Meaty: Essays

One of the best books I've read in awhile. Clever, laugh out load funny and over the top real, Meaty is a treat for the heart, soul and mind. A must read for those who want to embrace all things, good, bad and indifferent that makes us human.

As a massive fan of the blog & personally responsible for making all my friends a fan, I was really looking forward to the book, it is so much more than I was expecting. I knew she could write, I knew she was funny, but this book exceeds all expectations. That's enough talky, just buy it already so she can quit her day job & provide the public with more books!

She's funny, but a lot of the stories involve TMI about bodily functions. I read the whole thing and laughed at lots of it, but my stomach turned at some parts. Wish those parts had been left out or not described in such explicit detail. They weren't really necessary for the humor.

I'd read this author's blog and thought it was edgy, funny. Always a fan of females who celebrate aging, eating, bodies of all size, I bought the book. There are definitely good parts where the author sounds like someone who'd be great to hang out with for an afternoon, but unfortunately, the bodily function details became redundant and off-putting. We get it, you have rashes and moles and cellulite and s*** a lot -- what else though?? I skipped the final couple chapters on this topic because I'd grown weary of reading about it, and frankly, grossed out. I hope to read more by Ms. Irby in the future, hopefully about other aspects of her life that don't focus so much on her body.

I really, really wanted to like this book. The summary info sounded hilarious, and prior to starting this book, I just finished one by Roxane Gay. Roxane is hilarious while telling awesome stories through essays, so I thought this might be similar.

I don't mind swearing in books- if you do, this book is not for you. I don't mind sarcasm, blunt topics, or complaining (heck, I complain a lot myself). The thing I DID mind about this book is how much complaining there was- all the time- and often about the same topics over and over. I was really hoping that the book would lighten up, so I kept reading, but it really never did. Again, I complain a lot myself- and Samantha sure has had a tough life, so it's totally legit for her to do- but it was just constant, and the negativity started getting so heavy after reading page and page and page of it. I'm a pretty negative-leaning person myself, so it surprised me how much this bothered me.

Yes, there are some funny moments in the book. Yes, it does pull at your heartstrings- she has Crohn's disease, and really explains what that is like. The stories definitely made me consider what someone has to go through who has that condition and made me think about how not everyone's life is a piece of cake.

So yes, there are some good moments and good eye-openers in the book, and I appreciate how open Irby is about such personal things. But overall, thinking about the book as a whole now that I am done with it, I would not read it again. I would not really recommend it to anyone, either, with how negative it gets after so many pages of the same, heavy, frustrated feelings. Again, I hate to say that because I wanted to like it so badly, but I am actually quite disappointed with the book as a whole.

I'm not going to lie: what originally drew me to this book was the cover. That angry hedgehog drew me in, and it really is a fitting cover for this collection of essays.

Samantha Irby tells it like it is. Her takes on being single, dating, trying to budget, and generally adulting definitely hit home and made me laugh -- sometimes uncomfortably, as I recognized my own behaviors. But the book has plenty of serious moments as well, as Irby discusses her parents' failing marriage, her mother's chronic poor health, and her own experiences with Chron's disease.

I loved this book and will definitely be reading We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.: Essays as well.

This is not a book that I would normally read, however, I found it very funny at times and also very serious. Her childhood spent taking care of her mom who suffered from MS and an alcoholic father who was missing in action were harrowing. Her suffering from the bowel disease that is so unpredictable is hopefully under control by now. Her humor in spite of that life changing diagnosis is an artform. Her ability to take her everyday struggles and turn them until relatable writings keeps her honest. We will be hearing more from her as a television network will be adapting this book into a show in the near future. All the best Samantha!

Meaty was so funny! Samantha Irby writes just like she is having a conversation with you. In this collection of short essays she takes on everything from family, friends, food, dating, drama and so many things that are hilarious but you wouldn’t want to tell your Mom about! Meaning...lots of swear words, sex and bathroom jokes but I couldn’t stop laughing! I seriously didn’t want her stories to end so I would limit myself each night when reading so I would have more the next day!! If you need something that will shock you but make you laugh out loud, this is it! .

OMG what a find. I bought this audiobook when I was only halfway through Irby’s other audiobook called “we are never meeting in real life,” so it would be waiting for me as soon as I was done with that other book. I’ve now listened to them both. (I strongly recommend getting the audiobooks, because Irby’s vocal delivery is simply not to be missed.) I listened to them mostly when driving, and although I have listened to a lot of funny stuff that way (really, a LOT), I don’t remember ever listening to anything and laughing so many times. And so hard. I often wondered what other drivers were thinking if they looked over at me at a red light. A few times, I laughed so hard while moving that I considered pulling over for safety reasons. I’m not even kidding. And I don’t know how many times I smiled and nodded hard because Irby had just uttered some truth or confession that I had never heard put into words before or, at least, put into words so well. But fair warning: it’s not all comedy, and some parts of Irby’s life story are sad and/or downright horrifying. But I wouldn’t have wanted to miss those parts, either. I was amazed by her storytelling skills, her singular wit, and just her mastery of words in general. Samantha Irby is a treasure, and I think I will read (or, more likely, listen to) every single book she ever publishes. Ever.

