Quite informative. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

I hadn’t heard of Kelsey, or her podcast, before and had just liked the blurb. Like some other reviewers I expected more ‘gossip’ from this book!
I enjoyed elements of it, like considering where gossip can be a positive thing, and why the newer seasons of Gossip Girl didn’t work, but it was very repetitive and there were sections where I zoned out and had to go back to re-listen.
I would recommend to fans of Kelsey’s podcast and those interested in linguistics.
I had the audiobook, and Kelsey has a great voice to listen to. I’ll definitely be trying her podcast.
Thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for a fair review.

The audiobook was good and there was some interesting information. The beginning reads a bit like the author trying to convince the reader that gossiping about your peers is positive. I do wish she had spent some time on the negative and harmful sides of gossip.

You Didn’t Hear This from Me is a delightful balance of insightful history and current events that aim to examine gossip and what it is at its core - the desire to know the truth. I loved how McKinney explored gossip from different angles, showing it as more than just idle chatter—it’s a way to connect, survive, and even seek justice. She gives credibility to something often dismissed as frivolous or “bad,” especially when women do it. A fun, thoughtful read with plenty of juicy moments!

I loved this exploration of the societal and cultural role of gossip. As someone who loves gossip in all forms (in the workplace, from my friends' workplaces, family drama, and, of course, celebrity gossip), I, too, have always felt like this was some dirty secret I had to keep and feel bad about. Examining it from an academic lens could not be more in my wheelhouse, so I basically devoured this audiobook.

Full disclosure: I am not a listener of the Normal Gossip podcast, but it is evident that McKinney is a talented orator, and she did an excellent job with the narration. I look forward to adding the back catalog of this pod to my rotation.

I highly recommend this one and have already sent copies to a few friends.

This book is for those who love a good chinwag and those who don't. The highest recommendation I can give is that it was juicy but not irrelevant piece of writing about gossip and even I, notoriously uninterested in celeb gossip or regular old gossiping, found it engaging and full of insights.

Not every book is for every person. This certainly rings true for You Didn't Hear This From Me. I seem to be in the minority of reviewers who dislike this book. I listened to about 15% of it before giving up. I just found it to be very dry. When the author brought religion into it, I knew I had to stop.

Thank you Hachette and Grand Central for review copies, this was such a fun and interesting book/audio. I really enjoyed McKinney's style, her clear joy for exploring not just the idea of gossip as something salacious or soapy backstabbing drama but as something else, something embedded in how we often interact with others. The author explores gossip from a few perspectives, delving into ideas with passion in a way that made me want to gossip about gossip! A great listen on audio if you are looking for a podcast style audiobook, great to listen with on a road trip!

Host of the podcast Normal Gossip, Kelsey McKinney is a self-proclaimed lover of gossip- but wondered why gossip has such a negative connotation. In this collection of essays McKinney dives deep into the world of gossip, including what defines it, its history, and how it interacts with our current culture. Storytelling has been around for thousands of years and is the basis for communities. Today it's used in some of the same was as it was historically, but gossip today has many different aspects to it. Told in a conversational and approachable manner (and read by McKinney herself) this was a fascinating and easy to listen to audiobook!

Even if you have never heard of Normal Gossip, You Didn't Hear This From Me is such a delight. Thoughtful essays on the history, cultural impact, and Kelsey's personal experience with gossip, this is such an easy and enjoyable audiobook to spend the day with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the Audio ARC!

You Didn't Hear This From Me addresses the complexities of gossip in our day and age. The author, who has made gossip into a career, does a good job of detailing, and illustrating with real life experiences, how damaging gossip can be. She also illuminates the interesting history of gossip in popular culture and as an 'industry'. If you're interested in the world of gossip at all, this book is worth reading.

I remember the first time I heard Kelsey McKinney -- she was a guest on a podcast I loved and it was right when Normal Gossip was starting. I binged all the episodes of Normal Gossip and was so obsessed with the way Kelsey McKinney told a story -- she has the best delivery, builds amazing anticipation, and I loved the idea behind the podcast. 

I was so excited to receive an early copy of the audio of this book -- I love listening to Kelsey McKinney talk and I loved this book. I really enjoyed the history of gossip as well as it’s cultural relevance -- it's so fascinating to me. 

