Che-Michelle Tales

I finally read Quietly Hostile, and …It’s Outrageously funny!
Book: Quietly Hostile
Author: The Amazing, Funny, Intelligent Samantha Irby
Published: May 2023 (Literally May 16th, 2023)
Wine Choice: Bent Wine Co. 2022 Red Blend
Stand Alone, Series, or Other: Stand-Alone
Type of book: Essays
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Humor/ Essays
How long did it take me to read this book: 12 days (I read about two essays a day, and a few pieces were long)
Rating: 🍷🍷😂😂😂

So, in April, I won a Proof Bound Galley version of Samantha Irby’s book Quietly Hostile from Goodreads. It took me almost four months to read the book; a lot has happened in the last four months. At the bottom of the book states, “This is an uncorrected Proof. Please do not quote for publication without checking the finished book.” I checked the finished book, and an additional essay was added to the dead book. So, Mrs. Irby got my money, I don’t mind; I would spend it at Trader Joe’s on snacks. I rate this book 2 Wine glasses and the laughing emojis.
Let’s get to the book review. Quietly Hostile is Outrageously funny! Mrs. Irby struck the balance of sarcastic humor and thought-provoking moments on life, TV, and the obscurity of the human experience. Each essay was a look into Irby’s wonderful yet chaotic mind. She dissects dealing with entering a global shutdown while coping with Crohn’s disease and dealing with the loss of a production deal due to the lack of studio vision. I can see a Samantha Irby show, as episodic flashbacks as she talks to her therapist dealing with the traumas she experienced in her life, for the essay where she talks about being a Superfan for a specific show (sex in the city). I can see her sitting at a laptop as she imagines how she would tailor the show to her liking. Can you imagine the comedy bit where Carrie reads Irby’s rewrite and protests not doing it but is vetoed, and she and Kim Catrell toast cocktails in the director set as Carrie acts like an adult in a scene re-written by Irby?
Quietly Hostile gently reminds me why Samantha Irby is one of my go-to humorist and essayist for non-fiction writing. Irby weaves life events into a cinematic comedic scene that will make you laugh and question why life is so complicated. Whether she details how the first season of her shelf dramedy show would have gone or outlines how to deal with the uprise of haters in your life (read the essay “I like it”). She reveals more about her current life or past events that shaped her perspective. Unfortunately, while reading this book, I could not read and unwind to a glass of wine. It was like an on-the-go book, audible or in the waiting room. But if I could, I would suggest trying Bent Wine Co. I finished reading the book in August, which is National Black Business Month. Support Bent Wine Co., a black-owned winery, and order their 2022 Red Blend or the 2022 Rose’. The 2022 Red Blend is complex enough to handle Irby’s heavy topics, while the berry notes lend themselves to the sarcastic humor. If you have time to sit and enjoy, order a charcuterie board from Wegmans, but if you are in Baltimore, call a board from Board in a box.
Until Next time,
Che Michelle