First off, let me say that this is not my type of "go-to" book; honestly, the only reason I downloaded the book was because of the funny looking cover. However, I ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought. This book is rude, crude, and hilarious! I really enjoyed the insight and stories the author shared in the book. Sometimes, I would be cringing at the awkwardness of one of her situations, then the next chapter, I'd be laughing until I cried. All in all, a funny collection of crazy, funny, and real stories.

I am in a 13 year old girl style swoon from this book. I love it. The essays are memoir told with a dark type of comedic voice. Think Frank McCourt if he was a young, black, a blogger, and had a vagina. No topic is off the table, relationships, upbringing, emotions, sex, norms, health, bodily functions, dating, alienation, and the stupidity of all our youths. Including some brutally sad chapters on her parents. At times, I cringed while reading through my fingers.

Liberal doses of profanity (I'm from Ohio, we speak that way), references to your mom, your dad, and your boyfriend make everything very conversational. I laughed, giggled, chortled, guffawed, snickered, kee kee'd, chuckled, and tittered through this book. Somehow things that are mundanely embarrassing in my life ( cats, takeout trash, bastard dentists, sex toy storage, poor money management) are hilarious in hers. Anyway, very entertaining. Totally worth it to buy,

I've been a longtime reader of Bitches Gotta Eat so Samantha holds a special place in my heart (she also tweeted me a few years ago so we're basically bes frens in my head). I ran to my local bookstore when it was released and curled up with it until I was done. I know some people (i.e. peasants with no sense of humor) don't get her style but this had a wide spectrum of everything that makes Sam, Sam. My Mother, My Daughter was especially moving. As someone who has spent a good chunk of my life caring for others I immediately sensed the guilt in having a moment of escape and having everything go wrong. I absolutely loved this book and when I've flown through others and have nothing new to read I always throw this in my Longchamp to ease my commute to work. Looking forward to her second book and takingbher out for tacos next time she's in NYC.

Samantha Irby is hilarious and fearless, taking on topics that few others will touch - pooping, shameful adult habits, the realities of sex in a human body...Her heart is open, and bloody, and beating. Not for pearl-clutchers, but if you love people who are transparent and real, pick up Meaty and her other book, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.

A collection of essays from the writer of the blog Bitches Gotta Eat, a few serious, but most hysterical. Her difficult upbringing and physical challenges have made her blunt and honest, raw and introspective. Whether she’s talking about caring for her dying mother, the difficulty with relationships, her Crohn’s disease, her poverty, or any other topic, she confronts it head-on, often with some choice four-letter words and acerbic humor. I laughed a lot.

When I saw Samantha Irby at Lit Fest in June, she was kind enough to share her book, Meaty, with me. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this read. We don't get a peek inside Irby's life, we get full frontal! She shares personal stories that made me laugh (out loud several times), cringe, sympathize and want to be one of her friends. She is not afraid to speak her mind, say the things we are all thinking, and admit that sometimes men make her wish she were a lesbian. Preach girl! I highly recommend this book. It's a fast read and you'll have a tough time putting it down with her short episodes being so easy to read - hell, I found myself hiding it under my desk at work, reading when the boss was in meetings. Great work!

My girlfriend recently bought me a copy of Meaty by Samantha Irby, from the blog Bitches Gotta Eat. I guess she noticed I’m a fan of the blog. Or maybe it was the fact that I kept posting links to it on social media. It could also be that I read the blog posts aloud to her, each time a new one drops. She’s intuitive that way, my gal.

Anyway, I was showing the book to a friend of mine over breakfast. I hadn't realized he was already reading the blog. He said "She's like Billie Holliday Meets Louie CK. I damn near shot syrup out of my nose. Anyway, it’s a great book. Equal parts heartbreak and hilarity.

Check out her blog. You’ll know, within a couple paragraphs whether she’s your cup of tea. Hell, you might know from the title of the post, for instance, “young dicks, rotten teeth, and free fried chicken.”

Give it to your black friends. (Come on, I know you have one.)
Give it to your white friends. (Everyone else you know.)
If, like me, you don't have enough money to buy s*** for your two friends, send share recommendations to their email every single day until they break down and buy this for their own damn selves instead of stupid stuff like food and gas.
They will thank you.

As a avid reader of her blog, and passing it along to my group of friends.. They love it as well... Knowing the author as well as i do, I am proud of her, and what she has accomplished. This Book is totally hilarious, her open honesty about her, her life, and her experiences are very refreshing.. Most authors embellish things, but Ms. Irby is brutally honest.. Can u Handle the truth??

