Book Recommendation: ‘Meaty’ by Samantha Irby

recommended by GRACE JOHNSON, Peninsula Pulse assistant editor

If you haven’t read anything by Samantha Irby, then you’re sleeping on some really good stuff. Irby is an American comedian, essayist and television writer, as well as the creator of the B*tches Gotta Eat blog. I had heard a few things about her work but fell in love after reading this collection of essays.

In Meaty, Irby laughs her way through tragicomic mishaps, neuroses and taboos as she struggles through adulthood: chin hairs, depression, bad sex, failed relationships, masturbation, taco feasts, inflammatory bowel disease and more.

Not only are Irby’s short stories well written, but they are also honest, funny and relatable. She is open and says it how it is, not for the sake of shock, but just to be true to herself and her experiences. 

Irby has several essay collections. The most recent, Quietly Hostile, was released this year. Fans of Jenny Lawson will also enjoy Irby’s writing style: finding humor in the darkest situations.