One of my favorite parts was the discussion of gossiping online about reality tv as it airs -- that is one of the things I love about watching shows as they come out instead of binging. I love being able to listen to podcasts about the show, read the fan theories, and get behind the scenes insight. 

It is also fascinating to me hearing about how gossip transforms as it's passed around. 

The part about her ear surgery as a kid and it's impacts is really intense -- and amazing that she went on to have a career in audio! 

And of course, Kelsey McKinney does an outstanding job of narrating the audio for this book! I highly recommend this for anyone who is interested in cultural phenomenons, or already a fan of hers. It was so good. 

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

This book is pure, unfiltered, intelligent gossip analysis, and I devoured every second of it. Kelsey McKinney, host of Normal Gossip, takes what we all secretly (or openly) love—gossip—and elevates it into an insightful, hilarious, and surprisingly deep cultural exploration.

✔ Breaks down why gossip is essential to human connection
✔ Blends historical, sociological, and pop culture perspectives
✔ Reads like a juicy, engaging conversation with your smartest friend

If you’ve ever been sucked into a workplace scandal, whispered in a group chat, or just love the delicious chaos of other people’s drama, this is for you. And if you’re a Normal Gossip fan? It’s basically required reading.

Final thoughts: This book defends, dissects, and celebrates gossip in a way that’ll make you rethink every piece of tea you’ve ever spilled.

Kelsey has a way with bringing people in with a story and keeping them entertained until the end. I loved each essay and was excited to see how she would intertwine the information with her own experiences with gossip.

This was so funny & well-researched. I of course loved the shoutouts to my bravo housewives; The Traitors; Survivor and Mean Girls all of which feature in a highly interesting discussion of the role & social history of gossip. The discussion of AI’s (in)ability to gossip and it’s generation of the Epic of Gilgamesh in “gossip” form is a perfect example of how this book is so funny but also so thought provoking. 5 stars!

I enjoyed that the author narrated the audiobook. It flowed well and I found her style fit the content she was discussing very well. The research and data presented about gossip, both historically and in present day, very interesting. The author kept herself neutral when discussing different gossip anecdotes, for example rumors about politicians/celebrities, which I appreciate. It was fascinating to learn about all different places were gossip and talking about others is presented. From the Bible, to modern day reality shows, and rumors that fly around cities and within communities, both big and small. The author also talked about the variety of things that can be considered gossip that I did not even consider. The way the author blended in her own experiences with the experiences of others was helpful. She gave her own first hand account, but also shared when she had been told gossip, where it came from and whether it was ever proven to be true. Overall, this was a great nonfiction read that was thought provoking and very interesting.

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.

As someone who is a big fan of Normal Gossip, the podcast created and formerly hosted by Kelsey, I jumped at the chance to receive an ARC of her new book. I am not really an audiobook person but I've been trying to get into them. So, I figured a book on a subject I'm interested in and read in a voice that I know and find comforting would be a great place to start. I was correct! I was engaged the whole time and wound up finishing the book in a couple of sessions.

Kelsey has expertly crafted a piece that is not only a delightful memoir but an interesting look at how pop culture has and continues to shape daily life. She discusses treating gossip as a sort of social currency while also pointing out how I can bring a sense of comradery to a community. And she's funny while she's at it!

I laughed, I learned, and I felt seen. It really felt like a book marketed at me directly (Especially the bit about Reality TV) My only gripe seems to be the general consensus. I wish she had included fewer quotes from outside sources and a bit more of her own thoughts. I promise Kelsey, people want to hear what you have to say!!

This was so fun to listen to! I think the audiobook format for this is especially fitting, and would highly recommend it. While I have not listened to the podcast, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was interesting learning some of the history of gossip alongside anecdotes galore. I was so drawn into every section of this book, it just left me wanting more. I enjoyed McKinney's casual tone, and ability to make you feel like you were old friends catching up on all the hot goss you've missed. McKinney did a great job weaving herself throughout her stories and really letting her personality shine. This is a great, quick listen for anyone who loves a little gossip sesh (and who doesn't?)!

A treat for fans of NORMAL GOSSIP and beyond. McKinney brings humour and warmth to what we've come to think of as tabu, and both normalises and humanises an information-sharing process that has long been vilified.