The subject line of my review tells you all you need to know about this book. This is hands down the funniest, most fearless books I have ever read. Few people are this honest, not to mention funny while being honest. I tell everyone I know to read this book. Not one person has been disappointed, neither will you. I NEVER laughed out loud while reading a book, until I read this one...and then five minutes later I was crying. I cant say enough great things about this book, nor her blog, which will satisfy your need for more upon completing this book. I wanna say more, but I curse ALOT and getting thru this review without cursing has been challenging, but the store already denied my first foul mouthed review! GET YOSELF SOME MEAT!

This book is all that and a bag of chips AND a side of dip.

Seriously: Irby knows how to tell a story, alternating a very immediate, conversational narrative voice with huge doses of authenticity. She is serving some Samantha Irby Realness in this book, and you'll want to pull up a chair and listen close.

Lots of people talk about writing that is simultaneously funny and sad, but very few writers can manage that precarious juggling act. Samantha Irby walks that tightrope with no problem. I wish there were more voices like hers out there. I also wish I worked with her, except I am pretty sure we'd both get fired.

Bit of a late review but this was my favourite book in 2013. Laugh-out-loud funny and sweet and sad too. Samantha Irby is amazing and I think my friends are might be getting this book as presents this year (don't worry, I know they'll find it fantastic too, I've already put them on to BitchesGottaEat). There's something about her writing that makes you wish she was one of your best mates, because she's just the kind of person you want around you, and she's hilarious!

This was bought for me as a gift and I have since recommended it to everyone I know, who all seem to be facets of Samantha's personality. Loved it, and I'm still waiting for her show to get picked up.

I was having a particularly awful day and I picked this book up thinking it would make me laugh. Best decision I made all day! It only took two paragraphs before I was laughing out loud and nodding my head in agreement. I love her writing style, I love her fearlessness and strength, and I love her humor. I found myself relating to her on so many different levels and that's rare for me! Best book I have read all year!!

I think this author is talented, but she unfortunately peppers every single paragraph with vulgarity and four letter curse words. For me it crossed the line between being "authentic" and just plain off-putting.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with 'Meaty' but I got a lot more than I had bargained for: her essays were very visceral and too too too too...for me. I really can't tell you if she's a good writer, maybe, but her writing was overshadowed by the disruptively negative subject material in her essays. This one is a hard one, it's a memoir, so, I can't necessarily say 'I just didn't like the storyline,' because the storyline is her life.' So, I guess I'll just go with: you might love it if you have a stronger stomach than I.

This book is insanely good. There are certain parts I can't read because either I laugh too hard or I cry or am like 'what'? Through her blogging and performing Samantha has developed an amazing, unique writer voice that comes together in an explosive way in her debut book.

This book made me laugh countless times, cry at least 4 times and made me wish Samantha Irby was a real live girlfriend of mine. Raw honesty combined with hilarious truth and heartbreak. It was my favorite read of 2013.

I read This Damn Book like all the time. S. Irby for president and This Damn Book for the constitution. Genius. She should be showered with rose petals everywhere she goes and you should be pushed in the face for not reading it sooner.

She is so talented and so honest, it makes me angry that other people without a fraction of talent get paid to write crap. I enjoyed this so much, I didn't put it down until I was finished. I'd like to ask Sam to keep writing...I'll read anything she writes.

I think this is the funniest book I've ever read in my life. Samantha Irby's hilarious and frank take on being single and happy much of the time is refreshing. I never thought such graphic depictions of straight sex with men could make me laugh so hard. I hope to read more of her.

A great book by a brilliant writer. Brought Meaty on a long plane ride and managed to look absolutely insane as I tried to hide tears and muffle laughter. I'm not the biggest reader, but I loved this book, very honest heart breaking and hilarious.

I stalked out a local B&N in search of this book for weeks. I was so exited when they put it on the shelves! I squealed like a rabid fangirl and took it home to devour. I am a huge fan of the blog and this book does not disappoint. I wish I knew you in real life, Irby. I'd totes invade your privacy for lots of hugs! If you're a fan of the blog you MUST buy this book.

I have read numerous reviews on this book, from my local newspaper, THE PITTSBURGH-POST GAZETTE and on line reviews. All gave rave reviews about it, I am certainly not a prude and my own vocabulary is very well seasoned, but there just isn't ANYTHING THAT COMES CLOSE TO HUMOR in this book. Foul language, when used properly and in the right context, and in the correct perspective can add just the right amount of spice and humor to any story. This is just a sorry excuse for the use of foul language!

I will definitely be requesting a refund from the store for the cost of this book and if I do not receive reimbursement, I most certainly will not be making any additional purchases through the store/Kindle

This book has seriously changed my life. I related so much to Samantha Irby’s essays. It made me laugh out loud multiple times while reading and also made me shed a tear. Samantha Irby is exceptionally talented. Looking forward to reading her next book.

Samantha Irby is hilarious and fearless, taking on topics that few others will touch - pooping, shameful adult habits, the realities of sex in a human body...Her heart is open, and bloody, and beating. Not for pearl-clutchers, but if you love people who are transparent and real, pick up Meaty and her other book, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life.