Ive Tried Being Nice, Ann Leary
Ive Tried Being Nice, Ann Leary
3 Rating(s)
List: $19.99
On Sale: $5.99

I've Tried Being Nice
(Among Other Things): Essays

Author: Ann Leary

Narrator: Ann Leary

Unabridged: 5 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/04/2024


Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Ann Leary offers a “zany, relatable essay collection” (Oprah Daily), told from the perspective of a recovering people pleaser.

“Ann Leary is a damn delight...Read this book!” —Glennon Doyle

Having arrived at a certain age (her prime), Ann Leary casts a wry backward glance at a life spent trying—and often failing—to be nice. With “humor and expert storytelling” (Oprah Daily), Leary recounts the bedlam of home bat invasions, an obsession with online personality tests, and the mortification of taking ballroom dance lessons with her actor husband. She describes hilarious red-carpet fiascos and other observations from the sidelines of fame, while also touching upon her more poignant struggles with alcoholism, her love for her family, her dogs, and so much more.

Prepare to laugh, cry, cringe, and revel in the comically relatable chaos of Ann Leary’s life as revealed in this “thoughtful, humorous, and brutally honest” (The Boston Globe) collection of essays.

“As relatable and refreshing as a good talk with your wisest friend.” —The Boston Globe, “75 Books We’re Most Excited to Read This Summer”
“In funny and unpretentious essays...Leary shares stories from a lifetime of wanting to be liked.” —The Washington Post, “10 Noteworthy Books for June”
“[A] winning essay collection…The humor lands and the lithe prose elevates Leary’s musings on life’s mundanities. This is a gem.” —Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

About Ann Leary

Ann Leary is the New York Times bestselling author of a memoir and four novels including The Good House. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages, and she has written for The New York Times, Ploughshares, NPR, Redbook, and Real Simple, among other publications. Her essay, “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive,” was adapted for Prime Video’s television series, Modern Love. Her novel The Good House was adapted as a motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline. She lives with her husband in New York. Visit her online at AnnLeary.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rachel on July 25, 2024

Ever read a book, and while reading it you think to yourself that you would like to be best friends with the author? Well, that’s how I felt while reading “I’ve Tried Being Nice”. This little book contained 20 essays on how our author, Ann Leary (who is married to Denis Leary), tried to overcome her......more

Goodreads review by Books_the_Magical_Fruit (Kerry) on January 31, 2024

Ann Leary is very funny. She and I have much in common: people pleasing, anxiety, racing intrusive thoughts and more. Good times! Leary is very upfront with her struggles, and her honesty is both refreshing and relatable. I enjoyed reading about the author’s life. I’ve heard of Denis Leary, her famo......more

Goodreads review by Kasa on April 07, 2024

What a pleasure after enjoying her fiction, to meet the woman behind her words. Generous and honest, Ann Leary provides insight with humor and self deprecation, and gives of herself, warts and all. Particularly nice is her chapter on dogs and her lifelong friends among them.......more

Goodreads review by Zibby on June 11, 2024

This is a light-hearted, vulnerable, and wise collection of essays about being a people-pleaser inspired by memorable personal experiences. She discusses the challenges of people-pleasing and standing up for herself and then shares anecdotes from her life. In some essays, there is that theme of tryi......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on June 26, 2024

Relatable and funny essays on marriage, motherhood, writing, complicated parental relationships and so much more. This was an entertaining listen on audio and a quick read at that. I didn't know much about this author or her husband, Dennis Leary but still enjoyed this on audio. Worth a read, especi......more


Quotes

"Leary’s narration is a hilarious combination of sarcastic delivery and witty thoughts that often lead to laugh-out-loud moments. Her narration allows listeners to enjoy her incredible sense of humor, as well as her feelings about the complications of life and figuring out what is truly important."