Book Review: Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered

Title: Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered
Author: Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Genre: Memoir, True Crime
Publisher: Forge Books
Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Pages: 304
Format Read: Audiobook
Standalone or series: Standalone
Where I got the book: Library Libby app
Date finished reading: September 16, 2019

Goodreads Description: The highly anticipated first book by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1 hit podcast My Favorite Murder!

Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.

In Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being ‘nice’ or ‘helpful.’ They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness.

My Review: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are rocking the podcast world with their true crime/comedy podcast, My Favorite Murder. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you should! As in the podcast, Karen and Georgia use some of their clever sayings (like “buy your own shit”, “you’re in a cult, call your dad” and “stay out of the forest”) to continue to open up to their fans about topics that they and so many others have struggled with like alcoholism, family grief, eating disorders, and difficult relationships to name a few. It is vulnerable and real. When I wasn’t laughing to the point of tears, I was nodding yes Yes YES!

Of course, they also dive into their love of true crime. As a girl who also grew up in the 80s, I too can relate to the section where Karen and Georgia talk about what it means to be latchkey kids. I wasn’t so much left at home alone, as I was left outside. It wasn’t until boys were disappearing from my neighborhood that my mom stopped allowing us to ride our bikes anywhere we wanted. Within a couple months, Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested within a few miles of our house. When a story like that dominates your childhood, it is no wonder that I became fascinated with true crime. Karen and Georgia, along with the My Favorite Murder family, have made me and thousands of others around the world feel that it is okay to like true crime. This book covers some of the key advice they have given to Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered, including my favorites of ALWAYS trust your instincts and FUCK POLITENESS!

I adored this book. For audiobook listeners, you will get a special treat by hearing the occasional soothing/sexy voice of Paul Giamatti. SSDGM, Murderinos!

My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 

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WWW Wednesdays – August 1, 2018

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Time for another WWW Wednesdays, which is brought to you by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. If you too want to participate, answer the above questions and post that link on Sam’s page.

Finished Reading

I’m playing a bit of catch-up. I had a family emergency last week, so I did not get to read a lot, but I did listen to a lot of audiobooks while on the road, including the following:

Mindhunter by John Douglas

After thoroughly enjoying Season 1 of Mindhunter on Netflix, I decided to read the book that the show is based off of while I anxiously await Season 2. As far as true crime books go, this book does not disappoint. I’ve always been a bit fascinated by the the psychological traits of killing and patterns, which I thought made me a little strange until I discovered the podcast My Favorite Murder and the community of Murderinos like me. Anyway, this book dives right into behavioral science in relation to catching killers. It was thrilling and a bit terrifying – especially if you are listening to it while stopped at a mostly deserted gas station at 2am in West Texas.

Educated by Tara Westover

I finished this book before I headed out of town and as per my last WWW Wednesdays post, it truly held up all the way through to the end. It is one of my favorite reads of the year. It is a memoir, of growing up in a secluded survivalist family, where public education was supporting and being influenced by the government. This is a story of a young women who decides at 17 that she wants to go to school and starts realizing the truths and lies about her childhood and home life.

Any Man by Amber Tamblyn

This book was not a high priority for me as I haven’t seen positive feedback on Litsy, but it popped up on my Libby account, so I decided to read it. I finished it in less than two days. It was amazing and powerful. I’m a bit baffled by the negative reviews I’ve seen. The writing was very poetic and added to the emotions of the characters and the topic of rape itself. This is a story of a serial rapist, called Maude, who assaults numerous men. Much of the book revolves around the victims and how they cope with what happened to them. The whole story was moving and heart-wrenching. Plus, there are a few parts that deal with media, especially social media, that just made me so angry, as it pointed out how often we blame the victims. Male or female…assault is assault and WRONG. I am glad I listened to the audiobook, because I felt that hearing the voices made it that much more powerful a story.

I also did manage to finish an ARC book from NetGalley that I believe became available to the public yesterday:

A Tale of Two Murders by Heather Redmond

What a delightful bit of fan fiction! For fans of Charles Dickens, you will love this fun mystery, where the main character – none other than Dickens himself – decides to investigate two mysterious deaths. While at times I found the main character a bit boring, the story kept moving nicely with a set of fantastic supporting characters. This was an enjoyable mystery, and I did not guess the ending!

Currently Reading

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

This is another classic fiction book that I am reading for the first time for my classics book club. I just started it and am a good way through it, because it is exciting, though I’m nervous it will turn dark and horrifying at any moment. I keep thinking of the TV series Lost, so I guess I know what inspired that show.

The Lucky Dress by Aimee Brown

Just started this one, so I have no real opinion yet, but I’m looking forward to a cute romance to offset all the intense books I’ve been reading lately.

Make Trouble by Cecile Richards

Cecile Richards is the President of Planned Parenthood and daughter of the former Texas governor, Ann Richards. Due to her life directly and indirectly involved in US politics, she has an interesting take on our government, women’s rights and activism. I’m currently listening to her narration on audiobook.

Reading Next

I have a growing list of ARCs that have become available to me through NetGalley and hope to complete the following ones before they are available to the public on August 7th.

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis

I have a huge August TBR pile that has been growing due to some recent book mail. It is going to be a fun reading month! What is on your TBR pile?