey McKinney goes through history, culture, movies, experience to devour what makes good gossip a way of life.

MY THOUGHTS: This read like it was McKinney's university thesis paper-- and I loved it. It was well researched, well put together, and read like... really good gossip. This kept me thinking and learning, agreeing and even not agreeing with some parts-which makes for a good book club choice for any nonfic book clubs... (SHOULD I START ONE....jk I take 20 years to read a nonfic) Actually not this one! I devoured it-- my time limit on net galley might've helped with that.

I really enjoyed the part she was writing about celebrities and fandoms. Really interesting to think about the parasocial relationships we have with these people we only know a partial image of. How we sometimes think "oh my favorite celebrity would never do that!" but we don't really know! We don't know them- just know stories!

When I got my Yoga Teacher Certification I recall the teacher saying if we want to live by the Yogi way of life we shouldn't gossip... I guess I will never be a full yogi because how can we NOT gossip! Gossip isn't all bad, it's sharing information, survival, storytelling, passing tips and tricks along. It's not all bad!

I had highlighted a few notes that I really enjoyed for this one but my ARC had expired so I didn't get to save them for my review and I'm really wishing that I did haha.

VERY great read! If there's an audio for this one I will totally be listening to it as well at some point!
Thank you to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange of a review!

You Didn’t Hear This From Me blends memoir, pop culture analysis, and historical gossip, creating an engaging but somewhat disjointed read. While the book is easy to fly through, its structure lacks a strong connecting thread, making the chapters feel loosely connected rather than building on each other in a meaningful way.

Each chapter explores a different theme, with some sections feeling much stronger than others. The historical aspects, particularly Kelsey’s examination of how religion has shaped perceptions of gossip over time, stood out as especially compelling. The memoir elements also shine, as her voice and opinions bring a personal and engaging touch just like her podcast. However, the pop culture references and anecdotes are more hit-or-miss. While they are enjoyable for those familiar with the reality TV and internet scandals she covers, some feel excessive and overly reliant on cultural moments that will be a relic a few years from now.

As a fan of the Normal Gossip podcast, I appreciated Kelsey’s familiar and endearing narrative voice throughout the book. Listeners of her podcast will likely enjoy getting to know her better, but should adjust their expectations - this isn’t a book filled with juicy gossip or fresh, controversial takes. Instead, it often reiterates well-known arguments: gossip is villainized primarily when women engage in it, it developed as a survival mechanism for sharing information, and religious influences have historically shaped its negative perception. While these points are valid, the book’s niche focus results in some repetition, making it feel less groundbreaking than expected.

Overall, while this book has engaging moments, its lack of cohesion and reliance on well-known observations kept it from being a standout. I didn’t feel like there was anything incredibly new being explored in this and frequently found myself wondering, what am I as a reader supposed to take away from these chapters or this work as a whole? Fans of her podcast may find it entertaining, but those looking for a deeper, more structured analysis of gossip might come away wanting more.

This book had some highs and lows. The author had a lot to unpack from the way she and women/girls are treated in her evangelical upbringing and that was heavy at times in the book.
I enjoyed the Urban Legend chapter and wanted more of that. The background of the gossip and why we think the way we do or where stories could stem from. More of that if there is a follow up or for press tours.
I thought the gossip bit at the end was going to be a lot more than it was, maybe the audio held more of the expectations but reading it first thing in the morning felt a bit flat.

McKinney's book brings the thoughtfulness, insight, and humor of the Normal Gossip podcast and her journalism to a new format in a nonfiction book. She's able to provide both a historic perspective and contemporary examples through a lens that's maybe not unique but feels personable and identifiable. I think if you have enjoyed the podcast, her writing on Defector dot com, microhistories, and/or social commentary, this would be a solid read.

Kelsey McKinney explores different aspects of gossip through "You Didn't Hear This From Me".

I have enjoyed Kelsey's podcast for several years. I was excited to pick up this book. It is well written and explores different topics surrounding gossip. I enjoyed the essays while I was reading them. A lot of the essays I felt were more trying to get people to understand why we gossip and almost trying to persuade the reader that gossip wasn't bad. As someone who knows the importance of gossip, that didn't really work for me. I must not be the target audience. I also finished this book over a month ago and I couldn't tell you anything that I took away. So overall, enjoyable, but not one that has stuck with me.

Who knew there was so much to be said about gossip? Kelsey McKinney does, and she takes a deep dive into it. I learned quite a few new things about gossip. Primarily who does it, and why. Each chapter is further exploration through generations and how this ancient means of communicating has evolved.

I especially liked the chapter on Mean Girls. The rise of that culture and the references. I associate gossip with negativity and harm; there is plenty of that, but in following chapters a new spin unfolds to give alternate ideas on this backdoor way of relaying information.

This is a fun book if gossip awakens your senses and perhaps fuel for thinking compassionately, too.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for early access,

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC! If you’re a fan of this podcast you’ll love the book, and if you’re not a fan of the podcast/haven’t listened I still really think you’ll love this book! It’s elevated, well-researched, and give an informational overview of the spreading of information we do as a society. This book is approachable while tackling higher level concepts such as linguistics. Highly recommend!

Happy publication day, and thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a delight. If you know me, I like to YAP. But not just yap. I like to be yapped to. I like to hear the yappery of others. I like a story. Basically, I enjoy gossip. This collection of essays is a celebration of all things gossip, and a lot of them gave me a new perspective on the cultural value of it, and the role it plays in connecting us to each other. It's very accessible, and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to try nonfiction for the first time, and anyone who loves the podcast! (And if you aren't listening to the podcast, you should be!) I had a digital ARC, but I know Kelsey narrates the audiobook, and I think her delivery would be even more enjoyable.

The only thing keeping it from being a 5 is that I would have liked to have more of a connecting thread between the essays - sometimes it feels a little disjointed, rather than a journey - and some essays (notable the ones leaning more personal) are stronger than others. Overall, a really fun one!

If you've listened to McKinney's podcast Normal Gossip and are interested in conducting an academic study of gossip, then I highly recommend you check out this book! If you haven't listened to Normal Gossip, what are you doing? Please, go binge all of it and come back when you're done.

You Didn't Hear This From Me looks at gossip in our popular culture (Mean Girls, why we love to gossip about celebrities) as well as how important gossip is in our constant search for truth. This collection of essays was very well researched and entertaining to read, and I love how McKinney blended in moments of memoir throughout the book. Gossip is great, and I love that this essay collection was a celebration of why it feels so good to gossip!

I wish I had the audiobook because I would have loved to listen to Kelsey read this, so if you have the opportunity I'd recommend reading via that route!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a wonderful history and story about the importance of gossip through the ages! Perfect for students of gossip, and fans of the podcast, of course.

Whether or not you're a listener of the podcast Normal Gossip, if you're interested in the concept of gossip, you're going to love this book! Kelsey McKinney isn't just a highly entertaining storyteller; she's a journalist who breaks down gossip from a social science/pop culture/history/philosophy/feminist standpoint. I can't stop thinking about this book as I move through the world encountering gossip, and I already know I'll be recommending it for years to come!

I can't resist: You didn't hear this from me, but Kelsey McKinney's new book, You Didn't Hear This From Me, is a fascinating look at the role of gossip in culture and community. It isn't a manual for gossip, or full of gossipy stories, but it really does a nice job justifying the reasons why we gossip, what gossip really is and what it means. I learned some things, and I've got a new appreciation for the whisper networks and side conversations that occur.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and the author for a free advanced reader copy of this book.

This was researched and presented very well in a way that was engaging and educating at the same time. Reading the first portion of the book, I came to the conclusion that the author was actually just trying to justify that they was talking about people behind their back. But as the book went on, the author brought up many different view points and ideas that I have never thought. The sharing of information is vital for human connection and growth. I enjoyed this, but I think it will take a little more dissecting for me to really understand gossip and its role in our lives.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy!

I am a HUGE fan of Normal Gossip and really enjoyed Kelsey McKinney's first novel, God Spare the Girls. Basically, if she wants to talk about gossip, I want to listen. But I wasn't sure what to expect from an entire book about gossip. This book does a great job of talking about what gossip is, what it does, and how we feel about it, all from the lens of someone who clearly LOVES a good story and loves gossip. I particularly loved how she started the book talking about the shame she felt as a kid when she wanted to gossip and how that shame comes from patriarchal structures meant to keep women from talking to women. YES. I also appreciated her discussion of how gossip helps keep people safe from predators and shifty situations.

Unlike other similar books, I never got the sense that McKinney was stretching to fill pages with this book. Each chapter is a slight variation on a theme but doesn't feel repetitive or overdone. She looks at gossip in culture both clearly as a fan but also clearly as someone taking a step back to consider and analyze today's culture. Even though McKinney isn't hosting Normal Gossip (it's fine, we are all fine), she is clearly sticking around to tell stories and I am definitely here to listen.

I’ll remember this book whenever I watch mean girls now.
The writing is clear, conversational, and covers some very interesting stuff. This reminded me of Jon Ronson’s books, which were some of my favorite nonfiction books for a long while.
A parasocial fandom chapter! A deuxmoi chapter! A viral content as surveillance chapter! A reality tv chapter! Like what a treat!

Note: I ended up reading this book mostly on audio.

I was psyched to read You Didn't Hear This From Me as a Normal Gossip and Kelsey McKinney fan. Kelsey narrating the audiobook was definitely a highlight.

In terms of content, I liked some chapters much more than others. The sections that focused on Kesley's personal experiences were particularly strong. I appreciated the messaging that gossip can be positive, though I similar sentiments came through clearly in Normal Gossip.

I struggled a bit with Kelsey's storytelling advice to make gossip more interesting. It's a fair point that gossip often goes through various people and details shift, but I feel weird endorsing the idea that we should make those changes on purpose. For Normal Gossip and piece of this book, Kelsey edited gossip submissions to anonymize them, but I've also read that Normal Gossip has sometimes taken the anonymization so far that it's not even recognizable to the submitter. Still trying to figure out how I feel about this.

Such a delightful nonfiction read! I was hooked by the AI generated gossip lesson, but there were several other points that would've gotten my strewn, too. Kelsey McKinney proves to be a talented writer with this one. You Didn't Hear This From Me is well-written and poignant. I am amazed at the research that went into this publication.

From the history of oral legends to Ephesians 4:29, from Mean Girls to Britney Spears, from politics to the #Metoo movement-- gossip is much more than just snickering teenagers. It is about how we process information about the world around us. Ways we communicate what we see, hear, and think about others. We choose how we disseminate that information, but it is a crucial part of our society.

Thank you Netgalley and pub for this ARC!

You Didn't Hear This From Me is a really fun exploration of gossip, from every angle, from someone who knows the subject all too intimately. It's great to see Kelsey McKinney's voice translate so well to the page.